Prime Ministers role and powers

Prime Minister

Prime Minister enjoys a very important position in the Cabinet and being an important advisor of the President, the whole administrative machinery revolves around him. He is, on the one hand, Chief of the administration and on the other hand, leader of the House.


As Head of the Cabinet
Prime Minister is the head of the Cabinet and in this capacity he supervises the working of different governmental departments and also coordinates their activities. He has final say in regard to the formation of the Cabinet, as he prepares a list of the ministers to be submitted for its approval by the President. He can ask any minister to resign and in all Cabinet meetings his opinion weighs heavily. He resolves all differences between his Cabinet members and maintains homogeneity.

As Leader of the House
Being the leader of the majority party in National Assembly, the Prime Minister is regarded as leader of the House. In this capacity he issues important statements regarding policy matters, he remains in close contact with the leader of the opposition to decide different matters relating to agenda and the business of the House. It is on the advice of the Prime Minister that the President normally summons, prorogues and is supposed to dissolve the National Assembly.

As a National Leader
Once appointed as Prime Minister, a person ceases to be a mere party leader, he rather becomes the leader of the nation. His speeches carry weight, ideas propagated and opinion held in esteem. Not only the national press but international press also gives full coverage to his view point. People highly honor his opinion on national issues and look at him for guidance. He enjoys a unique position to mould public opinion through his much publicized speeches.

Link between President and the Cabinet
The constitution requires that the Prime Minister should act as a link between the Cabinet and the President. As all the powers of federal government, legally speaking, are exercised in the name of the President, it is, therefore, duty of the Prime Minister to keep the President informed about all important policy matters. No doubt, every federal minister as incharge of a portfolio, has direct access to the President, it is the Prime Minister who keeps direct links with the President.