War 1965 and Tashkent Accord: A Comparative Assessment of Role of National Assembly of Pakistan in Contrast to Presidential Powers

Abstract

This paper studies the reaction of Pakistan’s National Assembly, unicameral parliament, prior and following the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965. The Assembly was elected through the electoral college of Basic Democrats. Soon after the elections the trouble in Kashmir heightened the tension between Pakistan and India. In democracies there are traditions that parliament discusses the all-important happenings and there is history of parliament’s key role in the conflicts. The paper evaluates the role of Pakistan’s Assembly in 1965’s War as well as consequent Tashkent Accord. Taking an exploratory look at the debates of National Assembly the researchers have assessed the role and views of assemblymen about the declaration of war; their views about the reasons, factors, beginners, events, and outcomes of the war; and their expressions about the Tashkent Accord. The findings of the study mark that the Assembly was far less powerful in contrast to the authoritarian President of country. Along with the debates, the archival sources as well as the secondary sources are consulted for this historical study.