Chaudhry Fazal Ellahi

Chaudhry Fazal Ellahi was a Pakistani politician who served as the fifth president of Pakistan from 1973 to 1978. He was born in 1904 in a wealthy landowning family of Gujrat District in Punjab. He received his education from Aligarh Muslim University and Punjab University. He started his political career in 1930 by winning the election for Gujrat District Board. He joined the Muslim League in 1942 and became its president in Gujrat. He was elected to the Punjab Assembly in 1946 and later to the West Pakistan Assembly in 1956. He served as the speaker of both assemblies. He also represented Pakistan in the United Nations in 1952. He was elected as the deputy speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan in 1965 and became the opposition leader in 1969. He joined the Pakistan Peoples Party in 1970 and was elected to the National Assembly again. He was chosen as the speaker of the National Assembly in 1972. He became the president of Pakistan in 1973 after the adoption of the new constitution, which reduced the powers of the president and gave more authority to the prime minister. He remained loyal to Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and did not interfere in the political affairs of the country. He resigned from his office in 1978 after the military coup led by General Zia-ul-Haq. He died in 1982 in Karachi. He is remembered as a humble and dignified leader who upheld the parliamentary democracy in Pakistan. [2]