, THE CONSTITUTION OF PAKISTAN
This volume provides a contextual account of Pakistan’s constitutional laws and history.
It aims to describe the formal structure of government in reference to origins that are
traced to the administrative centralization and legal innovations of colonial rule. It also
situates the tide of Muslim nationalism that gave rise to the nation of Pakistan within
a terrain of nascent constitutionalism and its associated promises of representation.
The post-colonial history of the Pakistani state is charted by reference to succeeding
constitutions and the distribution of powers between the major branches of government
that they augured. Where conventional histories often suggest that constitutionalism in
Pakistan is to be solely understood by reference to a cycle of abidance and rupture, and
in the oscillation between military and civilian rule, this volume also accounts for the
many points of continuity between regime types. The contours of a broader constitu-
tionalism come to light in the ways in which state power is wielded at different periods
and in the range of contests—economic, political and cultural—through which some
of this power is sought to be dispersed. Chapters on Rights, Federalism and Islam detail
the contextual features of some of these contests and the normative, legal parameters
through which they are provisionally settled.
Pictorial Narrative
Pakistan
Pakistan’s modernity is at the heart of the composition. The constitutional and judicial
evolution of the state are embodied in the iconic Supreme Court in Islamabad. ‘1947’
is etched onto its fabric, commemorating Pakistan’s Independence. Underneath the sig-
nificant date, Muhammad Ali Jinnah—the Founder of Pakistan, is gazing out, in close
proximity to Muhammad Iqbal, the Spiritual Father of Pakistan. He was the poet who
conceived the idea of Pakistan as a nation. Framed towards the right, Benazir Bhutto
appears as the first woman to be elected to lead a Muslim state and the only one to be
elected twice.
As echoes of empire and colonialism, the Mughal and British are represented in two
architectural features which appear in deconstructed form: the Wazir Khan Mosque
(top left) and (immediate below) the facade of the General Post Office, both situated
in Lahore.
The battling figures in the foreground represent the genesis of Pakistan, an episode
associated with the chaos and violence of partition. The towering peak of K2 occupies
the apex of the composition, while the PAC JF-17 Thunder fighter jet (developed by the
Pakistan Aeronautical Complex) soars in the sky as an emblem Pakistan’s military power.
Rising above this, the white Crescent Moon and Star, on green background denotes
Islam and Pakistan’s national flag. A solitary cricket ball celebrates the national sport
which also bonds national unity.
Putachad
Artist
, Constitutional Systems of the World
General Editors: Benjamin L Berger, Rosalind Dixon,
Andrew Harding, Peter Leyland and Heinz Klug
In the era of globalisation, issues of constitutional law and good gover-
nance are being seen increasingly as vital issues in all types of society. Since
the end of the Cold War, there have been dramatic developments in demo-
cratic and legal reform, and post-conflict societies are also in the throes
of reconstructing their governance systems. Even societies already firmly
based on constitutional governance and the rule of law have undergone
constitutional change and experimentation with new forms of governance;
and their constitutional systems are increasingly subjected to comparative
analysis and transplantation. Constitutional texts for practically every coun-
try in the world are now easily available on the internet. However, texts
which enable one to understand the true context, purposes, interpretation
and incidents of a constitutional system are much harder to locate, and are
often extremely detailed and descriptive. This series seeks to provide schol-
ars and students with accessible introductions to the constitutional systems
of the world, supplying both a road map for the novice and, at the same
time, a deeper understanding of the key historical, political and legal events
which have shaped the constitutional landscape of each country. Each
book in this series deals with a single country, or a group of countries with
a common constitutional history, and each author is an expert in their field.
Published volumes
The Constitution of the United Kingdom; The Constitution of the United States;
The Constitution of Vietnam; The Constitution of South Africa; The Constitution
of Japan; The Constitution of Germany; The Constitution of Finland;
The Constitution of Australia; The Constitution of the Republic of Austria;
The Constitution of the Russian Federation; The Constitutional System of Thailand;
The Constitution of Malaysia; The Constitution of China; The Constitution
of Indonesia; The Constitution of France; The Constitution of Spain;
The Constitution of Mexico; The Constitution of Israel; The Constitutional Systems
of the Commonwealth Caribbean; The Constitution of Canada; The Constitution
of Singapore; The Constitution of Belgium; The Constitution of Taiwan;
The Constitution of Romania; The Constitutional Systems of the Independent Central
Asian States; The Constitution of India
Link to series website
www.bloomsburyprofessional.com/uk/series/
constitutional-systems-of-the-world
, The Constitution of Pakistan
A Contextual Analysis
Sadaf Aziz
OXFORD AND PORTLAND, OREGON
2018
This volume provides a contextual account of Pakistan’s constitutional laws and history.
It aims to describe the formal structure of government in reference to origins that are
traced to the administrative centralization and legal innovations of colonial rule. It also
situates the tide of Muslim nationalism that gave rise to the nation of Pakistan within
a terrain of nascent constitutionalism and its associated promises of representation.
The post-colonial history of the Pakistani state is charted by reference to succeeding
constitutions and the distribution of powers between the major branches of government
that they augured. Where conventional histories often suggest that constitutionalism in
Pakistan is to be solely understood by reference to a cycle of abidance and rupture, and
in the oscillation between military and civilian rule, this volume also accounts for the
many points of continuity between regime types. The contours of a broader constitu-
tionalism come to light in the ways in which state power is wielded at different periods
and in the range of contests—economic, political and cultural—through which some
of this power is sought to be dispersed. Chapters on Rights, Federalism and Islam detail
the contextual features of some of these contests and the normative, legal parameters
through which they are provisionally settled.
Pictorial Narrative
Pakistan
Pakistan’s modernity is at the heart of the composition. The constitutional and judicial
evolution of the state are embodied in the iconic Supreme Court in Islamabad. ‘1947’
is etched onto its fabric, commemorating Pakistan’s Independence. Underneath the sig-
nificant date, Muhammad Ali Jinnah—the Founder of Pakistan, is gazing out, in close
proximity to Muhammad Iqbal, the Spiritual Father of Pakistan. He was the poet who
conceived the idea of Pakistan as a nation. Framed towards the right, Benazir Bhutto
appears as the first woman to be elected to lead a Muslim state and the only one to be
elected twice.
As echoes of empire and colonialism, the Mughal and British are represented in two
architectural features which appear in deconstructed form: the Wazir Khan Mosque
(top left) and (immediate below) the facade of the General Post Office, both situated
in Lahore.
The battling figures in the foreground represent the genesis of Pakistan, an episode
associated with the chaos and violence of partition. The towering peak of K2 occupies
the apex of the composition, while the PAC JF-17 Thunder fighter jet (developed by the
Pakistan Aeronautical Complex) soars in the sky as an emblem Pakistan’s military power.
Rising above this, the white Crescent Moon and Star, on green background denotes
Islam and Pakistan’s national flag. A solitary cricket ball celebrates the national sport
which also bonds national unity.
Putachad
Artist
, Constitutional Systems of the World
General Editors: Benjamin L Berger, Rosalind Dixon,
Andrew Harding, Peter Leyland and Heinz Klug
In the era of globalisation, issues of constitutional law and good gover-
nance are being seen increasingly as vital issues in all types of society. Since
the end of the Cold War, there have been dramatic developments in demo-
cratic and legal reform, and post-conflict societies are also in the throes
of reconstructing their governance systems. Even societies already firmly
based on constitutional governance and the rule of law have undergone
constitutional change and experimentation with new forms of governance;
and their constitutional systems are increasingly subjected to comparative
analysis and transplantation. Constitutional texts for practically every coun-
try in the world are now easily available on the internet. However, texts
which enable one to understand the true context, purposes, interpretation
and incidents of a constitutional system are much harder to locate, and are
often extremely detailed and descriptive. This series seeks to provide schol-
ars and students with accessible introductions to the constitutional systems
of the world, supplying both a road map for the novice and, at the same
time, a deeper understanding of the key historical, political and legal events
which have shaped the constitutional landscape of each country. Each
book in this series deals with a single country, or a group of countries with
a common constitutional history, and each author is an expert in their field.
Published volumes
The Constitution of the United Kingdom; The Constitution of the United States;
The Constitution of Vietnam; The Constitution of South Africa; The Constitution
of Japan; The Constitution of Germany; The Constitution of Finland;
The Constitution of Australia; The Constitution of the Republic of Austria;
The Constitution of the Russian Federation; The Constitutional System of Thailand;
The Constitution of Malaysia; The Constitution of China; The Constitution
of Indonesia; The Constitution of France; The Constitution of Spain;
The Constitution of Mexico; The Constitution of Israel; The Constitutional Systems
of the Commonwealth Caribbean; The Constitution of Canada; The Constitution
of Singapore; The Constitution of Belgium; The Constitution of Taiwan;
The Constitution of Romania; The Constitutional Systems of the Independent Central
Asian States; The Constitution of India
Link to series website
www.bloomsburyprofessional.com/uk/series/
constitutional-systems-of-the-world
, The Constitution of Pakistan
A Contextual Analysis
Sadaf Aziz
OXFORD AND PORTLAND, OREGON
2018
