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CSS Law (Constitutional) Constitutional History of Pakistan Flashcards
51 question-and-answer cards covering Constitutional History of Pakistan as it is examined in CSS Law (Constitutional). 24 of them are printed below, taken from across the deck — no signup, no paywall on the preview.
24 sample cards from the Constitutional History of Pakistan deck
Sampled from the end of the deck, so these are different cards from the ones shown on the syllabus page.
What form of government and legislature did the 1956 Constitution establish?
A parliamentary (federal) form of government with a unicameral legislature (the National Assembly) and a President as constitutional head of state.
State two salient Islamic provisions of the 1956 Constitution.
The President must be a Muslim; no law repugnant to the injunctions of Islam (Quran and Sunnah) shall be enacted, and existing laws were to be brought into conformity with Islam.
How did the 1956 Constitution structure the federation and provincial representation?
A federation of two units, East Pakistan and West Pakistan (after One Unit), with parity of seats between the two wings in the National Assembly.
What were the main causes of the abrogation of the 1956 Constitution?
Political instability, frequent changes of government, weak political parties, civil-bureaucratic dominance, East-West tensions, and President Iskander Mirza's imposition of martial law on 7 October 1958.
Who abrogated the 1956 Constitution and who soon took over as Chief Martial Law Administrator?
President Iskander Mirza abrogated it on 7 October 1958; General Ayub Khan, as Chief Martial Law Administrator, took over and removed Mirza within 20 days (27 October 1958).
On what date was the 1962 Constitution enforced and who promulgated it?
It was enforced on 8 June 1962 and was promulgated by President Ayub Khan.
What form of government did the 1962 Constitution introduce?
A presidential system with a powerful President as both head of state and head of government, and a unicameral National Assembly.
What was the system of 'Basic Democracies' under the 1962 Constitution?
A four-tier system of local government whose roughly 80,000 elected members ('Basic Democrats') formed the electoral college that elected the President and the assemblies.
How were Fundamental Rights treated in the original 1962 Constitution and how was this changed?
The original 1962 Constitution contained only 'Principles of Law-making' (non-justiciable), not justiciable Fundamental Rights; justiciable Fundamental Rights were added by the First Amendment in 1963.
By what name was the country designated in the 1962 Constitution at first, and how was 'Islamic' restored?
It was initially named the 'Republic of Pakistan'; the word 'Islamic' was restored to make it the 'Islamic Republic of Pakistan' by the First Amendment (1963).
Name two key amendments or institutions in the 1962 Constitution dealing with Islamic provisions.
The Advisory Council of Islamic Ideology (to advise on conformity of laws with Islam) and the Islamic Research Institute; the President was also required to be a Muslim.
What event/movement led to the downfall of Ayub Khan and abrogation of the 1962 Constitution?
Widespread agitation (1968-69) over economic disparity, the unpopular presidential system and Basic Democracies; Ayub handed power to General Yahya Khan, who imposed martial law on 25 March 1969 and abrogated the constitution.
On what date was the 1973 Constitution passed and on what date enforced?
Passed by the National Assembly on 10 April 1973 and enforced on 14 August 1973.
What form of government and legislature did the 1973 Constitution establish?
A federal parliamentary system with a bicameral legislature (Majlis-e-Shoora): the National Assembly (lower house) and the Senate (upper house), with a Prime Minister as chief executive and a President as ceremonial head of state.
State two salient Islamic provisions of the 1973 Constitution.
Islam is the State religion; both the President and the Prime Minister must be Muslims; no law repugnant to the injunctions of Islam may be enacted (any two).
How does the 1973 Constitution distribute legislative powers between the Federation and the provinces?
Originally through two lists in the Federal Legislative List (Part I and Part II) plus a Concurrent List; residuary powers vested in the provinces. The Concurrent List was abolished by the 18th Amendment (2010), devolving those subjects to the provinces.
After the 18th Amendment, how are subjects divided in the 1973 Constitution's Federal Legislative List?
Federal Legislative List Part I (purely federal subjects, e.g. defence, foreign affairs, currency) and Part II (subjects handled with the Council of Common Interests, e.g. railways, electricity, major ports); residuary subjects belong exclusively to the provinces.
Which constitutional body resolves federal-provincial disputes over Part II Federal List subjects under the 1973 Constitution?
The Council of Common Interests (CCI).
Name three Fundamental Rights guaranteed under the 1973 Constitution.
Security of person, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, equality of citizens, right to fair trial, and protection against arbitrary arrest (any three).
How many provinces formed the federation under the original 1973 Constitution and what is the position now?
Originally four provinces (Punjab, Sindh, NWFP, Balochistan); today still four, with NWFP renamed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by the 18th Amendment (2010).
What was the Legal Framework Order (LFO) 1970 and who issued it?
An order issued by President Yahya Khan in 1970 laying down the framework, principles and 120-day time limit under which the new National Assembly was to be elected and to frame a constitution; it dissolved One Unit and restored provinces in West Pakistan and abolished parity in favour of representation by population.
Which historic election was held under the Legal Framework Order 1970 and what was its outcome?
Pakistan's first general election on adult franchise (December 1970); the Awami League (Mujibur Rahman) won a majority in the East, the PPP (Bhutto) led the West, the deadlock contributing to the 1971 crisis and the separation of East Pakistan (Bangladesh).
What was the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO) 1981 and under whom was it issued?
An order issued by General Zia-ul-Haq on 24 March 1981 to provide a legal framework for governance during martial law, suspending parts of the 1973 Constitution and requiring superior court judges to take a fresh oath under the PCO; judges who refused ceased to hold office.
Compare the chief executive arrangement of the 1956, 1962 and 1973 Constitutions.
1956: parliamentary, Prime Minister is chief executive with a ceremonial President. 1962: presidential, the President is both head of state and government. 1973: parliamentary, Prime Minister is chief executive with a ceremonial President (originally).
What this deck covers
The Constitutional History of Pakistan deck follows the CSS Law (Constitutional) Constitutional History of Pakistan syllabus — 7 chapters and 24 topics — so questions land on material that is genuinely examinable rather than trivia around it. That works out to roughly 7.3 cards per chapter.
Answers are written to be recallable, not just readable — averaging about 183 characters, which is long enough to carry the reasoning and short enough to say out loud.
A deck like this earns its keep on the second and third pass. Read the syllabus first so you know the shape of the subject, then use the cards to find the specific facts that have not stuck.
Constitutional History of Pakistan flashcards FAQ
How many Constitutional History of Pakistan flashcards are in this CSS Law (Constitutional) deck?
51 cards. This page previews 24 of them, sampled evenly across the deck so you can judge the difficulty before installing anything.
Are these CSS Law (Constitutional) flashcards free?
Yes. The preview here is free to read with no signup, and the full 51-card deck is free inside the Examius app.
What do the Constitutional History of Pakistan cards cover?
They follow the CSS Law (Constitutional) Constitutional History of Pakistan syllabus — 7 chapters and 24 topics — so the questions track what is actually examinable.
How should I use these flashcards?
Read the syllabus first so you know the shape of the subject, then drill the deck. Examius schedules each card with spaced repetition, so cards you keep missing come back sooner and ones you know drift further apart.