One Unit Policy facts for kids
The One Unit was a plan by the government of Pakistan to combine the four main areas, or provinces, of West Pakistan into one big region. This was done to balance the power with East Pakistan (which is now Bangladesh), where many more people lived.
The idea for the One Unit plan was announced by Prime Minister Muhammad Ali Bogra on November 22, 1954. Later, on October 5, 1955, Iskander Mirza, who was acting as the Governor General of Pakistan, officially ordered that all of West Pakistan should become one single unit.
Contents
Why the One Unit Plan Was Created
The One Unit plan was put in place to make West Pakistan a single, strong area. Before this, West Pakistan was made up of many different provinces, states, and tribal areas. The leaders hoped that bringing them all together would make the government work better and cost less money.
Forming West Pakistan
On October 14, 1955, the new province of West Pakistan was officially formed. It brought together all the smaller parts of the western side of the country. This new large province was divided into twelve smaller regions, and its main city, or capital, was Lahore.
At the same time, the area known as East Bengal was renamed East Pakistan. Its capital city was Dacca.
Moving the Capital City
In 1959, the main capital city of Pakistan was moved from Karachi to Rawalpindi. Rawalpindi was a temporary capital until a new city, Islamabad, was ready. The place where laws were made, called the federal legislature, was moved to Dacca in East Pakistan.
Challenges for the One Unit
Even though West Pakistan became one big area, the people living there still spoke many different languages and had different cultures. The One Unit plan was meant to help unite everyone and reduce disagreements between different groups. However, after a military takeover in 1958, the One Unit faced problems. The role of the Chief Minister, who was like the main leader of the province, was removed on July 1, 1970, by President Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan.
