Constitution of 1962

On 17th February 1960, President Ayub Khan appointed a Commission to draft a new Constitution for Pakistan. This commission was headed by Justice Shahab Din.

The Cabinet of Ayub Khan approved the draft of the Constitution of 1962 in February 1962. The Constitution of 1962 was enforced in the country on 8th June 1962. This constitution introduced the Presidential system of government.

According to the Constitution of 1962, the President was to be elected by 80,000 Basic Democrats — an indirect electoral college system unique to this constitution.

The 1962 Constitution originally provided 150 seats to each Provincial legislature, but later this number was increased to 218. The Constitution of Pakistan set up a unicameral legislature at the centre, which originally consisted of 156 seats, but later this number was increased to 218.

The Constitution of 1962 comprised of 250 Articles and 5 Schedules.

The Constitution of 1962 also provided that if the President was from West Pakistan, the Speaker of the Assembly would be from East Pakistan (a balancing mechanism between the two wings).

Under the Constitution of 1962, the Supreme Judicial Council, comprising the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and two senior judges of the Supreme Court along with the Chief Justice of each High Court, was set up to issue a code of conduct for the judges.

The Second Martial Law was imposed by General Yahya Khan on 25th March 1969, bringing an end to the Constitution of 1962.