Political Structure of Pakistan

1. 11

2. 2
STRUCTURE OF FEDRAL GOVERNMENT

3. 3
STRUCTURE OF FEDRAL GOVERNMENT

4. 4
Federal
Government
Executive Legislature Judiciary
BRANCHES OF FEDRAL GOVERNMENT

5. 5
• The bicameral federal legislature is the Majlis-i-Shoora (Parliament),
consisting of the Senate (upper house) and National Assembly (lower
house).
LEGISLATURE
Parliament
(Majlis-e-Shora)
Senate
(Upper House)
President
(Head of State)
National
Assembly
(Lower House)

6. 6
DISTRIBUTION OF SEATS
Parliament
(446 Seats)
Senate
(104 Seats)
National Assembly
(342 Seats)

7. 7
PARLIAMENT
• Parliament of Pakistan is the federal and supreme legislative body of
Pakistan
• It consists of:
o President
o Senate (Upper House)
o National Assembly (Lower House)
• 6 years for Senator
• 5 years for MNA
• Both houses work together to carry out the basic work of Parliament
i.e. law making
• Parliament House of Pakistan is the first and only parliament in the world
that completely runs on solar power

8. 8
• Passing a bill:
o Both houses can generate a bill
o If not passed in 90 days
o Summon Joint Sitting
o President Assent in 10 days
• Relations between the Houses
o Both houses pass a Bill
o President's assent
o Money bill prerogative of National Assembly
• Mediation Committee
o Eight members of each House
o Resolve consensus on Bills
PARLIAMENT

9. 11
SENATE
• Senate represents province / territories of a country
• Senate is called (Aiwan-i-bala) / (Upper House)
• Senate shall not be subject to dissolve
• Senator is selected for 6 years
• Staggered elections every 3 years
• Purpose of Senate:
o Give equal representation to all the provinces / territories as the seats
of the National Assembly is based on the population of each province
• Chairman of Senate will assume the duties of President of Pakistan if the
seat is vacant

10. 12
• Distribution of Seats
o Total 104 Seats
o 23 from each Province
o 8 from FATA
o 4 from Federal Capital
 17 Seats are reserved for Women from each Province including
Federal Capital
SENATE

11. 13
DISTRIBUTION OF SEATS

12. 14
DISTRIBUTION OF SEATS

13. 17
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
• Lower House of Parliament
• Edge over the Senate on money bills
• Elected for a five-year term
o Commencing from the date of the first sitting
• Dissolution of National Assembly if:
o Advised by the Prime Minister
o Advised by the President
 Approval of Supreme Court
• After Dissolution:
o Speaker shall continue in his office till the person elected to fill the
office by the next Assembly enters upon his office
• The Speaker as President
o In case the President as well as Chairman Senate are not available

14. 18
• Summon & Sessions:
o President of Pakistan
o Speaker of National Assembly (along with ¼ members)
o Maximum duration between two sessions must be 90 days
o Minimum three sessions a year
o Summoned within 14 days
• Distribution of Seats
o Total Seats 342
o 272 General Seats
o 60 for Women
o 10 for Non-Muslim
 General seats are filled by direct and free vote
 A political party must secure 172 seats to obtain and preserve a
majority
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

15. 19
DISTRIBUTION OF SEATS

16. 26
PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLY
• Elect in First meeting (Speaker & Deputy Speaker)
• 5 year Term (from first meeting)
• Governor can summon anytime
• Dissolution
o Governor
o Approval of President
o Advise of Chief Minister
o Within 48 hrs
• Passing a bill:
o Passed by Provincial Assembly
o Governor's Assent in 10 days

17. 28
PROVINCIAL MINISTER
Province General
seats
Seats of
women
Seats of
minorities
Total seats
Punjab 297 66 8 371
Sindh 130 29 9 168
KPK 99 22 3 124
Balochistan 51 11 3 65

18. 29
PRESIDENT
• Elected by both houses and Provincial Assemblies.
• Removal of President:
• One Half members of either house may give in written to
Speaker of National Assembly / Chairman Senate
• Joint Sitting of both houses
• Two Third votes of Parliament
• Chairman Senate as Acting President

19. 31
Federal
Government
Executive Legislature Judiciary
BRANCHES OF FEDRAL GOVERNMENT

20. 32
PRIME MINSTER
• Prime Minister member of National Assembly
• Removal of Prime Minister
• No confidence vote by 20% members of National Assembly
• Resolution is passed by Two Third members of National Assembly

21. 33
• Cabinet members are appointed by the president on the advice of the
prime minister
• Prime Minister head of Cabinet
• The Federal Ministers and Ministers of State are appointed from amongst
the members of Parliament.
• The Prime minister may dismiss them or reappoint them (to other posts) at
will.
• In June 2013, a new cabinet was announced by the Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif.
All cabinet officials were from the Pakistan Muslim League (N). The cabinet
was dissolved on 28 July 2017 when the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was
disqualified for life by the Supreme Court of Pakistan
FEDRAL CIBINET

22. 35
Ser Ministers MNA Senators Total
1. Federal Ministers 22 5 27
2. Ministers of State 16 - 16
3. Total 38 5* 43
FEDRAL CIBINET
The number of Federal Ministers and Ministers of State who are
members of Senate, shall not at any time, exceed one fourth of
the numbers of Federal Ministers
* Total Federal Ministers = 22
¼ of Federal Ministers = 5.5
Maximum Number of Senators allowed in Federal Cabinet = 5

23. 36
JUDICIAL SYSTEM

24. 37
Federal
Government
Executive Legislature Judiciary
BRANCHES OF FEDRAL GOVERNMENT

25. 38
• Core of any legal system In
• Function:
o a legal system settles disputes, issuing a decision as to how the
disagreement should be settled
• Purpose:
o Provide a system for interpreting and enforcing the laws
• Adherence to truth and reality
• Fair representation of facts respecting merit or demerit
• Honesty
• Fidelity (faithfulness to loyalty)
JUDICIAL SYSTEM

26. 39
Structure:
1 Chief justice
16 permanent judges
SUPREME COURT OF PAKISTAN

27. 40
• Apex of the judicial system
• Chief Justice of Pakistan is appointed by the President
• Judges appointed by the President after consultation with the Chief Justice
• Eligibility:
o Citizen of Pakistan
o Judge of a High Court for 5 years
o Advocate of a High Court for 15 years
• The Chief Justice and Judges of the Supreme Court hold office until the
age of sixty-five
APPOINTMENT OF SUPREME COURT JUDGES

28. 41
FUNCTIONS OF SUPREME COURT
• Ultimate appeal
• Decisions are binding on all other courts
• Explicit power over President
• Example: (under Article 58)
• The President may dismiss the National Assembly (triggering new
elections) but the dismissal is subject to Supreme Court approval
• Power to overturn:
o Presidential orders
o Parliamentary legislation
o declaring such orders or laws to be unconstitutional

29. 42
FEDERAL SHARIAT COURT
• Consists of 8 Muslim Judges including the Chief Justice
• 3 are required to be Ulema
• Appointed by the President
o Serving / Retired
o Supreme Court / High Court
• The Judges hold office for a period of 3 years and the President may further
extend such period

30. 44
• Structure:
• High Court in each province
• Each High Court consists of a Chief Justice
• Appointment:
• Chief Justice of high court is appointed by the President in consultation with
the Chief Justice of Pakistan
• Each High Court supervises and controls all courts subordinate to it and any
decision of a High Court binds all courts subordinate to it.
HIGH COURT

31. 46
HIGH COURT

32. 47
LAHORE HIGH COURT
• Structure:
• 1 Chief Justice+ 59 Judges

33. 48
SINDH HIGH COURT
• Structure:
• 1 Chief Justice + 39 Judges

34. 49
• Structure:
• 1 Chief Justice+ 19 Judges
PESHAWAR HIGH COURT

35. 50
BALOCHISTAN HIGH COURT
• Structure:
• 1 Chief Justice + 9 Judges

36. 51
ISLAMABAD HIGH COURT
• Structure:
• 1 Chief Justice + 6 Judges

37. 52
• Civil court:
• Present all the district of a province.
• Deals civil material only
• Consist of:
o District Judge
o Additional District Judge
o Civil Judge Class I, II & III.
• Criminal court:
• Located in the district of each province
• Power to change criminal to death punishment
• Consist of:
o Session Judge,
o Additional Session Judge
o Judicial Magistrate Class I, II & III.
SUBORDINATE JUDICIARY

38. 58
THANK YOU

39. 78
GILGIT BALTISTAN
The administration of the territories of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Balistan
were entrusted to Pakistan under UN Security Council resolutions. They have since
been treated as administrative units of Pakistan and are subject to most of liabilities
of a Province under the Pakistan constitution.
They do not have any of the constitutional rights and powers enjoyed by the
provinces. One of the many consequences of this situation is that Azad Kashmir and
Gilgit-Baltistan do not have any seats in the Pakistan Parliament or institutions
established by the Constitution

40. 79
GILGIT BALTISTAN
• In 2009, it was granted limited autonomy and renamed to
Gilgit-Baltistan via the Self-Governance Order signed by
Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari
• Real power rests with the governor and not with chief
minister
• Oppose integration with Kashmir
• Merge with Pakistan
• Government of Pakistan has rejected integration with
Gilgit-Baltistan
• Jeopardies demands for Kashmir issue