Ibrahim Ismail Chundrigar

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Ibrahim Ismail Chundrigar bigraphy, stories - Pakistani diplomat

Ibrahim Ismail Chundrigar : biography

15 September 1897 – 26 September 1960

Ismail Ibrahim Chundrigar ( commonly known as I. I. Chundrigar) was the sixth Prime Minister of Pakistan for approximately 2 months from October 17, 1957 to December 16, 1957.

Prime minister

After merely a year, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy resigned from his Premiership in October 1957. His resignation came as a result of the President’s refusal to convene a meeting of the Parliament to seek a vote of confidence. President Iskander Mirza appointed I. I. Chundrigar as the interim Prime Minister. Being a nominated Prime Minister, Chundrigar held a weak position from the very beginning. He headed a coalition government including the Krishak Sramik Party, Nizam-i-Islam Party, the Muslim League and the Republican Party. The Muslim League had agreed to form a coalition government with the Republican Party on the condition that by amending the Electoral Act, the principle of separate electorate would be implemented in the country. After the formation of the Cabinet, Ministers from East Pakistan and the Republican Party started opposing the proposed amendments. The Republican Party opposed the amendment as it wanted to gain advantage over its political opponent, the Muslim League.

Political career

I.I. Chundrigar first came to prominence when the Muslim League was to give its response to the Government of India Act 1935. He shifted to Bombay at the request of Muhammad Ali Jinnah and became President of the Bombay Provincial Muslim League in 1937. He was re-elected every year up to October 1946. That was when Muhammad Ali Jinnah, leader of the All-India Muslim League, was asked to nominate members of the Muslim League for the Interim Government of India at the time of the transfer of power from British rule to independence. He was one of the five men nominated on behalf of the League, the other four being Liaquat Ali Khan, Ghazanfar Ali Khan, Abdur Rab Nishtar, and Jogendra Nath Mandal. In the Interim Government, Chundrigar took the portfolio of Commerce. at pakistan.gov.pk

Chundrigar was appointed Minister for Trade and Commerce in the first cabinet of independent Pakistan in 1947. He later served as ambassador to Afghanistan, governor of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, governor of West Punjab, and Minister for Law.

Resignation

Iskander Mirza exploited the differences between the parties and thus made Chundrigar an easy victim as he remained Prime Minister for only two months and therefore could not give any practical shape to his program.

Early life

I.I. Chundrigar belonged to the Muslim Chundrigar community, and was born in 1897 in Ahmedabad, and educated at Bombay University.