Legislative branch: 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 March
1999); National Assembly—last held 3 February 1997 (next to be held
NA February 2002)
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
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judicial chiefs are appointed by
the president; Federal Islamic (Shari'a) Court
Political parties and leaders:
government: Pakistan Muslim League, Nawaz Sharif faction or PML/N
frequently shifting: Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan, Niazi faction or
Milli Yakjheti Council or MYC is an umbrella organization which
Ulema-i-Islam, Sami-ul-Haq faction or JUI/S, Tehrik-I-Jafria
Noorani faction or JUP/NO
note: political alliances in Pakistan can shift frequently;
subsequent to the election Jamiat Ulema-i-Islami, Fazlur Rehman
group or JUI/F was disbanded
Political pressure groups and leaders: military remains important
political force; ulema (clergy), landowners, industrialists, and
small merchants also influential
International organization participation: AsDB, C, 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, MONUA, NAM, OAS (observer),
OIC, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM,
UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNOMIG, UNOMIL, UNOMSIL, UNPREDEP, UPU, WCL,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Riaz Hussain KHOKHAR chancery: 2315 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 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 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
Economy—overview: Pakistan continues to suffer through a damaging foreign exchange crisis—stemming from years of loose fiscal policies that have exacerbated inflation and allowed public debt to explode. After accruing more than $1.5 billion in debt arrears in the first six months of FY98/99, Pakistani officials approached multilateral creditors requesting balance-of-payments relief and structural support. In January 1999, Islamabad received more than $1 billion in loans along with $3 billion in debt relief following the Finance Minister DAR's pledge to implement an economic reform program to reduce the budget deficit, deepen the financial sector, and broaden the industrial base. Although the economy has shown signs of improvement following implementation of some corrective measures, Prime Minister SHARIF—historically—has failed to implement the tough structural reforms necessary for sustained, longer-term growth. The government must also cope with long-standing economic vulnerabilities—inadequate infrastructure and low levels of literacy.