Our Government 

Pakistan is a democracy. This means that we elect the people whom we want to form the government. For this purpose, elections are held every five years. Different political parties contest the elections. We vote for the members of the National and Provincial Assemblies. The elected members of the National Assembly then form the National or Federal Government.

Why do we need a federal government?



  National assembly building


As you know, Pakistan is a large country with a large population. It would be difficult to govern such a huge area with so many people living in it as one whole unit. Therefore, each province has its own government to deal with its internal affairs and to administer the province well. In the same way, the federal government deals with matters that affect the whole of the country. All provincial governments are responsible to the federal government. 
              The federal government looks after the finance, defence, communications, and foreign affairs of our country. It does not interfere in the affairs of the provincial government.
         The federal government decides the priorities for spending public money. It decides how much tax the people need to pay to meet the costs of running the country and for carrying out development work. It draws up plans for improving the condition of the country. The Ministry of Defence looks after the security of Pakistan, and the Foreign Office handles Pakistan's relations with other countries of the world.

The structure of the federal government 


The elected members of National Assembly form the National Assembly, while the elected members of the Provincial Assemblies form the Provincial Assemblies.

(a) The National Assembly is known as the Lower House.

(b) The members of the National Assembly (MNAs) and the Provincial Assemblies (MPAS) elect the members of Senate which is also known as the Upper House. 

(c) Together the National Assembly and the Senate form the Parliament.

In the National Assembly, the leader of the political party with the greatest number of members (or seats) becomes the prime minister and forms the government. He or she is the head of the National or Federal Government. The members of all the other parties remain in opposition and choose a member to be leader of opposition.

The MNAS also select the speaker and the deputy speaker. It is their responsibility to maintain order while assembly sessions are held and the MNAS debate different issues or policy matters.

The structure and functions of the branches of government 

Both the provincial government and the federal government have three branches: the Legislature, the Executive, and the Judiciary.

The Legislature

The job of the Legislature, or the Parliament, is to make new laws and also to change existing ones, if necessary. At the federal level, the Senate must give its approval while at the provincial level, it is the Governor who approves new laws or allows changes to existing provincial laws.

The Executive

There is no point in making decisions or drawing up new laws if they are not acted upon. It is the responsibility of the Executive branch to make sure that all laws and decisions passed by the legislature are implemented. It also supervises the work of the ministers. The Executive comprises the following:

President----the head of the state, elected by MNAS and MPAs.

Prime minister----the prime minister is the head of the federal government.
 
Cabinet-----the prime minister chooses some MNAs as ministers and together they form a team called the federal cabinet. In the some way, the chief ministers appoint the provincial cabinets.

 The public or civil service staff-----both in the federal and the provincial governments, staff is hired from the public to work for the government.

The President sees that the country is being run according to the rules of the constitution, while in the provinces Governors see that all the rules are followed in the province.

The Judiciary

The Judiciary exists to provide justice to all citizens. It is organized in the following manner:

The Supreme Court is the highest court of Pakistan and it is located in Islamabad. Decisions made by the Supreme Court are final, though appeals may be made for the court to reconsider its decisions.


                Supreme court of Pakistan

The High Court is the highest legal authority in the provinces. Each Provincial High Court is located in the capital city of the province. The High Court only deals with legal issues in its own province. If somebody is not satisfied with the decision of the High Court, they can appeal to the Supreme Court.

     The Session Courts exist in each district of a province and deal with local legal matters. 

   The Supreme Court and Provincial High Courts are presided by a Chief Justice and a panel of judges, who are appointed on the basis of their merit and seniority.

How are laws made in our country?


                   National Assembly Hall

Law-making in Pakistan goes through the following stages.

Stage 1 A bill is drawn up containing reasons and recommendations for making the law or for the amendment of an existing law.

Stage 2 The bill is reviewed by committees. 

Stage 3 The members of the National Assembly, or lower house, debate. the bill, presenting arguments for and against it. After listening to the arguments, they vote on whether it should be accepted. If a majority of members agrees to it, it is then sent to the Senate, or Upper House.

Stage 4 After being considered by special committees, the bill is debated by the members of the Senate and a vote is taken. If approved, it is then sent to the President of Pakistan for final approval.

Stage 5 If the President approves and signs it, then the bill becomes law. The President does have the power to refuse to approve the bill, in which case it is sent back for changes to be made.

Our Constitution


A Constitution is a document containing the laws and principles according to which the powers of state are exercised. 

Pakistan's present constitution was drawn up in 1973. It is most important for everyone to follow the constitution because: 

🔅It serves as a social contract between the government and the people.

🔅 It helps to keep checks and balances on the people in authority.

🔅 It protects the rights of all the citizens of Pakistan, including the minorities.

🔅It helps to curb abuse by any person or group, including government, through misuse of power.

The constitution of Pakistan also defines the powers and functions of the provincial governments, so that they can work smoothly. As a result, the federal and provincial governments enjoy good relationships.

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