Government of Pakistan

The Government of Pakistan (Urdu: حکومتِ پاکستان), uses a federal parliamentary system, with a President as the Head of State and an indirectly-elected Prime Minister as the Head of Government.

About the government

The President of Pakistan is the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, and is elected for a five-year term by the Electoral College of Pakistan - composed of the Senate, the National Assembly, and the four Provincial Assemblies. The President’s appointment and term are constitutionally independent of the Prime Minister’s term. The current President of Pakistan is Asif Ali Zardari, after being elected by the Electoral College of Pakistan on 6 September.The Prime Minister of Pakistan is usually the leader of the largest party in the National Assembly and is assisted by a cabinet of ministers drawn from both chambers of the federal legislature. Currently, Yousaf Raza Gillani is the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

The bicameral federal legislature comprises the 100 member Senate (with seats equally distributed among the provinces and the FATA and the capital) and the 342 member National Assembly. Both the Senate and the National Assembly have seats reserved for women and religious minorities. Senators are elected for six-year terms, with staggered elections every three years, whilst members of the National Assembly are elected for five-year terms. The Constitution provides for the President to address the federal legislature together at the start of the first session after any general elections.

The National Assembly elections that were held in October 2002 had 91 women elected to its Parliament - the largest number and percentage of women in the parliament of any Muslim-majority country.ref|ipudata

Although the elected government of 2002 had a number of failures in its tenure, from failures in foreign policy, rise in terrorism, gagging free speech of media, political parties and the people, taking the judiciary as a hostage, failure in microeconomics, destabilizing the institutions on the whole, it still somehow is the first elected government in Pakistan's history to complete its full 5 years.This Government also pumped some much needed lifeline into the economy by getting crucial economic aid from the United States as well as by bringing foreign investment into its economy from various countries.

Each province has a similar government setup with a Provincial Assembly elected for a five-year term through multi-party elections, which in turn elects a Chief Minister - the executive head of the province. The Chief Minister nominates a candidate for the office of Provincial Governor and the Provincial Assembly ratifies the nominee for a five-year term.

Pakistan Recently held its Parliamentarian election on Feb 18 2008. The Party of Slain Leader Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan People's Party parliamentarian (PPPP) won 120 seats in the National Assembly while Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif won 90 seats in the National Assembly. President Musharaf's ally party Pakistan Muslim League Quaid-e-Azam (PML-Q) came a distant third with 51 seats.After the elections The People's Party Parliamentarian and the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz announced a coalition to form the new government alone with Awami National Party (ANP) which is also a part of the coalition. The finalization of the government is currently underway however the coalition has choose n Syed Yousuf Raza Gilana as the new Prime Minister of Pakistan. The New Cabinet of ministers shall be decided upon and sworn in soon. Important ministries will be divided among the coalition.

Federal government

"Executive"
*President
*Prime Minister
*National Security Council"Legislative"
*Parliament
**Senate
**National Assembly
**** Leader of the Opposition
*Federal Government Ministries
**Federal Ministers"Judicial"
*Judiciary
**Attorney General

Provincial governments

* Balochistan
* Islamabad Capital Territory
* North-West Frontier Province
* Punjab
* Sindh

Local governments

* Districts
* Tehsils
* Union Councils and Village Councils"Former"
* Divisions (abolished in August 2000)

Recent developments

On November 3, 2007, President Musharraf suspended Pakistan's constitution by declaring a state of emergency.

Pakistan's new parliament elected the country's first female speaker March 19 2008 from the Pakistan Peoples Party: Fahmida Mirza. [http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/03/19/pakistan.speaker.ap/index.html] Allies of President Pervez Musharraf withdrew their candidate for Pakistan's prime minister, Farooq Sattar, on March 22 2008. Musharraf's supporters said their decision was a "good will gesture" to slain opposition leader Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party, who won the most parliamentary seats in Pakistani general election, 2008 on February 18 2008. On March 22, the Pakistan Peoples Party named former parliament speaker Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani as its candidate for the country's next prime minister. A confirmation vote is scheduled for March 24 2008 in parliament, and the prime minister would be sworn in by Musharraf March 25 2008, On March 25 2008 President Pervez Musharraf sworn in newly elected Prime Minsiter Yousaf Raza Gillani as the country's next Prime Minister. [http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/03/22/pakistan.pm.ap/index.html]

On August 7, 2008, the Pakistan Peoples Party and the Pakistan Muslim League (N) agreed to force Musharraf to step down and begin his impeachment. Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif, announced sending a formal request or joint charge sheet that he steps down, and impeach him through parliamentary process upon refusal. Musharaf, howeer, said: “I will defeat those who try to push me to the wall. If they use their right to oust me, I have the right to defend myself." [ [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article4475729.ece timesonline.co.uk, President Musharraf of Pakistan to be impeached] ] Musharraf, accordingly delayed his departure for the Beijing Olympics, by a day. [ [http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSISL15267920080807 reuters.com, Pakistan rulers agree to begin Musharraf impeachment] ] A senior coalition official told Reuters: "Yes, we have agreed in principle to impeach him." [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/07/pakistan1 guardian.co.uk, Musharraf faces impeachment, Pakistan's ruling coalition agrees 'in principle' to begin proceedings to remove president] ] The draft of the ruling coalition’s joint statement had been finalized by the draft Committee, and Musharraf must obtain vote of confidence from the National Assembly and 4 provincial assemblies. [ [http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.shtml?204242 paktribune.com, Draft of ruling coalition’s joint statement finalized] ] The government summoned the national assembly, or lower house of parliament, to sit on August 11. [ [http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jpuJxx-xhy2gReRH2_RwdR0APszw afp.google.com, Pakistan coalition agrees to impeach Musharraf: officials] ] Capt. Wasif Syed, spokesman for the Pakistan People's Party -- confirmed: "A decision has been made that he has to go now, and all the parties have agreed on this point." [ [http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/08/07/pakistan.impeach/ edition.cnn.com, Pakistan: Musharraf could face impeachment] ]

Ministries and divisions

* Cabinet Secretariat ** Cabinet Division ** Establishment Division * Ministry of Commerce ** Commerce Division * Ministry of Communications ** Communications Division * Ministry of Culture and Sports ** Culture and Sports Division * Ministry of Defence ** Defence Division * Ministry of Defence Production ** Defence Production Division * Ministry of Economic Affairs & Statistics ** Economic Affairs Division ** Statistics Division * Ministry of Education ** Education Division * Ministry of Environment ** Environment Division * Ministry of Finance & Revenue ** Finance Division ** Revenue Division * Ministry of Food, Agriculture & Livestock ** Food, Agriculture & Livestock Division * Ministry of Foreign Affairs ** Foreign Affairs Division * Ministry of Health ** Health Division * Ministry of Housing & Works ** Housing & Works Division * Ministry of Industries, Production & Special Initiatives ** Industries, Production & Special Initiatives Division * Ministry of Information & Broadcasting ** Information & Media Division * Ministry of Information Technology ** IT & Telecom Division * Ministry of Interior ** Interior Division * Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas ** Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas Division * Ministry of Labour, Manpower & Overseas Pakistanis ** Labour& Manpower Division ** Overseas Pakistanis Division

* Ministry of Law, Justice & Human Rights ** Law & Justice Division ** Human Rights Division * Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development ** Local Government and Rural Development Division * Ministry of Minorities ** Minorities Affairs Division * Ministry of Narcotics Control ** Narcotics Control Division * Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs ** Parliamentary Affairs Division * Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Resources ** Petroleum & Natural Resources Division * Ministry of Population Welfare ** Population Welfare Division * Ministry of Ports and Shipping ** Ports and Shipping Division * Ministry of Privatization ** Privatization Division * Ministry of Railways ** Railways Division * Ministry of Religious Affairs & Zakat & Ushr ** Religious Affairs & Zakat & Ushr Division * Ministry of Science and Technology ** Scientific & Technological Research Division * Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education ** Social Welfare and Special Education Division * Ministry of States and Frontier Regions ** States and Frontier Regions Division * Ministry of Textile Industry ** Textile Industry Division * Ministry of Tourism ** Tourism Division * Ministry of Water & Power ** Water & Power Division * Ministry of Women Development ** Women Development Division * Ministry of Youth Affairs ** Youth Affairs Division * Planning Commission/Ministry of Planning & Development ** Planning and Development Division

Departments

* Accountability Courts * Administration Wing * Advanced Education Wing * Agricultural & Livestock Products Marketing & Grading Dept. * Agricultural Census Organization * Airport Security Force * Attached Dept. * Azad Jammu & Kashmir Council * Board Of Investment * Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment * Cadet College, Razmak * Capital Development Authority * Carrier Telephone Industries * Centre For Applied & Molecular Biology * Central Cotton Research Institute * Central Drugs Laboratory, Defence Housing Authority, Karachi * Central Inspectorate of Mines * Central Jail Staff Training Institute * Chief Commissioner for Afghan Refugees, Islamabad * Chief Engineering Adviser/Chairman, Federal Flood Commission * Civil Armed Forces * Civil Aviation Authority * Civil Services Reforms Unit * College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan * Commercial Courts * Commissioner for Afghan Refugees, Quetta * Commissioner for Afghan Refugees, Peshawar * Commissioner for Afghan Refugees, Lahore * Committee on violence against women * Construction Machinery & Training Institute * Council for Works and Housing Research * Council of Islamic Ideology * Crisis Centre, Islamabad * Culture Wing * Curriculum Wing * Customs, Excise and Sales Tax Appellate Tribunal * Department of Explosives * Department of Patent & Design * Department of Plant Production * Department of Tourist Services * Department of Communications Security * Directorate General Civil Defence * Directorate of Dockworkers Safety * Directorate of Workers Education * Drug Court * Drugs Controller, Karachi * Drugs Controller, Islamabad * Economic Wing * 'Education For All' Wing * Electronic Government Directorate * Employees Old-Age Benefits Institution * Engineering Development Board * Environmental Protection Tribunal * Estate Office Management * Export Processing Zones Authority * Export Promotion Bureau * Federal Bureau of Statistics * Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation * Federal Investigation Agency * Federal Land Commission * Federal Seed Certification and Registration Dept. * Federal Service Tribunal * FGSH Islamabad * Field Organization List * Foreign Exchange Regulation Appellate Board * Foreign Trade Institute of Pakistan * Gwadar Port Authority * Government Shipping Office * Immigration & Passport * Implementation Tribunal for Newspaper Employee * IMHSC * Income Tax Appellate Tribunal * Indus River System Authority * Islamabad Capital Territory * Jammu & Kashmir Estate property, Lahore * Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi * Karachi Electric Supply Corporation * Karachi Port Trust * Livestock Wing * Management Services Wing * Marine Fisheries Dept. * Mercantile Marine Dept. * Military Lands and Cantonments Dept. * Minorities Affairs Wing * [http://www.nacp.gov.pk/ National Aids Control Programme (NACP)] * National Alien Registration Authority * National Archives of Pakistan * [http://www.nchd.org.pk/ National Commission for Human Development(NCHD)] * National Construction Ltd * National Council for Conservation of Wildlife * National Council for Homeopathy, Rawalpindi * National Council for Tibbi, Islamabad * National Database and Registration Authority * National Document Centre * National Electric Power Regulatory Authority * National Energy Conservation Centre * National Fertilizer Corporation * National Film Development Council * National Highway and Motorway Police * National Highway Authority * National Housing Authority * National Industrial Parks Development & Management Company * National Industrial Relations Commission, Islamabad * National Institute for the Handicapped, Islamabad * National Institute of Cardiovascular, Karachi * National Institute of Child Health, Karachi * National Institute of Electronics * National Institute of Health, Islamabad * National Institute of Labour Administration Training

* National Institute of Oceanography * National Institute of Population Studies * National Institute of Public Administration * National Insurance Company * National Language Authority * National Physical and Standards Laboratory * National Police Academy * National Police Foundation * National Power Construction Company * National Productivity Organization * National Radio Telecommunication Corporation * National Savings Organization * National Talent Pool * National Tariff commission * National Telecommunication Corporation * National Training Bureau * National Transport Research Centre * National Tubewell Construction Corporation * National University of Science and Technology * Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority * Overseas Employment Corporation * Overseas Pakistani Women's Network * Pakistan Medical & Research Council, Islamabad * Pakistan Academy of Rural Developments * Pakistan Administrative Staff College, Lahore * Pakistan Agriculture Research Council * Pakistan Automobile Corporation * Pakistan Central Cotton Committee * Pakistan Commission on Indus Waters * Pakistan Computer Bureau * Pakistan Council for Renewable Energy Technologies * Pakistan Council for Science and Technology * Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources * Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research * Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency * Pakistan Forest Institute, Peshawar * Pakistan Housing Authority * Pakistan Industrial Technical Assistance Centre * Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation * Pakistan Institute of Management * Pakistan Manpower Institute * Pakistan Marine Academy * Pakistan Medical & Dental Council, Islamabad * Pakistan Meteorological Dept. * Pakistan Military Accounts Dept. * Pakistan Minerals Development Corporation * Pakistan National Accreditation Council * Pakistan National Shipping Corporation * Pakistan Nursing Council, Islamabad * Pakistan Post Office * Pakistan Railways ** Pakistan Railways Academy, Walton (Lahore) ** Pakistan Railways Carriage Factory * Pakistan Reinsurance Company Ltd * Pakistan Science Foundation * Pakistan Software Export Board * Pakistan Standards And Quality Control Authority * Pakistan Steel Mills * Pakistan Telecommunication Authority * Pakistan Telecommunications Company * Pakistan Telecommunications Mobile * Pakistan Tobacco Board * Pakistan International Airlines Corporation * Paknet * Public Works Dept. * Pak-Swiss Precision Mechanics & Instrument Centre * Petroman * Pharmacy Council of Pakistan, Islamabad * Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad * Planning Wing * Population Census Organization * Population Welfare * Port Qasim Authority * Ports and Shipping Wing, Karachi * Private Power and Infrastructure Board * Project Director, Karachi * Quaid-e-Azam Papers Project * Railway Constructions Pakistan Ltd * Science and Technical Education Wing * Secretariat Training Institute * Securities and Exchange Commission * Sheikh Zayed Postgraduate Medical Institute, Lahore * Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority * Special Communication Organization * Special Court (Customs, Taxation and Anti Smuggling) * Special Courts (Central) * Special Courts (Control of Narcotics Substances * Special Courts (Offences in Banks) * Sports Wing * State Engineering Corporation * State Life Insurance Corporation * Technology Commercialisation Corporation of Pakistan (Private) Ltd * Sui Southern Gas Company * Sui Northern Gas Pipelines * Surveyor General of Pakistan * Technology Up-Gradation and Skill Development Company * Telecom Foundation * Telephone Industries of Pakistan * Threadline Gallery of Pakistan * Tourism Wing * Trade Development Authority of Pakistan * Trade Marks Registry * Trading Corporation of Pakistan * Utility Stores Corporation * Virtual University of Pakistan * WAPDA * Women’s Political School * Workers Welfare Fund * Zoological Survey Dept.

See also

* Ministry of Finance of the Government of Pakistan
* Statistics Division of the Government of Pakistan
* Federal Bureau of Statistics of the Government of Pakistan
* Pakistan Institute of International Affairs
* Gazette of Pakistan
* Economic Coordination Committee

References

External links

* [http://www.pakistan.gov.pk The Official Web Gateway to the Government of Pakistan]
* [http://www.senate.gov.pk Senate of Pakistan]
* [http://www.na.gov.pk National Assembly of Pakistan]
* [http://www.scp.com.pk Supreme Court of Pakistan]
* [http://www.presidentofpakistan.gov.pk President of Pakistan]