CHITRAL: A proposed 28th Amendment to the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan is reportedly in the offing. Securing the passage of a constitutional amendment is no longer a serious challenge for the ruling establishment, as has been demonstrated repeatedly in recent years. Parliament, unfortunately, has increasingly come to resemble a mere rubber stamp rather than an independent democratic institution.

This presents a rare opportunity for the country’s power structure to place Pakistan on a genuinely progressive and stable path. Instead of introducing cosmetic amendments aimed merely at increasing central control or expanding the powers of individual offices, the leadership should consider undertaking deep structural reforms capable of addressing the country’s chronic political and governance failures.

The most important reform would be to replace the existing dysfunctional parliamentary system with a presidential form of government, a model practiced by majority of countries around the world. However, even more important than the system itself is the method by which public representatives and officeholders are selected.

Most positions currently filled through costly and influence-driven electoral politics should instead be opened to capable citizens through a transparent, competitive, merit-based process. This would allow talented and qualified individuals from all backgrounds to represent their constituencies and serve the state — a privilege that, under the present system, largely remains confined to the wealthy, influential, and politically connected, regardless of competence.

A detailed framework outlining the proposed model and mechanism for a merit-based system of governance is provided in the link below.

Meritocracy: Recipe to cure the ailment of Pakistan

Pakistan has once again been given a historic opportunity to correct the mistakes of the past. Whether this opportunity is utilized wisely or wasted like many before it remains to be seen. .. CN report, 16 May 2025