Apex court reinstates caretaker govt system, upholds 13th amendment

The Appellate Division has declared illegal the verdict delivered 14 years ago that abolished the widely discussed non-partisan caretaker government system. At the same time, the court has upheld the 13th Amendment, effectively reinstating the caretaker government system in the Constitution.

The historic judgment was delivered on Thursday at 9:40 am by a seven-member full bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed.

Although the ruling automatically restores the caretaker government system in the Constitution, the upcoming 13th national parliamentary election will be held under an interim government.

The caretaker system will come into effect from the 14th national election, the country’s highest court said.