Ghulam Ishaq Khan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ghulam Ishaq Khan
غلام اسحاق خان
7th President of Pakistan
In office 17 August 1988 – 18 July 1993 Acting: 17 August 1988 – 12 December 1988
Prime Minister	Benazir Bhutto Ghulam Mustafa (Caretaker) Nawaz Sharif Balakh Sher Mazari (Caretaker) Nawaz Sharif
Preceded by	Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq
Succeeded by	Wasim Sajjad (acting)
2nd Chairman of the Senate
In office 21 March 1985 – 12 December 1988
Deputy	Sajjad Hussain
Preceded by	Habibullah Khan
Succeeded by	Wasim Sajjad
13th Minister of Finance, Revenue & Economic Affairs
In office 5 July 1977 – 21 March 1985
President	Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry Zia-ul-Haq
Preceded by	Abdul Hafiz Pirzada
Succeeded by	Mahbub ul Haq
Defence Secretary of Pakistan
In office 12 October 1975 – 5 July 1977
Preceded by	Fazal Muqeem Khan
Succeeded by	Maj-Gen. Ghulam Jilani Khan
6th Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan
In office 22 December 1971 – 30 November 1975
Preceded by	Shahkur Durrani
Succeeded by	S. O. Ali
Personal details
Born	(1915-01-20)20 January 1915 Ismail Khel, Bannu, NWFP, British Raj (Now, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan)
Died	27 October 2006(2006-10-27) (aged 91) Peshawar, NWFP, Pakistan (Now, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan)
Resting place	Pawaka Graveyard University Town, Peshawar
Nationality	British Indian (1916–1947)  Pakistani (1947–2006)
Alma mater	University of Peshawar ((BSc) in Chem and Bot.) Civil Services Academy

Ghulam Ishaq Khan (born January 20, 1915 – died October 27, 2006) was an important Pakistani government official. He became the seventh President of Pakistan in 1988 and served until 1993. He was also the person who started the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute, a famous university.

Born in Bannu, he studied at Peshawar University. After Pakistan became independent in 1947, he joined the government service. He held many important jobs, including chairman of the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) and Finance Secretary of Pakistan. Later, he became the Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan. In 1975, he was made Defence Secretary of Pakistan, where he helped manage Pakistan's nuclear program.

He became Finance Minister of Pakistan in 1977 and helped Pakistan's economy grow. In 1985, he was elected Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan. After President Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq died in 1988, Ghulam Ishaq Khan became the acting president. He was then elected president on December 13, 1988.

As president, he faced many challenges. He was the oldest person to become president of Pakistan. He had disagreements with Prime Ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif. He used his presidential powers to dismiss both their governments. This led to a political crisis, and eventually, both he and Nawaz Sharif resigned in 1993. After leaving public service, he became the rector of the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology. He passed away in 2006.

Early Life and Education

Ghulam Ishaq Khan was born in a small village called Ismail Khel, near Bannu District. This area was part of the British Raj (British India) at the time. Today, it is in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. He belonged to the Pashtun people, from the Bangash tribe.

He went to school in Bannu. Then, he attended Islamia College Peshawar and later University of Peshawar. He earned two Bachelor of Science degrees, one in Chemistry and one in Botany.

In 1941, he joined the Indian Civil Service, which was the government service for British India. After India and Pakistan became separate countries in 1947, he chose to work for Pakistan. He was first assigned to the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. There, he worked as the secretary of the irrigation department until 1955.

Starting His Public Service Career

In 1956, Khan moved to the provincial government of Sindh. He worked as the Home Secretary and then as the Secretary of Development and Irrigation. In 1958, he joined the federal government in the Ministry of Agriculture.

Since 1958, Khan had been part of the Board of Governors for the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA). In 1961, he became its chairman. In this role, he played a key part in building and funding important projects like the Mangla Dam and Warsak Dam.

In 1966, Khan became the Finance Secretary of Pakistan for the Government of Pakistan. He held this position until 1970. After Pakistan's war with India in 1971, he was asked to help manage the country's economy. In 1971, President Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto appointed him Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan. His job was to create and manage money and credit policies for the government.

Defence Secretary Role (1975–1977)

In 1975, Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto moved Ghulam Ishaq Khan from the State Bank to the Ministry of Defence. He became the Defence Secretary of Pakistan. This was an important step because it brought him closer to the Pakistani military. It also allowed him to help manage Pakistan's nuclear weapons program. Even though he was a finance expert, this role made him a very powerful government official.

As Defence Secretary, he strongly supported Pakistan's nuclear program. He believed it was a "national priority." He helped set up the Engineering Research Laboratories in Kahuta. He also led the Uranium Coordination Board, which included other key scientists and officials.

Because of his strong involvement, U.S. diplomats called him "Mr. Nuke." The news media also nicknamed him "Baba Atom Bomb." He played a big role in getting funds for the nuclear research labs. He also built strong relationships with important nuclear scientists like Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan and Munir Ahmad Khan.

Minister of Finance (1977–1985)

In 1977, Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's government was removed. General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq took over. Ghulam Ishaq Khan was immediately made Finance Minister of Pakistan by General Zia-ul-Haq. Khan was given control over important economic bodies like the Planning Commission.

He worked to control the national economy and help the private business sector recover. His policies and financial skills led to improvements in Pakistan's economy. The country saw high GDP growth, making it one of the fastest-growing economies in South Asia.

He continued to support the nuclear program, making sure it received enough money. In 1983, he was one of the few secret officials who saw Pakistan's first nuclear test, called Kirana-I. In 1984, he supported a public vote held by President Zia to promote Islamic laws in Pakistan.

Chairman of the Senate (1985–1988)

After the general elections in 1985, Khan became the Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan. The Senate is one of the two houses of Pakistan's Parliament. He held this position until 1988.

In 1988, General Zia-ul-Haq died in a mysterious plane crash. Ghulam Ishaq Khan appeared on national television to announce the news. According to Pakistan's Constitution, Khan was next in line to become president. He served as acting president until new elections were held later that year.

President of Pakistan (1988–1993)

In the 1988 presidential elections, Ghulam Ishaq Khan was supported by both the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the conservative Islamic Democratic Alliance. He won the election with many votes. When he became president, he was the oldest person to hold that office in Pakistan.

As president, Khan faced political challenges with Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. They disagreed on several issues, including who should be appointed as military chiefs and Supreme Court judges. Khan also kept strong control over the nuclear program. The economy faced difficulties, and the U.S. placed restrictions on aid to Pakistan, causing economic problems.

Dismissing Governments

As economic and law and order problems grew, President Khan used a special power in the Constitution (the Eighth Amendment). He used this power to dismiss Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's government. He accused her government of corruption and poor management. He then called for new elections.

After the 1993 general elections, he supported Nawaz Sharif as the new Prime Minister. However, problems soon arose between them. Sharif tried to remove the special power that allowed the president to dismiss governments. Khan then used the same power to dismiss Sharif's government, also citing similar issues.

Nawaz Sharif fought back by taking his case to the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The Supreme Court ruled that Khan's dismissal of Sharif's government was illegal, and Sharif was put back in office. This created a political deadlock. Eventually, with the help of the courts and the military, both Ghulam Ishaq Khan and Nawaz Sharif agreed to resign from their positions in 1993.

Later Life and Legacy

In 1988, Ghulam Ishaq Khan founded the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology. This university offers programs in engineering, science, and technology. It was built with financial help from the BCCI bank. He invited famous scientists like Abdul Qadeer Khan to teach there.

After resigning from the presidency in 1993, he retired from national politics. He avoided contact with the news media. Ghulam Ishaq Khan passed away on October 27, 2006, after suffering from pneumonia.

See also

• Central Superior Services
• Finance Minister of Pakistan
• Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology