Politics of Pakistan

Politics of Pakistan

Recently the Politics of Pakistan has taken place in the framework of a federal republic, where the system of government has at times been parliamentary, presidential, or semi-presidential. In the current semi-presidential system, the President of Pakistan is the head of state, the Prime Minister is head of government, and there is a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is largely vested in the Parliament.
Contents

* 1 Executive branch
* 2 Political parties and elections
2.1 Composition of parliament
2.2 Results of the 2008 General Elections
* 3 Legislative Branch
3.1 Senate
3.2 National Assembly
* 4 Judicial branch
4.1 Supreme Court
4.2 Provincial & High Courts
4.3 Mohtasib
* 5 Political background
* 6 Form of Government
6.1 Provincial Governments
6.2 Local Governments
* 7 Foreign relations

Political parties and elections

Composition of parliament

composition of the Pakistan Senate after February 2003 elections
Party	Initials	Seats
Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam)	PML/Q	40
Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal Pakistan	MMA	21
Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians	PPPP	11
Muttahida Qaumi Movement	MQM	6
Pakistan Muslim League (N)	PML/N	4
National Alliance	NAP	3
Pakhtun-khwa Milli Awami Party	PkMAP	2
Awami National Party	ANP	2
Pakistan Peoples Party (Sherpao)	PPP/S	2
Pakistan Muslim League (Functional Group)	PML/F	1
Jamhoori Wattan Party (Republican National Party)	JWP	1
Balochistan National Party-Awami	BNP-Awami	1
Balochistan National Party-Mengal	BNP-Mengal	1
	BNM/H	1
Independents		4

Results of the 2008 General Elections

Parties	Votes	%	Elected seats	Reserved seats (Women)	Reserved seats (Minorities)	Total
Pakistan Peoples Party	10,606,486	30.6%	94	23	4	121
Pakistan Muslim League (N)	6,781,445	19.6%	71	17	3	91
Pakistan Muslim League (Q)	7,989,817	23.0%	42	10	2	54
Muttahida Qaumi Movement	2,507,813	7.4%	19	5	1	25
Awami National Party	700,479	2.0%	10	3	0	13
Muttarhida Majlis-e-Amal Note: Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan, Tehrik-e-Jafaria Pakistan and Jamiat Ahle Hadith did not participate.	772,798	2.2%	5	1	0	6
Pakistan Muslim League (F)			4	1	0	5
Pakistan Peoples Party (Sherpao)	140,707	0.4%	1	0	0	1
National Peoples Party			1	0	0	1
Balochistan National Party (Awami)			1	0	0	1
Independents			18	0	0	18
Total	34,665,978	100%	266	60	10	336

Executive branch

Executive branch

Main office holders Office Name Party Since

President Asif Ali Zardari PPP 9 September 2008
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani PPP March 25, 2008

Pakistan has been under the influence of its military almost since it was founded. The Intelligence agencies have a huge role in the politics since the beginning in making and breaking the political parties. The president, in keeping with the constitutional provision that the state religion is Islam, must be a Muslim. Elected for a five-year term by an Electoral College consisting of members of the Senate and National Assembly and members of the provincial assemblies, the president is eligible for reelection. But no individual may hold the office for more than two consecutive terms. The president may resign or be impeached and may be removed from office for incapacity or gross misconduct by a two-thirds vote of the members of the parliament. The president generally acts on the advice of the prime minister but has important residual powers. One of the most important--a legacy of Zia--is contained in the Eighth Amendment which gives the president the power to dissolve the National Assembly "in his discretion where, in his opinion . . . a situation has arisen in which the Government of the Federation cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and an appeal to the electorate is necessary." The Thirteenth Amendment which was passed in 1997, revoked this power. In December 2003, the President's power was partially restored by the Seventeenth Amendment. In April 2004, the Presidency's influence was augmented by an Act of Parliament that established the National Security Council, a body chaired by the President.

The prime minister is appointed by the members of the National Assembly through a vote. The prime minister is assisted by the Federal Cabinet, a council of ministers whose members are appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister. The Federal Cabinet comprises the ministers, ministers of state, and advisers. As of early 1994, there were thirty-three ministerial portfolios: commerce; communications; culture; defence; defence production; education; environment; finance and economic affairs; food and agriculture; foreign affairs; health; housing; information and broadcasting; interior; Kashmiri affairs and Northern Areas; law and justice; local government; minority affairs; narcotics control; parliamentary affairs; petroleum and natural resources production; planning and development; railways; religious affairs; science and technology; social welfare; special education; sports; state and frontier regions; tourism; water and power; women's development; and youth affairs.