What are the Main Points of the Constitution of Pakistan 1973

The Constitution of Pakistan 1973 is the third constitution in the history of the country. The constitution of Pakistan 1973  is approved by the National assembly on April 10, 1973.  After that constitution was drafted and then proclaimed on August 14, 1973.

Pakistan is the only country that got its independence in the name of Islam. Pakistan emerged on the map of the world on August 14, 1947. Two nation theory states that Muslims and Hindus are two separate nations and different on the basis of religion, social and cultural values. Two nation theory is the ideology of Pakistan.

Main Points of the Constitution of Pakistan 1973

The Constitution of 1973 is unique in many ways from the last two constitutions of 1956 and 1962.

1. Written Constitution

The Constitution of Pakistan 1973 is in written form with 280 articles, seven schedules, and a centralized federal system. The constitution of 1973 is rigid, and it needs the two-thirds majority of the members of both the national assembly and Senate to pass any amendments.

2. The parliamentary system of Government

Constitution of Pakistan 1973 provides the parliamentary system of Government just like the constitution of 1956. In this government system, maximum power is given to the elected parliament and the country’s prime minister. The Prime minister is considered the head of the government with more powers than the head of state, the president.

3. Bicameral Legislature

The constitution of 1973 provides the bicameral legislature in Pakistan. This means that Pakistan’s parliament consists of two houses, the National Assembly, the lower house, and the Senate, the upper house.

4. National Language

According to the constitution of Pakistan in 1973, Urdu is the national language of the country. Regional languages have full protection according to this constitution.

5. Direct Election System

Direct election is the feature of the constitution of 1973. The member of parliament and the provincial assemblies are selected by the direct election method. The election will be transparent under an election committee.

6. Fundamental Rights

The constitution grants many fundamental rights to the citizens of Pakistan. Constitution of Pakistan 1973 protects their fundamental rights. Some of the rights are:

• Right to live
• Equality of all citizens before the law
• Freedom of speech
• Freedom of expression
• Right to have property
• Religious freedom to all

7. Islamic Provisions of Constitution of 1973

Constitution of 1973  includes many Islamic provisions.

• The name of the country is the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
• Islam is the religion of the state
• The President and Prime minister of the country would be Muslim.
• Sovereignty belongs to Allah
• Islamic ways of life

8. Independence of Judiciary

Judiciary should be independent according to the constitution of Pakistan. President has the power to appoint the judiciary, but no power of removing them is given to the president. Judiciary is independent of the executive, and the president can only remove them when the supreme judicial council advises him.

Amendments in the Constitution of Pakistan 1973

More than 20 amendments have been made since the approval of the constitution of Pakistan in 1973. The most significant amendments are the eighth, seventeenth, and recent 25^th and 26^th amendment.

• 8^th Amendment: This amendment in the constitution changes the traditional ways of Government. According to this constitution, the president has been given additional powers, and Pakistan’s government system changes from a parliamentary to a semi-presidential system.
• 9^th Amendment: Bills to pass shariah law as the law of the land Pakistan. The bill couldn’t pass by the national assembly of Pakistan.
• 13^th Amendment: The reserve power of president be stripped to dissolve Pakistan’s national assembly, new elections held which dismiss the existing prime minister of Pakistan.
• 18^th Amendment: Removed the president’s power to dissolve the parliament. This gives the authority to provinces, and the name of the northwest frontier province(NWFP) was changed to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK).
• 23^rd Amendment: This amendment was passed to re-establish the military courts for further two years till January 2019.
• 25^th Amendment: Historic amendment in Pakistan’s history to merge Federal administrated tribal areas (FATA) to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK).
• 26^th Amendment: The seats of tribal areas in the national assembly were removed, and the seats of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) has been increased to 24 from 16. This would give them more representation in the national and provincial assemblies of Pakistan.