Chaudhry Mohammad Ali

Chaudhry Mohammad Ali was a Pakistani politician and statesman who served as the fourth Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1955 to 1956. He was born in a Punjabi Muslim family and was educated at the Punjab University and the London School of Economics. He joined the Indian Civil Service in 1927 and served in various capacities in the British administration. He was one of the two secretaries of the Partition Council that oversaw the division of assets between India and Pakistan in 1947. He also served as the secretary-general of the government of Pakistan and the finance minister under Prime Minister Khawaja Nazimuddin. He was appointed as the Prime Minister by Governor-General Iskander Mirza in 1955, after the dismissal of Muhammad Ali Bogra. He faced several challenges during his tenure, such as the One Unit scheme, the language issue, the provincial autonomy, and the opposition from the Muslim League. He drafted the first constitution of Pakistan, which was adopted in 1956 and made Pakistan an Islamic republic. He also improved the relations with China and the Muslim world. He resigned in 1956, after a power struggle with Iskander Mirza and the Republican Party. He retired from politics and lived in Lahore until his death in 1980. He was considered a moderate and pragmatic leader who tried to resolve the constitutional crisis and the regional disparities in Pakistan.