Which system suits Pakistan the best: Presidential or Parliamentary

Parliamentary
ADVANTAGES
Easy legislation – Parliament have the mandate Quaid-e-azam’s quote
of people to pass it
Collegial Executive – divided power (Senate
and National Assembly)
Political Stability
Demerits
Unequal representation of whole Pakistan –
(whoever controls Punjab, will form
government) – leads to civil unrest/separatist
movements e.g. Baloch deprivation issue of
equal opportunities – NFC Award
Ethnic violence – Punjabi Vs Baloch
Political monarchies – Dynastic politics
Compromised democracy – coalition
government – fulfill the desires of coalition
parties
Presidential
Form of Govt of developed countries
Leads to better economic growth
Equal representation of all federating units –
Abolish NFC – prevents separatist
movements – Ethnic violence – resources
extraction and deprivation of provinces e.g.
Baluchistan (root cause of separatist
movements)
Reduces corruption – funds are channeled
through local bodies, so restricts MNAs role
only to law-making
Political stability – political unrest b/w ruling
party and opposition
True representation of people – direct
selection of leader – better leadership
Strong institutions – selection of professionals
Directly elected senators via judiciary and
strong, independent judiciary
Difficult legislation – Executive is often
chosen independently from parliament
Illegitimate use of power
Presidential system leads to Authoritarianism
 Which system suits Pakistan: Presidential or Parliamentary
Outlines:
1. Introduction:
Seventy years’ historic evolution of Pakistan suggests that presidential system suits Pakistan
better than parliamentary system due to its being the true depiction of democratic system of
governance.
2. Better governance system: Presidential or Parliamentary
3. Merits of Presidential system
a. Better leadership through direct selection
b. Professionalism: A manifestation of better institutions
c. Proper checks and balances
d. Nurtures economic growth
e. Reduced corruption
f. Equal representation of provinces
g. Limits ethnic violence
h. Political stability
4. Demerits of Parliamentary system
a. Dynastic politics
b. Unequal representation of provinces
c. Ethnic violence
d. Political unrest
e. Professionalism: A non-existent thing
f. Exploited public funds
5. Conclusion
“Dangers of Parliamentary form of government:
1) Parliamentary form of government- it has worked satisfactorily so far in England
nowhere else
2) Presidential form of government (more suited to Pakistan)”
Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s diary – July 10, 1947
“Temperamentally, we are a ‘presidential’ nation. It is time we abandon the system that we have
never been able to practice and explore an adult franchise-based ‘presidential system’ suitably
designed for and tailored to Pakistan’s needs.”
Shamshad Ahmad, former foreign secretary of Pakistan