The vice president of Pakistan ( ur, ) was a political office which existed between 1971 and 1973. In practice, it was the second highest office in the country after the
president of Pakistan
The president of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=s̤adr-i Pākiṣṭān), officially the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is the ceremonial head of state of Pakistan and the commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Armed Forces.head of state, and ranking first in the presidential line of succession. Established in December 1971, the post remained in effect until the
1973 Constitution of Pakistan
The Constitution of Pakistan ( ur, ), also known as the 1973 Constitution, is the supreme law of Pakistan. Drafted by the government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, with additional assistance from the country's opposition parties, it was approved by ...
was promulgated in August 1973, under which it was formally abolished.Nurul Amin remains the first and only officeholder in Pakistan's history to have occupied this position.
History
The office of vice president was established in December 1971. It followed the suspension of the 1962 constitution and the imposition of martial law earlier in March 1969 by general Yahya Khan. Yahya also dissolved the parliament, dismissed civilian officials from Ayub's administration, and enforced law and order while declaring himself president and Chief Martial Law Administrator (CMLA). Because the post was created during martial law and was not specified in the preceding constitution, it did not have practical and legally defined functions. According to Rafi Raza, it had a symbolic significance in the sense that it would provide East Pakistan representation in the federation's executive branch of government.
The vice president reserved the power to serve as acting president during the president's official absence or overseas trips. On 29 May 1972, Bhutto embarked on a 13-day
state visit
A state visit is a formal visit by a head of state to a foreign country, at the invitation of the head of state of that foreign country, with the latter also acting as the official host for the duration of the state visit. Speaking for the host ...
to 14 countries across Africa and the Middle East, returning on 10 June. During this time, Amin stepped in as acting president. He is reported to have performed this duty on multiple occasions, participating in public events, conferences and site visits in presidential capacity.
Amin was of Bengali origin.
Amin was sworn in as vice president a second time on 23 April 1972, following the introduction of an
interim constitution A provisional constitution, interim constitution or transitional constitution is a constitution intended to serve during a transitional period until a permanent constitution is adopted. The following countries currently have,had in the past,such a c ...
, which also required Bhutto to take oath again as president on 21 April. The interim constitution brought about the end of martial law under which the country had been operating, and conferred power to the new civilian government.
After the 1973 constitution, Bhutto assumed the role of Prime Minister. Under the new constitution, the president was largely a ceremonial figurehead whilst the Prime Minister was granted greater executive powers. The constitution was framed by members of the National Assembly and came into effect on
14 August
Events Pre-1600
* 74 BC – A group of officials, led by the Western Han minister Huo Guang, present articles of impeachment against the new emperor, Liu He, to the imperial regent, Empress Dowager Shangguan. The articles, enumerating t ...
1973.
Under the current line of succession, the Chairman of the Senate shall act as president in the event of the president's absence, resignation, removal or death, or if the president is unable to discharge official duties. The Speaker of the National Assembly stands second in the line of succession. The office of the acting president remains in force until a president is elected through the Electoral College, in accordance with Article 41(3) of the constitution.
Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan
The Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan, officially the Deputy Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, ) was the second most senior minister of the Republic of the Government of Pakistan. The main purpose of the post was to give ...