suffered huge losses, taking only 53 seats and many former ministers lost their seats. The MQM secured 25 seats. With no party securing a clear majority, the PPPP, PML-N, Awami National Party (ANP, 13 seats) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) formed a coalition government headed by the PPPP’s Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, as Prime Minister. On 12 May 2008 the CMAG met in London and agreed that, since it last met in November 2007, the Government of Pakistan had taken positive steps to fulfil its obligations in accordance with Commonwealth fundamental values and principles. It accordingly restored Pakistan as a full member of the Commonwealth. In the face of warnings by the PPPP and PML-N leadership of impeachment by parliament, Musharraf announced his resignation as President in August 2008. In the ensuing presidential election, PPPP co-chair Zardari was elected to replace Musharraf in September 2008. Zardari (securing 481 electoral college votes) defeated PML-N’s candidate, Saeed-uz-zaman Siddiqui (153 votes), and PML-Q’s Mushahid Hussain Syed (44). In the lead-up to the election the PML-N left the governing coalition, which then comprised the PPPP, ANP, JUI-F and MQM. Nine PML-N ministers resigned shortly after the presidential election, citing the apparent reluctance of the PPPP to reinstate judges previously dismissed during the 2007 state of emergency. The move effectively ended the PPPP- and PML-N-dominated coalition government and saw the beginning of a new one, consisting of the PPPP, ANP, JUI-F and MQM. In late February 2009 the Supreme Court confirmed the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shabhaz from holding elected office. Following the verdict, governor’s rule was imposed in Punjab Province, where Shabhaz Sharif had held the post of Chief Minister, and Nawaz Sharif allied himself with the lawyers’ movement, which had been campaigning for the reinstatement of the Chief Justice, asserting that the Supreme Court verdict demonstrated the lack of an independent judiciary. Confronted by the prospect of large-scale popular unrest, in March 2009 the government announced the reinstatement of deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and requested a review of the Supreme Court judgment that had disqualified the Sharifs from holding elected office. In May 2009 the Supreme Court reversed the judgment and Shabhaz Sharif was reinstated as Chief Minister in Punjab Province. In July 2009 the Supreme Court quashed Nawaz Sharif’s convictions of hijacking and terrorism (brought against him following the military coup of October 1999). In November 2009 the Supreme Court revoked the National Reconciliation Ordinances of October 2007, which had granted immunity to those officials and politicians who had been charged with corruption and other offences. The revocation of the ordinances revived corruption charges against many of its beneficiaries. On 26 April 2012 the Supreme Court convicted Prime Minister Gilani of contempt of court following his refusal to request the Swiss authorities to reopen a money-laundering case against President Zardari and, on 19 June 2012, the Supreme Court disqualified Gilani from office. On 22 June Raja Pervez Ashraf was elected by parliament to succeed Gilani as Prime Minister. P a k i s t a n On completion of the National Assembly’s five-year term in March 2013, national and provincial elections were called for 11 May 2013 and Mir Hazar Khan Khoso was sworn in as caretaker Prime Minister. In the elections, when turnout was 54 per cent, the PMLN, led by Nawaz Sharif, took 184 of 323 Assembly seats (with 32.8 per cent of the votes); PPPP 42 (15.2 per cent); Pakistan Tehreek-e- Insaf (PTI), led by Imran Khan, 30 (16.9 per cent); MQM 23 (5.4 per cent); JUI-F 12 (3.2 per cent); and independents eight (13 per cent). On 5 June 2013 parliamentarians elected Sharif Prime Minister (with 244 votes); his closest rivals were Makhdoom Amin Fahim of the PPPP (42) and Makhdoom Javed Hashmi of the PTI (31). The presidential election held on 30 July 2013 was won by PML-N’s candidate Mamnoon Hussain, who secured 432 electoral college votes, defeating Wajihuddin Ahmed of the PTI (77 votes). The PPPP did not field a candidate. Local government There are three spheres of government in Pakistan: federal, provincial and local, as provided for by the constitution. The 18th amendment to the constitution of April 2010 transferred responsibility for local government from federal to provincial government. Under the 17th constitutional amendment, local government had a three-tier structure comprising district (zila), tehsil and union councils. At the expiry of this amendment, local government was suspended and local elections postponed while the new dispensation was given effect by the provincial governments. In the meantime, district administrators were appointed. Governance institutions Commonwealth Governance Handbook 2014/15 225 Cabinet Division: www.cabinet.gov.pk Election Commission of Pakistan: www.ecp.gov.pk Islamabad Stock Exchange: www.ise.com.pk Karachi Stock Exchange: www.kse.com.pk Lahore Stock Exchange: www.lse.com.pk Ministry of Commerce: www.commerce.gov.pk Ministry of Finance: www.finance.gov.pk Ministry of Law, Justice and Human Rights: www.molaw.gov.pk Ministry of Planning, Development & Reform: www.pc.gov.pk National Assembly of Pakistan: www.na.gov.pk Public Procurement Regulatory Authority: www.ppra.org.pk Securities and Exchange Commission: www.secp.gov.pk Senate of Pakistan: www.senate.gov.pk Standards and Quality Control Authority: www.psqca.com.pk State Bank of Pakistan: www.sbp.org.pk Supreme Court of Pakistan: www.supremecourt.gov.pk Telecommunication Authority: www.pta.gov.pk Wafaqi Mohtasib (Ombudsman): www.mohtasib.gov.pk
CEP template 2012
To see the actual publication please follow the link above