Introduction:

On the eve of 14th August 1947, Pakistan gained Independence from the British Empire. Muhammad Ali Jinnah became its first Governor-General. Unlike India, where a single Constitutional Assembly was formed and demanded 3 years of time to frame our Constitution, Pakistan’s complicated constitution-making process by itself has brought its Civil-Military relations out into the light. In this essay, we will see the relation between the country’s 3 Constitutions, 5 Military dictators, and finally analyse the impact of its Civil-Military relations in its present-day government.

Constitutional history of Pakistan:

It took Pakistan nearly 9 years, 7 Prime Ministers, 4 Governor Generals and 2 Constitutional Assemblies to produce the 1st Constitution of Pakistan in 1956. No elections where conducted because this Constitution was never practically implemented. On the 7th of October 1958, President Iskandar Mirza declared Martial law and brought an end to the country’s 1st Constitution. The Chief Martial Law Administrator, General Ayub Khan declared himself the Head of State by deporting President Iskandar Mirza to England. In 1962, President Ayub Khan gave the 2nd Constitution to Pakistan under an executive order. Under the leadership of President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Pakistan adopted its 3rd Constitution in the year 1973, which is still in existence with 17 Constitutional amendments.