Politics in Pakistan refers to the ideologies and systems by which Pakistan was established in 1947.[1] As envisaged by the nation's founding father, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Pakistan is a nation-state, constitutionally a democratic parliamentary republic.[2] The national cabinet, led by the Prime Minister of Pakistan has executive power and the president is the head of state elected by the electoral college.[3] Pakistan is one of the youngest democracies in the world, established in 2003.[4] Pakistan's political system is based on an elected form of governance.[5] The democratic elections held in 2008 were the first to conclude a 5-year term in the nation's political history. However, since the country's inception, the military has had disproportionate power over state affairs.[6] Several military interventions have disrupted Pakistan's democracy. These interventions include takeovers by General Ayub Khan (1958-1969), General Yahya Khan (1969-1971), General Zia Ul Haq (1978-1988), and General Pervez Musharraf (2001-2008).[6]