Functions of Government - Legislative Branch

The government of Pakistan has three divisions which are known as Legislative Branch, Executive branch and Judicial branch. Let’s discuss the role of each branch in detail.

Legislative Branch

The legislative division is known as the Parliament, an expression for government hereditary from the United Kingdom. The legislative branch consists of two houses:

·         The National Assembly: The National Assembly is a lower house and straightforwardly people elect 342-members of National Assembly.

·         The Senate: The Senate is an upper house and the ~104-senators are circuitously elected for six-year tenure.

The Parliament benefits from parliamentary primacy. All the Cabinet ministers as well as the PM (Prime Minister) should also be members of Parliament (MPs), agreement to the constitution. The PM and the Cabinet representatives are accountable to the Parliament cooperatively.

The PM and the Cabinet Ministers are mutually responsible to the Parliament. If there is a policy malfunction or slip on the part of the government, all the associates of the cabinet are mutually liable. If a vote of no confidence is approved against the government, then the government fall down and a new one must be fashioned.

Functions of Government in Pakistan

Functions of Government

The Government of Pakistan is a central i.e. Federal government that is established under the constitution of Pakistan. Under the constitution of Pakistan a federal government represents the authority of four provinces and conventional parliamentary democratic state, which is collectively called as the State of Pakistan.

The constitution of Pakistan under chapter III, Article 196-197 states that:

"The Federal Governments is Subject to the Constitution, the executive authority of the Federation shall be exercised in the name of the President by the Federal Government, consisting of the Prime Minister and the (Federal) Ministers, which shall act through the Prime Minister, who shall be the chief executive of the Federation.
In the performance of his functions under the Constitution, the Prime Minister may act either directly or through the (Federal) Ministers."

Completing the Westminster system to prevail the state, the government is composed of the three branches, which are mentioned below:

• Executive
• Legislative
• Judicial

These all branches are the powers which are secured in the possession of Parliament, the Prime Minister and the Supreme Court. The powers and functions of these branches are added distinct by actions and improvements of the Parliament, counting the formation of executive institutions, departments and courts substandard to the Supreme Court. Yielding the constitutional authorities to President to propagate the decree and passing bills, the President acted as the ritual figurehead and the people elects PM (Prime Minister) acting as the chief executive and accountable of organizing the Federal Government. The Government consists of a Parliament having two branches i.e. the National Assembly and the Senate. The National assembly is considered as the lower house and the senate of Pakistan as the upper house. The judicial division methodically contains its zenith Supreme Court, High courts of four provinces, numbers of district, anti-terrorism, Sharia, and the Green courts; all substandard to Supreme Court.

The complete name of the state is the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. No other name emerges in the Constitution, and this is the name that emerges on currency, in accords, and in lawful cases. The Government of Pakistan is frequently used in administrator credentials on behalf of the federal government jointly. Moreover, the terms "Federal" and "National" in government organization or agenda names usually specify association with the federal government. Because the seat of government is in Islamabad, the city is generally used as a metonym for the federal government.

The essential civil and criminal regulations governing the Pakistani nation are rest down in foremost parliamentary legislation such as the Exit Control List, the Pakistan Penal Code, and the Frontier Crimes Regulations. Via the Article 246th and Article 247th to the constitution, the Islamic Jirga or Panchayat system has become an establishment for local governance. 

Each division and other functions of the government will be discussed in later session.  

Women in politics

Women in Politics

Being a woman myself, this blog post is very close to my heart. I belong to the lot of auspicious urban women who can put into effect their voting rights; yet there are ample of areas in Pakistan where women are either dejected or out-rightly debarred by the local communities from voting. For a while now I've found myself argumentative about women’s lack of involvement in the voting progression but most of my utter has been with close friends and family. Still, I believe it’s about time that I stop lecturing to the before now rehabilitated and chat with each person and anybody who’s concerned in listening!

The General Elections in 2013 however showed some improvement as there was high percentage of women contribution. This is an awesome improvement and it is worth to courage those women, who casted their vote despite having the fear of terrorism and the barriers in certain remote areas. Looking at political perspective, where more than 450 women were contesting for the seats of National Assembly alone.

Nevertheless, regardless of these developments there are some more requirements to be done before all Pakistani women can work out their legal right of voting. Paradoxically, even today many political parties plunge to the desires of activist and conservative forces when it comes to women’s political involvement. We saw an evident case of this in 2013 when the candidates of nearly all the major political parties of Pakistan signed pacts in the tribal regions excluding women voters from casting votes or taking any action in the political process!

This kind of deeds by political leaders is profoundly given the verity that under the decentralization of power plan in 2000, the government standoffish 33% seats at all levels i.e. National, Provincial and Local Government for women.

When given liberty and autonomy to proceed, Pakistani women have for eternity been a foundation of constructive role in the political showground. Women parliamentarians have played an essential role in forming women-led conferences and tabling means governmental bills.  Additionally, in Pakistan women politicians have held key offices such as ex- Prime Minister (Late) Benazir Bhutto who held the office from 1988 to 1990 and then from 1993 to 1996 being the first PM of any Muslim country. Correspondingly there are a lot of female politicians from all the parties have held key positions. Evenly significant is the fact that the irresistible presence of nearly 40,000 women in local councils since 2000 has contributed enormously towards mainstreaming women into politics.

In the same monarchy we must also recognize the hard work of Malala Yousufzai, young Pakistani activist for female education and youngest female Nobel laureate as well and Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, Pakistani journalist and filmmaker who became the first Pakistani to win an Oscar. While these young women are not politicians they however reveal the gigantic latent that Pakistani women have and how they surpass and make the whole country proud when given independence to chase their obsession and put their knacks to follow.

I can’t highlight enough that this is the right time to make a genuine endeavor in order to make sure the contribution and liberty of the women in elections. Every modest attempt by you and me can really go a long, long way in making powerful female voters in our country. So next time you want to pamper in some drawing conversation on local politics, are looking for a significant topic to peep on or you’re preparing on sending out a letter to your local newspaper’s editor, make sure that addition of female voters is amid the topics that you discuss. A modest endeavor from all of us is essential for bringing a big shift in women’s political role in Pakistan.

Electoral system in Pakistan

Election Commission of Pakistan

In this blog we’ll try to discuss the complete Electoral system body in Pakistan, from assembly’s dissolution to Local government in Pakistan. Starting from what is stated according to the constitution of Pakistan ad the laws about elections we’ll find Article 222-226 which states about the structure according to which elections can be held in Pakistan. The Articles states that:

No person can be a member of both houses i.e. National and Senate or a House and Provincial assembly.

General election to the assembly should be held within the epoch of ninety days after the dissolution that assembly i.e. National assembly or Provincial assembly. The results to that election should be affirmed within 14 days after the ending of polls.

 The chapter 2: Electoral laws and conduct of Elections, Article 222-226 in the Constitution of Pakistan states that:

“A general election to the National Assembly or a Provincial Assembly shall be held within a period of sixty days immediately following the day on which the day on which the term of the Assembly is due to expire, unless the Assembly has been sooner dissolved, and the results of the election shall be declared not later than fourteen days before that day.”

Election Commission of Pakistan:

Election commission of Pakistan (ECP) that was established in 1956, the constitution of Pakistan held responsible ECP for administration of general elections in Pakistan.

Under the chapter 1 Part 8: Chief Election commission, Article 218-219, The Constitution of Pakistan states that

“For the purpose of each national general election to the State Parliament (National Assembly) and to a Provincial legislature (Sindh, Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan) an Election Commission shall be constituted in accordance with the Article 239G. It shall be the duty of the Election Commission constituted in relation to an election to organize and conduct the election and to make such arrangements as are necessary to ensure that the election is conducted honestly, justly, fairly and in accordance with law, and that corrupt practices are guarded against.”

The EC is formed with comprising the Chief Election Commissioner as the Chairman who can be a judge or retired judge of the Supreme Court and 4 members from each province who are the judges of the four High courts over there which are chosen by the President by constitution.

Level of elections in Pakistan:

In Parliamentary election there are Assemblies, Senate, Presidential and Local Government elections. Let’s look over them one by one.

Assemblies Elections:

In Parliamentary system of Pakistan through secret ballot papers the executive and legislature are elected directly through public voting in constituencies. The candidate who earned the highest vote in polling then becomes a member of National or Provincial assembly. The seats in the National assembly are allocated to each province. The seats reserved for women and to the minorities are allocated according to the law.

National Assembly consisting of 342 seats is generally elected for 5 years terms. However if it is dissolved the elections must be held within 90 days stated in the constitution of Pakistan.

Senate elections:

It is compromised with 100 seats to which 14 are reserved for each Provincial assembly, 8 for FATA by the members of National assembly from the respective areas, 2 members containing 1 woman and technocrat from by the Federal capital members of National assembly and 4 of both women and technocrats from each Provincial assembly. The tenure of the members is of 6 years.

Presidential Elections:

It is the duty of ECP to demeanor presidential elections in-order to elect a President of the state who must not be less than 45 years, whom can be a woman or man but should be a Muslims. The tenure of the president if of 5 years and the senate, national and provincial assembly in a special session elects president under the supervision of ECP.

Local government elections:

In order of good governance the administrative and financial authorities are distributed to be answerable to local government. The elections are held after 4 years and it is the duty of ECP to conduct these elections.

For more information visit www.pakvoter.org