Democracy in Pakistan

Politics in Pakistan refers to the ideologies and systems by which Pakistan was established in 1947.[1] As envisaged by the nation's founding father, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Pakistan is a nation-state, constitutionally a democratic parliamentary republic.[2] The national cabinet, led by the Prime Minister of Pakistan has executive power and the president is the head of state elected by the electoral college.[3] Pakistan's political system is based on an elected form of governance.[4] The democratic elections held in 2008 were the first to conclude a 5-year term in the nation's political history. However, since the country's inception, the military has had disproportionate power over state affairs.[5] Several military interventions have disrupted Pakistan's democracy. These interventions include takeovers by General Ayub Khan (1958-1969), General Yahya Khan (1969-1971), General Zia Ul Haq (1977-1988), and General Pervez Musharraf (1999-2008).[5]

  1. ^ Ferguson, Niall (2003). Empire: how Britain made the modern world (1. publ ed.). London: Allen Lane. ISBN 978-0-7139-9615-9.
  2. ^ "Mohammed Ali Jinnah | Biography, Accomplishments, Religion, Significance, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 7 September 2023. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  3. ^ "Part I: "Introductory"". pakistani.org. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  4. ^ Harriss, John (2012), "Political change, political structure, and the Indian state since Independence", Routledge Handbook of South Asian Politics, Routledge, doi:10.4324/9780203878187.ch4, ISBN 978-0-203-87818-7, retrieved 5 October 2023
  5. ^ a b Altaf, Hina (May 2019). "History of Military Interventions in Political Affairs in Pakistan". CUNY Academic Works – via City University of New York (CUNY).