Cls9 civ1 case study2

 Case based question

Read the source given below and answer the questions that follow:

In Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf led a military coup in October 1999. 

He overthrew a democratically elected government and declared himself the 

‘Chief Executive’ of the country. Later he changed his designation to 

President and in 2002 held a referendum in the country that granted him a 

five-year extension. Pakistani media, human rights organisations and 

democracy activists said that the referendum was based on malpractices and 

fraud. In August 2002 he issued a ‘Legal Framework Order’ that amended the 

Constitution of Pakistan. According to this Order, the President can dismiss 

the national and provincial assemblies. The work of the civilian cabinet is 

supervised by a National Security Council which is dominated by military 

officers. After passing this law, elections were held to the national and 

provincial assemblies. So Pakistan has had elections, elected representatives 

have some powers. But the final power rested with military officers and 

General Musharraf himself. Clearly, there are many reasons why Pakistan 

under General Musharraf should not be called a democracy. People may have elected their representatives to the national and provincial assemblies but

those elected representatives were not really the rulers. They cannot take the

final decisions. The power to take final decision rested with army officials

and with General Musharraf, and none of them were elected by the people.

This happens in many dictatorships and monarchies. They formally have an

elected parliament and government but the real power is with those who are

not elected. In a few countries, the real power was with some external powers

and not with locally elected representatives. This cannot be called people’s

rule.

Answer the following MCQs by choosing the most appropriate option:

1) What is the meaning of Referendum?

1. Direct vote in which the entire electorate is asked to either accept

or reject a particular proposal

2. A form of government in which the rulers are elected by the

people

3. A system where the majority or elected representatives are allowed

to take decisions on behalf of all the people

4. All of these

2) In the question given below, there are two statements marked as

Assertion (A) and Reason (R). Read the statements and chose the

correct option:

Assertion (A): Pakistan not considered a democratic country even

after having elections

Reason (R): Despite elections to the national and provincial

assemblies, the final powers rested with General Musharraf and

military officers.

1. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

2. Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.

3. A is correct but R is wrong.

4. A is wrong but R is correct.

3) After the passage of the ________, elections were held to the national

and state assemblies.

1. Military rule

2. Referendum

3. Legal Framework Order

4. Both (b) and (c)

4) Does the given source explain the significance of which feature of

democracy?

1. Democracy must be based on a free and fair election

2. In a democracy, the final decision-making power must rest with

those elected by the people

3. In a democracy, each adult citizen must have one vote

4. Democratic government rules within limits set by constitutional

law and citizens’ rights