Historical Dictionary of Pakistan

CHRONOLOGY • xxvthe Indians. 24 March: The cabinet mission arrived in New Delhi. 16May: The cabinet mission announced their plan to transfer power to Indians.4 June: Indians serving in the British Indian Navy mutinied inBombay. 6 June: The cabinet mission plan was accepted by the All-IndiaMuslim League. 16 June: The cabinet mission and the viceroy,Lord Wavell, announced their proposal to form an Interim Government.16 August: The Muslim League observed “Direct Action Day.” Widespreadcommunal riots occurred in many parts of India. Hundreds ofpeople were killed. Bengal was the most seriously affected province. 2September: Jawaharlal Nehru was sworn in as prime minister of the InterimGovernment. 26 October: The All-India Muslim League joinedthe Interim Government, with Liaqat Ali Khan assuming the portfolioof finance.1947 20 February: Lord Mountbatten was appointed viceroy of India.2 March: Sirdar Khizar Hayat Tiwana resigned as the chief ministerof Punjab. 8 March: The Indian National Congress passed a resolutiondemanding the partition of Punjab. 3 June: The plan totransfer power to two independent states, India and Pakistan, was announcedby the viceroy, Lord Mountbatten. 14 August: The predominantlyMuslim provinces of Punjab, the Northwest Frontier, Sindh inthe west, and East Bengal in the east of British India were separatedto form the independent state of Pakistan. Muhammad Ali Jinnah wassworn in as the first governor-general of Pakistan. Jinnah invited LiaqatAli Khan to form a cabinet and become Pakistan’s first primeminister. 22 October: Tribesmen from the northwest districts of Pakistaninvaded the State of Kashmir. 26 October: The state of Kashmiracceded to India.1948 11 September: Governor-general Muhammad Ali Jinnah diedin Karachi. 12 September: Khawaja Nazimuddin was appointed thesecond governor-general of Pakistan.1949 18 September: Pakistan decided not to devalue its currencywith respect to the U.S. dollar, thus changing the rate of exchange withIndia. 19 October: Khan of Mamdot was dismissed from the chief ministershipof Punjab.1950 7 September: The Basic Principles Committee of the ConstituentAssembly presented its report on the constitution.