Constitutional History & Federal Affairs (1947 onward) MCQs with Answers
Solved MCQs on Pakistan’s constitutions of 1956, 1962 and 1973, the Objectives Resolution, One Unit, martial laws, key amendments and the federal structure. Sourced from PPSC past papers.
Quaid-e-Azam was Pakistan’s first Governor-General; Liaquat Ali Khan its first Prime Minister.
Liaquat Ali Khan was assassinated in Rawalpindi, October 1951; the Rawalpindi Conspiracy of 1951 had targeted his government.
The First Constituent Assembly met on 11 August 1947; first Speaker Maulvi Tamizuddin Khan.
The Objectives Resolution was passed on 12 March 1949 and became the preamble of every constitution.
The 1956 Constitution made Pakistan an Islamic Republic with a unicameral legislature; Urdu and Bengali were official languages.
Iskander Mirza was the first President and proclaimed the first Martial Law (1958).
The Bogra Formula (1953) proposed parity between East and West Pakistan.
The One Unit Scheme was established in 1955 (bill approved 30 September 1955) and dissolved in 1970.
East Pakistan had the larger population — the root of the parity dispute.
The 1962 Constitution was enforced by Ayub Khan on 8 June 1962 and lasted about seven years.
The Awami League won the 1970 elections in East Pakistan; the result was not honoured.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was Pakistan’s only civilian Chief Martial Law Administrator (December 1971).
The 1973 Constitution was promulgated on 14 August 1973 — the first framed by an elected assembly.
Under the 1973 Constitution the Prime Minister is head of government and the President head of state.
The Senate is headed by a Chairman (first: Habibullah Khan); each province has 23 seats; terms are 6 years.
The original 1973 National Assembly had 210 members.
The NFC (National Finance Commission) distributes revenue between the federation and provinces.
The 8th Amendment (1985) gave the President power to dissolve assemblies under Article 58(2)(b).
Zia-ul-Haq dismissed PM Junejo on 29 May 1988; Ghulam Ishaq Khan succeeded Zia as President.
The 17th Amendment (2003) restored presidential powers; the 18th Amendment (2010) devolved power to the provinces.
FATA was merged into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2018 via the 25th Amendment.
NWFP was part of Punjab until it became a separate province in 1901.
The President’s official residence is Aiwan-e-Sadr; Nurul Amin was Pakistan’s only Vice President.
Who was the first Governor-General of Pakistan?
Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah became Pakistan's first Governor-General on 15 August 1947 and held office until his death in September 1948.
Who was the first Prime Minister of Pakistan?
Liaquat Ali Khan, known as Quaid-e-Millat, was Pakistan's first Prime Minister, serving from 1947 until his assassination in Rawalpindi in October 1951.
Who administered the oath to the first Prime Minister of Pakistan?
Quaid-e-Azam, as Governor-General, administered the oath to Liaquat Ali Khan as Pakistan's first Prime Minister.
Who was the second Prime Minister of Pakistan?
Khawaja Nazimuddin became the second Prime Minister in 1951, after having served as Governor-General following Jinnah's death.
Against which Prime Minister of Pakistan was the Rawalpindi Conspiracy directed?
The Rawalpindi Conspiracy Case of 1951 was an attempted coup against the government of Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan.
Who was the first Governor of East Pakistan?
Sir Frederick Bourne was appointed the first Governor of East Bengal (later East Pakistan) after Partition.
In which princely state was Sir Shahnawaz Bhutto the Diwan?
Sir Shahnawaz Bhutto, father of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, served as Diwan (chief minister) of the princely state of Junagadh.
On which date did the First Constituent Assembly of Pakistan hold its inaugural session?
The First Constituent Assembly met on 11 August 1947, when Quaid-e-Azam delivered his famous address on the rights of all citizens regardless of religion.
Who was the first Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan?
Maulvi Tamizuddin Khan was the first Speaker; he later challenged the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly in the landmark Tamizuddin Khan case.
When was the Objectives Resolution passed?
The Objectives Resolution was passed on 12 March 1949 under Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan. It laid down that sovereignty belongs to Allah and became the preamble to every subsequent constitution.
What form of government did the Objectives Resolution propose?
The Objectives Resolution envisaged a democratic state where the people exercise authority as a sacred trust, within limits prescribed by Islam.
Which two languages were declared official languages in the 1956 Constitution?
The 1956 Constitution recognised both Urdu and Bengali as official languages, reflecting the demands of East Pakistan after the Bengali language movement.
The federal legislature established under the 1956 Constitution was:
The 1956 Constitution created a unicameral legislature — a single National Assembly. The bicameral system with a Senate came only with the 1973 Constitution.
Who became the first President of Pakistan?
Iskander Mirza became Pakistan's first President when the 1956 Constitution came into force and the country was declared an Islamic Republic.
Who was the only person to serve as Vice President of Pakistan?
Nurul Amin is the only person to have held the office of Vice President of Pakistan, briefly in December 1971.
In which year was the Bogra Formula presented?
Prime Minister Muhammad Ali Bogra presented his constitutional formula in 1953 to resolve the deadlock over representation between East and West Pakistan.
What was the Bogra Formula primarily concerned with?
The Bogra Formula proposed a bicameral legislature giving East and West Pakistan parity — equal representation — to break the constitutional deadlock.
In which year was the One Unit Scheme established?
The One Unit Scheme, merging the provinces of West Pakistan into a single unit, was established in 1955 to balance East Pakistan's larger population.
When was the One Unit Bill approved?
The One Unit Bill was approved on 30 September 1955. The scheme was eventually dissolved in 1970.
Compared with West Pakistan, the population of East Pakistan was:
East Pakistan had the larger population, which is precisely why West Pakistani leaders pressed for parity formulas such as One Unit and the Bogra Formula.
Who proclaimed the first Martial Law in Pakistan?
President Iskander Mirza proclaimed Pakistan's first Martial Law in October 1958, appointing Ayub Khan as Chief Martial Law Administrator — who then removed Mirza within weeks.
By whom was the 1962 Constitution enforced?
The second Constitution of Pakistan was enforced by President Ayub Khan in 1962, introducing a presidential system.
When did the 1962 Constitution come into force?
The 1962 Constitution came into force on 8 June 1962.
For how many years did the 1962 Constitution remain in force?
The 1962 Constitution remained in force for about seven years, until it was abrogated in 1969 when Ayub Khan handed power to Yahya Khan.
Who won the 1970 general election in East Pakistan?
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's Awami League swept East Pakistan in the 1970 elections, winning an outright majority in the National Assembly — a result that was not honoured, precipitating the 1971 crisis.
Who became the first elected Prime Minister after the December 1970 general election?
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto took office after the separation of East Pakistan in 1971, becoming the first elected Prime Minister under the new order.
What was Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's initial constitutional position after the 1971 war?
Bhutto first assumed office as President and Chief Martial Law Administrator in December 1971 — the only civilian ever to hold the CMLA post.
Who was the first civilian Chief Martial Law Administrator of Pakistan?
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was Pakistan's first and only civilian Chief Martial Law Administrator, taking office in December 1971.
In which year was the 1973 Constitution promulgated?
The 1973 Constitution was promulgated on 14 August 1973 — Pakistan's first constitution framed by an elected assembly with consensus among all parties.
According to the 1973 Constitution, who is the head of government?
The 1973 Constitution established a parliamentary system in which the Prime Minister is head of government and the President is head of state.
According to the 1973 Constitution, what is the head of the Senate called?
The Senate is presided over by a Chairman, while the National Assembly is presided over by a Speaker.
Who was the first Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan?
Habibullah Khan became the first Chairman of the Senate after the upper house was created under the 1973 Constitution.
How many seats does each province have in the Senate of Pakistan?
Each province is allotted 23 seats in the Senate, giving the provinces equal representation regardless of population.
For how many years are members of the Senate of Pakistan elected?
Senators serve six-year terms, with half the Senate retiring every three years to ensure continuity.
In 1973, what was the total number of members in the National Assembly?
The National Assembly under the original 1973 Constitution had 210 members.
Who distributes revenue between the federation and the provinces?
The National Finance Commission (NFC) determines the distribution of revenues between the federal government and the provinces, through the NFC Award.
Which constitutional amendment significantly affected the judicial structure and gave the President power to dissolve assemblies?
The 8th Amendment (1985), passed under Zia-ul-Haq, gave the President discretionary power to dissolve the National Assembly under Article 58(2)(b) — used repeatedly in the 1990s.
The 17th Amendment to the Constitution was approved in which year?
The 17th Amendment was passed in 2003 under President Pervez Musharraf, restoring presidential powers including Article 58(2)(b).
The 18th Amendment, passed in 2010, transferred greater powers to whom?
The 18th Amendment (2010) devolved substantial powers to the provinces, abolished the Concurrent List and stripped the President of the power to dissolve parliament.
Which Prime Minister's government did Zia-ul-Haq dismiss on 29 May 1988?
General Zia-ul-Haq dismissed Prime Minister Muhammad Khan Junejo's government on 29 May 1988, using the powers of the 8th Amendment.
Who succeeded General Zia-ul-Haq as President of Pakistan?
Ghulam Ishaq Khan, then Chairman of the Senate, became President after Zia-ul-Haq's death in the 1988 air crash.
Into which province were the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) merged?
FATA was merged into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under the 25th Amendment, ending its separate constitutional status.
In which year was FATA officially merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa?
The FATA merger took place in 2018 through the 25th Constitutional Amendment.
Before 1901, the North-West Frontier Province was part of which province?
The area that became NWFP (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) was administered as part of Punjab until it was made a separate province in 1901.
Which province of Pakistan has the most divisions?
Punjab, being the most populous province, is organised into the largest number of administrative divisions.
What is the official residence of the President of Pakistan called?
The President's official residence in Islamabad is called Aiwan-e-Sadr.
Constitutional History & Federal Affairs (1947 onward) — Complete Reference
Pakistan’s constitutional journey — three constitutions, repeated martial laws, and a long argument about the balance between the centre and the provinces — is one of the most heavily examined areas in PPSC, FPSC, NTS, CSS and PMS papers. This page covers the Objectives Resolution, the constitutions of 1956, 1962 and 1973, One Unit and the Bogra Formula, the major amendments, and the structure of the federation. Every MCQ is drawn from PPSC past papers (2002-2026). It is Chapter 7 of our Pakistan Studies MCQs hub.
The Three Constitutions Compared
| Feature | 1956 | 1962 | 1973 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enforced by | Constituent Assembly | Ayub Khan | Elected National Assembly (Bhutto era) |
| Date in force | 23 March 1956 | 8 June 1962 | 14 August 1973 |
| System | Parliamentary | Presidential | Parliamentary |
| Legislature | Unicameral | Unicameral | Bicameral (National Assembly + Senate) |
| Official languages | Urdu & Bengali | Urdu & Bengali | Urdu |
| Duration | ~2 years | ~7 years | In force today |
Key Constitutional Milestones
| Year | Event | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| 1947 | First Constituent Assembly (11 August) | Jinnah’s address on citizens’ rights |
| 1949 | Objectives Resolution (12 March) | Preamble of every later constitution |
| 1953 | Bogra Formula | Proposed parity between the two wings |
| 1955 | One Unit Scheme | West Pakistan merged into a single unit |
| 1958 | First Martial Law (Iskander Mirza) | Ayub Khan made CMLA, then took power |
| 1970 | First general election | Awami League swept East Pakistan |
| 1971 | Separation of East Pakistan | Bhutto became President and civilian CMLA |
| 1985 | 8th Amendment | Article 58(2)(b) — President could dissolve assemblies |
| 2003 | 17th Amendment | Restored presidential powers under Musharraf |
| 2010 | 18th Amendment | Devolved power to the provinces |
| 2018 | 25th Amendment | FATA merged into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |
Structure of the Federation
| Institution | Key Facts |
|---|---|
| National Assembly | Lower house, headed by a Speaker; 210 members under the original 1973 Constitution |
| Senate | Upper house, headed by a Chairman; 23 seats per province; 6-year terms, half retiring every three years |
| Prime Minister | Head of government under the 1973 Constitution |
| President | Head of state; official residence Aiwan-e-Sadr |
| NFC | National Finance Commission — distributes revenue between federation and provinces |
Common exam trap: the Objectives Resolution (12 March 1949) is often confused with the Lahore Resolution (23 March 1940) and with the date the 1956 Constitution took effect (23 March 1956). Three different events, two sharing 23 March.
For further reading see Wikipedia’s entries on the Constitution of Pakistan and the Objectives Resolution. Syllabus references are published by FPSC and PPSC.