parliament, ahead of the no-confidence vote, was unconstitutional; the judiciary
agreed and the vote went ahead (Curtis, 2023). Unfortunately, these
accountability mechanisms are not guaranteed, and corruption means their use
is often selective and politically driven (Freedom House, 2023).
Another feature of Pakistan’s parliamentary system is that the Head of State,
the president, is not popularly elected but is selected by the Electoral College;
consisting of the National Assembly, the Senate and the Provincial Assemblies
(Pakistan, 2012). The constitution outlines that to qualify for election by the
college, the candidate must be; Muslim, over 45 years old and qualify for
election according to the requirements of the National Assembly (Chap 1.42.6).
The constitution states that the president serves 5-year terms with a limit of two
consecutive terms (Chap 4.1)
The 2018 election saw PTI receive the largest number of seats, but not a
majority; they formed a coalition government with several smaller parties, the
most significant being the PML-Q, the party that supported the Musharaff
regime (Shah, 2019). It was reported that at least 12 of the 21 cabinet positions
were given to members of the Musharraf regime (The Hindu, 2018). Shackle
(2018) argues that every election in Pakistan is hugely important on her road to
democracy, but Khan’s appointment of several generals into the cabinet from
the Musharaf regime shows that the military remains as political puppet master
and does not give a confident signal towards democratisation.
(More detailed information on government formation and cabinet
appointments could not be found)
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