Pakistan Constitution: Rights and Responsibilities

Basic Rights, Policy Principles and Responsibilities

• Pakistan's constitution defines the basic rights, policy principles, and government responsibilities to protect citizens' rights and hold the government accountable for its actions.
• The fundamental rights in the Constitution cover the personal, political, economic, and social rights of the people.
• The protection of the rights enshrined in the Constitution and the implementation of the principles of policy is the main responsibility of the government.
• The principles form the foundation of a democratic and progressive society.

Fundamental Rights

• Basic rights are protected in Pakistan's constitution to ensure justice, freedom, and equality for every citizen.
• The rights are listed in Chapter 2 of the Constitution and aim to protect the fundamental freedoms of citizens.

Right to life and liberty

• The Constitution grants every citizen the right to life and liberty.
• The right protects individuals from any repression or violence and protects the private freedom and dignity of human.
• Section 9 of the Constitution explains the rights to life and liberty.

Right to equality

• Every citizen has the right to equality.
• The Constitution guarantees equal treatment of all individuals under the law, regardless of religion, race, or class.
• All citizens are guaranteed equal rights under Section 25.

Freedom of expression

• Citizens have the freedom of thought, opinion, and religion.
• Individuals can express their views and follow their religion.
• Section 19 gives freedom of expression.

Right of the Judiciary

• Citizens have the right to get justice and can protect their rights through the courts.
• Section 10A explains the right of the judiciary and the procedure for obtaining justice.

Policy Principles

• Policy principles are set out in Pakistan's constitution to guide the government in working for the welfare of the people.
• These principles provide guidelines for government policies and actions and their importance is recognized in the Constitution.

Social justice

• The government is committed to social justice in the Constitution.
• The government must treat people on a justice-basis, and the welfare of the public should be prioritized under policy principles.
• Section 38 emphasizes the importance of social justice.

Equality

• The importance of equality is recognized in the policy principle.
• The government should work to provide equal rights to all citizens and avoid any discrimination.
• Section 37 mentions adhering to the principle of equality.

Rights of women and minorities

• Specific policies have been formulated to protect the rights of women and minorities in the Constitution.
• It is necessary for the government to protect these rights and provide better opportunities for them.
• Sections 34 and 36 protect the rights of women and minorities.

Government responsibilities

• The Government of Pakistan given specific responsibilities for the welfare of its citizens.
• The obligations are clearly stated in the Constitution so that the Government can fulfil its promises and protect the rights of the people.

Economic development

• The government is responsible for improving the economy of the people and taking steps to eliminate poverty.
• Section 38 explains the steps to be taken for economic development and public welfare.

Providing education and health

• It is the responsibility of the government to provide the best education and health facilities to the people so that every citizen live a better life.
• Section 37 emphasizes the provision of education and health.

National security

• The government is responsible for taking steps to protect its citizens and the security of the country.
• Section 40 emphasizes the protection of national security.

Review of Fundamental Rights Conferred to Citizens under the Constitution 1973 of Pakistan (Articles 8-28)

• The 1973 Constitution of Pakistan protects the fundamental rights of citizens to provide justice, freedom, and equality to every individual.
• The various Articles of the Constitution explain these rights, which are constitutionally protected for every citizen.
• Basic rights given in the Constitution of Pakistan not only guarantee the protection of citizens but also ensure their access to freedom, equality, and justice.
• Articles 8 to 28 provide these rights to citizens so that every individual can fully avail their fundamental rights. Through the protection of these rights, the government has been obliged to provide justice and equality to the people.

Article 8: Unconstitutional of Laws Against the Constitution

• Under Article 8, if any law is against the fundamental rights of the Constitution, it will be unconstitutional, meaning if any law affects the fundamental rights of citizens, the court can invalidate that law.
• Through this article, citizens are guaranteed the protection of their rights within the ambit of the Constitution.

Article 9: Life and Personal Freedom

• According to Article 9, every citizen has the right to life and personal freedom.
• Under Article 10A, every citizen has the right to justice from the judiciary, meaning every person will have equal opportunities to get their rights.
• This right guarantees that every individual has access to justice and gets justice.

Article 14: Protection of Personal Dignity and Honour

• Article 14 guarantees the protection of personal dignity and honour of citizens.
• The state is bound by this article not to harm the personal dignity and honour of any citizen, to protect citizens from coercion and unlawful treatment.

Article 15: Freedom of Commuting

• Under Article 15, every citizen gets the right to freely travel inside and outside Pakistan.
• Through this article, individuals have the freedom to go wherever they want in their country, and they are also allowed to go to other countries, provided they are within the limits of the law.

Article 16: Freedom to Assemble

• According to Article 16, every individual has the right to assemble peacefully.
• Under this right, citizens can hold peaceful gatherings to express their views, provided they are in accordance with the law.

Article 17: Right of Association

• Under Article 17, every citizen has the right to form an association, be it of any nature, whether it is political or for other social purposes.
• This right gives citizens the freedom to assemble on a platform under their freedom of expression.

Article 18: Right to Employment

• According to Article 18, every citizen has the freedom to choose their employment.
• The government cannot stop any person from getting this right. The purpose of this provision is to give citizens the freedom to work so that they can improve their economic condition through their hard work and abilities.

Article 19: Freedom of Speech

• According to Article 19, every citizen has freedom of expression.
• Individuals can express their views without fear or restraint. However, this freedom has been given within certain limits.

Article 20: Freedom of Religion

• Under Article 20, every person has the freedom to follow their religion.
• No citizen can be prevented from practicing their religion.
• Through this article, minorities have been given the freedom to practice their religion.

Article 21: Protection of Religious Prayers

• Article 21 states that the state does not have the authority to interfere in the prayers of any citizen of their religion.
• Through this article, it is the responsibility of the state to protect the freedom of worship of citizens.

Article 22: Right to Education

• Under Article 22, every child has the right to get basic education.
• Through this article, the government has been entrusted with the responsibility of providing education to every child.
• The aim is to provide quality education to every child in the country.

Review of Policy Principles (Articles 29-40)

• The policy principles were included in the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan, so that the government keeps the interests of the people in mind in its actions.
• These principles guide the policies of the state and help in fulfilling the rights given in the Constitution.
• The aim of these principles is to create a democratic, egalitarian, and welfare state where public welfare is given importance.

Article 29: National Integration and Integrity

• Under Article 29, the state has been entrusted with the responsibility of taking steps to promote national integration and integrity.
• The aim is to unite all regions, cultures, and nationalities of the country.

Article 30: Promotion of Moral Values

• Article 30 gives the state the responsibility of promoting moral values to create awareness of good morals and social responsibility among citizens.

Article 31: Protection of Islamic Values

• Article 31 gives the state the responsibility to take steps for the promotion and protection of Islamic values.

Article 32: Religious Freedom of Minorities

• Under Article 32, the state has been directed to provide freedom to the followers of minority religions to practice their religion.

Article 33: Protecting Minority Rights

• Article 33 entrusted with the responsibility to take steps to protect the rights of minorities.

Article 34: Women's Rights

• Article 34 the state has been given the responsibility to take steps for the full economic, political, and social development of women.

Article 35: Importance of Family

• Under Article 35, the state has been directed to take steps to strengthen the family and for its welfare.

Article 36: Minority Rights

• Article 36 emphasized the protection of the rights of minority groups.

Article 37 Social Justice

• Article 37 the state put in charge to provide social justice.

Article 38 Standard of Living

• Article 38 the state given the responsibility to provide a standard of living to every citizen.

Article 39 Elimination of Weaknesses

• Article 39 gives the state made responsible to help the weaker sections.

Article 40 Formation of National Destiny

• Article 40 the state directed to act for the creation of national destiny.

Responsibilities of Pakistani Citizens (Article 5)

• The responsibilities of citizens are clearly defined in the Constitution of Pakistan 1973 so that every individual can understand their duties with the state while availing their rights.
• Fulfilling the responsibilities maintains social harmony and harmony. The role of every individual is important in the development of the country.
• Article 5 is an important aspect of the constitution of Pakistan for the prosperity of the nation.

Importance of Loyalty to the State

• The objective of explaining the principle of loyalty to the state in Article 5 is to make every individual aware of the interests of their nation and country.
• This also highlights responsibilities so that social responsibility and national development can be contributed to.

Chapter VI: Constitutional Amendments

• Amendments have been made to the Constitution since 1973 to meet the changing political, economic, and social needs of the country.
• The purpose of constitutional amendments is to ensure the performance of the Constitution and its effective implementation so that the system of the country can be improved and the rights of citizens can be protected.

Importance of Constitutional Amendments

• Constitutional amendments are necessary for the legal and political development of any country.
• In Pakistan, the constitutional amendments played an important role in stabilizing the political system and protecting the rights of citizens.

Eighteenth Amendment

• The Eighteenth Amendment was passed in 2010 and made several important changes to the Constitution of Pakistan.
• This amendment empowered the provinces, and the post of president became a symbol.

Seventeenth Amendment

• Seventeenth Amendment The Seventeenth Amendment was made in 2003, under which the President was given more powers.
• This amendment was opposed because it was affecting the democratic process and efforts were being made to increase the powers of the President in the Constitution.

Thirteenth Amendment

• Thirteenth Amendment The Thirteenth Amendment was made in 1997, through which the power of the President to dismiss the Prime Minister was abolished.

Eighth Amendment

• August Amendment was approved in 1985, which gave the president several powers.

The Need for Constitutional Amendments

• Amendments to the Constitution change and better the economic framework. The way of amending of constitution The way of amending of constitution
• According to the Constitution of Pakistan 1973, the process of amending is done under a specific ways.
• The process of amendments in the constitution is not that simple. The general way of amending the constitution
• There is a ways in Pakistan to change in the constitution, which is explained from 238 - 239, with the constitution.
• The recommendation of amendment in Parliament is necessary. The proposal of amending in parliament

Approval of both houses

• Amendment should be mandatory.

Approval of the president

• The goal of the amendment in the constitution is designed to take care of the interest and benefit of the country. Constitutional amendments known and their result. Pakistan famous amendments took place to safeguard the rights.