Experiments to Control Democracy in Pakistan

Pakistan is so fond of changing the system of governance: We have changed the system every few years since 1947, we have experimented with political engineering of the system more times than any other country in the world. Here is a brief overview of our experiments of such engineering:

• 1947-50: Governor-General as Chief Executive, under Queen/monarch of UK.
• 1950-55: Powerless PM + powerful Governor-General, under Queen/monarch of UK. 
• 1956-58: Republican Constitution with President as Chief Executive with musical chairs of 5 rubber stamp PMs
• 1958-62: 1956 constitution abrogated, Martial Law with COAS as President and CMLA.
• 1962-69: Ayub’s BD constitution. President all-powerful, BDs just a showpiece.
• 1969-71: President, COAS as CMLA. Discarding of BD system constitution. Experiment with first direct elections. Power not transferred to the winner, followed by East Pakistan dismemberment.
• 1971-73: World’s first Civil Martial Law Administrator and President.
• 1973-77: Parliamentary democracy constitution with PM as chief executive, President as a rubber stamp.
• 1977-81: Martial Law with COAS as CMLA and President. 1973 constitution suspended.
• 1981-85: COAS as CMLA and President + appointed Majlis e Shura, rubber stamp
• 1985-88: COAS as President, rigged referendum-based Non-party elections and parliament with Rubber stamp PM, 1973 constitution restored with 8th Amendment giving President discretionary powers to fire PM under 58-2b.
• 1988-99: Party-based Elections and parliament with 4 alternating PMs with around 2.5 years tenure removed at the discretion of President under 58-2b.
• 1999-2002: COAS as Chief Executive/CMLA and all-powerful President. 1973 Constitution with suspended clauses.
• 2002-2008: COAS as President with PMs as rubber stamp, constitution restored with 58-2b, controlled party elections. 
• 2008-2012: Political President powerful with PM as a rubber stamp.
• 2012-2017: 18th Amendment, repeal of 58-2b, devolution of powers to PM and provinces. Judicial activism of CJP who could remove PMs on frivolous grounds of contempt using 60-1. 
• 2017-present: Hybrid regime Selector+selected, with SC getting more powerful than the president. Started with SC using 60-1f to remove PM.

Systems are designed to constrain the rulers. In pakistan, rulers constrain the system to fulfill their designs.