A sudden shift unfolded in Pakistan when Iskandar Mirza stepped forward as president and declared martial law on October 7, 1958. Facing deep unrest, he tore up the 1956 Constitution - calling it broken beyond repair - and shut down both national and regional legislatures while removing Prime Minister Feroz Khan Noon from office. Into that space walked General Ayub Khan, head of the army, named chief enforcer of the new order. Behind closed doors, coordination existed between the two men at first. Yet power slipped fast - just twenty days after seizing control, Mirza found himself cast aside. On October 27, Ayub Khan took charge through a smooth but firm military takeover, pushing Mirza out and sliding into the presidential seat, marking the start of long years shaped by soldiers rather than elected voices.