Ouster of President Iskander Mirza On October 7, 1958, President
Iskander Mirza abrogated the Constitution and declared Martial
Law in the country. General Muhammad Ayub Khan, the then
Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, became the Chief Martial
Law Administrator. Iskander Mirza and Ayub Khan had begun the
new era with apparent unanimity, jointly describing it as a two-
man regime. However, although the two were responsible for
bringing about the change, they had different views on dealing
with the new situation. Iskander Mirza had not envisaged any
change in his previous powers; he wanted to retain the ability
to maneuver things according to his own whim. Things however had
changed. C. M. L. A. Ayub Khan knew that the real power rested
with the army and he was determined to assert himself. Within a
week of the proclamation of Martial Law, Iskander Mirza realized
the delicate position he had gotten himself into. He regretted
his decision and said, “I did not mean to do it” while offering
assurances that th