President of Pakistan

The President of Pakistan is the head of state of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. This role is mostly ceremonial today, meaning the president acts more as a symbol of the country rather than making everyday decisions. The president is also the first citizen of Pakistan and the supreme commander of the Pakistan Armed Forces. Even though the president holds an important title, they must follow the advice of the prime minister and the federal cabinet.

The position of president was created when Pakistan became a republic on 23 March 1956. The first president was Major General Iskander Mirza. Over time, the role of the president has changed. Sometimes the president had a lot of power, and other times the power was shared with or taken away from the president. Today, the president's powers are mostly symbolic, and 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 a term of 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 is unable to 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. This made the president stronger than the prime minister at times. However, today's president plays a more symbolic role with the prime minister leading the government.

Eligibility and selection process

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

When the president’s position becomes empty, people choose a new president. This choice is made by a group called the electoral college, which includes members from both houses of Parliament (the Senate and National Assembly) and the four provincial assemblies. The chief election commissioner organizes 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 a term of five years. They can be chosen again once, but not for more than two terms in a row. Before starting their job, the president must promise in front of the chief justice to follow the rules of the country.

The promise includes beliefs about important religious teachings and a promise to work honestly and fairly for the good of Pakistan, without letting personal interests affect decisions. 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 one of the two main groups that make laws, called Parliament. To begin, a notice with charges must be signed by a leader of one of these groups and have support from two-thirds of the members. After 14 days, the president gets to explain their side. If two-thirds of Parliament still agree that the president cannot continue, the president must leave office right away.

So far, no president has ever been removed this way, but there was a time when leaders tried to do this for a former president.

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. Two weeks later, Ayub Khan took over as president. In 1962, Ayub Khan introduced a new constitution that changed Pakistan into a presidential republic without direct elections. He won a second term in 1965, though some believe the elections were unfair.

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 between the PPP and the Awami League, which eventually 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 held a referendum in 1984 and called for elections in 1985. After dismissing the prime minister in 1988, Zia-ul-Haq died in a plane crash.

In 1988, Ghulam Ishaq Khan became president. He had conflicts with Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and dismissed her in 1990. After new elections, Nawaz Sharif became prime minister, but President Ghulam Ishaq Khan tried to dismiss him as well. Both resigned in 1993 after intervention by the Supreme Court.

Benazir Bhutto returned as prime minister in 1993 and appointed Farooq Leghari as president. However, Leghari dismissed Bhutto in 1996 due to corruption charges. In 1997, Leghari tried to dismiss Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif but failed and resigned.

In 1999, General Pervez Musharraf took over and assumed more powers. In 2008, Asif Ali Zardari became president and worked to restore the 1973 constitution. In 2010, Parliament passed the eighteenth amendment, which removed presidential powers and changed Pakistan to a parliamentary republic.