1977, restored with amendments 30
December 1985; suspended 15 October 1999, restored in stages in
2002; amended 31 December 2003

Legal system:
based on English common law with provisions to accommodate
Pakistan's status as an Islamic state; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal; joint electorates and reserved
parliamentary seats for women and non-Muslims

Executive branch:
note: following a military takeover on 12 October 1999, Chief of
Army Staff and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee,
General Pervez MUSHARRAF, suspended Pakistan's Constitution and
assumed the additional title of Chief Executive; on 12 May 2000,
Pakistan's Supreme Court unanimously validated the October 1999 coup
and granted MUSHARRAF executive and legislative authority for three
years from the coup date; on 20 June 2001, MUSHARRAF named himself
as president and was sworn in, replacing Mohammad Rafiq TARAR; in a
referendum held on 30 April 2002, MUSHARRAF's presidency was
extended by five more years; on 1 January 2004, MUSHARRAF won a vote
of confidence in the Senate, National Assembly, and four provincial
assemblies
chief of state: President General Pervez MUSHARRAF (since 20 June
2001)
head of government: Prime Minister Shaukat AZIZ (since 28 August
2004)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
elections: the president is elected by an electoral college drawn
from the national parliament and provincial assemblies for a
five-year term; note - Musharraf was last sworn in as President in
November 2002; the prime minister is selected by the National
Assembly (next elections to be held in 2007)
election results: AZIZ elected by the National Assembly on 27 August
2004

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Majlis-e-Shoora consists of the Senate (100
seats; members indirectly elected by provincial assemblies and the
territories' representatives in the National Assembly to serve
six-year terms; half of the Senate's seats turn over every three
years) and the National Assembly (342 seats; 272 seats filled by
popular vote; 60 seats reserved for women; 10 seats reserved for
non-Muslims; members serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held in March 2006 (next to be held in
March 2009); National Assembly - last held 10 October 2002 (next to
be held in 2007)
election results: Sen