Pakistan's Reservations on The Rome Statute: A Critical Analysis from Legal and Political Perspectives
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56976/rjsi.v6i2.244Keywords:
International, Legal, Pakistan, Political, RomeAbstract
Pakistan has ratified seven out of nine significant international conventions on human rights. The country strongly supported the establishment of the International Criminal Court and voted in favour of the Rome Statute. However, the country has not ratified the Rome Statute and has expressed its reservations, which inter alia, include more immunity for the head of state, jurisdictional triggers initiated by the UN Security Council, and the doctrine of command responsibility. These reservations are considered a compromise on the state's sovereignty and jurisdiction. This article critically analyzes the reasons why Pakistan did not ratify the Rome Statute. The article further explores the country’s legislative framework embedded in the Constitution that enables it to ratify international treaties, the role of the Parliament, and the Ratification of International Treaties Act, 2013, which formalizes the procedure and grounds for ratification or non-ratification of international treaties. This study also critically examines the political and legal implications of non-ratification of the Rome Statute. The ratification of the Rome Statute by Pakistan may significantly impact the country's good ties with other nations, military and government relations, the country’s GSP Plus status, and domestic legislation following Islamic injunctions. The result of this study suggests that the country must adopt a balanced approach to ratifying the Rome Statute while considering the crucial aspects of state sovereignty, and carefully considering the legal, political, and strategic perspectives involved in such ratification
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