born May 14, 1907, Hazara, India
died April 19, 1974, near Islamabad, Pak.
President of Pakistan (1958–69).
After studies at Aligarh Muslim University and at the British Royal Military College, he became an officer in the Indian army (1928). He fought in Burma (Myanmar) in World War II, and afterward he rose through the ranks in the military in newly independent Pakistan. In 1958 Pakistan's Pres. Iskander Mirza abrogated the country's constitution, and Ayub became chief martial-law administrator. He declared himself president the same year, exiling Mirza. He established close ties with China and in 1965 went to war with India over control of the Kashmir region. The failure to take Kashmir, combined with unrest over suffrage restrictions, led to riots, and Ayub resigned in 1969.