I. Name

Article 1. The Society shall be called SWISS PAKISTAN SOCIETY, hereinafter referred to as the "Society" established under the provisions of Article 60 et seq. of the Swiss Civil Code, with the headquarters in Berne.

II. Aims and Objects

Article 2. The aims and objects of the Society shall be:

1. To intensify and develop the existing cordial relations between Pakistan and Switzerland;
2. To disseminate knowledge in the above fields by means, interalia, of meetings, lectures, symposia, exhibitions, concerts, pamphlets and other publications;
3. To remain non-political and non-denominational.

III. Membership

Article 3. The membership of the Society shall be of the following kinds:

1. Corporate
2. Ordinary: Individual, Family, Student

Article 4. Subject to the approval by the Society's Board, corporate and ordinary membership shall be available to any individual of Swiss or Pakistan citizenship or any juridical person having headquarters in Pakistan or Switzerland who accepts this Constitution and supports the aims and objects of the Society. In special cases, and subject also to the approval by the Society's Board, other nationals too may be accepted as members, provided they agree to subscribe to the aims and objects of the Society. The Board shall consider nominations for honorary membership. If accepted by the Board, the nominations shall be referred to the General Meeting for approval.

Article 5. The Ambassador of Pakistan in Switzerland shall be invited to be the Patron of the Society.

Article 6. The entrance fees and annual subscriptions for corporate and ordinary memberships shall be fixed by the General Meeting on the recommendation of the Board.

Article 7. Subjects to be discussed at the Annual General Meeting should be submitted to the Board at least five days prior to the Meeting. Members can terminate their membership of the Society after giving a six-month notice by registered letter addressed to the Board at the end of a calendar year.

IV. Organisation

Article 8. The organs of the Society are:

1. The General Meeting
2. The Board

Article 9. The General Meeting shall be the supreme body of the Society. It shall meet at least once annually not later than the end of March, and may be called by the Board or at the request of one fifth of membership. A notice of fifteen days shall be given to all members before a General Meeting is held.

Article 10. The General Meeting shall normally transact the following business:

1. Approval of the report on the working and progress of Society for the previous year;
2. Consideration of matters referred to it by the Board or by members;
3. Approval of guidelines for the programme of activities of the Society for the year;
4. Fixing the level of entrance fees and annual subscriptions payable by members during the year;
5. Approval of the Statement of Accounts for the preceding year and the budget for the current year;
6. Election of the Board members (See article 11);
7. Election of two auditors

Article 11. The Board shall consist of:

1. a President
2. two Vice-Presidents
3. an Executive Vice President (with Treasury portfolio)
4. a Secretary
5. two members without portfolio
6. The board members of the previous tenure who have handed over their responsibilities to new elected members shall remain honorary members of the board for one more term.

If in a meeting of the Board there is an equality of votes, the President will use his casting vote.

Article 12. The tenure of office of Board members shall be two years. They shall be eligible for re-election. In order to ensure continuity in the activities of the Society, at least three members of the Board shall, as far as possible, be re-elected.

Article 13. Vacancy or vacancies on the Board shall be filled by the latter, and the member(s) so co-opted shall hold office until next elections.

V. Functions of the Board members

Article 14. The Board shall conduct the affairs of the Society and represent it to the outside world. It shall determine the Society's programme of activities and supervise its finances. It shall draw up its own rules of procedure.

Article 15. The President shall supervise all activities of the Society and preside at the General Meetings, meetings of the Board and other functions. He shall be responsible for the proper functioning of the Society and the realisation of its aims and objects.

Article 16. The two Vice-Presidents shall assume, in the order of their availability, the functions of the President whenever the need arises. They shall also perform special tasks that may be entrusted to them by the Board.

Article 17. The Secretary shall be responsible for the following:

1. Issuing timely notice for meetings, functions etc.;
2. Preparing minutes of all meetings and circulating them directly to members within a fortnight of the meeting;
3. Preparing the annual report for the General Meeting in consultation with the Board;
4. Keeping an up-to-date list of members and keeping the Treasurer informed;
5. Maintaining the entire record and the archives of the Society.

Article 18. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the following:

1. All financial transactions of the Society;
2. Collection of member's subscriptions (including entrance fees, if any) and keeping the Secretary informed;
3. Payment of all bills for expenses incurred by the Board of by any individual member of the Board on behalf of the Society;
4. Presentation to the General Meeting of the audited annual Statement of Accounts;
5. Presentation to the General Meeting of the annual budget for the year.

VI. Amendments to the Constitution of the Society

Article 19. Amendments to the Constitution may be proposed in writing by the Board or by any member of the Society and circulated to all members at least 20 days before a General Meeting.

Decisions on such amendments shall be taken by a two-thirds majority of the members present at a General Meeting, it being understood that at least one-third of the members of the Society are present at such a Meeting.

If the required quorum is not available at the Meeting, a new General Meeting shall be called in which amendments to the Constitution shall be decided upon the two-thirds majority of members present.