Constitutions of Pakistan: 1956, 1962 and 1973 Key Facts

Constitution questions appear in almost every Pakistan Studies paper, from Police and PPSC tests to CSS Pakistan Affairs. This note gives you the key dates and features of Pakistan's constitutional history in one place. Practise afterwards with our Pakistan Studies MCQs.

Before the first constitution (1947-1956)

After independence in 1947, Pakistan was governed under the Government of India Act 1935, adapted as an interim constitution. The first Constituent Assembly was given the job of framing a constitution.

• Objectives Resolution: moved by Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan and passed on 12 March 1949. It declared that sovereignty belongs to Allah and that the state would exercise power through the chosen representatives of the people.
• The Resolution later became the preamble of the constitutions, and in 1985 it was made a substantive part of the 1973 Constitution (Article 2-A).
• The first Constituent Assembly was dissolved by Governor General Ghulam Muhammad in 1954.

The 1956 Constitution

Point	Detail
Enforced	23 March 1956
Name of state	Islamic Republic of Pakistan
System	Parliamentary, federal
Legislature	Unicameral (one house) National Assembly
Representation	Parity between East and West Pakistan
Ended	October 1958, when President Iskander Mirza abrogated it and imposed martial law

23 March was celebrated as Republic Day for some years after 1956.

The 1962 Constitution

• Introduced by President Ayub Khan after he took power in 1958, and enforced on 8 June 1962.
• The system was presidential: the President held very wide powers.
• It was based on the system of Basic Democracies, in which the elected Basic Democrats acted as the electoral college.
• The legislature was again unicameral.
• It was abrogated in March 1969, when General Yahya Khan imposed martial law.

The Interim Constitution of 1972

After the separation of East Pakistan in 1971, a National Assembly of the remaining Pakistan passed an Interim Constitution, which came into force in April 1972 while work continued on a permanent document.

The 1973 Constitution

This is the present constitution of Pakistan and the only one that was agreed by consensus of all parliamentary parties.

• Passed by the National Assembly on 10 April 1973 and enforced on 14 August 1973.
• Prime Minister at the time: Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
• System: parliamentary and federal, with a President as head of state and a Prime Minister as head of government.
• Legislature: bicameral Parliament, consisting of the National Assembly and the Senate.
• Islam is the state religion of Pakistan (Article 2), and the constitution requires that laws should not be repugnant to the Quran and Sunnah.
• It contains Fundamental Rights, Principles of Policy, and provisions on the judiciary and provinces.

Suspension and amendments

Event	Detail
5 July 1977	General Zia-ul-Haq imposed martial law and the constitution was held in abeyance
1985	Constitution restored; the Eighth Amendment strengthened presidential powers
1999	General Pervez Musharraf took power and the constitution was again suspended, later restored
2010	The 18th Amendment increased provincial autonomy and renamed the North-West Frontier Province as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Quick comparison

Feature	1956	1962	1973
Form	Parliamentary	Presidential	Parliamentary
Houses	One	One	Two
Enforced by	Assembly	President Ayub Khan	Assembly (Bhutto era)

Exam tips

• Remember the order: 1956, 1962, 1973.
• The 1973 Constitution is the longest-lasting and is still in force.
• Learn the key dates: 12 March 1949, 23 March 1956, 8 June 1962, 14 August 1973.
• Try our Daily Quiz to test yourself, and read related notes such as Pakistan's firsts and important days.

Always check the latest syllabus and your textbook for exact details required by your exam.