page_title: President of Pakistan
section_title: Figurehead overview
hierarchical_section_title: President of Pakistan / Political background / Figurehead overview
caption_attribution_description: English: President of Pakistan Arif Alvi visits Maritime Ministry, flanked by Maritime Minister Ali Zaidi and Federal Secretary Rizwan Ahmed
context_page_description: The president of Pakistan, is the head of state of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Armed Forces, per the Constitution of Pakistan. The president of Pakistan represents the "unity of the Republic" in accordance to the Constitution of Pakistan.
  The president is kept informed by the prime minister of Pakistan on all matters of internal and foreign policy, as well as all legislative proposals. The Constitution vests the president with the powers of granting pardons, reprieves, and the control of the military; however, all appointments at higher commands of the military must be made by the president on a "required and necessary" basis, upon consultation and approval from the Prime Minister. In addition, the Constitution prohibits the president from exercising the authority of running the government.
  The president is indirectly elected by the Parliament of Pakistan through the Electoral College for a five-year term. The Constitution requires the president to be a "Muslim of not less than forty five years of age". The president resides in an estate in Islamabad known as Aiwan-e-Sadar. There have been a total of 13 presidents.
context_section_description: After the presidential election held in 2008, Asif Ali Zardari lobbied for constitutional amendment to restore the Constitution as it was in 1973.  In 2010, the Parliament unanimously and with a large majority, passed the eighteenth amendment of the constitution. It revoked the presidential powers and changed Pakistan from a semi-presidential system of government to a parliamentary republic, with great hopes of governmental stability in the future.
caption: President Arif Alvi visits Maritime Ministry, flanked by Ali Zaidi and Rizwan Ahmed
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