Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

The Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan was passed in December 2003, after over a year of political wrangling between supporters and opponents of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

This amendment made many changes to Pakistan's constitution, much of which deal with the office of the President and un-do the effects of the Thirteenth Amendment. Summarized here are brief descriptions of the major points.

• President Musharraf's Legal Framework Order was largely incorporated into the constitution, with a few changes.

• After December 31, 2004, offices such as the President and Chief of Army Staff shall not be held concurrently by the same person.

• If the President wins a majority in a vote of confidence in the electoral college within 30 days of the passage of this amendment, he shall be deemed to be elected to the office of President.

• The President regains the authority to dissolve the National Assembly - and thus effectively to dismiss the Pakistani Prime Minister - but the power to do so is made subject to an approval or veto by the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

• A Governor's power to dissolve a Provincial Assembly is similarly subject to Supreme Court approval or veto.