IMPACT OF ARMY ON INDEPENDENCE OF THE JUDICIARY IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

The Pakistan Army has ruled over Pakistan for more than half of its total 62 years history. Pakistan had been subjected five times to extra-constitutional emergency or martial law regimes, when the constitution was either abrogated or partly or wholly suspended. Like other institutions of the state, judiciary also suffered a lot under military dictators. This paper studies the damage done to the judiciary particular to its independence during military regimes. Apart from curtailing the jurisdiction of the courts, arbitrary removal of the judges, blatant interference in the proceedings of the courts, damaging the credibility of the court, the military dictators also introduced detrimental changes in the constitutional structure of the judiciary.