For Pakistanis who aspire to immigrate to the US, the latest ruling from a US federal court is

A policy that had suspended the processing of immigrant visas for nationals of 75 countries, including Pakistan, has been struck down by US District Judge Jeannette Vargas, who found that the Trump administration had exceeded the statutory authority of Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The court held that nationality could not be used as a blanket basis to prohibit the issuance of immigrant visas when Congress had assigned consular officers the authority to assess individual applications. This matters considerably in Pakistan, where the US remains a major destination for those seeking better economic opportunities.

The executive branch of the world's most powerful democracy does not possess unbridled power.

Earlier this year, the US Supreme Court also rejected Trump's attempt to restrict birthright citizenship.

Its institutions are designed to place limits on one another. This is ultimately a reminder of what makes a pluralistic democracy resilient.

Pluralism requires institutions capable of protecting vulnerable communities from the arbitrary exercise of power.

This requires an elected government to remain subject to the law, even when it enjoys considerable political support - a principle Pakistan has much to learn from.