Following the death of British Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, while reports emerged claiming that the monarch had ancestral links to Prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam, new reports have emerged establishing her direct ministerial links to the country of Pakistan. As surprising as it may seem, the reigning queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth nations has ruled the country of Pakistan for four years from 1952 to 1956.
Elizabeth and her father, George VI, controlled the world’s first Islamic Republic for nine years. The Queen’s reign over Pakistan ended 60 years ago, on March 23, 1956, when Pakistan assumed republic status. The saga began in the year 1947 when India attained independence and a new country named Pakistan was formed. George VI who was the last emperor of India assumed two separate titles then, becoming the king of India and the king of Pakistan. He ruled India as a king till it became a republic in 1950. However, his daughter Elizabeth inherited the throne of Pakistan after his death in 1952.
According to the reports, Elizabeth II was proclaimed as queen of seven separate nations at the time of her coronation in 1952. The countries then headed by her included the United Kingdom, Pakistan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Ceylon, which eventually changed its name to Sri Lanka.
While she headed as the queen of all these nations, her position remained mostly ceremonial, and her responsibilities were handled by one of her governor generals, a viceroy who essentially functions as head of state. Elizabeth II was the first empress of Pakistan, succeeding her father King George VI as monarch and ruled until March 23, 1956, when the nation assumed the title of the Islamic republic.
The country of Pakistan spent over Rs 4,82,000 for the Queen’s coronation back in the year 1952, which former Prime Minister Muhammad Ali Bogra acknowledged by stating that as a Commonwealth member, Pakistan had to fall in line with other sister Dominions on such events.
The Queen’s coronation robe was donned with floral symbols from each Commonwealth country, including three from Pakistan- wheat, cotton, and jute. Queen Elizabeth II’s position as ruler of Pakistan, however, remained small and uninteresting, as she deliberately avoided participating in the nation and its political activities, while her governor-general served best a cosmetic function.
For instance, in the year 1953, the then governor-general Ghulam Muhammad fired the then prime minister Sir Khawaja Nazimuddin for attempting to equalize the power of West and East Pakistan. The Queen, the ruler of the country was then petitioned by the government but she refused to interfere in the matter. His rule over the country was abolished in 1956 only after the country of Pakistan adopted a republican constitution.
After her rule over Pakistan ended, she visited the country twice, first in the year 1961 and then in 1997. Elizabeth II, then 34, traveled to Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Lahore, and the northern provinces with her spouse, Prince Phillip from February 1 to 16, 1961. During her visit, the Queen had claimed Pakistan to be ‘one of the powers in the world of Islam’. She had also praised the country for being one of the great nations of the Commonwealth.
The second time she visited the nation was 36 years later, in the year 1997. She remained in the country from October 7-13, once again accompanied by her spouse Prince Philip. However, this time her visit coincided with Pakistan’s golden jubilee. She had addressed the joint sitting of the Pakistan Parliament and had advised the country to take efforts to end ‘historic disagreements’ with India. “I feel at home in Karachi as we share the same culture and understand each other well”, she had said.
Her Majesty #QueenElizabethII addressing the joint sitting of Parliament of Pakistan 🇵🇰 on 8th October, 1997.@RoyalFamily @ForeignOfficePk @NASpeakerOffice @GovtofPakistan @SenatePakistan @AP_Archive pic.twitter.com/S4xfnSmblk
— National Assembly of Pakistan🇵🇰 (@NAofPakistan) September 8, 2022
To note, the constitution of Pakistan lasted for not more than two years, unlike India whose Constitution has been in place since its inception in the year 1950. Pakistan’s initial constitution is said to have collapsed for a multitude of reasons including West Pakistan’s failure to share power equitably with East Pakistan. United Kingdom’s Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96 after a prolonged illness. She was facing health problems since October 2021 that left her with difficulties in walking and standing and breathed her last at the Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
