Presidency of Ayub Khan
Ayub Khan's tenure as the second president of Pakistan began on 27 October 1958 when he overthrew President Iskander Mirza in a coup d'état, and ended in 1969 when he resigned amid mass protests and strikes across the country.
During his presidency, he implemented economic policies such as price controls and land reforms, while increasing military compensation to keep it loyal to his administration. In foreign policy, he strengthened diplomatic ties with China and the United States. His administration celebrated 28 October as the Revolution Day of Pakistan.
Cabinets
Ayub Khan's first cabinet was inaugrated within hours of the 1958 coup that toppled President Iskander Mirza and imposed martial law. Second presidential cabinet took oath on 17 February 1960 after Ayub Khan was confirmed as the president in the presidential confidence referendum. The cabinet operated under the Presidential Order 1960 and its mandate was to supervise the constitution-making process, lift martial law and normalise politics through the basic democracies system. Once the 1962 Constitution was promulgated and martial law formally ended on 8 June 1962, a new presidential cabinet was inaugrated. Several reshuffles in 1962-63 created specialist divisions as the government tried to project a developmentalist image. The cabinet stood down after Ayub's victory over Fatima Jinnah in the indirect presidential election of January 1965 and another presidential cabinet was inaugrated. The last cabinet was dissolved Ayub resigned on 25 March 1969 amid strikes and the East Pakistan uprising.
Policies
Education
To counter the opposition, his administration had replaced the elected governing boards of universities with government appointees throughout the country.
Press
During his presidency, the press had limited freedom and often faced economic sanctions and restrictions. Newspaper editors and journalists were frequently imprisoned without trial for failing to follow government protocols.
Opposition
Ayub Khan's presidency faced opposition from leaders such as Asghar Khan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Bhutto resigned as foreign minister from Ayub's cabinet and emerged as a central figure in the opposition. His political activities led to a government crackdown and his arrest. After Bhutto's detention, Asghar Khan, former commander of the Pakistan Air Force under Ayub rule, became a major opposition leader. His entry into politics led to criticism of his military record and later when he tried to lead processions, police in East Pakistan brought summons against him for violating the law.