Constitution

Part II · Fundamental Rights and Principles of Policy · Principles of Policy

Promotion of social and economic wellbeing of the people

Article 38

Amended by 18th Amendment (2010)

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English · authoritative

The State shall––

(a)

secure the well-being of the people, irrespective of sex, caste, creed or race, by raising their standard of living, by preventing the concentration of wealth and means of production and distribution in the hands of a few to the detriment of general interest and by ensuring equitable adjustment of rights between employers and employees, and landlords and tenants;

(b)

provide for all citizens, within the available resources of the country, facilities for work and adequate livelihood with reasonable rest and leisure;

(c)

provide for all persons employed in the service of Pakistan or otherwise, social security by compulsory social insurance or other means;

(d)

provide basic necessities of life, such as food, clothing, housing, education and medical relief, for all such citizens, irrespective of sex, caste, creed or race, as are permanently or temporarily unable to earn their livelihood on account of infirmity, sickness or unemployment;

(e)

reduce disparity in the income and earnings of individuals, including persons in the various classes of the service of Pakistan; 1*

2[(f)

eliminate riba completly before the first day of January, two thousand twenty-eight; and]

3[(g)

ensure that the shares of the Provinces in all Federal services, including autonomous bodies and corporations established by, or under the control of, the Federal Government, shall be secured and any omission in the allocation of the shares of the Provinces in the past shall be rectified.]

Urdu · official translation (2018)

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Amendment notes (3)›
  1. 1The word “and” omitted by the Constitution (Eighteenth Amdt.) Act, 2010 (10 of 2010), section 12.
  2. 2Substituted by the Constituion (Twenty-sixth Amdt.) Act, 2024 (26 of 2024). section 3.
  3. 3New paragraph (g) added by Act 10 of 2010, section 12.

How to cite

In a petition
Article 38 of the Constitution
With heading
Article 38 of the Constitution (Promotion of social and economic wellbeing of the people)
In full
Article 38, Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973

English text as amended up to 21 November 2025 (27th Amendment), published by Ministry of Law and Justice / National Assembly of Pakistan. The English text is authoritative. Official PDF, page 41