Names:
conventional long form:
Islamic Republic of Pakistan
conventional short form:
Pakistan
former:
West Pakistan
Digraph:
PK
Type:
republic
Capital:
Islamabad
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
Independence:
14 August 1947 (from UK)
Constitution:
10 April 1973, suspended 5 July 1977, restored with amendments, 30 December
1985
Legal system:
based on English common law with provisions to accommodate Pakistan's
stature as an Islamic state; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations
National holiday:
Pakistan Day, 23 March (1956) (proclamation of the republic)
Political parties and leaders:
government:
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Mian Nawaz SHARIF; Jamhoori Watan
Party (JWP), Mohammad Akbar Khan BUGTI; Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI),
Fazl-ur-REHMAN and Sami-ul-HAQ; Awami National Party (ANP), Khan Abdul WALI
KHAN; Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan-Niazi, Maulana Abdul Sattar Khan NIAZI;
Pakhtun Khwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP), Mahmood Khan ACHAKZAI
opposition:
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Benazir BHUTTO and Nusrat BHUTTO; Pakistan
Muslim League-Chattha (PML-C), Hamid Nasir CHATTHA; Jamaat-i-Islami (JI),
Qazi Hussain AHMED; National People's Party (NPP), Ghulam Mustapha JATOI
(formerly the PNP); Tehrik-i-Istiqlal (TI), Air Marshal (Ret.) Mohammad
ASGHAR KHAN; Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Fiqah-i-Jafaria (TNFJ), Agha Hamid Ali MUSAVI;
Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan-Noorani (JUP-Noorani), Maulana Shah Ahmed NOORANI;
Mohajir Quami Mahaz-Haqiqi (MQM-H), Afaq AHMED
Other political or pressure groups:
military remains important political force; ulema (clergy), landowners,
industrialists, and small merchants also influential
Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal
Elections:
President:
last held on 12 December 1988 (next to be held by NA November 1993); results
- Ghulam ISHAQ KHAN was elected by Parliament and the four provincial
assemblies
*Pakistan, Government
Senate:
last held March 1991 (next to be held NA March 1994); seats - (87 total) PML
52, Tribal Area Representatives (nonparty) 8, PPP 5, ANP 5, JWP 4, MQM 3,
PNP 2 (name later chaged to NPP), JI 2, JUP 2, JUI 2, PKMAP 1, independent 1
National Assembly:
last held on 24 October 1990 (next to be held by October 1995); results -
percent of vote by party NA; seats - (217 total) number of seats by party
NA; note - President GHULAM ISHAQ Khan dismissed the National Assembly on 18
April 1993; it was reestablished, however, on 26 May 1993 by the Supreme
Court, which ruled the dismissal order unconstitutional
Executive branch:
president, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament (Majlis-e-Shoora) consists of an upper house or Senate
and a lower house or National Assembly
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court, Federal Islamic (Shari'at) Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President Ghulam ISHAQ KHAN (since 13 December 1988)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Mian Nawaz SHARIF (since 6 November 1990); note - President
GHULAM ISHAQ Khan dismissed Prime Minister SHARIF on 18 April 1993, but he
was reinstated by the Supreme Court on 26 May 1993
Member of:
AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, NAM, OAS
(observer), OIC, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM,
UNOSOM, UNTAC, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
(vacant)
chancery:
2315 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
(202) 939-6200
consulate general:
New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador John MONJO
embassy:
Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5, Islamabad
mailing address:
P. O. Box 1048, PSC 1212, Box 2000, Islamabad or APO AE 09812-2000
telephone:
[92] (51) 826161 through 79
FAX:
[92] (51) 822004
consulates general:
Karachi, Lahore
consulate:
Peshawar
Flag:
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
*Pakistan, Economy
Overview:
Pakistan is a poor Third World country faced with the usual problems of
rapidly increasing population, sizable government deficits, and heavy
dependence on foreign aid. In addition, the economy must support a large
military establishment. A real economic growth rate averaging 5-6% in recent
years has helped the country to cope with these problems. Almost all
agriculture and small-scale industry is in private hands. In 1990, Pakistan
embarked on a sweeping economic liberalization program to boost foreign and
domestic private investment and lower foreign aid dependence. The SHARIF
government denationalized several state-owned firms and attracted some
foreign investment. Pakistan likely will have difficulty raising living
standards because of its rapidly expanding population. At the current rate
of growth, population would double in 25 years.
National product:
GNP - exchange rate conversion - $48.3 billion (FY92 est.)
National product real growth rate:
6.4% (FY92 est.)
National product per capita:
$410 (FY92 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
12.7% (FY91)
Unemployment rate:
10% (FY91 est.)
Budget:
revenues $9.4 billion; expenditures $10.9 billion, including capital
expenditures of $3.1 billion (FY93 est.)
Exports:
$6.8 billion (f.o.b., FY92)
commodities:
cotton, textiles, clothing, rice
partners:
EC 35%, US 11%, Japan 8% (FY91)
Imports:
$9.1 billion (f.o.b., FY92)
commodities:
petroleum, petroleum products, machinery, transportation, equipment,
vegetable oils, animal fats, chemicals
partners:
EC 29%, Japan 13%, US 12% (FY91)
External debt:
$16.5 billion (1992 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 5.7% (FY91); accounts for almost 20% of GNP
Electricity:
10,000,000 kW capacity; 43,000 million kWh produced, 350 kWh per capita
(1992)
Industries:
textiles, food processing, beverages, construction materials, clothing,
paper products, shrimp
Agriculture:
25% of GNP, over 50% of labor force; world's largest contiguous irrigation
system; major crops - cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables;
livestock products - milk, beef, mutton, eggs; self-sufficient in food grain
Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of opium and hashish for the international drug trade;
government eradication efforts on poppy cultivation of limited success;
largest producer of Southwest Asian heroin
*Pakistan, Economy
Economic aid:
(including Bangladesh prior to 1972) US commitments, including Ex-Im
(FY70-89), $4.5 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1980-89), $9.1 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $2.3
billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $3.2 billion
Currency:
1 Pakistani rupee (PRe) = 100 paisa
Exchange rates:
Pakistani rupees (PRs) per US$1 - 25.904 (January 1993), 25.083 (1992),
23.801 (1991), 21.707 (1990), 20.541 (1989), 18.003 (1988)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
*Pakistan, Communications
Railroads:
8,773 km total; 7,718 km broad gauge, 445 km 1-meter gauge, and 610 km less
than 1-meter gauge; 1,037 km broad-gauge double track; 286 km electrified;
all government owned (1985)
Highways:
101,315 km total (1987); 40,155 km paved, 23,000 km gravel, 29,000 km
improved earth, and 9,160 km unimproved earth or sand tracks (1985)
Pipelines:
crude oil 250 km; natural gas 4,044 km; petroleum products 885 km (1987)
Ports:
Gwadar, Karachi, Port Muhammad bin Qasim
Merchant marine:
29 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 350,916 GRT/530,855 DWT; includes 3
passenger-cargo, 24 cargo, 1 oil tanker, 1 bulk
Airports:
total:
111
usable:
104
with permanent-surface runways:
75
with runways over 3,659 m:
1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
31
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
42
Telecommunications:
the domestic telephone system is poor, adequate only for government and
business use; about 7 telephones per 1,000 persons; the system for
international traffic is better and employs both microwave radio relay and
satellites; satellite ground stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 2
Indian Ocean INTELSAT; broadcast stations - 19 AM, 8 FM, 29 TV
*Pakistan, Defense Forces