Call for new social contract

Remarks made at grand national dialogue on Pakistan’s political system and governance

ISLAMABAD:

Speakers have said that governance weaknesses and problems in Pakistan are a direct outcome of prevalent duality in its power structure, run by different de jure as well as de facto entities.

They were speaking at a grand national dialogue on Pakistan’s political system and governance, organised jointly by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI).

PILDAT President Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, said the trichotomic power branches have failed to fulfill their constitutional obligations as a result of the pseudo-parliamentary system of Pakistan, which has some presidential features. This, along with the lack of political will and duality of the political system, doesn’t befit the constitutional values,” Ahmad Bilal said.

He said that this has resulted in a weakened governance system.

“The solution demands a constitutional framework with objective criteria to measure the performance while the military’s role in the political processes should be adjusted according to constitutional and democratic values,” he said.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, October 22^nd, 2022.