Scribd
Upload
4K views2 pages

Muhammad Ali Bogra Formula

Muhammad Ali Bogra, as Prime Minister of Pakistan, introduced a constitutional formula in 1953 to resolve the ongoing deadlock over forming a constitution. The Bogra Formula proposed a federal legislature with two houses, allocating representation between East and West Pakistan to maintain parity. It also included provisions for resolving differences between the houses, determining if laws complied with Islamic principles, and preventing permanent domination by either wing through alternating the Prime Minister and President positions between East and West Pakistan. While the formula was appreciated for its potential to unite the two wings of Pakistan, the Constituent Assembly was dissolved before a constitution could be finalized.

Uploaded by

sidra khan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
4K views2 pages

Muhammad Ali Bogra Formula

Muhammad Ali Bogra, as Prime Minister of Pakistan, introduced a constitutional formula in 1953 to resolve the ongoing deadlock over forming a constitution. The Bogra Formula proposed a federal legislature with two houses, allocating representation between East and West Pakistan to maintain parity. It also included provisions for resolving differences between the houses, determining if laws complied with Islamic principles, and preventing permanent domination by either wing through alternating the Prime Minister and President positions between East and West Pakistan. While the formula was appreciated for its potential to unite the two wings of Pakistan, the Constituent Assembly was dissolved before a constitution could be finalized.

Uploaded by

sidra khan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Muhammad Ali Bogra Formula (1953):

The second draft of basic principle committee,which was presented by Prime


Minister Nazimuddin in 1952, faced a lot of criticism. When Muhammad ALi Bogra
became prime minister his first task was to end the constitutional deadlock. He
worked hard on this project and within six months of assuming power, came out
with a constitutional formula. He presented the formula to the Constituent Assembly
on 7 October 1953 and adopted by it on 6 October 1954. It is known as the Bogra
formula.
Muhammad Ali Formula was as follow:
1. The federal legislature should be composed of two Houses named as the House of
Units and House of people.The total strength of House of Units would be fifty, to be
equally divided between five units as follows:
A. East bengal(10)
B. Punjab(10)
C. North-West Frontier Province, Frontier States, and the tribal areas (10)
D. Sindh and Khairpur (10)
E. Balochistan, Balochistan State Union(3), capital of Federation (Karachi)(3) and the
state of Bahawalpur(4). (10)
F. The House of Units would be elected indirectly by the legislatures of Units. Apart
from these, two seats were reserved for women.

2. The House of People was to have three hundred seats to be divided as follow:
A. East bengal(165)
B.Punjab(75)
C1 North-West Frontier Province(13)
C2 Frontier States and the tribal areas (11)
D1 Sindh(19)
D2 The State of Khairpur (1)
E1 Balochistan(3)
E2 Balochistan State Union(2)
E3 capital of Federation (Karachi)(4)
E4 The state of Bahawalpur(7)

3. Both Houses were to have equal powers in all matters. There was a provision for a
joint session of the two for the election of the Head of the State and the disposal of
votes of confidence.

4. In case of a difference of opinion between the two Houses, a joint session of the
two Houses would be called and the matter would be decided by a majority vote,
provided that the majority included thirty percent of the members from each
zone( East and West Pakistan).

5. It maintained the principle of parity between East and West Pakistan in combined
Houses, with 175 seats for each zone. So in total, both the wings were to have 175
seats each in the two Houses of the Legislative Assembly.
6. In place of the Board of Ulama, the Supreme Court was given the power to decide
if a law was in accordance with the basic teachings of the Holy Quran and Sunnah.
7. In order to prevent permanent domination by any wing, a provision was made
that if the head of the state was from West Pakistan, the Prime Minister was to be
from East Pakistan, and vice versa.The two houses of the Legislative Assembly
formed the Electoral College for the Presidential elections and the President was to
be elected for a term of 5 years.
8. Unlike the two reports of the Basic Principles Committee, the Bogra Formula was
appreciated by different sections of the society. There was great enthusiasm
amongst the masses as they considered it as a plan that could bridge the gulf
between the two wings of Pakistan and would act as a source of unity for the
country. The proposal was discussed in the Constituent Assembly for 13 days, and a
committee was set to draft the constitution on November 14, 1953. However, before
the constitution could be finalized, the Assembly was dissolved by Ghulam
Muhammad, the then Governor General of Pakistan.

You might also like