Pakistan

§1. Pakistan Introduction

Background:
  The separation in 1947 of British India into the Muslim state of Pakistan
  (with two sections West and East) and largely Hindu India was never
  satisfactorily resolved. A third war between these countries in 1971
  resulted in East Pakistan seceding and becoming the separate nation of
  Bangladesh. A dispute over the state of Kashmir is ongoing. In response to
  Indian nuclear weapons testing, Pakistan conducted its own tests in 1998.

§2. Pakistan Geography

Location:
  Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and
  Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north

Geographic coordinates:
  30 00 N, 70 00 E

Map references:
  Asia

Area:
  total: 803,940 kmē
  land: 778,720 kmē
  water: 25,220 kmē

Area - comparative:
  slightly less than twice the size of California

Land boundaries:
  total: 6,774 km border countries: Afghanistan 2,430 km, China 523 km, India
    2,912 km, Iran 909 km

Coastline:
  1,046 km

Maritime claims:
  contiguous zone: 24 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the
    continental margin
  exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
  territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate:
  mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north

Terrain:
  flat Indus plain in east; mountains in north and northwest; Balochistan
  plateau in west

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: K2 (Mt. Godwin-Austen) 8,611
    m

Natural resources:
  land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited petroleum, poor quality coal,
  iron ore, copper, salt, limestone

Land use:
  arable land: 27%
  permanent crops: 1%
  permanent pastures: 6%
  forests and woodland: 5%
  other: 61% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land:
  171,100 kmē (1993 est.)

Natural hazards:
  frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and west;
  flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August)

Environment - current issues:
  water pollution from raw sewage, industrial wastes, and agricultural
  runoff; limited natural fresh water resources; a majority of the population
  does not have access to potable water; deforestation; soil erosion;
  desertification

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
    Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,
    Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban

Geography - note:
  controls Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, traditional invasion routes between
  Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent

§3. Pakistan People

Population:
  144,616,639 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 40.47% (male 30,131,400; female 28,391,891)
  15-64 years: 55.42% (male 40,977,543; female 39,164,663)
  65 years and over: 4.11% (male 2,918,872; female 3,032,270) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate:
  2.11% (2001 est.)

Birth rate:
  31.21 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate:
  9.26 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate:
  -0.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  80.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 61.45 years male: 60.61 years
  female: 62.32 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  4.41 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  0.1% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  74,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  6,500 (1999 est.)

Nationality:
  noun: Pakistani(s)
  adjective: Pakistani

Ethnic groups:
  Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch, Muhajir (immigrants from India
  at the time of partition and their descendants)

Religions:
  Muslim 97% (Sunni 77%, Shi'a 20%), Christian, Hindu, and other 3%

Languages:
  Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Siraiki (a Punjabi variant) 10%, Pashtu 8%, Urdu
  (official) 8%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2%, Brahui 1%, English (official and
  lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries),
  Burushaski, and other 8%

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 42.7%
  male: 55.3%
  female: 29% (1998)

§4. Pakistan Government

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

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; 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
  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 (justices appointed by the president); Federal Islamic or
  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 [Wali KHAN]; Balochistan National
    Movement/Hayee Group or BNM/H [Dr. HAYEE Baluch]; Baluch National Party
    or BNP [Sardar Akhtar MENGAL]; 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-Pakistan, Niazi
    faction or JUP/NI [Abdul Sattar Khan NIAZI]; Millat Party [Farooq
    LEGHARI]; 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 [Sami ul-HAQ],
    Tehrik-I-Jafria Pakistan or TJP [Allama Sajid NAQVI], and Jamiat
    Ulema-i-Pakistan, Noorani faction or JUP/NO [Shah Ahmad NOORANI];
    Mutahida Qaumi Movement, Altaf faction or MQM/A [Altaf HUSSAIN]; 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 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
    National Party or PNP [Hasil BIZENJO]; Pakistan People's Party or PPP
    [Benazir BHUTTO]; Pakistan People's Party/Shaheed Bhutto or PPP/SB
    [Ghinva BHUTTO]; Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf or PTI [Imran KHAN]
  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, 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: [1] (202) 939-6200
  FAX: [1] (202) 387-0484
  consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador William B. MILAM 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) 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

§5. Pakistan Economy

Economy - overview:
  Pakistan is a poor, heavily populated country, suffering from internal
  political disputes, lack of foreign investment, and a costly confrontation
  with neighboring India. Pakistan's economic outlook continues to be marred
  by its weak foreign exchange position, which relies on international
  creditors for hard currency inflows. The MUSHARRAF government will face an
  estimated $21 billion in foreign debt coming due in 2000-03, despite having
  rescheduled nearly $2 billion in debt with Paris Club members. Foreign
  loans and grants provide approximately 25% of government revenue, but debt
  service obligations total nearly 50% of government expenditure. Although
  Pakistan successfully negotiated a $600 million IMF Stand-By Arrangement,
  future loan installments will be jeopardized if Pakistan misses critical
  IMF benchmarks on revenue collection and the fiscal deficit. MUSHARRAF has
  complied largely with IMF recommendations to raise petroleum prices, widen
  the tax net, privatize public sector assets, and improve the balance of
  trade. However, Pakistan's economic prospects remain uncertain; too little
  has changed despite the new administration's intentions. Foreign exchange
  reserves hover at roughly $1 billion, GDP growth hinges on crop
  performance, the import bill has been hammered by high oil prices, and both
  foreign and domestic investors remain wary of committing to projects in
  Pakistan.

GDP:
  purchasing power parity - $282 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  4.8% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita:
  purchasing power parity - $2,000 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 25.4% industry: 24.9%
  services: 49.7% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line:
  40% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: 4.1% highest 10%: 27.7% (1996)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  5.2% (2000 est.)

Labor force:
  40 million
  note: extensive export of labor, mostly to the Middle East, and use of
    child labor (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 44%, industry 17%, services 39% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate:
  6% (FY99/00 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $8.9 billion
  expenditures: $11.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01
    est.)

Industries:
  textiles, food processing, beverages, construction materials, clothing,
  paper products, shrimp

Industrial production growth rate:
  3.8% (1999 est.)

Electricity - production:
  62.078 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source:
  fossil fuel: 63.38% hydro: 36.51%
  nuclear: 0.11%
  other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption:
  57.732 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products:
  cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; milk, beef, mutton,
  eggs

Exports:
  $8.6 billion (f.o.b., FY99/00)

Exports - commodities:
  textiles (garments, cotton cloth, and yarn), rice, other agricultural
  products

Exports - partners:
  US 24%, Hong Kong 7%, UK 7%, Germany 6%, UAE 6% (FY99/00)

Imports:
  $9.6 billion (f.o.b., FY99/00)

Imports - commodities:
  machinery, petroleum, petroleum products, chemicals, transportation
  equipment, edible oils, grains, pulses, flour

Imports - partners:
  Saudi Arabia 8%, UAE 8%, US 6%, Japan 6%, Malaysia 4% (FY99/00)

Debt - external:
  $38 billion (2000 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $2 billion (FY99/00)

Currency:
  Pakistani rupee (PKR)

Currency code:
  PKR

Exchange rates:
  Pakistani rupees per US dollar - 59.152 (January 2001), 52.814 (2000),
  49.118 (1999), 44.943 (1998), 40.918 (1997), 35.909 (1996)

Fiscal year:
  1 July - 30 June

§6. Pakistan Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  2.861 million (March 1999)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  158,000 (1998)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: the domestic system is mediocre, but improving; service
    is adequate for government and business use, in part because major
    businesses have established their own private systems; since 1988, the
    government has promoted investment in the national telecommunications
    system on a priority basis, significantly increasing network capacity;
    despite major improvements in trunk and urban systems, telecommunication
    services are still not readily available to the majority of the rural
    population
  domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable,
    cellular, and satellite networks
  international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and
    2 Indian Ocean); 3 operational international gateway exchanges (1 at
    Karachi and 2 at Islamabad); microwave radio relay to neighboring
    countries (1999)

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 27, FM 1, shortwave 21 (1998)

Radios:
  13.5 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
  22 (plus seven low-power repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:
  3.1 million (1997)

Internet country code:
  .pk

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
  30 (2000)

Internet users:
  1.2 million (2000)

§7. Pakistan Transportation

Railways:
  total: 8,163 km
  broad gauge: 7,718 km 1.676-m gauge (293 km electrified; 1,037 km double
    track)
  narrow gauge: 445 km 1.000-m gauge (1996 est.) (2000)

Highways:
  total: 247,811 km
  paved: 141,252 km (including 339 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 106,559 km (1998)

Waterways:
  none

Pipelines:
  crude oil 250 km; petroleum products 885 km; natural gas 4,044 km (1987)

Ports and harbors:
  Karachi, Port Muhammad bin Qasim

Merchant marine:
  total: 17 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 240,605 GRT/367,040 DWT
  ships by type: cargo 13, container 3, petroleum tanker 1 (2000 est.)

Airports:
  117 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 82 over 3,047 m: 12
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 21
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 32
  914 to 1,523 m: 14
  under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 35 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
  914 to 1,523 m: 11
  under 914 m: 17 (2000 est.)

Heliports:
  8 (2000 est.)

§8. Pakistan Military

Military branches:
  Army, Navy, Air Force, Civil Armed Forces, National Guard

Military manpower - military age:
  17 years of age

Military manpower - availability:
  males age 15-49: 35,770,928 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
  males age 15-49: 21,897,366 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
  males: 1,657,723 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $2.435 billion (FY99/00)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  3.9% (FY99/00)

§9. Pakistan Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  status of Kashmir with India; water-sharing problems with India over the
  Indus River (Wular Barrage)

Illicit drugs:
  key transit area for Southwest Asian heroin moving to Western markets;
  narcotics still move from Afghanistan into Balochistan Province
