Pakistan’s Hybrid Democracy
One. A mixed rule by elected representatives and military establishment is a hybrid democracy. The combined ability of the military establishment and elected representatives to run the core affairs of the state is the emerging model of Pakistan’s democracy. […]
Pakistan Supreme Court Needs to Focus on the Speaker’s Ruling
The Pakistan Supreme Court, in a suo moto action, is reviewing the Deputy Speaker’s ruling that dismissed the no-confidence resolution against the Prime Minister. The Court must not waste time considering irrelevant questions and needs to focus on the […]
Prime Minister Plays Ball with the Constitution
Given the non-democratic implications of Article 63A, the Supreme Court will likely interpret its provisions supporting representative democracy rather than upholding the hegemony of Party Heads. The Court is unlikely to enforce the Party Head’s command to deny the defectors the right to assembly or vote in a no-confidence resolution. The Court will throw away the Speaker’s ruling that refuses to count the defectors’ votes supporting a no-confidence resolution. It is unpredictable whether the Court will mitigate the disqualification punishment for defection.
The Politics of Free Speech in Muslim Countries
L. Ali Khan Political speech, the most significant part of free speech, is anything but robust in most Muslim countries. Criticism of the government lies at heart of the political speech. Ordinary citizens and journalists must be free to […]