It is no coincidence that there is talk once again in the country of switching to a different system of government. What began as hushed whispers and tentative advice, has since morphed into popular hashtags on Twitter and intense debates on primetime news television. As has been the case in the past, criticism of the parliamentary system is being proposed as an alternative to a criticism of a government that has failed to deliver on many of its campaign promises and refuses to acknowledge guilt or inadequacy. There is little that is organic about such debates.

Be that as it may, it is of course healthy for societies to step back and take stock of a situation to find solutions better equipped to deal with their unique challenges. But at the heart of all such activity there needs to be a genuine intent to find solutions that truly test a people. If the intent is to consolidate power to further undermine an otherwise functional system, there is legitimacy in questioning the argument altogether. Pakistan has had its fair share of troubles when it comes to the history of its parliamentary democracy. But it has been more than obvious that the turbulence in the functioning of its parliamentary democracy, among other reasons, has been due to the parliamentarians, who have failed to uphold the spirit of the system.

This week, in the backdrop of this raging debate, we zoom in on the presidents of Pakistan. From those that stuck to their constitutional roles to those who were more ambitious when it came to consolidating power to those who stood out because of their individual political acumen, this week, we look at all our presidents.