Why LFO and Basic Democracy back in discussion?
Dr Shahdeen Malik said that if the order issued by Yahya is now being treated as a model after 56 years of independence, then perhaps “we should go back to a united Pakistan to fulfill Yahya Khan’s vision.”
At a meeting of the BNP Standing Committee on Tuesday (28 October) to review the Consensus Commission's recommendations, party leaders drew parallels between the proposed reform process — under which referendum-approved changes would automatically become part of the constitution, and Pakistan's Legal Framework Order (LFO) of 1970 as well as Ayub Khan's Basic Democracy system of 1959.
They argued that, like those past measures, the current proposal appears to impose decisions from above rather than reflect the people's will, according to a Samakal report.
To understand why BNP is raising these concerns, it is important to look back at the Legal Framework Order 1970 and Basic Democracy and how they worked.
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Legal Framework Order
The Legal Framework Order (LFO) was a decree issued by Pakistan's President Yahya Khan. It laid out the principles for the 1970 general election and was announced on 30 March 1970.
The LFO stated that the National Assembly would have 313 seats (including 13 reserved for women), with proportional allocation for the country's two wings, East and West Pakistan. It also required that a new constitution be drafted within 120 days of the National Assembly convening.
Eminent Jurist Dr Shahdeen Malik told The Business Standard that the irony is that Yahya Khan, who came to power on 25 March 1969 and later orchestrated the 1971 genocide in East Pakistan, issued the LFO on 30 March 1970.
He added that if the order issued by Yahya is now being treated as a model after 56 years of independence, then perhaps "we should go back to a united Pakistan to fulfill Yahya Khan's vision."
Basic Democracy
Basic Democracy was introduced by President Ayub Khan in 1959 and became operational in 1960. It was mainly a way to prolong his rule. Citizens did not directly elect the president or assembly members.
Instead, an electoral college of about 80,000 local representatives, known as Basic Democrats, elected the president and national and provincial assembly members. The system ended in 1969 after Ayub Khan's fall from power.
During the meeting, BNP leaders said the Consensus Commission's proposal misleads the public and political parties, and creates division among the stakeholders of the July 2024 uprising. They see it as an attempt to delay the next national election, according to the report.
