Topic: Comparison of 1956, 1962, and 1973 Constitution

1956 1962 1973

Nature Of Parliament Presidential Parliament
Government
Head of State President President President
Name of Country Pakistan was declared the Republic of Pakistan Pakistan shall be known
Islamic Republic as the “Islamic Republic
of Pakistan.”
Power of President could appoint President was The President was
President/Prime from amongst the MNAs a considered the authorized to appoint
Minister Prime Minister who had to clock tower of the Attorney General,
take the vote of confidence Faisalabad. All Judges of the Supreme
from the house in two ministers were Court and High Courts,
months. appointed by the and the Chief Election
The Prime Minister had to president, and they Commissioners. In the
inform the president about were not Provincial
all the decisions of the responsible to the Government, each
cabinet. legislature. All province was to have a
President had the power to judges were Governor appointed by
summon, prorogue, and appointed by the the President.
dissolve the Assembly on president.
the advice of the cabinet. Impeachment of
No bill imposing taxes or the president was
involving expenditure could not an easy
be moved without his process, but it was
consent. made very
Prime Minister and his complicated. At
cabinet were to aid and least 3/4 majority
advise the president. The of parliament was
president was required to required for
follow the advice of the removing the
cabinet except where he president.
was empowered to act at The budget was to
his discretion. be proposed by the
The President had the President and
power to suspend needed no approval
fundamental rights in case from the
of emergency. parliament.
Legislature The Constitution is entitled It was a unicameral It was a bicameral
to a Unicameral Legislature. system of legislature at the Center
government with consisting of two Houses,
only one house. the National Assembly,
and the Senate.

Elections The constitution was never Indirect Elections: The first in Pakistan to be
practically implemented as There were framed by elected
no elections were held. It introduced indirect representatives.
was eventually abrogated elections for
on October 7, 1958, when choosing the
Martial Law was enforced. president as well as
Direct Elections: the legislature. For
Members of the Assembly Presidential
were to be elected based Elections mere
on Direct Elections three candidates
conducted based on Adult could contest.
Franchise.
Fundamental Fundamental Rights were The fundamental The Constitution
Rights made justifiable. human rights conferred several kinds of
(including the rights fundamental rights to
of equality before the people such as the
the law, of freedom right to life, liberty,
of thought, equality, and freedom of
expression, belief, speech, trade, and
faith and association. The
association, and of Constitution also
social, economic, declared the laws
and political justice) inconsistent with or in
should, consistently derogatory to
with the security of fundamental rights as null
the State, public and void.
interest, and the
requirements of
morality, be
preserved
Language Urdu and Bengali were Urdu and Bengali Urdu is declared the
declared as the state were declared the Official language of
languages national languages Pakistan
of the country.
Method of It was a Flexible 1st Amendment: the 1st Amendment: the
Amendment Constitution and twothirds name was changed boundaries of Pakistan
members of the Assembly to “Islamic were reassessed. 2nd
could bring an amendment Republic of Amendment: the
to the constitution. Pakistan” from “Qadiani” people were
“Republic of declared non-Muslims.
Pakistan.” 3rd Amendment:
Any Amendment: extended the period of
the 2/3rd majority preventive detention, of
of the assembly had those who are accused of
to pass the bill and committing serious cases
send it to the of treason and espionage
president. The against the state of
amendment was Pakistan.
considered valid if 4th Amendment: it was
the president did made to enhance the
not take up any
objection for thirty seats for minorities in
days. Parliament.
The president might 5th Amendment: it was
disapprove or send adopted on 5 September
back the resolution 1976, by the elected
with certain Parliament of Pakistan
alterations. In that under the democratic
case, it was needed government of Zulfiqar
to gain the consent Ali Bhutto.
of the 3/4th 6th Amendment: Chief
majority of the Justice of Pakistan will be
assembly. retired at the age of 65
and the Chief Justice of
High Courts will be
retired at the age of 62.
7th Amendment: An
elected Prime Minister
can obtain a vote of
confidence from the
people’s elected
members of Parliament.
8th Amendment: the
constitution was made by
the first parliamentary
government of PPP in the
country.
9th Amendment: the
government-imposed
sharia law as the supreme
law of the country
10th Amendment: No
more than 130 days gap
between sessions of the
Parliament and Senate.
11th Amendment: it was
sought to restore the
seats for Women in the
National Assembly to 20.
13th Amendment: The
powers of the President
to dismiss the Prime
Minister and to dissolve
the national assembly
were stripped.
14th Amendment:
The political party
leaders received
unlimited powers to
dismiss any member of
parliament.
15th Amendment:
The bill was presented to
impose Sharia law in the
country.
16th Amendment:
to give a representation
of minorities and
imposed a quota for the
next 40 years.
17th Amendment: The
President of Pakistan
by the power of the 17th
amendment holds
unlimited powers. 18th
Amendment: In the 18th
Amendment, the name
of NWFP province was
changed to KPK. The
power of the President
to dissolve the national
assembly vanished.
19th Amendment:
defined the rules and
regulations for the
appointment of the
Judges of the Islamabad
High Court and the
Supreme Court of
Pakistan.
20th Amendment:
The Office of Chief
Election Commissioner
was changed to the
Election Commission of
Pakistan.
21st Amendment:
After the incident of APS
Peshawar, the Military
Courts in the Country
were established. 22nd
Amendment: Now the
Bureaucrats and
technocrats can also
become a member of the
election commission of
Pakistan.
23rd Amendment: The
Military courts were
established for a period
 of 2 years. Extended for 2
years.
25th Amendment:
The Federal
Administrative Tribal
Area (FATA) was merged
with KPK. The FATA was
merged with KPK solely
to give the people of
FATA their due rights and
to facilitate the
constitution.
Other Important The constitution The basic human In the Parliament of
Reforms guaranteed basic human rights for all the Pakistan in the
rights for all the citizens of citizens of Pakistan Government of Zulfiqar
Pakistan without any without any Ali Bhutto. The
discrimination of caste, discrimination of Constitution guaranteed
creed, and color. caste, creed, and
a right to the citizens; to
color.
be protected by law, and
It was stated in this
imposed two duties on
constitution that
them, loyalty to the
Pakistan would be a
Republic and obedience
federation
to the law.
comprising two
units i.e. East
Pakistan and West
Pakistan.

“References”
Constitution of 1956 - History Pak

Constitution of 1962 - History Pak

Pakistan: Constitution of 1962 | eBook (sheir.org)

1973 Constitution – Zulfikar Ali Bhutto

All Amendments in the Constitution of Pakistan 1973 - Legalversity