Pakistan
Islamic Republic of Pakistan
federal republicIndependence 14 August 1947 (from UK)
Pakistan as the 2000 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 110 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
The separation in 1947 of British India into the Muslim state of Pakistan (with two sections West and East) and largely Hindu India was never satisfactorily resolved. A third war between these countries in 1971 resulted in East Pakistan seceding and becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. A dispute over the state of Kashmir is ongoing. In response to Indian nuclear weapons testing, Pakistan conducted its own tests in 1998.
Geography
Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north
18 fieldsLand useshare of 803,940 sq km
Location
Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north
Natural resources
land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited petroleum, poor quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone
Natural hazards
frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August)
Environment - current issues
- water pollution from raw sewage, industrial wastes, and agricultural runoff;
- limited natural fresh water resources;
- a majority of the population does not have access to potable water;
- deforestation;
- soil erosion;
- desertification
Environment - international agreements
- party to:
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
- signed, but not ratified:
- Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note
controls Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, traditional invasion routes between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(2000 est.)
Male · female
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 41% (male 29,880,574; female 28,145,247)
- 15-64 years:
- 55% (male 39,751,222; female 37,981,378)
- 65 years and over:
- 4% (male 2,856,305; female 2,939,049) (2000 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.97 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 1.05 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Ethnic groups
Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch, Muhajir (immigrants from India at the time of partition and their descendants)
Languages
Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Siraiki (a Punjabi variant) 10%, Pashtu 8%, Urdu (official) 8%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2%, Brahui 1%, English (official and lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries), Burushaski, and other 8%
Government
Federal republic; President Mohammad Rafiq TARAR (since 31 December 1997); Chief Executive Gen. Pervez MUSHARRAF (since 12 October 1999)
19 fieldsSenate, 217 seats, elected 12 March 1997one dot, one seat
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Islamic Republic of Pakistan
- conventional short form:
- Pakistan
- former:
- West Pakistan
Administrative divisions
- 4 provinces, 1 territory*, and 1 capital territory**;
- Balochistan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas*, Islamabad Capital Territory**, North-West Frontier, Punjab, Sindh
note: the Pakistani-administered portion of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region includes Azad Kashmir and the Northern Areas
Constitution
10 April 1973, suspended 5 July 1977, restored with amendments 30 December 1985; suspended 15 October 1999
Legal system
based on English common law with provisions to accommodate Pakistan's status as an Islamic state; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage
- 21 years of age;
- universal;
- separate electorates and reserved parliamentary seats for non-Muslims
Executive branch
note: following a military takeover on 12 October 1999, Chief of Army Staff and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Gen. Pervez MUSHARRAF suspended Pakistan's constitution and assumed the additional title of Chief Executive;
exercising the powers of the head of the government, he appointed an eight-member National Security Council to function as Pakistan's supreme governing body; President Mohammad Rafiq TARAR remains the ceremonial chief of state
- chief of state:
- President Mohammad Rafiq TARAR (since 31 December 1997)
- head of government:
- Chief Executive Gen. Pervez MUSHARRAF (since 12 October 1999)
- cabinet:
- Cabinet appointed by the chief executive
- elections:
- president elected by Parliament for a five-year term; election last held 31 December 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by the National Assembly; election last held 3 February 1997 (next to be held NA); note - Gen. Pervez MUSHARRAF overthrew the government of Prime Minister Mohammad Nawaz SHARIF in the military takeover of 12 October 1999; in May 2000, the Supreme Court validated the October 1999 coup and set a three-year limit in office for Chief Executive MUSHARRAF
- election results:
- Rafiq TARAR elected president;
- percent of Parliament and provincial vote - NA;
- results are for the last election for prime minister prior to the military takeover of 12 October 1999 - Mohammad Nawaz SHARIF elected prime minister;
- percent of National Assembly vote - NA
Legislative branch
note - Gen. Pervez MUSHARRAF dissolved Parliament following the military takeover of 12 October 1999; bicameral Parliament or Majlis-e-Shoora consists of the Senate (87 seats; members indirectly elected by provincial assemblies to serve six-year terms; one-third of the members up for election every two years) and the National Assembly (217 seats - 10 represent non-Muslims; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
- elections:
- Senate - last held 12 March 1997 (next to be held NA);
- National Assembly - last held 3 February 1997 (next to be held NA);
- note - no timetable has yet been given for elections following the military takeover
- election results:
- Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PML/N 30, PPP 17, ANP 7, MQM/A 6, JWP 5, BNP 4, JUI/F 2, PML/J 2, BNM/M 1, PKMAP 1, TJP 1, independents 6, vacant 5; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PML/N 137, PPP 18, MQM/A 12, ANP 10, BNP 3, JWP 2, JUI/F 2, PPP/SB 1, NPP 1, independents 21, minorities 10; note - Gen. Pervez MUSHARRAF dismissed Parliament 15 October 1999
Judicial branch
Supreme Court, judicial chiefs are appointed by the president; Federal Islamic (Shari'a) Court
Political parties and leaders
note: Gen. Pervez MUSHARRAF dissolved Parliament following the military takeover of 12 October 1999, however, political parties have been allowed to operate;
Awami National Party or ANP [Wali KHAN]; Balochistan National Movement/Hayee Group or BNM/H [Dr. HAYEE Baluch]; Balochistan National Movement/Mengal Group or BNM/M [Sardar Akhtar MENGAL]; Baluch National Party or BNP [leader NA]; Jamhoori Watan Party or JWP [Akbar Khan BUGTI];
Jamiat-al-Hadith or JAH [leader NA]; Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, Fazlur Rehman faction or JUI/F; Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan, Niazi faction or JUP/NI [leader NA]; Millat Part [Farooq LEGHARI]; Milli Yakjheti Council or MYC is an umbrella organization which includes Jamaat-i-Islami or JI [Qazi Hussain AHMED], Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, Sami-ul-Haq faction or JUI/S, Tehrik-I-Jafria Pakistan or TJP [Allama Sajid NAQVI], and Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan, Noorani faction or JUP/NO;
Mutahida Qaumi Movement, Altaf faction or MQM/A [Altaf HUSSAIN]; National People's Party or NPP [Ghulam Mustapha JATOI]; Pakhtun Khwa Milli Awami Party or PKMAP [Mahmood Khan ACHAKZAI]; Pakhtun Quami Party or PKQP [Mohammed AFZAL Khan]; Pakistan Awami Tehrik or PAT [Tahir ul QADRI];
Pakistan Muslim League, Functional Group or PML/F [Pir PAGARO]; Pakistan Muslim League, Junejo faction or PML/J [Hamid Nasir CHATTHA]; Pakistan Muslim League, Nawaz Sharif faction or PML/N [Nawaz SHARIF]; Pakistan National Party or PNP [leader NA]; Pakistan People's Party or PPP [Benazir BHUTTO]; Pakistan People's Party/Shaheed Bhutto or PPP/SB [Ghinva BHUTTO]; Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf or PTI [Imran KHAN]
note: political alliances in Pakistan can shift frequently
Political pressure groups and leaders
military remains important political force; ulema (clergy), landowners, industrialists, and small merchants also influential
International organization participation
AsDB, C (suspended), CCC, CP, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNOMIG, UNTAET, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Maleeha LODHI
- chancery:
- 2315 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 939-6200
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 387-0484
- consulate(s) general:
- Los Angeles and New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador William MILAM
- embassy:
- Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5, Islamabad
- mailing address:
- P. O. Box 1048, Unit 62200, APO AE 09812-2200
- telephone:
- [92] (51) 826161 through 826179
- FAX:
- [92] (51) 276427
- consulate(s) general:
- Karachi
- consulate(s):
- Lahore, Peshawar
Flag description
- green with a vertical white band (symbolizing the role of religious minorities) on the hoist side;
- a large white crescent and star are centered in the green field;
- the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam
Economy
Pakistan is a poor, heavily populated country, suffering from internal political disputes, lack of foreign investment, and a costly confrontation with neighboring India.
31 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(1998 est.)
Electricity
Economy - overview
Pakistan is a poor, heavily populated country, suffering from internal political disputes, lack of foreign investment, and a costly confrontation with neighboring India. Pakistan's economic outlook continues to be marred by its weak foreign exchange position, notably its continued reliance on international creditors for hard currency inflows.
The MUSHARRAF government faces $32 billion in external debt and has nearly completed rescheduling with Paris Club members and other bilateral creditors. Foreign loans and grants provide approximately 25% of government revenue, but debt service obligations total nearly 50% of government expenditure.
The IMF has remained silent on future disbursements from its $1.56 billion bailout package initiated in 1999, and other international financial institutions are gauging the current administration's resolve to implement necessary fiscal reforms. MUSHARRAF's ambitious economic agenda includes measures to widen the tax net, privatize public sector assets, and improve its balance of trade position.
Pakistan has made privatization a cornerstone of economic revival, but may have difficulty attracting new investors until it receives positive endorsement from the World Bank. The Bank has withheld its approval pending resolution of the pricing dispute between the government and independent power producers.
Labor force
38.6 million (1999) note: extensive export of labor, mostly to the Middle East, and use of child labor
Industries
textiles, food processing, beverages, construction materials, clothing, paper products, shrimp
Imports - commodities
machinery, petroleum, petroleum products, chemicals, transportation equipment, edible oils, grains, pulses, flour
Exchange rates
Pakistani rupees (PRs) per US$1 - 51.90 (December 1999), 44.550 (1998), 40.185 (1997), 35.266 (1996), 30.930 (1995)
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone system
- the domestic system is mediocre, but improving;
- service is adequate for government and business use, in part because major businesses have established their own private systems;
- since 1988, the government has promoted investment in the national telecommunications system on a priority basis, significantly increasing network capacity;
- despite major improvements in trunk and urban systems, telecommunication services are still not readily available to the majority of the rural population
- domestic:
- microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable, cellular, and satellite
- international:
- satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean);
- 3 operational international gateway exchanges (1 at Karachi and 2 at Islamabad);
- microwave radio relay to neighboring countries
Transportation
9 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right
Networkskm
Railways
- total:
- 8,163 km
- broad gauge:
- 7,718 km 1.676-m gauge (293 km electrified; 1,037 km double track)
- narrow gauge:
- 445 km 1.000-m gauge (1996 est.)
Highways
- total:
- 247,811 km
- paved:
- 141,252 km (including 339 km of expressways)
- unpaved:
- 106,559 km (1998 est.)
Merchant marine
- total:
- 20 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 288,249 GRT/444,451 DWT
- ships by type:
- bulk 1, cargo 15, container 3, petroleum tanker 1 (1999 est.)
Military
Army, Navy, Air Force, Civil Armed Forces, National Guard
7 fieldsTransnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes - international
status of Kashmir with India; water-sharing problems with India over the Indus River (Wular Barrage)
Illicit drugs
- producer of illicit opium and hashish for the international drug trade (poppy cultivation in 1999 - 1,570 hectares, a 48% drop from 1998 because of eradication and alternative development);
- key transit area for Southwest Asian heroin moving to Western markets;
- narcotics still move from Afghanistan into Balochistan Province [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Pakistan.” The World Factbook 2000. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/pakistan/2000.