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 ;
Balochistan National Movement/Hayee Group or BNM/H ;
Balochistan National Movement/Mengal Group or BNM/M [Sardar Akhtar
MENGAL]; Baluch National Party or BNP ; Jamhoori Watan
Party or JWP ; Jamiat-al-Hadith or JAH ;
Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, Fazlur Rehman faction or JUI/F; Jamiat
Ulema-i-Pakistan, Niazi faction or JUP/NI ; Millat Part
; 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 , and Jamiat
Ulema-i-Pakistan, Noorani faction or JUP/NO; Mutahida Qaumi Movement,
Altaf faction or MQM/A ; National People's Party or NPP
; Pakhtun Khwa Milli Awami Party or PKMAP
; Pakhtun Quami Party or PKQP [Mohammed AFZAL
Khan]; Pakistan Awami Tehrik or PAT ; Pakistan Muslim
League, Functional Group or PML/F ; Pakistan Muslim
League, Junejo faction or PML/J ; Pakistan Muslim
League, Nawaz Sharif faction or PML/N ; Pakistan
National Party or PNP ; Pakistan People's Party or PPP
; Pakistan People's Party/Shaheed Bhutto or PPP/SB
; Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf or PTI
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: (202) 939-6200 FAX: (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: (51) 826161 through 826179 FAX: (51) 276427 consulate(s) general: Karachi consulate(s): Lahore, Peshawar