Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Q.WhatistheprocedureofAmendmentoftheconstitutionofIslamicrepublicofPakistan.
(1996/A)(1997S)(1998A)
1.Introduction:
constitutionofPakistanrigidonebecauseitcannotbeeasilyamended.thereisisrighdanddifficult
proceduretoamendtheconstitutionandconstitutionhasbeenmadeinflexible.Artical238empowers
theparliamenttomakeamendmentand239providestheprocedurefortheamendment.Parliament
hasnotunlimitedpowerstomakeamendmentsintheconstitutiononlyconstitutionprovidesthisright
toparliament.
2.RelevantProvisions:
Art238and239.
3.Institutionwhichcanmakeamendmentintheconstitution:
MajliseShoora(ParilamentisempoweredtoamendtheconstitutionofIslamicrepublicofPakistan.A
billforamendmentmustbepassedbytwothirdsofthetotalmembershipoftheassemblyandthen
senateshouldpassthisbillbyamajorityofthetotalmembership.theconstitutonofIslamicrepublicof
Pakistanconferspoweronparliamenttoamendtheconstitution.
4.Caselaw:
MuhammadBachalMemonv/sGovernmentofSindhP.L.D1987Kar.296.
Itwasheldthatparliamentissupremeauthoritytomakeanyamendmentinanypartofthe
constitution.thereisnoprovisionintheconstitutionwhichputsrestrainsonitspowerinthisbehalf.
5.Object:
Theobjectofintroducingprovisionsforamendmentoftheconstitutionistobringitinlinewith
changingconditionsandnewdemandsandneedsoftimes.
6.Procedureofamendmentintheconstittion:
(i)Wherebilltoamendisoriginated:
Abillamendtheconstitutionmayoriginateineitherhouseoftheparliament.
(ii)Ifthebillispassedbytwothirdmajorty:
Inthebillhasbeenpassedbythevotesofnotlessthantwothirdsofthetotalmembershipofhouseit
shallbetransmittedtootherhouse.
(iii)Billinotherhouse:
Ifthebillispassedwithamendmentbythevotesofnotlessthantwothirdsofthetotalmembershipof
thehousethanitshallbetransmittedtothehouseinwhichitwasoriginatedandthebillwillbepassed
bytwothirdsofitstotalmembership.
(iv)AssentofthePresident:
Ifthebillispassedbythehouseitshallbepresentedtopresidentforhisassent.
(v)ProceduretoalterthelimitofProvince:
Abilltoamendtheconstitutionwhichwouldhavetheeffectofalteringthelimitsofaprovinceshallnot
bepresentedtothepresidentunlessithasbeenpassedbytheprovincialassemblyofthatprovinceby
thevotesofnotlessthantwothirdofitstotalmembership.
7.Limitation:
Thepowerofparliamenttoamendtheconstitutiondoesnotextendtoalterrepealorreplacethe
constitution.anyamendmenttochangethebasicstructure.frameworkandessentialfeaturesisnot
permissibleundertheconstitution.
CaseLaw
P.L.D1998SC1263
Itwasheldthatthepowersbestowedupontheparlimentbytheconstitutiondoesnotincludethe
powertodestroyorabrogatetheconstitutionbeenreferredtoasitsbasicstructureoressential
features.
8.Dutiesofthecourtinregardamendments:
Thecourtcannotdeclareanyprovisionoftheconstitutiontobeinvalidorrepugnantonthegrounds
thatitgoesbeyondthemandategiventotheassemblyoritdoesnotfulfiltheaspirationsofthepeople.
thecourtsaredutyboundstoenforceandintereptthelawinaccordancewiththeamendment.
9.Safeguardtotheamendmentsoftheconstitution:
Noamendmentoftheconstitutionshallbecalledinquestioninanycourtonanygroundwhatsoever.
10.Conclusion:
ToconcludeIcansaythat;theconstitutionof1973isnotflexible.theprocedureofamendmentisnot
easy.parliamentwhichconsistsofthenationalassemblyandthesenatecanmakeamendmentinthe
coustitutionbythetwothirdmajorityofitstotalmembership.