President of Pakistan

The President of Pakistan is the head of state of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. This job is mostly for showing the country as a symbol. The president is also the first citizen of Pakistan and the supreme commander of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The president must follow the advice of the prime minister and the federal cabinet.

The job of president started when Pakistan became a republic on 23 March 1956. The first president was Major General Iskander Mirza. The role of the president has changed over time. Sometimes the president had more power, and sometimes less. Today, the president's powers are mostly symbolic. The real work of running the government is done by the prime minister.

The president is chosen indirectly by a group called the Electoral College for five years. To be president, a person must be a Muslim and at least forty-five years old. The president lives in a special house in Islamabad called Aiwan-e-Sadar. If the president cannot serve, the chairman of Senate takes over until a new president is elected.

There have been fourteen presidents of Pakistan. The current president is Asif Ali Zardari, who began his term on 10 March 2024.

Powers and authority

The president of Pakistan works from Aiwan-e-Sadr, the presidential palace in Islamabad. The president is part of the bicameral Parliament and serves as the country's ceremonial head of state.

The president is also the commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Armed Forces, with the Chairman of the joint chiefs advising on military matters. The president confirms judicial appointments after approval from the Prime minister and can grant pardons, reprieves, and clemency based on recommendations from the executive and the judiciary. The president has protection from legal cases while in office.

The president works with Parliament in several ways. The president gives approval to bills within ten days of receiving them. The president can call meetings of Parliament, speak to members, and send messages about bills. The president can also dissolve the National Assembly if needed and issue special rules called ordinances when Parliament is not meeting.

The president holds a mostly ceremonial role in the government. All important decisions are made by the prime minister and the federal Cabinet. The president appoints federal ministers, governors of provinces, and other important officials based on the prime minister's advice. The president also receives foreign ambassadors and hosts visiting leaders.

The president helps appoint important judges, including the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, after recommendations. The president can also remove judges if recommended by a special council. The president also approves salaries for judges and appoints leaders of special courts.

The president appoints many important positions, including the Attorney General, Auditor General, and leaders of various councils and commissions. The president also appoints leaders of the country's universities and oversight agencies.

As the top leader of the armed forces, the president appoints the leaders of the army, navy, and air force based on the prime minister's advice. The president can send troops abroad and declare war, but only with the prime minister's advice.

In special situations, the president can declare an emergency if there is a serious threat to the country. This allows the president to take extra powers temporarily. The president can also take control of a province if its government cannot function properly.

Before changes in 2010, the president had more power, including choosing the prime minister and dissolving Parliament. Today, the president plays a more symbolic role with the prime minister leading the government.

Eligibility and selection process

The Constitution of Pakistan tells us who can be president. To be president, a person must be a citizen of Pakistan, a Muslim, at least 45 years old, and able to be a member of the National Assembly.

When the president leaves office, people pick a new one. This is done by a group called the electoral college. This group has members from both houses of Parliament (the Senate and National Assembly) and the four provincial assemblies. The chief election commissioner runs these elections in a special meeting, and everyone votes secretly.

Election and oath

The president of Pakistan is chosen by a special voting process for five years. They can be chosen again once, but not more than two times in a row. Before starting their job, the president must promise in front of the chief justice to follow the country’s rules.

The promise includes beliefs about important religious teachings and a promise to work honestly and fairly for Pakistan. The president also promises to keep the country’s laws safe and to treat everyone fairly.

Line of succession and removal

Main article: Line of succession to the President of Pakistan

If the president of Pakistan leaves office before their term ends, there are people who can step in. These include the chairman of the Senate of Pakistan and the speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan.

The president can also be removed from office through a special process called impeachment. This can happen if the president breaks the rules set in the Constitution of Pakistan. The process starts in Parliament. To begin, a notice with charges must be signed by a leader and have support from many members. After some time, the president gets to explain their side. If most of Parliament still agrees that the president cannot continue, the president must leave office right away.

So far, no president has ever been removed this way.

List of presidents

Main articles: List of presidents of Pakistan and List of heads of state of Pakistan

Political background

From 1947 until 1956, the governor-general of Pakistan acted for the head of state: King George VI (until 1952) and Queen Elizabeth II (from 1952). In 1956, Pakistan became an Islamic republic, and the governor-general was replaced by the presidency. Iskander Mirza became Pakistan's first president that year.

In 1958, Iskander Mirza suspended the constitution and appointed General Ayub Khan as the first Chief Martial Law Administrator. Soon after, Ayub Khan took over as president. In 1962, Ayub Khan introduced a new constitution that changed Pakistan into a presidential republic without direct elections.

After pressure from inside and outside the country, Ayub Khan handed over power to General Yahya Khan in 1969. Yahya Khan announced that national elections would be held in 1970. These elections led to political problems, which later resulted in a war with India in 1971 and the creation of Bangladesh.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto took over after Yahya Khan stepped down. He created the current Constitution of Pakistan in 1973, changing the country into a parliamentary democracy and reducing the president's role to a ceremonial one.

In 1977, General Zia-ul-Haq took over after suspending the constitution. He died in a plane crash in 1988.

In 1988, Ghulam Ishaq Khan became president. He had conflicts with Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. In 1999, General Pervez Musharraf took over. In 2008, Asif Ali Zardari became president and worked to restore the 1973 constitution.