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Constitutional breakdown

IT was in 19th-century Britain that A.V. Dicey wrote that the British parliament is sovereign, and no person or body has the right to override legislation of parliament. Since then,…

Constitutional crossroads

The 26th Amendment to Pakistan’s constitution is more than a procedural adjustment – it represents a seismic shift in the balance of power between parliament and the judiciary. Passed with…

The unsupremacy of parliament

To divert attention from the malevolent person-specific nature of most clauses in the 26th Constitutional Amendment Bill adopted helter-skelter without extensive public debate on October 20-21, 2024, the self-righteous refrain…

Constitutional amendments

CONSTITUTIONAL office holders, including superior court judges and legislators, swear an oath when assuming office. The oath requires them to act in accordance with the Constitution. Does this mean they…

A hostage parliament

I HAVE always wanted to begin a piece with these clichéd lines and on Sunday night, I got the chance. ‘As these lines were being written’ is a phrase that…

Why Pakistan needs a Constitutional Court

Given the timing of the proposed constitutional amendment and our traditional rhetorical approach to constitutional discourse, it is certainly easy to look past the legitimate benefits of establishing a Constitutional…

Dismissing the Constitution

THIS is an extraordinary phase of Pakistan’s political life. None of the five directly elected legislatures are in place and both the federation and the four provinces are being governed…

Military’s constitutional role

WHILE expressing his innocent wonder over why our armed forces are “often made the subject of criticism”, Gen Bajwa, our former army chief, recently conceded that this may just have something to…

Budget and parliament

IN Pakistan, this time of the year is a regular reminder of how farcical the role of parliament has become when it comes to ensuring that the annual budget reflects…