# Iskander Mirza

_Pakistani politician, statesman and military general (1899–1969)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/iskander-mirza
Last updated: 2026-11-08

> Iskander Ali Mirza was a Pakistani politician and military general who served as the fourth and last governor-general of Pakistan from 1955 to 1956, and as the first president of Pakistan from promulgation of the constitution in 1956 till his overthrow in a coup d'état in 1958. Declaring martial law and unilaterally abrogating the constitution on 7 October 1958, he appointed Ayub Khan as Chief Martial Law Administrator who later overthrew Mirza on 27 October 1958 and assumed the presidency.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 13 November 1899 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155111#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Murshidabad ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155111#P19))
- **Died:** 13 November 1969 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155111#P570))
- **Place of death:** London ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155111#P20))
- **Citizenship:** British Raj; Pakistan ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155111#P27))
- **Occupation:** politician ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155111#P106))
- **Political party:** Republican Party ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155111#P102))
- **Education:** Elphinstone College; University of Mumbai; Royal Military College, Sandhurst ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155111#P69))
- **Spouse:** Nahid Mirza ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155111#P26))
- **Positions held:** President of Pakistan (23 March 1956 – 27 October 1958); Governor-General of Pakistan (6 October 1955 – 23 March 1956); Governor-General of Pakistan (7 August 1955 – 23 March 1956); Federal Minister for Interior (24 October 1954 – 7 August 1955); Defence Secretary of Pakistan (23 October 1947 – 6 May 1954); defence minister ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155111#P39))
- **Awards:** Officer of the Order of the British Empire; Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire; King George VI Coronation Medal; Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal; Collar of the Spanish Order of the Civil Merit ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155111#P166))

## Questions

**When was Iskander Mirza born?**  
Iskander Mirza was born on 13 November 1899 in Murshidabad.

**What positions has Iskander Mirza held?**  
Positions held by Iskander Mirza include: President of Pakistan (1956–1958); Governor-General of Pakistan (1955–1956); Governor-General of Pakistan (1955–1956); Federal Minister for Interior (1954–1955); Defence Secretary of Pakistan (1947–1954).

**Where did Iskander Mirza study?**  
Iskander Mirza was educated at Elphinstone College, University of Mumbai, Royal Military College, Sandhurst.

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- [Ayub Khan](https://diginpl.com/people/ayub-khan)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Iskander Mirza](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iskander_Mirza) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikipedia (Nepali): इस्कन्दर अली मिर्जा](https://ne.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%87%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%B0_%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%80_%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9C%E0%A4%BE) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q155111](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155111) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Iskander Mirza.jpg by Unknown author Unknown author (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Iskander_Mirza.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Iskander Mirza, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Iskander Mirza.jpg — Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Iskander Mirza". DigiNepal. Last updated 8 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/iskander-mirza. Retrieved 8 November 2026.