Constitutionalism: the missing links
This April marks the golden jubilee of the adoption of the 1973 constitution. The last 50 years have been a bumpy ride for the basic law of the land. Three…
Another constitutional farce?
If those who claim direct access to the powers that be are to be believed, the country is set for another bout of ‘wise men’ deciding that the constitution of…
Constitutional amendments – Part I
This year, Pakistan is marking 50 years of the 1973 constitution that has experienced many mutilations at the hands of both civil and military rulers. Having remained in abeyance a…
‘Minorities’ and their rights
Talking about minority rights is essentially an attempt to change the world for future generations; how societies treat their minorities often reflects their ideals for the future. We can mimic…
A constitutional court
A split advisory opinion was given by the Supreme Court (3:2) on a presidential reference under Article 186 of the constitution. The reference sought an interpretation of Article 63A of…
Rights of indigenous peoples
The international community showed its solidarity with and commitment to safeguarding the indigenous peoples and their rights when the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was adopted by…
Gender rights
IT goes to the credit of gender rights leader Bindiya Rana that Pakistan is counted among the 20-odd states to have given legal recognition to the ‘third sex’ — non-binary…
Institutionalising minority rights
Pakistan has been facing severe criticism by the international community for many decades now due to the overall atmosphere of intolerance and systematic persecution meted out to its religious minorities.…
Fantasies & constitutional change
WE’RE at that stage of the electoral cycle where calls for instituting a ‘presidential system of government’ gain voice. One difference this time around though is that these calls are…
Constitutionalism in Islam
Islam enjoins upon its followers to integrate their spiritual and mundane life. It founded a political system which guaranteed freedoms and liberties. It controls the state authority by laying down…
