First Constituent Assembly

Pakistan's First Constituent Assembly was elected through the 1946 General Elections and initially consisted of 69 members. Its inaugural meeting was held on 10th August 1947 in Karachi, and Lord Mountbatten addressed this First Constituent Assembly on 14th August 1947, also at Karachi. During this same address, Quaid-e-Azam remarked that 'the first duty of a government is to maintain law and order, so that the life, property and religious beliefs of its subjects are fully protected' — these remarks were passed on 11th August 1947.

After independence, the strength of the Constituent Assembly was raised to 79 members. Of these 79 members, East Pakistan had 44 members, while Punjab had 17 members. The President of the First Constituent Assembly was Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and Maulvi Tamizuddin was elected the Speaker.

The first session of the Constituent Assembly as a legislature was held in February 1948. The Assembly approved the National Flag of Pakistan in its session held on 11th August 1947.

In 1953, the Constituent Assembly comprised of 79 members, out of which the Muslim League Parliamentary Party had 60 members.

The Assembly set up the Basic Principles Committee (BPC) in March 1949. The BPC submitted its first report in 1950, which was rejected by the people. The BPC submitted its final report on 22nd December 1952, and this final report was submitted during the period of Muhammad Ali Bogra.

From 1947 to 1954, the First Constituent Assembly functioned for 7 years, during which it held 14 regular sessions. Maulvi Tamizuddin was elected Speaker during the second session, which lasted from 14-29 December.

Emperor Raza Shah Pehlvi of Iran addressed the First Constituent Assembly of Pakistan on 15th March 1949.

The First Constituent Assembly declared the Federal Court as the highest Court of Pakistan in its Fifth Session.

The historic fourteenth and last session of the First Constituent Assembly lasted from 14th March to 21st September 1954. Governor-General Ghulam Muhammad became enraged over the Assembly's proceedings because it abrogated the PRODA Act of 1949, abrogated Government of India Act Article No. 9, and abrogated Articles 10, 10-A, and 10-B of the 1935 Act — in short, all of these actions angered him.

As a result, Ghulam Muhammad dissolved the First Constituent Assembly of Pakistan on 24th October 1954. At the time of dissolution, the Speaker was a Bengali (Maulvi Tamizuddin).

The Speaker of the First Constituent Assembly challenged this dismissal of the Assembly in the Sindh Chief Court. The Sindh Chief Court gave its verdict against the dissolution, observing that the Governor-General cannot dissolve it. However, the Chief Court of Sindh heard Tamizuddin's appeal and gave the decision in favour of Tamizuddin.

In the Maulvi Tamizuddin case, the Federal Court reversed the decision of the Sindh Chief Court through its decision given on 26th March 1955. The Section of the Government of India Act, 1935, which was made the basis of this Federal Court decision, was Section 223-A.