Learning and Life: Experiments to Control Democracy in Pakistan

Wednesday, February 23, 2022

Experiments to Control Democracy in Pakistan

مرض بڑھتا گیا جوں جوں دوا کی

Pakistan is so fond of changing the system of governance: We have changed the system every few years since 1947, we have experimented with political engineering of the system more times than any other country in the world. Here is a brief overview of our experiments of such engineering:

1947-50: Governor-General as Chief Executive, under Queen/monarch of UK.
1950-55: Powerless PM + powerful Governor-General, under Queen/monarch of UK.
1956-58: Republican Constitution with President as Chief Executive with musical chairs of 5 rubber stamp PMs
1958-62: 1956 constitution abrogated, Martial Law with COAS as President and CMLA.
1962-69: Ayub's BD constitution. President all-powerful, BDs just a showpiece.
1969-71: President, COAS as CMLA. Discarding of BD system constitution. Experiment with first direct elections. Power not transferred to the winner, followed by East Pakistan dismemberment.
1971-73: World's first Civil Martial Law Administrator and President.
1973-77: Parliamentary democracy constitution with PM as chief executive, President as a rubber stamp.
1977-81: Martial Law with COAS as CMLA and President. 1973 constitution suspended.
1981-85: COAS as CMLA and President + appointed Majlis e Shura, rubber stamp
1985-88: COAS as President, rigged referendum-based Non-party elections and parliament with Rubber stamp PM, 1973 constitution restored with 8th Amendment giving President discretionary powers to fire PM under 58-2b.
1988-99: Party-based Elections and parliament with 4 alternating PMs with around 2.5 years tenure removed at the discretion of President under 58-2b.
1999-2002: COAS as Chief Executive/CMLA and all-powerful President. 1973 Constitution with suspended clauses.
2002-2008: COAS as President with PMs as rubber stamp, constitution restored with 58-2b, controlled party elections.
2008-2012: Political President powerful with PM as a rubber stamp.
2012-2017: 18th Amendment, repeal of 58-2b, devolution of powers to PM and provinces. Judicial activism of CJP who could remove PMs on frivolous grounds of contempt using 60-1.
2017-present: Hybrid regime Selector+selected, with SC getting more powerful than the president. Started with SC using 60-1f to remove PM.