Constitution of Pakistan

There have been several documents known as the Constitution of Pakistan (Urdu: آئین پاکستان ). These will be dealt with here in chronological order. The 1973 Constitution provided for a parliamentary system with a President as head of state and popularly elected Prime Minister as head of government. However, in 1988 the Eighth Amendment made Pakistan's government a Semi-presidential system. Pakistan has a bicameral legislature that consists of the Senate (upper house) and the National Assembly (lower house). Together with the President, the Senate and National Assembly make up a body called the Majlis-i-Shoora (Council of Advisors) or Parliament [1].

The Constitution of 1956

The revived Constituent Assembly promulgated Pakistan's first indigenous constitution in 1956 and reconstituted itself as the national legislature--the Legislative Assembly--under the constitution it adopted. Pakistan became an Islamic republic. The Governor General was replaced by a President.

The Constitution of 1973

Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Prime minister from 1973 to 1977, lifted martial law within several months after his election, and after an "interim constitution" granting him broad powers as President, a new constitution was promulgated in April 1973 and came into effect on August 14 of that year, the twenty-sixth anniversary of the country's independence. This constitution represented a compromise consensus on three issues: the role of Islam; the sharing of power between the federal government and the provinces; and the division of responsibility between the president and the prime minister, with a greatly strengthened position for the latter. Bhutto stepped down as president and became prime minister. In order to allay fears of the smaller provinces concerning domination by Punjab, the constitution established a bicameral legislature with a Senate, providing equal provincial representation, and a National Assembly, allocating seats according to population. Islam was declared the state religion of Pakistan.

With regard to provincial rights the 1973 constitution was in fact the most centralised of Pakistan's various constitutions. The Government of India Act 1935; that Pakistan adopted as its first working constitution gave the federation 96 items of powers. The 1956 constitution reduced it to 49. This number was retained in the 1962 constitution but in 1973 it was enlarged to a massive 114.

Bhutto had the opportunity to resolve many of Pakistan's political problems. But although the country finally seemed to be on a democratic course, Bhutto lost this opportunity because of series of repressive actions against the political opposition that made it appear he was working to establish a one-party state. In a final step, he suddenly called national elections in March 1977, hoping to catch the opposition unprepared and give his party total control of the National Assembly.

See also

• Civil decorations of Pakistan
• Constitution of Bangladesh
• Constitution of India
• Zia-ul-Haq's Islamization

External links

• Full text of the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan with all amending documents
• Constitution of Pakistan, 1973
• Constitution and Legislative History of Pakistan
• Constitutional Amendments Required to Ensure Pakistan's Progress as A Democratic State

Reference

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  - Pakistan.