Pakistani Game of Thrones Continued

The Pakistani military has dominated the political institutions in the country for at least 50 of Pakistan’s 70 years as an independent state. However, over the last decade, judiciary and legislature have emerged to contest for the political sphere.

Mr. Sharif was first dismissed in 1993 under the provision of the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan, under Article 58 2(b), allowing the President to dismiss the Parliament. Mr. Sharif’s was again removed from the office in 1999 after a military coup by General Parvez Musharraf. Pakistan’s supreme judiciary has always supported the actions of the military providing constitutional and judicial cover to the coups.

Mr. Sharif, is the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, although following his dismissal, the Election Commission of Pakistan has asked him to be removed formally as the party’s president.

He was dismissed for not declaring income at the time of filing his nomination papers for the 2013 election. He has promised to challenge the decision and gathered some support among the legal community over the modus operandi of the court.