Part 11: Amendment of Constitution

Approval by a minimum of two-thirds of the National Assembly was required for amending the Constitution. In case of an amendment that could affect the boundaries of a province, approval of at least two-third of the Assembly of that province was also required.

Part 11: Amendment of Constitution

Article 208

Subject to this Part, this Constitution may be amended by an Act of the Central Legislature.

Article 209

(1) A Bill to amend this Constitution shall not be presented to the President for assent unless it has been passed by the votes of not less than two-thirds of the total number of members of the National Assembly.

(2) The following provisions of this Article shall apply in relation to such a Bill in lieu of the provisions of clauses (2) to (6) (inclusive) of Article 27.

(3) The President shall, within thirty days after a Bill to amend this Constitution is presented to him-

(a) assent to the Bill;

(b) declare that he withholds assent from the Bill; or

(c) return the Bill to the National Assembly with a message requesting that the Bill, or a particular provision of the Bill, be reconsidered and that any amendments specified in the message be considered, but if the President fails to do any of those things within the period of thirty days, he shall be deemed to have assented to the Bill at the expiration of that period.

(4) If the President declares that he withholds assent from the Bill, the National Assembly shall be competent to reconsider the Bill and, if the Bill is again passed by the Assembly (with or without amendment) by the votes of not less than three-quarters of the total number of members of the Assembly, the Bill shall again be presented to the President for assent.

(5) If the President returns the Bill to the National Assembly, the Assembly shall reconsider the Bill and if-

(a) the Bill is again passed by the Assembly, without amendment or with the amendments specified by the President in his message or with amendments which the President has subsequently informed the Speaker of the Assembly are acceptable to him, by the votes of not less than two-thirds of the total number of members of the Assembly; or

(b) the Bill is again passed by the Assembly, with amendments of a kind not referred to in paragraph (a) of this clause, by the votes of not less than three-quarters of the total number of members of the Assembly, the Bill shall again be presented to the President for assent.

(6) When the Bill is again presented to the President for assent in pursuance of clause (4) or clause (5) of this Article the President shall, within ten days after the Bill is presented to him-

(a) asssent to the Bill; or

(b) cause to be referred to a referendum under Article 24 the question whether the Bill should or should not be assented to, but if, within the period of ten days, the President fails to do either of those things and the Assembly is not dissolved, the President shall be deemed to have assented to the Bill at the expiration of that period.

(7) If, at a referendum conducted in relation to a Bill by virtue of paragraph (b) of clause (6) of this Article, the votes of a majority of the total number of members of the Electoral College are cast in favour of the Bill being assented to, the President shall be deemed to have assented to the Bill on the day on which the result of the referendum is declared.

Article 210

A Bill to amend this Constitution which would have the effect of altering the limits of a Province shall not be passed by the National Assembly unless it has been approved by a resolution of the Assembly of the Province passed by the votes of not less than two-thirds of the total number of members of that Assembly.

Source: Documents and Speeches on the Constitution of Pakistan
By G. W. Choudhury (1967). Green Book House, Dacca (East Pakistan)

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