Democracy and Federalism in Pakistan: An Analysis of PPP Government (2008-2013)
Pakistan adopted a federal democratic system with a parliamentary type of governance. However, the political history of Pakistan reflects a deviation from parliamentary democracy and the least concern towards the institutionalization of its political system. The centralization of power, authoritarianism, the power thirst of political parties and the imbalance of civil-military relations always affected the democratic course of Pakistan. As a result of the 2008 elections, a power transition occurred from the military to the civilians. Pakistan People Party, after assuming power, restored the 1973 constitution to its original shape under the landmark 18th constitutional amendment. It reinforced parliamentary democracy and revisited federalism with complete autonomy for provinces abolishing the concurrent list. Steps were taken to ensure the independence of the judiciary and transparency of the election commission of Pakistan. This paper analyses the political and constitutional development during the PPP led government (2008-2013) and its role in establishing a viable federal democratic system based on participatory governance.
-
Democracy, Federalism, Provincial Autonomy, Women Empowerment, 18th Amendment
-
(1) Iltaf Khan
PhD Scholar, Department of Pakistan Study Center, University of Peshawar, KP, Pakistan.
(2) Farman Ullah
Assistant Professor, Department of Pakistan Study Center, University of Peshawar, KP, Pakistan.
(3) Bakhtiar Khan
Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Buner, KP, Pakistan.
- Asghar. (25 March 2015). New move in NA for consensus accountability law. The Dawn, Islamabad Islamabad, Available at . Retrieved on 25/08/2019 https://www.dawn.com/news/1171762
- Cookman, C. (2010). The 18 Amendment and Pakistan's Political Transition. Center for American Progress, 1-8
- Crisis Group Asia Report. (18 September 2013) Parliament Role in Pakistan's Democratic Transition.
- Crisis Group Asia Report. (30 March 2011). Reforming Pakistan's Electoral System.
- Dawn (12 August 2011). Major Changes made in FCR: FATA people get political rights. Islamabad also available at , on 25/82019 http://www.dawn.com/news/651369
- Devotta, N. (2016). An Introduction to South Asian Politics. UK: Routledge Publisher, p. 274
- FAFEN Report. (2013). Five Years Performance of the 13th National Assembly March 2008-March 2013.p.2 also Available at http://fafen.org./five-years-performance13th-national-assembly-pakistan-march-2008- maarch-2013
- Fair, C. (2011). The Pakistan Military's New Coup Playbook: Democracy is still on leash in Islamabad. Published by the Council of Foreign Affairs. available at http://www.foreignaffirs.com/print/136260
- Haider, K. S., & Ali, S. S. (no date). Impact of Benazir Bhutto death on Performance of PPP and Electoral Politics of Pakistan 2008-2013. Pakistan Vision,19(1), 22-35
- Hamayun, I. (2011). Electoral Malapractices during the 2008 elections in Pakistan. Oxford University Press.
- Haq, N. (2008). Transition to Democracy. Available on retrived on 16/11/2019 htt://ipripak.org/factfiles/ff96.pdf
- Hiader, K. (2008). The 2008 General Elections in Pakistan. Pakistan Study Centre, Punjab Univrsity.,19 April 2010 at 10 Pm ,19 April 2010 at 10pm http://sama.tv/news.htm http://geo.tv/urdu.htm
- Hussain, M., & Ullah, R. (2012). Eighteenth Amendment in the Constitution of Pakistan: Success and Controversies. Asian Social Sciences, 8(1), 82-84
- Hussain, Z. (2014). The Construction and Deconstruction of Pakistan: The Institution Writ of the State. CIDOB Policy Research Project, 8-9
- Hussain, Z. (February 6, 2019). Debating 18th amendment. The Dawn, Islamabad
- Iqbal, M. (2017). The Era of Reconciliation in Pakistan 2006-2017: A Critical Reappraisal. Journal of Research Society of Pakistan, 54(2), 22- 29
- Islam, F. (2019) Director Pakistan Study Center, University of Peshawar, on 10 December, 2019 2pm at Pakistan Study Centre University of Peshawar
- Jahangir's World Times. (May 2010). Milestone Reforms, Lahore 4(8), 10-90
- Jan, F. (2010). Pakistan: A Struggling Nation-State. Democracy and Security. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
- Javed, A., & Ahamad, Z. (2018). Role and Significance of Senate in the federation of Pakistan: An Analysis before and after the 18th amendment to the constitution of 1973. Margala Papers.
- Jefrrelot, C. (2016). Pakistan at the Crossroads, domestic dynamics and external pressure. New York; Columbia University Press.
- Kanwal, L. (2017). Political Development in Pakistan: Continuity and Change During Zardari. Journal of the Research Society of Pakistan, 54(2), 137-153
- Khan, H. (2012). Constitutional and Political History of Pakistan. Karachi: Oxford University Press.
- Khan, H. (2016). Constitutional and Political History of Pakistan. Oxford University Press.
- Khan, B., & Ahmad, S. (2018). Governmentoppositions Relations during First Term of Benazir Bhutto as Prime Minister. Sir Syed Journal of Education & Social Research. Vol. 1, Issue 1.
- Memon, A. P. (2009). Political Instability: A Case Study of Pakistan. Journal of Political Studies, 18(1), 31-34.
- Misra, A. (2011). Pakistan Triadic Politics and Chronic Political Instability: Is democracy the Panacea. In Pakistan's stability paradox domestic, regional and international dimensions, Routledge.
- Nazeer, A. M. (2018). Decade of Democracy in Pakistan: Parliament from 2008 to 2018. Friendric-Ebert-Stifung
- Noreen, N. (2013). Protection of women rights through legal reforms in Pakistan. Journal of Public Administration and Governance, 3(4), 129- 136.
- Pakistan 2013 General Elections-11 May 2013 available on, retrieved on 12/8/2019 http://www.eueom.eu/eu-eompakistan-2013.p
- Parveen, S., & Nawaz, B. (2018). Freedom of Expression and Media Censorship in Pakistan. A Historical Study. Journal of Historical Studies, 4(2), 1-21
- Raise, B. R. (31 October 2018). Accountability or Compromise. The Express Tribune Report of Inter-Parliamentary Union, Women in Parliament: A Review 2017
- Rizwan, M., Rafi Uddin., Arshad, M., & Waqar, M. (2014). Democratic Milestone in Pakistan: A Serener Transition of Command from PPP to PML-N. Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 19(2), 102-108.
- Rizwan, M., Waqar, M., & Arshad, M. (2014). Revitalization of Parliamentary Democracy in Pakistan. Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences. 19(2), 149-156.
- Role and Powers of Senate: Senate of Pakistan.
- Shafqat, S. (2016). Pakistan: Military, the Transition to Democracy and Future Relations with United States. Journal of International Affairs.
- Shah, A. (2012). The 18th Constitutional Amendment: Glue or Solvent for Nation Building and Citizenship in Pakistan. Journal of Economics, 6(2), 387-391
- Tahir, S. (June 01, 2018). Mainstreaming FATA and the PPP role. The Express Tribune
- Talbot, I. (2012). Pakistan: A New History. Karachi; Oxford University Press, p.203-205
- The Dawan, 26 March, 2008, Islamabad
- The Dawan, 01 April 2008, Islamabad.
- The Dawn (16 May 2006). The Charter of Democracy. Islamabad
- The Dawn (July 26, 2018). Record number of 171 women in the run for NA general seats. Islamabad
- The Dawn, 08 September 2009
- The Dawn, 19 December 2019. Islamabad
- The Dawn, 20 March, 2008, Islamabad
- The Dawn, 21 September, 2008, Islamabad
- The Nation, 01 April, 2008, Islamabad
- The Nation, 09 April, Islamabad
- The Nation, 24 April, 2008, Islamabad
- The Report on Constitutional Eighteenth Amendment Bill, 2010. Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reforms, National Assembly of Pakistan, Article 175 A. also available on www.na.gov.pk
- The Statistical Portal, Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments of Pakistan from 2005 to 2017. Also available on , on 17/12/2019 http://wwww.Statista.Com/Statistics/730579 /pakistan-proportion-of-seats-held-by-womenin-national-parliament
- The Tribune Express. (22 December 2010). The National Assembly Approves the 19th amendment bill. Islamabad.
Cite this article
-
APA : Khan, I., Ullah, F., & Khan, B. (2021). Democracy and Federalism in Pakistan: An Analysis of PPP Government (2008-2013). Global Regional Review, VI(I), 36-49. https://doi.org/10.31703/grr.2021(VI-I).05
-
CHICAGO : Khan, Iltaf, Farman Ullah, and Bakhtiar Khan. 2021. "Democracy and Federalism in Pakistan: An Analysis of PPP Government (2008-2013)." Global Regional Review, VI (I): 36-49 doi: 10.31703/grr.2021(VI-I).05
-
HARVARD : KHAN, I., ULLAH, F. & KHAN, B. 2021. Democracy and Federalism in Pakistan: An Analysis of PPP Government (2008-2013). Global Regional Review, VI, 36-49.
-
MHRA : Khan, Iltaf, Farman Ullah, and Bakhtiar Khan. 2021. "Democracy and Federalism in Pakistan: An Analysis of PPP Government (2008-2013)." Global Regional Review, VI: 36-49
-
MLA : Khan, Iltaf, Farman Ullah, and Bakhtiar Khan. "Democracy and Federalism in Pakistan: An Analysis of PPP Government (2008-2013)." Global Regional Review, VI.I (2021): 36-49 Print.
-
OXFORD : Khan, Iltaf, Ullah, Farman, and Khan, Bakhtiar (2021), "Democracy and Federalism in Pakistan: An Analysis of PPP Government (2008-2013)", Global Regional Review, VI (I), 36-49
-
TURABIAN : Khan, Iltaf, Farman Ullah, and Bakhtiar Khan. "Democracy and Federalism in Pakistan: An Analysis of PPP Government (2008-2013)." Global Regional Review VI, no. I (2021): 36-49. https://doi.org/10.31703/grr.2021(VI-I).05