Historical Perspective of Political and Constitutional Development in Pakistan (original) (raw)
Related papers
The Shift of Power from the Public Representatives to the Bureaucratic and Military Elite: Case Study of the First Decade of Pakistan, 2019
A combination of military coups with irregular intervals and failed democratic governments has underpinned Pakistan’s chronic instability. This paper explores the impediments in the path of democracy in Pakistan caused by the entanglement of institutions. The basic democratic principles, on which the movement for the creation of Pakistan was launched and succeeded, were lost within the first decade of independence. Several scholars hold that the people of Pakistan got liberated from the British and Hindu majority to be enslaved by socio-political and military elite. The failure of politicians in devising a viable political system resulted in the bureaucratic-military nexus as they made every effort to curb parliamentary politics. Musical chair game of power became the norm of the day which resulted in the decay of democracy and other institutions. Unlike its counterpart, Indian National Congress, Muslim League due to weak and loose political organization, failed miserably in areas constituting Pakistan which prevented it in playing a consolidating role. Moreover, the threats from India and Afghanistan forced the political leadership to invest heavily in security to deter Indian and Afghan threats. In fact, it was the imbalance between the civil and military components of the state, which became the key reason behind the political chaos in Pakistan during its first decade. The Army emerged as an overwhelming force overpowering all other institutions in the country. Democratic ideals such as rule of people through their representatives, fair representation and provincial autonomy, pronounced in the 1940 Lahore Resolution, were soon forgotten. Weak democratic forces could not compete with the skilled bureaucracy and a powerful army. Such chaotic conditions proved instrumental in leading to the proclamation of the first Martial Law in Pakistan.
Constitutional and Political Heritage of Pakistan: An Analysis in Democratic Perspective
To understand the nature and functioning of democracy in Pakistan, it is important to trace the evolution of representative government in Indian sub-continent during the Colonial era. With the fall of great Mughal Empire in India, the British Crown successfully established the colonial authority in order to fill the power vacuum. Although at that time democratic government was effectively functioning in England, however, being a colonial power they intentionally avoided to launch a full-scale democracy in India, because introduction of democracy would meant a rule of locals with a little place for foreigners. However, with the passage of time elected institutions were introduced at central and provincial level yet ultimate power remained in the hands of official administrators. Extraordinary powers lied with the institutions of military and civil bureaucracy whereas feudalism remained an important pillar of colonial government. In point of fact, feudal class, on most of the occasions, helped the colonial state to strengthen its control and exercised through civil bureaucracy over the vast rural areas. This paper is an attempt to analyze these aspects of colonial government and their impact on political system of Pakistan.
2019
Present research was carried out so as to determine the constitutional and political development in Pakistan since (1947-1973). In this regard, both historical and descriptive research was used. Qualitative research methods were utilized in present research, Based on objectives of the present exploration the 200 respondents (Social Science Division, University of Balochistan) among them 100 students and similar, 100 academic staff were selected as sample size based on in-depth interviews. Simple random sampling was used. However, the Cronbach"s Alpha program was noted as .701. Analysis of variance, ANOVA (Duncan Multiple Range Test) or DMRT test was to run so as to denote the perception variations between groups in the present research. The p-value was calculated at 0.05 alpha levels. The finding revealed that non-significant was also observed in research question 1. The non-significant was observed at 0.05 levels in research question 2. A significant variation was observed in research question-3. Thus, the research question 4 was accepted at 0.05 level or p> value. In view of the preceding conclusions, the following recommendation put forward. There should be a need of appreciation at the local to national level of the issues solution. Nevertheless the government of Pakistan has measured this issues but, reliable and steady follow-up should be mandatory.
Historical Analysis of Successive Governments in Pakistan: A History of First Six Decades, 1947-2007
Pakistan is widely being portrayed a weak democratic state as elected governments were unnecessarily broken frequently. Violence in the recent years has given more strength to the negative perception of Pakistan as a polity not conducive for democratic institutions, this was doubled with the risk of military coup, which overshadowed the encouraging trends, like the maturing of Pakistani democracy, as demonstrated in parliament's adoption of far-reaching constitutional reforms. It is also evident that international community, at least indirectly if not directly, is the responsible for the lack of democracy and peace in Pakistan. Western powers, particularly, supported military government to promote their ideal of stability under misperceptions or for safeguarding of their own interests.
Political system of Pakistan, from the very beginning, dangles between authoritarianism, whether military or civilian, and an urge for the legitimacy of democratic norms. As an addition to the bitterness of this fact, Pakistan, since its inception, lacks representative government. The concept and functioning of election is closely related to the party system and its evolution in the democratic process. In Pakistan, the party system has gone through a long historical and evolutionary process. In this article an effort has been made to discuss and explain the political parties evolved and what changes have been experienced in their structures in the first thirty years (1947-1977).
Role of Political Parties in Pakistan and Perverted Form of Democracy
2016
In direct contravention to founding fathers’ envision, Pakistan was ruled, by the military for much of its existence. Whenever civilian rule manage to come about has been compromised at best and distorted at the worst, at the behest of the men in Khaki. The Pakistani military is often held responsible for and accused of undermining institutional growth. Moreover political representatives when in power did not deliver on ‘stability’ and development front due to ideological and structural inadequacies, giving an excuse for military to intervene. Besides the power relations that Pakistan inherited – feudal dominance – continued unabated even after independence, establishing its iron hold onto state institutions including that of the military. In fact, social composition of feudal elites did not alter all these decades, pushing majority of people out of the corridors of power. Even presently unraveling social, economic and political upheavals, it seems not powerful enough to rupture and...
RMC Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities
The paper attempts to study constitutional development in Pakistan in relation to the political instability or stability of the country. Analysis of the secondary data qualitatively revealed that the country suffered much due to political instability which was a result of the non-development and non-availability of the constitution. As the constitution provides a set of rules for people of a state who agree to live together and it is the basic set of principles through which a state is governed, the newly established state of Pakistan initially adopted the 1935 India Act to run the affairs. The process to frame a fresh constitution started after the transitory of Objectives Resolution in 1949 while Islamic and democratic values were considered as foundations to formulate a constitution for Pakistan. Three constitutions in 1956, 1962, and 1973 were framed in order to maintain political stability and to govern the state. Pakistan in its 72 years of age was governed by 49 Heads of Stat...
Study the Constitutional and Political Development in Pakistan (1947-1973): A Way Forwarded
2019
Present research was carried out so as to determine the constitutional and political development in Pakistan since (1947-1973). In this regard, both historical and descriptive research was used. Qualitative research methods were utilized in present research, Based on objectives of the present exploration the 200 respondents (Social Science Division, University of Balochistan) among them 100 students and similar, 100 academic staff were selected as sample size based on in-depth interviews. Simple random sampling was used. However, the Cronbach"s Alpha program was noted as .701. Analysis of variance, ANOVA (Duncan Multiple Range Test) or DMRT test was to run so as to denote the perception variations between groups in the present research. The p-value was calculated at 0.05 alpha levels. The finding revealed that non-significant was also observed in research question 1. The non-significant was observed at 0.05 levels in research question 2. A significant variation was observed in ...
constitutional developement in Pakistan.docx
Journal of Legal Studies and Research, 2018
Pakistan has faced multiple problems in its early days regarding framing of constitution. Due to death of Qaid-e-Azam, Liaqat Ali Khan’s assassination, abrogation of first constituent assembly, legal interpretation of powers of Governor General. Then imposition of martial laws and instability of elected governments due to army intervention time and again, till 2009, when supreme court has declared every act abrogating the constitution as illegal and unlawful and also nipped the evil in bud by stopping the gateway to martial law in its land mark judgments. These steps are discussed in this writing to highlight the core issue of instability of the Constitution in Pakistan.