Provisional Constitutional Order
| Provisional Constitutional Order | |
|---|---|
| Martial law | |
| Territorial extent | Whole of State of Pakistan |
| Enacted by | Martial law |
| Administered by | Chief Martial Law Administrator |
| White paper | Constitution Petition No. 8 & 9 of 2009 |
| Legislative history | |
| Introduced by | Zia regime |
| Introduced | 25 March 1981 |
| First reading | 14 October 1999 |
| Second reading | 7 November 2007 |
| Related legislation | |
| 18th Amendment | |
| Status: Not fully in force | |
The Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) is an emergency and extra-constitutional order that suspends either wholly or partially the Constitution of Pakistan — the supreme law of the land.
The PCO acts as a temporary order while the constitution is held in abeyance or suspension. These orders have mostly been enforced during times of martial law imposed by the armed forces of the country against the civilian governments.