Pakistan's 1973 Constitution

Pakistan’s supreme law, adopted in 1973, establishes a federal parliamentary republic, defines state institutions, and protects fundamental rights.

Parliament of Pakistan: Pakistan’s bicameral legislature consists of the National Assembly and the Senate. The Constitution assigns federal lawmaking to these two houses.
Bangladesh Liberation War: The 1971 conflict that led East Pakistan to become the independent state of Bangladesh. The breakup of Pakistan created urgent pressure to rebuild its constitutional order.
Federalism: A system of government that constitutionally divides authority between national and regional governments. The Constitution allocates powers between Pakistan’s federation and its provinces.
1977 Pakistani coup d'état: The military coup in which General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq overthrew Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s government. The coup suspended constitutional government and began a long period of military rule.
Prime Minister of Pakistan: The prime minister is Pakistan’s head of government and leads the federal cabinet. The Constitution makes the prime minister responsible to the National Assembly.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto: Pakistan’s president and later prime minister who led the government that negotiated the 1973 Constitution. Bhutto’s government steered the constitutional negotiations and brought the text into force.
Parliamentary system: A form of government in which the executive depends on the confidence of the legislature. The Constitution makes the cabinet answerable to the elected National Assembly.
Eighth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan: The 1985 amendment strengthened presidential powers, including authority to dissolve the National Assembly. It altered the parliamentary balance established by the original constitutional design.
President of Pakistan: The president is Pakistan’s head of state, elected indirectly for a five-year term. The Constitution gives the presidency defined formal powers within a parliamentary system.
Pakistan Peoples Party: A Pakistani political party founded by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1967. The party led the post-1971 government that negotiated the constitutional settlement.

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