The office of the Chief Martial Law Administrator was a senior and authoritative post with Zonal Martial Law Administrators as deputies created in countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh and Indonesia that gave considerable executive authority and powers to the holder of the post to enforce martial law in the country in an events to ensure the continuity of government. This office has been used mostly by military officers staging a coup d'état. On some occasions, the office has been under a civilian head of state.
Some famous holders of this post in Pakistan include: Portrait Name (birth–death) Term of office Notes Took office Left office Time in office 1 166x166px Ayub Khan 27 October 1958 8 June 1962 Field Marshal Ayub Khan held the post under President Iskander Mirza. 2 Bakhtiar Rana – Lt. Gen. Bakhtiar Rana: held the post of Chief Martial Law Administrator West Pakistan 3 112x112px Yahya Khan 25 March 1969 20 December 1971 General Yahya Khan held the post simultaneously as the President of Pakistan. 4 119x119px Tikka Khan 1969 1971 Lt. Gen. Tikka Khan was appointed Chief Martial Law Administrator of West Pakistan in 1969 and of East Pakistan in 1971 by Yahya Khan. 5 123x123px A. A. K. Niazi 1971 – Lt. Gen. A. A. K. Niazi was appointed Chief Martial Law Administrator of East Pakistan in 1971 by Yahya Khan. 6 144x144px Zulfikar Ali Bhutto 20 December 1971 14 August 1973 Zulfikar Ali Bhutto became the first civilian to hold this post in Pakistan after the fall of East Pakistan. 7 123x123px Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq 16 September 1978 17 August 1988 General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq held this office under President Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry after overthrowing Prime Minister Bhutto. 8 150x150px Pervez Musharraf 1999 2002 General Pervez Musharraf held this office under President Rafiq Tarar, although it was styled as "Chief Executive of Pakistan"
Some famous holders of this post in Bangladesh include: Maj. Gen. Khaled Mosharraf (1975): held this post for four days after a bloody Military coup only to be killed in a counter coup led by JSD leader retired Lt. Col. Abu Taher, resuming Major General Ziaur Rahman's reign. Justice Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem (1975–76): held this post while serving as the fifth president of Bangladesh. Maj. Gen. Ziaur Rahman (1976–77): held this post during martial law and until withdrawal of Martial Law and assumed the presidency in 1977. Lt. Gen. Hussain Muhammad Ershad (1982): held this post until withdrawal of martial law in 1982–86.
In Indonesia, this post was briefly held by army chief Suharto, who seized power in 1966 and forced President Sukarno to resign in 1967. Sukarno had also enforced martial law during his tenure as President of Indonesia.