Shared Rule and the Senate of Pakistan: An analysis

Author(s) : Shahzad Muanawar Ch., Muhammad Mushtaq

Abstract:

The Senate of Pakistan, a House of Federation, is dedicated to promoting non-majoritarianism and protecting the territorial interests of the smaller provinces. But, owing to the parliamentary nature of the political system, it has traditionally held a subservient position to the popularly elected National Assembly. Yet, it is seen as a body that assures power sharing among the federating units at the national level. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the constitutional role of the Senate and to examine the ways in which the Senate of Pakistan offers the federating units shared rule. The analysis, primarily, relies on parliamentary data to assess how senators belonging to various provinces participate in the Senate’s legislative business. The evidence shows that the Senate of Pakistan serves as a platform that guarantees smaller provinces a substantial voice in federal legislation and decision-making. The data shows that senators from smaller provinces have been more involved in the legislative proceedings of the chamber, demonstrating how important this chamber is to them. Hence, it can be argued that provincial minority groups regard the Senate of Pakistan as a House that provides them with shared rule at the national level.