Despite passage in July of the 18th amendment to the Pakistani constitution, which restored it to the form in which it was promulgated in 1973, political and executive authority remains in the hands of President Asif Ali Zardari. The changes are supposed to make the executive branch accountable to the elected parliament, expand the prime minister’s authority, devolve more power to the provinces, and ensure independence to the judiciary.
政治体系同样充满动荡。 尽管7月18日巴基斯坦宪法修正案获得通过，从而使宪法恢复到1973年颁布时的形式，但掌握政治和行政大权的仍然是巴基斯坦总统阿西夫·阿里·扎尔达里。 修宪旨在让行政部门对当选议会负责，扩大总理权力，下放权力给地方各省，并确保司法独立。 2009年末，总统还批准召开第七次全国金融委员会，批准将中央政府收入的更大份额向地方财政拨付。 但从总统到议会、从中央到地方的大规模权力转移还远未完成。