Executive branch:
note: following a military takeover on 12 October 1999, Chief of
Army Staff and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee,
General Pervez MUSHARRAF, suspended Pakistan's constitution and
assumed the additional title of Chief Executive; on 12 May 2000,
Pakistan's Supreme Court unanimously validated the October 1999 coup
and granted MUSHARRAF executive and legislative authority for three
years from the coup date; on 20 June 2001, MUSHARRAF named himself
as president and was sworn in, replacing Mohammad Rafiq TARAR; in a
referendum held on 30 April 2002, MUSHARRAF's presidency was
extended by five more years; on 1 January 2004, MUSHARRAF won a vote
of confidence in the Senate, National Assembly, and four provincial
assemblies
chief of state: President General Pervez MUSHARRAF (since 20 June
2001)
head of government: Prime Minister Shaukat AZIZ (since 28 August
2004)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
elections: the president is elected by Parliament for a five-year
term; note - in a referendum held on 30 April 2002, MUSHARRAF's
presidency was extended by five more years (next to be held NA
2007); the prime minister is selected by the National Assembly for a
five-year term (next to be held NA 2007)
election results: AZIZ elected by the National Assembly on 27 August
2004 with 191 of the votes
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Majlis-e-Shoora consists of the Senate (100
seats - formerly 87; members indirectly elected by provincial
assemblies to serve four-year terms; and the National Assembly (342
seats - formerly 217; 60 seats represent women; 10 seats represent
minorities; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 24 and 27 February 2003 (next to be
held by February 2007); National Assembly - last held 10 October
2002 (next to be held by October 2006)
election results: Senate results - percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - PML/Q 40, PPPP 11, MMA 21, MQM/A 6, PML/N 4, NA 3,
PML/F 1, PkMAP 2, ANP 2, PPP/S 2, JWP 1, BNP-Awami 1, BNP-Mengal 1,
BNM/H 1, independents 4; National Assembly results - percent of
votes by party - NA%; seats by party - PML/Q 126, PPPP 81, MMA 63,
PML/N 19, MQM/A 17, NA 16, PML/F 5, PML/J 3, PPP/S 2, BNP 1, JWP 1,
PAT 1, PML/Z 1, PTI 1, MQM/H 1, PkMAP 1, independents 3
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (justices appointed by the president); Federal
Islamic or Shari'a Court
Political parties and leaders:
Awami National Party or ANP [Wali KHAN]; Balochistan National
Movement/Hayee Group or BNM/H [Dr. Hayee BALUCH]; Baluch National
Party/Awami or BNP/Awami [Moheem Khan BALOCH]; Baluch National
Party-Mengal or BNP/M [Sardar Ataullah MENGAL]; Jamhoori Watan Party
or JWP [Akbar Khan BUGTI]; Jamiat-al-Hadith or JAH [Sajid MIR];
Jamiat-i-Islami or JI [Qazi Hussain AHMED]; Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam,
Fazlur Rehman faction or JUI/F [Fazlur REHMAN]; Jamiat
Ulema-i-Islam, Sami ul-HAQ faction or JUI/S [Sami ul-HAQ]; Jamiat
Ulema-i-Pakistan or JUP [Shah Faridul HAQ]; Millat Party or MP
[Farooq LEGHARI]; Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal Pakistan or MMA [Qazi
Hussain AHMED]; Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Altaf faction or MQM/A
[Altaf HUSSAIN]; Muttahida Quami Movement, Haqiqi faction or MQM/H
[Afaq AHMAD]; National People's Party or NPP [Ghulam Mustapha
JATOI]; Pakhtun Khwa Milli Awami Party or PkMAP [Mahmood Khan
ACHAKZAI]; Pakhtun Quami Party or PQP [Mohammed Afzal KHAN];
Pakistan Awami Tehrik or PAT [Tahir ul QADRI]; Pakistan Democratic
Party or PDP [Mehbooba Mufti SAYEED]; Pakistan Muslim League,
Functional Group or PML/F [Pir PAGARO]; Pakistan Muslim League,
Nawaz Sharif faction or PML/N [Nawaz SHARIF]; Pakistan Muslim League
or PML [Chaudhry Shujaat HUSSAIN]; note - as of May 2004, the PML/Q
changed its name to PML and absorbed the PML/J, PML/Z, and NA;
Pakistan National Party or PNP [Hasil BIZENJO]; Pakistan People's
Party or PPP [Aftab Ahmed Khan SHERPAO]; Pakistan People's Party
Parliamentarians or PPPP [Benazir BHUTTO]; Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf
or PTI [Imran KHAN]; Tehrik-i-Islami [Allama Sajid NAQVI]
note: political alliances in Pakistan can shift frequently
Political pressure groups and leaders:
military remains most important political force; ulema (clergy),
landowners, industrialists, and small merchants also influential
International organization participation:
ARF, AsDB, C (reinstated 2004), CP, ECO, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM,
OAS (observer), OIC, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNAMSIL,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMISET, UNOCI,
UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jehangir KARAMAT
chancery: 3517 International Court, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 243-3277
FAX: [1] (202) 686-1534
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York, Sunnyvale (California)
consulate(s): Chicago, Houston
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ryan CROCKER
embassy: Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5, Islamabad
mailing address: P. O. Box 1048, Unit 62200, APO AE 09812-2200
telephone: [92] (51) 2080-0000
FAX: [92] (51) 2276427
consulate(s): Karachi, 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