Country name:
conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Pakistan
conventional short form: Pakistan
former: West Pakistan
Government type:
federal republic
Capital:
Islamabad
Administrative divisions:
4 provinces, 1 territory*, and 1 capital territory**; Balochistan,
Federally Administered Tribal Areas*, Islamabad Capital Territory**,
North-West Frontier Province, 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)
National holiday:
Republic Day, 23 March (1956)
Constitution:
10 April 1973, suspended 5 July 1977, restored with amendments 30
December 1985; suspended 15 October 1999, restored on 31 December
2002
note: selected provisions of the Constitution pertaining to changes
President MUSHARRAF made while the Constitution was suspended,
remain contested by political opponents
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:
18 years of age; universal; joint electorates and reserved
parliamentary seats for women and 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,
General 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; 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
chief of state: President Pervez MUSHARRAF (since 20 June 2001)
head of government: Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan JAMALI (since
23 November 2002)
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
four-year term (next to be held NA 2006)
election results: results are for the 10 October 2002 election for
prime minister - Mir Zafarullah Khan JAMALI elected prime minister
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the Prime Minister
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)
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
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)
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 or BNP [Sardar Akhtar MENGAL]; Baluch National Party/Awami or
BNP/Awami [Moheem Kahn BALOCH]; Jamhoori Watan Party or JWP [Akbar
Khan BUGTI]; Jamiat-al-Hadith or JAH [Sajid MIR]; 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-i-Islami or JI [Qazi Hussain AHMED]; Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan,
Noorani faction or JUP/NO [Shah Ahmad NOORANI]; Millat Party or MP
[Farooq LEGHARI]; Mutahida Qaumi Movement, Altaf faction or MQM/A
[Altaf HUSSAIN]; Muhajir Quami Movement, Haqiqi faction or MQM/H
[Afaq AHMAD]; Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal Pakistan or MMA [leader NA];
National Alliance or NA [Farooq Ahmad Khan LEGHARI]; 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 [Nawabadzada KHAN];
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 Muslim League, Quaid-l-Azam faction or
PML/Q [Chaudhry Shujjat HUSSEIN]; Pakistan Muslim League, Zia-ul-HAQ
or PML/Z [Ejaz ul-Haq]; Pakistan National Party or PNP [Hasil
BIZENJO]; Pakistan People's Party or PPP [Benazir BHUTTO]; Pakistan
People's Party/Sherpao or PPP/S [Aftab Ahmed Khan SHERPAO]; Pakistan
People's Party/Shaheed Bhutto or PPP/SB [Ghinva BHUTTO]; Pakistan
People's Party Parliamentarians or PPPP [Amin FAHIM]; Pakistan
Tehrik-e-Insaaf or PTI [Imran KHAN]; Tehrik-i-Islami [Allama Sajid
NAQVI]; Tehrik-i-Insaaf or PTI [Imran KHAN]
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:
AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), C (suspended), 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, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU,
MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, UN, UN
Security Council (temporary), UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMISET, UNMOP, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL,
WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ashraf Jehangir QAZI
chancery: 2315 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
FAX: [1] (202) 387-0484
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York, and Sunnyvale
(California)
telephone: [1] (202) 939-6205
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Nancy J. POWELL
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