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Friday March 29, 2024

World's first 'Islamic Republic' was ruled over by Queen Elizabeth II for 4 years: Details Inside

Pakistan was ruled by English heads of state for nine years

By Web Desk
September 09, 2022
Worlds first Islamic Republic was ruled over by Queen Elizabeth II for 4 years: Details Inside
World's first 'Islamic Republic' was ruled over by Queen Elizabeth II for 4 years: Details Inside

Surprising as it seems today, Late Queen Elizabeth  II  of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth nations was the queen of the 'first Islamic republic' country Pakistan for over four years. 

Britain's longest-reigning monarch role as the queen of  Pakistan was largely ceremonial. Further, her duties were performed by any of her governor generals.

Further, the government of Pakistan splash out nearly Rs482,000 for the queen's coronation which former prime minister Muhammad Ali Bogra defended by stating that "Pakistan being a member of the Commonwealth "has to fall in line with other sisters' Dominions on such occasions".

However,  as the queen of Pakistan, she abstained from interfering in the country and its politics. 

Citing an example, The Diplomat wrote,   then governor-general Sir Ghulam Muhammad had removed prime minister Sir Khawaja Nazimuddin in 1953 for trying to maintain the power of balance between the two wings of  Pakistan. The 'fired premier' tried to reverse this decision by pleading with the queen, but she declined to intervene.

Lilibeth's strict  non-interference in the political decisions of the former colonies of  Great Britain i.e, Pakistan and India,  despite their vocal bitterness toward colonialism led Ayesha Jalal, professor of history at Tufts University to call her a "non-controversial figure in South Asia."

"It's "remarkable" that the queen "was not a controversial figure in the otherwise fairly dense annals of South Asian anti-colonial nationalism," adding  "good PR [public relations]," is the reason behind it, the eminent professor told VOA

Her reign over the country ended in 1956 after Pakistan adopted a republican constitution.

It is pertinent to mention here that the newly-independent country was ruled by several British heads of state for a total of nine years.