Pakistan has had a string of generals who have ruled the country. Most of them had no political base and ruled with support from the Army and the landed aristocracy. However one of them, in fact the first Pakistan General to sieze power Ayub Khan was a cut above the men who followed him.
Ayub Khan came to power after a military coup in 1958. The political scene at that time in Pakstan was chaotic. The politicians were fighting among themselves, one of the prime ministers Liaiqat Ali Khan had been killed and over all instability ruled in Pakistan. There was
no governance and in addition widespread corruption was the order of the day.Ayub thus thought it a right time to seize power in Pakistan. His coming to power was hailed by the common man and all looked up to Ayub Khan for leadership.
Ayub also formulated a plan for 'basic democracy' in Pakistan where the elections were held without political parties and people got elected on their own. This was something good as the political parties had greatly discredited themselves by their conduct in Pakistan. But there was a flaw in this basic democracy as the people who could get elected were the landlords and the moneyed class. Thus a good plan by Ayub Khan came a cropper.
The period of Ayub Khan's reign saw stability and some progress in Pakistan. He met pandit Nehru also, but overall he is remembered as a man who gave stability to Pakistan.
