Inter-Governmental Relations in the Federal System of Pakistan: An Analysis of the Constitutional and Political Aspects

Abstract

Pakistan is one of those 28 countries of the world who have adopted the federal form of government. A federal system has various dimensions – theoretical, political, constitutional, functional, etc. No matter how a federal arrangement is conceived and incorporated in the constitution, it is the political and the operational aspects which determine the final nature of the federal system. The functional side of federalism is largely determined by the inter-governmental relations and the way in which the stipulated provisions of the constitution regarding these actually work while being operationalized. The article discusses the nature of the inter-governmental relations in Pakistan after the adoption of the 18th constitutional amendment, which brought about a paradigm shift in Pakistan’s federalism changing it from organic to cooperative federalism.