Pakistan
Introduction
Introduction ::
Background:
The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world and dating back at least 5,000 years, spread over much of what is presently Pakistan. During the second millennium B.C., remnants of this culture fused with the migrating Indo-Aryan peoples. The area underwent successive invasions in subsequent centuries from the Persians, Greeks, Scythians, Arabs (who brought Islam), Afghans, and Turks. The Mughal Empire flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries; the British came to dominate the region in the 18th century. The separation in 1947 of British India into the Muslim state of Pakistan (with West and East sections) and largely Hindu India was never satisfactorily resolved, and India and Pakistan fought two wars - in 1947-48 and 1965 - over the disputed Kashmir territory. A third war between these countries in 1971 - in which India capitalized on Islamabad's marginalization of Bengalis in Pakistani politics - resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. In response to Indian nuclear weapons testing, Pakistan conducted its own tests in 1998. India-Pakistan relations have been rocky since the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, but both countries are taking small steps to put relations back on track. In February 2008, Pakistan held parliamentary elections and in September 2008, after the resignation of former President MUSHARRAF, elected Asif Ali ZARDARI to the presidency. Pakistani government and military leaders are struggling to control domestic insurgents, many of whom are located in the tribal areas adjacent to the border with Afghanistan. In January 2012, Pakistan assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2012-13 term.
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: 796,095 sq km
country comparison to the world: 36
land: 770,875 sq km
water: 25,220 sq km
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:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
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: 24.44%
permanent crops: 0.84%
other: 74.72% (2005)
Irrigated land: 198,700 sq km (2008)
Total renewable water resources: 233.8 cu km (2003)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 169.39 cu km/yr (2%/2%/96%)
per capita: 1,072 cu m/yr (2000)
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 freshwater resources; most of the population does not have access to potable water; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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
Geography - note: controls Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, traditional invasion routes between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent
People and Society
Nationality: noun: Pakistani(s)
adjective: Pakistani
Ethnic groups: Punjabi 44.68%, Pashtun (Pathan) 15.42%, Sindhi 14.1%, Sariaki 8.38%, Muhajirs 7.57%, Balochi 3.57%, other 6.28%
Languages: Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Saraiki (a Punjabi variant) 10%, Pashtu 8%, Urdu (official) 8%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2%, Brahui 1%, English (official; lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries), Burushaski, and other 8%
Religions: Muslim (official) 95% (Sunni 75%, Shia 20%), other (includes Christian and Hindu) 5%
Population: 190,291,129 (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6
Age structure: 0-14 years: 35.4% (male 34,093,853/female 32,278,462)
15-64 years: 60.4% (male 58,401,016/female 54,671,873)
65 years and over: 4.2% (male 3,739,647/female 4,157,870) (2011 est.)
Median age: total: 21.6 years
male: 21.5 years
female: 21.6 years (2011 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.551% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75
Birth rate: 24.3 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63
Death rate: 6.8 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 140
Net migration rate: -2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 164
Urbanization: urban population: 36% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization: 3.1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Major cities - population: Karachi 13.125 million; Lahore 7.132 million; Faisalabad 2.849 million; Rawalpindi 2.026 million; ISLAMABAD (capital) 832,000 (2009)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2012 est.)
Maternal mortality rate: 260 deaths/100,000 live births (2008)
country comparison to the world: 51
Infant mortality rate: total: 61.27 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 26
male: 64.51 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 57.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 66.35 years
country comparison to the world: 165
male: 64.52 years
female: 68.28 years (2012 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.07 children born/woman (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 56
Health expenditures: 2.6% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 182
Physicians density: 0.813 physicians/1,000 population (2009)
Hospital bed density: 0.6 beds/1,000 population (2009)
Drinking water source: improved:
urban: 95% of population
rural: 87% of population
total: 90% of population
unimproved:
urban: 5% of population
rural: 13% of population
total: 10% of population (2008)
Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban: 72% of population
rural: 29% of population
total: 45% of population
unimproved:
urban: 28% of population
rural: 71% of population
total: 55% of population (2008)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
98,000 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 42
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
5,800 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 34
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria
animal contact disease: rabies
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight:
31.3% (2001)
country comparison to the world: 17
Education expenditures:
2.7% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 142
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 49.9%
male: 63%
female: 36% (2005 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 7 years
male: 8 years
female: 6 years (2009)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:
total: 7.7%
country comparison to the world: 114
male: 7%
female: 10.5% (2008)
Government ::
Country name:
conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Pakistan
conventional short form: Pakistan
local long form: Jamhuryat Islami Pakistan
local short form: Pakistan
former: West Pakistan
Government type:
federal republic
Capital:
name: Islamabad
geographic coordinates: 33 41 N, 73 03 E
time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
4 provinces, 1 territory*, and 1 capital territory**; Balochistan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas*, Islamabad Capital Territory**, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly North-West Frontier Province), Punjab, Sindh
note: the Pakistani-administered portion of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region consists of two administrative entities: Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan
Independence:
14 August 1947 (from British India)
National holiday:
Republic Day, 23 March (1956)
Constitution:
12 April 1973; suspended 5 July 1977, restored 30 December 1985; suspended 15 October 1999, restored in stages in 2002; amended 31 December 2003; suspended 3 November 2007; restored 15 December 2007; amended 19 April 2010
Legal system:
common law system with Islamic law influence
International law organization participation:
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal; note - there are joint electorates and reserved parliamentary seats for women and non-Muslims
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Asif Ali ZARDARI (since 9 September 2008)
head of government: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza GILANI (since 25 March 2008)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president upon the advice of the prime minister
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: president elected by secret ballot through an Electoral College comprising the members of the Senate, National Assembly, and provincial assemblies for a five-year term; election last held on 6 September 2008 (next to be held not later than 2013); note - any person who is a Muslim and not less than 45 years of age and is qualified to be elected as a member of the National Assembly can contest the presidential election; the prime minister selected by the National Assembly
election results: Asif Ali ZARDARI elected president; ZARDARI 481 votes, SIDDIQUE 153 votes, SYED 44 votes; Syed Yousuf Raza GILANI elected prime minister; GILANI 264 votes, Pervaiz ELAHI 42 votes; several abstentions
Legislative branch:
bicameral parliament or Majlis-e-Shoora consists of the Senate (100 seats; members indirectly elected by provincial assemblies and the territories' representatives in the National Assembly to serve six-year terms; one half are elected every three years) and the National Assembly (342 seats; 272 members elected by popular vote; 60 seats reserved for women; 10 seats reserved for non-Muslims; members serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held on 3 March 2009 (next to be held in March 2012); National Assembly - last held on 18 February 2008 with by-elections on 26 June 2008 (next to be held in 2013)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPPP 27, PML 21, MMA 9, PML-N 7, ANP 6, MQM 6, JUI-F 4, BNP-A 2, JWP 1, NPP 1, PKMAP 1, PML-F 1, PPP 1, independents 13; National Assembly - percent of votes by party - NA; seats by party as of October 2010 - PPPP 127, PML-N 90, PML 51, MQM 25, ANP 13, JUI-F 8, PML-F 5, BNP-A 1, NPP 1, PPP-S 1, independents 18, unfilled seats - 2
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (justices appointed by the president); Federal Islamic or Sharia Court
Political parties and leaders:
Awami National Party or ANP [Asfandyar Wali KHAN]; Balochistan National Party-Awami or BNP-A; Balochistan National Party-Hayee Group or BNP-H [Dr. Hayee BALOCH]; Balochistan National Party-Mengal or BNP-M; Jamaat-i Islami or JI [Syed Munawar HASAN]; Jamhoori Watan Party or JWP; Jamiat Ahle Hadith or JAH [Sajid MIR]; Jamiat Ulema-i Islam Fazl-ur Rehman or JUI-F [Fazl-ur REHMAN]; Jamiat Ulema-i Islam Sami-ul HAQ or JUI-S [Sami ul-HAQ]; Jamiat Ulema-i Pakistan or JUP [Abul Khair ZUBAIR]; Millat-e-Jafferia [Allama Sajid NAQVI]; Muttahida Majlis-e Amal or MMA [Qazi Hussain AHMED]; Muttahida Qaumi Movement or MQM [Altaf HUSSAIN]; National Peoples Party or NPP; Pakhtun Khwa Milli Awami Party or PKMAP [Mahmood Khan ACHAKZAI]; Pakistan Awami Tehrik or PAT [Tahir ul QADRI]; Pakistan Muslim League or PML [Chaudhry Shujaat HUSSAIN]; Pakistan Muslim League-Functional or PML-F [Pir PAGARO]; Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz or PML-N [Nawaz SHARIF]; Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians or PPPP [Bilawal Bhutto ZARDARI, chairman; Asif Ali ZARDARI, co-chairman]; Pakistan Peoples Party-SHERPAO or PPP-S [Aftab Ahmed Khan SHERPAO]; Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaaf or PTI [Imran KHAN]
note: political alliances in Pakistan can shift frequently
Political pressure groups and leaders:
other: military (most important political force); ulema (clergy); landowners; industrialists; small merchants
International organization participation:
ADB, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), C, CICA, CP, D-8, ECO, FAO, G-11, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, SCO (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMIT, UNOCI, UNSC (temporary), UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Sheherbano REHMAN
chancery: 3517 International Court, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 243-6500
FAX: [1] (202) 686-1544
consulate(s) general: Boston (Honorary Consulate General), Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York
consulate(s): Chicago, Houston
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Cameron MUNTER
embassy: Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5, Islamabad
mailing address: 8100 Islamabad Pl., Washington, DC 20521-8100
telephone: [92] (51) 208-0000
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
National symbol(s):
star and crescent
National anthem:
name: "Qaumi Tarana" (National Anthem)
lyrics/music: Abu-Al-Asar Hafeez JULLANDHURI/Ahmed Ghulamali CHAGLA
note: adopted 1954; the anthem is also known as "Pak sarzamin shad bad" (Blessed Be the Sacred Land)
Economy :
Economy - overview:
Decades of internal political disputes and low levels of foreign investment have led to slow growth and underdevelopment in Pakistan. Agriculture accounts for more than one-fifth of output and two-fifths of employment. Textiles account for most of Pakistan's export earnings, and Pakistan's failure to expand a viable export base for other manufactures has left the country vulnerable to shifts in world demand. Official unemployment is 6%, but this fails to capture the true picture, because much of the economy is informal and underemployment remains high. Over the past few years, low growth and high inflation, led by a spurt in food prices, have increased the amount of poverty - the UN Human Development Report estimated poverty in 2011 at almost 50% of the population. Inflation has worsened the situation, climbing from 7.7% in 2007 to more than 13% for 2011, before declining to 9.3% at year-end. As a result of political and economic instability, the Pakistani rupee has depreciated more than 40% since 2007. The government agreed to an International Monetary Fund Standby Arrangement in November 2008 in response to a balance of payments crisis. Although the economy has stabilized since the crisis, it has failed to recover. Foreign investment has not returned, due to investor concerns related to governance, energy, security, and a slow-down in the global economy. Remittances from overseas workers, averaging about $1 billion a month since March 2011, remain a bright spot for Pakistan. However, after a small current account surplus in fiscal year 2011 (July 2010/June 2011), Pakistan's current account turned to deficit in the second half of 2011, spurred by higher prices for imported oil and lower prices for exported cotton. Pakistan remains stuck in a low-income, low-growth trap, with growth averaging 2.9% per year from 2008 to 2011. Pakistan must address long standing issues related to government revenues and energy production in order to spur the amount of economic growth that will be necessary to employ its growing population. Other long term challenges include expanding investment in education and healthcare, and reducing dependence on foreign donors.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$488 billion (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28
$476.5 billion (2010 est.)
$459.3 billion (2009 est.)
note: data are in 2011 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$204.1 billion (2011 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.4% (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144
3.8% (2010 est.)
1.7% (2009 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,800 (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 174
$2,800 (2010 est.)
$2,700 (2009 est.)
note: data are in 2011 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 20.9%
industry: 25.8%
services: 53.3% (2011 est.)
Labor force:
58.41 million
country comparison to the world: 10
note: extensive export of labor, mostly to the Middle East, and use of child labor (2011 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 45%
industry: 20.1%
services: 34.9% (2010 est.)
Unemployment rate:
5.6% (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57
5.5% (2010 est.)
note: substantial underemployment exists
Population below poverty line:
22.3% (FY05/06 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 9.9%
highest 10%: 39.3% (FY07/08)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
30.6 (FY07/08)
country comparison to the world: 115
41 (FY98/99)
Investment (gross fixed):
11.8% of GDP (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178
Budget:
revenues: $26.3 billion
expenditures: $39.77 billion (2011 est.)
Taxes and other revenues:
12.9% of GDP (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 198
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-6.6% of GDP (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 176
Public debt:
60.1% of GDP (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 42
61.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
13.7% (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 205
13.9% (2010 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
12% (31 January 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15
14% (31 December 2010 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
12.34% (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57
14.12% (31 December 2010 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$72.32 billion (30 June 2011)
country comparison to the world: 39
$62.02 billion (30 June 2010)
Stock of broad money:
$79.67 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58
$85.22 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$65.72 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62
$61.39 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$38.17 billion (31 December 2010)
country comparison to the world: 56
$33.24 billion (31 December 2009)
$23.49 billion (31 December 2008)
Agriculture - products:
cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; milk, beef, mutton, eggs
Industries:
textiles and apparel, food processing, pharmaceuticals, construction materials, paper products, fertilizer, shrimp
Industrial production growth rate:
3% (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114
Electricity - production:
93.35 billion kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 34
Electricity - consumption:
74.35 billion kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 37
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2011 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2009 est.)
Oil - production:
64,950 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57
Oil - consumption:
410,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 34
Oil - exports:
29,840 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
Oil - imports:
346,400 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30
Oil - proved reserves:
313 million bbl (1 January 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 55
Natural gas - production:
42.9 billion cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 21
Natural gas - consumption:
42.9 billion cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 22
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 160
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 113
Natural gas - proved reserves:
840.2 billion cu m (1 January 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28
Current account balance:
$268 million (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 55
-$3.94 billion (2010 est.)
Exports:
$25.35 billion (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68
$19.67 billion (2010 est.)
Exports - commodities:
textiles (garments, bed linen, cotton cloth, yarn), rice, leather goods, sports goods, chemicals, manufactures, carpets and rugs
Exports - partners:
US 15.8%, Afghanistan 8.1%, UAE 7.9%, China 7.3%, UK 4.3%, Germany 4.2% (2010)
Imports:
$35.82 billion (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
$31.2 billion (2010 est.)
Imports - commodities:
petroleum, petroleum products, machinery, plastics, transportation equipment, edible oils, paper and paperboard, iron and steel, tea
Imports - partners:
UAE 16.3%, Saudi Arabia 12.5%, China 11.6%, Kuwait 8.4%, Singapore 7.1%, Malaysia 5% (2011)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$17.02 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62
$17.21 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Debt - external:
$61.83 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 54
$59.91 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$31.26 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62
$30.06 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$1.419 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70
$1.362 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Exchange rates:
Pakistani rupees (PKR) per US dollar -
85.99 (2011 est.)
85.19 (2010 est.)
81.71 (2009)
70.64 (2008)
60.6295 (2007)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
Communications
Telephones - main lines in use:
3.419 million (2010)
country comparison to the world: 46
Telephones - mobile cellular:
111 million (2011)
country comparison to the world: 9
Telephone system:
general assessment: the telecommunications infrastructure is improving dramatically with foreign and domestic investments in fixed-line and mobile-cellular networks; system consists of microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable, cellular, and satellite networks;
domestic: mobile-cellular subscribership has skyrocketed, exceeding 110 million by the end of 2011, up from only about 300,000 in 2000; more than 90 percent of Pakistanis live within areas that have cell phone coverage and more than half of all Pakistanis have access to a cell phone; fiber systems are being constructed throughout the country to aid in network growth; fixed line availability has risen only marginally over the same period and there are still difficulties getting fixed-line service to rural areas
international: country code - 92; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable systems that provide links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; 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 (2010)
Broadcast media:
media is government regulated; 1 dominant state-owned TV broadcaster, Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV), operates a network consisting of 5 channels; private TV broadcasters are permitted; to date 69 foreign satellite channels are operational; the state-owned radio network operates more than 40 stations; nearly 100 commercially-licensed privately-owned radio stations provide programming mostly limited to music and talk shows (2011)
Internet country code:
.pk
Internet hosts:
340,834 (2011)
country comparison to the world: 60
Internet users:
20.431 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 20
Transportation ::PAKISTAN
Airports:
148 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 37
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 101
over 3,047 m: 15
2,438 to 3,047 m: 20
1,524 to 2,437 m: 39
914 to 1,523 m: 18
under 914 m: 9 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 47
1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 25 (2010)
Heliports:
20 (2010)
Pipelines:
gas 10,514 km; oil 2,013 km; refined products 787 km (2010)
Railways:
total: 7,791 km
country comparison to the world: 27
broad gauge: 7,479 km 1.676-m gauge (293 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 312 km 1.000-m gauge (2010)
Roadways:
total: 260,760 km
country comparison to the world: 20
paved: 180,910 km (includes 711 km of expressways)
unpaved: 79,850 km (2010)
Merchant marine:
total: 11
country comparison to the world: 111
by type: bulk carrier 5, cargo 3, petroleum tanker 3
registered in other countries: 11 (Comoros 5, Marshall Islands 1, Moldova 1, Panama 3, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1) (2011)
Ports and terminals:
Karachi, Port Muhammad Bin Qasim
Military
Military branches:
Pakistan Army (includes National Guard), Pakistan Navy (includes Marines and Maritime Security Agency), Pakistan Air Force (Pakistan Fiza'ya) (2011)
Military service age and obligation:
17-23 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers cannot be deployed for combat until age 18; the Pakistani Air Force and Pakistani Navy have inducted their first female pilots and sailors (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 48,453,305
females age 16-49: 44,898,096 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 37,945,440
females age 16-49: 37,381,549 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 2,237,723
female: 2,104,906 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
3% of GDP (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 46
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international:
various talks and confidence-building measures cautiously have begun to defuse tensions over Kashmir, particularly since the October 2005 earthquake in the region; Kashmir nevertheless remains the site of the world's largest and most militarized territorial dispute with portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas); UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan has maintained a small group of peacekeepers since 1949; India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964; India and Pakistan have maintained their 2004 cease-fire in Kashmir and initiated discussions on defusing the armed standoff in the Siachen glacier region; Pakistan protests India's fencing the highly militarized Line of Control and construction of the Baglihar Dam on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir, which is part of the larger dispute on water sharing of the Indus River and its tributaries; to defuse tensions and prepare for discussions on a maritime boundary, India and Pakistan seek technical resolution of the disputed boundary in Sir Creek estuary at the mouth of the Rann of Kutch in the Arabian Sea; Pakistani maps continue to show the Junagadh claim in India's Gujarat State; by 2005, Pakistan, with UN assistance, repatriated 2.3 million Afghan refugees leaving slightly more than a million, many of whom remain at their own choosing; Pakistan has sent troops across and built fences along some remote tribal areas of its treaty-defined Durand Line border with Afghanistan, which serve as bases for foreign terrorists and other illegal activities; Afghan, Coalition, and Pakistan military meet periodically to clarify the alignment of the boundary on the ground and on maps
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 1,043,984 (Afghanistan)
IDPs: undetermined (government strikes on Islamic militants in South Waziristan); 34,000 (October 2005 earthquake; most of those displaced returned to their home villages in the spring of 2006) (2007)
Illicit drugs:
significant transit area for Afghan drugs, including heroin, opium, morphine, and hashish, bound for Iran, Western markets, the Gulf States, Africa, and Asia; financial crimes related to drug trafficking, terrorism, corruption, and smuggling remain problems; opium poppy cultivation estimated to be 2,300 hectares in 2007 with 600 of those hectares eradicated; federal and provincial authorities continue to conduct anti-poppy campaigns that utilizes forced eradication, fines, and arrests
Background:
The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world and dating back at least 5,000 years, spread over much of what is presently Pakistan. During the second millennium B.C., remnants of this culture fused with the migrating Indo-Aryan peoples. The area underwent successive invasions in subsequent centuries from the Persians, Greeks, Scythians, Arabs (who brought Islam), Afghans, and Turks. The Mughal Empire flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries; the British came to dominate the region in the 18th century. The separation in 1947 of British India into the Muslim state of Pakistan (with West and East sections) and largely Hindu India was never satisfactorily resolved, and India and Pakistan fought two wars - in 1947-48 and 1965 - over the disputed Kashmir territory. A third war between these countries in 1971 - in which India capitalized on Islamabad's marginalization of Bengalis in Pakistani politics - resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. In response to Indian nuclear weapons testing, Pakistan conducted its own tests in 1998. India-Pakistan relations have been rocky since the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, but both countries are taking small steps to put relations back on track. In February 2008, Pakistan held parliamentary elections and in September 2008, after the resignation of former President MUSHARRAF, elected Asif Ali ZARDARI to the presidency. Pakistani government and military leaders are struggling to control domestic insurgents, many of whom are located in the tribal areas adjacent to the border with Afghanistan. In January 2012, Pakistan assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2012-13 term.
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: 796,095 sq km
country comparison to the world: 36
land: 770,875 sq km
water: 25,220 sq km
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:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
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: 24.44%
permanent crops: 0.84%
other: 74.72% (2005)
Irrigated land: 198,700 sq km (2008)
Total renewable water resources: 233.8 cu km (2003)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 169.39 cu km/yr (2%/2%/96%)
per capita: 1,072 cu m/yr (2000)
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 freshwater resources; most of the population does not have access to potable water; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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
Geography - note: controls Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, traditional invasion routes between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent
People and Society
Nationality: noun: Pakistani(s)
adjective: Pakistani
Ethnic groups: Punjabi 44.68%, Pashtun (Pathan) 15.42%, Sindhi 14.1%, Sariaki 8.38%, Muhajirs 7.57%, Balochi 3.57%, other 6.28%
Languages: Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Saraiki (a Punjabi variant) 10%, Pashtu 8%, Urdu (official) 8%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2%, Brahui 1%, English (official; lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries), Burushaski, and other 8%
Religions: Muslim (official) 95% (Sunni 75%, Shia 20%), other (includes Christian and Hindu) 5%
Population: 190,291,129 (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6
Age structure: 0-14 years: 35.4% (male 34,093,853/female 32,278,462)
15-64 years: 60.4% (male 58,401,016/female 54,671,873)
65 years and over: 4.2% (male 3,739,647/female 4,157,870) (2011 est.)
Median age: total: 21.6 years
male: 21.5 years
female: 21.6 years (2011 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.551% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75
Birth rate: 24.3 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63
Death rate: 6.8 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 140
Net migration rate: -2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 164
Urbanization: urban population: 36% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization: 3.1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Major cities - population: Karachi 13.125 million; Lahore 7.132 million; Faisalabad 2.849 million; Rawalpindi 2.026 million; ISLAMABAD (capital) 832,000 (2009)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2012 est.)
Maternal mortality rate: 260 deaths/100,000 live births (2008)
country comparison to the world: 51
Infant mortality rate: total: 61.27 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 26
male: 64.51 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 57.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 66.35 years
country comparison to the world: 165
male: 64.52 years
female: 68.28 years (2012 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.07 children born/woman (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 56
Health expenditures: 2.6% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 182
Physicians density: 0.813 physicians/1,000 population (2009)
Hospital bed density: 0.6 beds/1,000 population (2009)
Drinking water source: improved:
urban: 95% of population
rural: 87% of population
total: 90% of population
unimproved:
urban: 5% of population
rural: 13% of population
total: 10% of population (2008)
Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban: 72% of population
rural: 29% of population
total: 45% of population
unimproved:
urban: 28% of population
rural: 71% of population
total: 55% of population (2008)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
98,000 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 42
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
5,800 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 34
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria
animal contact disease: rabies
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight:
31.3% (2001)
country comparison to the world: 17
Education expenditures:
2.7% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 142
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 49.9%
male: 63%
female: 36% (2005 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 7 years
male: 8 years
female: 6 years (2009)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:
total: 7.7%
country comparison to the world: 114
male: 7%
female: 10.5% (2008)
Government ::
Country name:
conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Pakistan
conventional short form: Pakistan
local long form: Jamhuryat Islami Pakistan
local short form: Pakistan
former: West Pakistan
Government type:
federal republic
Capital:
name: Islamabad
geographic coordinates: 33 41 N, 73 03 E
time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
4 provinces, 1 territory*, and 1 capital territory**; Balochistan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas*, Islamabad Capital Territory**, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly North-West Frontier Province), Punjab, Sindh
note: the Pakistani-administered portion of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region consists of two administrative entities: Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan
Independence:
14 August 1947 (from British India)
National holiday:
Republic Day, 23 March (1956)
Constitution:
12 April 1973; suspended 5 July 1977, restored 30 December 1985; suspended 15 October 1999, restored in stages in 2002; amended 31 December 2003; suspended 3 November 2007; restored 15 December 2007; amended 19 April 2010
Legal system:
common law system with Islamic law influence
International law organization participation:
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal; note - there are joint electorates and reserved parliamentary seats for women and non-Muslims
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Asif Ali ZARDARI (since 9 September 2008)
head of government: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza GILANI (since 25 March 2008)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president upon the advice of the prime minister
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: president elected by secret ballot through an Electoral College comprising the members of the Senate, National Assembly, and provincial assemblies for a five-year term; election last held on 6 September 2008 (next to be held not later than 2013); note - any person who is a Muslim and not less than 45 years of age and is qualified to be elected as a member of the National Assembly can contest the presidential election; the prime minister selected by the National Assembly
election results: Asif Ali ZARDARI elected president; ZARDARI 481 votes, SIDDIQUE 153 votes, SYED 44 votes; Syed Yousuf Raza GILANI elected prime minister; GILANI 264 votes, Pervaiz ELAHI 42 votes; several abstentions
Legislative branch:
bicameral parliament or Majlis-e-Shoora consists of the Senate (100 seats; members indirectly elected by provincial assemblies and the territories' representatives in the National Assembly to serve six-year terms; one half are elected every three years) and the National Assembly (342 seats; 272 members elected by popular vote; 60 seats reserved for women; 10 seats reserved for non-Muslims; members serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held on 3 March 2009 (next to be held in March 2012); National Assembly - last held on 18 February 2008 with by-elections on 26 June 2008 (next to be held in 2013)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPPP 27, PML 21, MMA 9, PML-N 7, ANP 6, MQM 6, JUI-F 4, BNP-A 2, JWP 1, NPP 1, PKMAP 1, PML-F 1, PPP 1, independents 13; National Assembly - percent of votes by party - NA; seats by party as of October 2010 - PPPP 127, PML-N 90, PML 51, MQM 25, ANP 13, JUI-F 8, PML-F 5, BNP-A 1, NPP 1, PPP-S 1, independents 18, unfilled seats - 2
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (justices appointed by the president); Federal Islamic or Sharia Court
Political parties and leaders:
Awami National Party or ANP [Asfandyar Wali KHAN]; Balochistan National Party-Awami or BNP-A; Balochistan National Party-Hayee Group or BNP-H [Dr. Hayee BALOCH]; Balochistan National Party-Mengal or BNP-M; Jamaat-i Islami or JI [Syed Munawar HASAN]; Jamhoori Watan Party or JWP; Jamiat Ahle Hadith or JAH [Sajid MIR]; Jamiat Ulema-i Islam Fazl-ur Rehman or JUI-F [Fazl-ur REHMAN]; Jamiat Ulema-i Islam Sami-ul HAQ or JUI-S [Sami ul-HAQ]; Jamiat Ulema-i Pakistan or JUP [Abul Khair ZUBAIR]; Millat-e-Jafferia [Allama Sajid NAQVI]; Muttahida Majlis-e Amal or MMA [Qazi Hussain AHMED]; Muttahida Qaumi Movement or MQM [Altaf HUSSAIN]; National Peoples Party or NPP; Pakhtun Khwa Milli Awami Party or PKMAP [Mahmood Khan ACHAKZAI]; Pakistan Awami Tehrik or PAT [Tahir ul QADRI]; Pakistan Muslim League or PML [Chaudhry Shujaat HUSSAIN]; Pakistan Muslim League-Functional or PML-F [Pir PAGARO]; Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz or PML-N [Nawaz SHARIF]; Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians or PPPP [Bilawal Bhutto ZARDARI, chairman; Asif Ali ZARDARI, co-chairman]; Pakistan Peoples Party-SHERPAO or PPP-S [Aftab Ahmed Khan SHERPAO]; Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaaf or PTI [Imran KHAN]
note: political alliances in Pakistan can shift frequently
Political pressure groups and leaders:
other: military (most important political force); ulema (clergy); landowners; industrialists; small merchants
International organization participation:
ADB, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), C, CICA, CP, D-8, ECO, FAO, G-11, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, SCO (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMIT, UNOCI, UNSC (temporary), UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Sheherbano REHMAN
chancery: 3517 International Court, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 243-6500
FAX: [1] (202) 686-1544
consulate(s) general: Boston (Honorary Consulate General), Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York
consulate(s): Chicago, Houston
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Cameron MUNTER
embassy: Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5, Islamabad
mailing address: 8100 Islamabad Pl., Washington, DC 20521-8100
telephone: [92] (51) 208-0000
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
National symbol(s):
star and crescent
National anthem:
name: "Qaumi Tarana" (National Anthem)
lyrics/music: Abu-Al-Asar Hafeez JULLANDHURI/Ahmed Ghulamali CHAGLA
note: adopted 1954; the anthem is also known as "Pak sarzamin shad bad" (Blessed Be the Sacred Land)
Economy :
Economy - overview:
Decades of internal political disputes and low levels of foreign investment have led to slow growth and underdevelopment in Pakistan. Agriculture accounts for more than one-fifth of output and two-fifths of employment. Textiles account for most of Pakistan's export earnings, and Pakistan's failure to expand a viable export base for other manufactures has left the country vulnerable to shifts in world demand. Official unemployment is 6%, but this fails to capture the true picture, because much of the economy is informal and underemployment remains high. Over the past few years, low growth and high inflation, led by a spurt in food prices, have increased the amount of poverty - the UN Human Development Report estimated poverty in 2011 at almost 50% of the population. Inflation has worsened the situation, climbing from 7.7% in 2007 to more than 13% for 2011, before declining to 9.3% at year-end. As a result of political and economic instability, the Pakistani rupee has depreciated more than 40% since 2007. The government agreed to an International Monetary Fund Standby Arrangement in November 2008 in response to a balance of payments crisis. Although the economy has stabilized since the crisis, it has failed to recover. Foreign investment has not returned, due to investor concerns related to governance, energy, security, and a slow-down in the global economy. Remittances from overseas workers, averaging about $1 billion a month since March 2011, remain a bright spot for Pakistan. However, after a small current account surplus in fiscal year 2011 (July 2010/June 2011), Pakistan's current account turned to deficit in the second half of 2011, spurred by higher prices for imported oil and lower prices for exported cotton. Pakistan remains stuck in a low-income, low-growth trap, with growth averaging 2.9% per year from 2008 to 2011. Pakistan must address long standing issues related to government revenues and energy production in order to spur the amount of economic growth that will be necessary to employ its growing population. Other long term challenges include expanding investment in education and healthcare, and reducing dependence on foreign donors.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$488 billion (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28
$476.5 billion (2010 est.)
$459.3 billion (2009 est.)
note: data are in 2011 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$204.1 billion (2011 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.4% (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144
3.8% (2010 est.)
1.7% (2009 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,800 (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 174
$2,800 (2010 est.)
$2,700 (2009 est.)
note: data are in 2011 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 20.9%
industry: 25.8%
services: 53.3% (2011 est.)
Labor force:
58.41 million
country comparison to the world: 10
note: extensive export of labor, mostly to the Middle East, and use of child labor (2011 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 45%
industry: 20.1%
services: 34.9% (2010 est.)
Unemployment rate:
5.6% (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57
5.5% (2010 est.)
note: substantial underemployment exists
Population below poverty line:
22.3% (FY05/06 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 9.9%
highest 10%: 39.3% (FY07/08)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
30.6 (FY07/08)
country comparison to the world: 115
41 (FY98/99)
Investment (gross fixed):
11.8% of GDP (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178
Budget:
revenues: $26.3 billion
expenditures: $39.77 billion (2011 est.)
Taxes and other revenues:
12.9% of GDP (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 198
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-6.6% of GDP (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 176
Public debt:
60.1% of GDP (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 42
61.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
13.7% (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 205
13.9% (2010 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
12% (31 January 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15
14% (31 December 2010 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
12.34% (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57
14.12% (31 December 2010 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$72.32 billion (30 June 2011)
country comparison to the world: 39
$62.02 billion (30 June 2010)
Stock of broad money:
$79.67 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58
$85.22 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$65.72 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62
$61.39 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$38.17 billion (31 December 2010)
country comparison to the world: 56
$33.24 billion (31 December 2009)
$23.49 billion (31 December 2008)
Agriculture - products:
cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; milk, beef, mutton, eggs
Industries:
textiles and apparel, food processing, pharmaceuticals, construction materials, paper products, fertilizer, shrimp
Industrial production growth rate:
3% (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114
Electricity - production:
93.35 billion kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 34
Electricity - consumption:
74.35 billion kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 37
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2011 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2009 est.)
Oil - production:
64,950 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57
Oil - consumption:
410,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 34
Oil - exports:
29,840 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
Oil - imports:
346,400 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30
Oil - proved reserves:
313 million bbl (1 January 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 55
Natural gas - production:
42.9 billion cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 21
Natural gas - consumption:
42.9 billion cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 22
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 160
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 113
Natural gas - proved reserves:
840.2 billion cu m (1 January 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28
Current account balance:
$268 million (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 55
-$3.94 billion (2010 est.)
Exports:
$25.35 billion (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68
$19.67 billion (2010 est.)
Exports - commodities:
textiles (garments, bed linen, cotton cloth, yarn), rice, leather goods, sports goods, chemicals, manufactures, carpets and rugs
Exports - partners:
US 15.8%, Afghanistan 8.1%, UAE 7.9%, China 7.3%, UK 4.3%, Germany 4.2% (2010)
Imports:
$35.82 billion (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
$31.2 billion (2010 est.)
Imports - commodities:
petroleum, petroleum products, machinery, plastics, transportation equipment, edible oils, paper and paperboard, iron and steel, tea
Imports - partners:
UAE 16.3%, Saudi Arabia 12.5%, China 11.6%, Kuwait 8.4%, Singapore 7.1%, Malaysia 5% (2011)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$17.02 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62
$17.21 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Debt - external:
$61.83 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 54
$59.91 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$31.26 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62
$30.06 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$1.419 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70
$1.362 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Exchange rates:
Pakistani rupees (PKR) per US dollar -
85.99 (2011 est.)
85.19 (2010 est.)
81.71 (2009)
70.64 (2008)
60.6295 (2007)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
Communications
Telephones - main lines in use:
3.419 million (2010)
country comparison to the world: 46
Telephones - mobile cellular:
111 million (2011)
country comparison to the world: 9
Telephone system:
general assessment: the telecommunications infrastructure is improving dramatically with foreign and domestic investments in fixed-line and mobile-cellular networks; system consists of microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable, cellular, and satellite networks;
domestic: mobile-cellular subscribership has skyrocketed, exceeding 110 million by the end of 2011, up from only about 300,000 in 2000; more than 90 percent of Pakistanis live within areas that have cell phone coverage and more than half of all Pakistanis have access to a cell phone; fiber systems are being constructed throughout the country to aid in network growth; fixed line availability has risen only marginally over the same period and there are still difficulties getting fixed-line service to rural areas
international: country code - 92; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable systems that provide links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; 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 (2010)
Broadcast media:
media is government regulated; 1 dominant state-owned TV broadcaster, Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV), operates a network consisting of 5 channels; private TV broadcasters are permitted; to date 69 foreign satellite channels are operational; the state-owned radio network operates more than 40 stations; nearly 100 commercially-licensed privately-owned radio stations provide programming mostly limited to music and talk shows (2011)
Internet country code:
.pk
Internet hosts:
340,834 (2011)
country comparison to the world: 60
Internet users:
20.431 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 20
Transportation ::PAKISTAN
Airports:
148 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 37
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 101
over 3,047 m: 15
2,438 to 3,047 m: 20
1,524 to 2,437 m: 39
914 to 1,523 m: 18
under 914 m: 9 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 47
1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 25 (2010)
Heliports:
20 (2010)
Pipelines:
gas 10,514 km; oil 2,013 km; refined products 787 km (2010)
Railways:
total: 7,791 km
country comparison to the world: 27
broad gauge: 7,479 km 1.676-m gauge (293 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 312 km 1.000-m gauge (2010)
Roadways:
total: 260,760 km
country comparison to the world: 20
paved: 180,910 km (includes 711 km of expressways)
unpaved: 79,850 km (2010)
Merchant marine:
total: 11
country comparison to the world: 111
by type: bulk carrier 5, cargo 3, petroleum tanker 3
registered in other countries: 11 (Comoros 5, Marshall Islands 1, Moldova 1, Panama 3, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1) (2011)
Ports and terminals:
Karachi, Port Muhammad Bin Qasim
Military
Military branches:
Pakistan Army (includes National Guard), Pakistan Navy (includes Marines and Maritime Security Agency), Pakistan Air Force (Pakistan Fiza'ya) (2011)
Military service age and obligation:
17-23 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers cannot be deployed for combat until age 18; the Pakistani Air Force and Pakistani Navy have inducted their first female pilots and sailors (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 48,453,305
females age 16-49: 44,898,096 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 37,945,440
females age 16-49: 37,381,549 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 2,237,723
female: 2,104,906 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
3% of GDP (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 46
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international:
various talks and confidence-building measures cautiously have begun to defuse tensions over Kashmir, particularly since the October 2005 earthquake in the region; Kashmir nevertheless remains the site of the world's largest and most militarized territorial dispute with portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas); UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan has maintained a small group of peacekeepers since 1949; India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964; India and Pakistan have maintained their 2004 cease-fire in Kashmir and initiated discussions on defusing the armed standoff in the Siachen glacier region; Pakistan protests India's fencing the highly militarized Line of Control and construction of the Baglihar Dam on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir, which is part of the larger dispute on water sharing of the Indus River and its tributaries; to defuse tensions and prepare for discussions on a maritime boundary, India and Pakistan seek technical resolution of the disputed boundary in Sir Creek estuary at the mouth of the Rann of Kutch in the Arabian Sea; Pakistani maps continue to show the Junagadh claim in India's Gujarat State; by 2005, Pakistan, with UN assistance, repatriated 2.3 million Afghan refugees leaving slightly more than a million, many of whom remain at their own choosing; Pakistan has sent troops across and built fences along some remote tribal areas of its treaty-defined Durand Line border with Afghanistan, which serve as bases for foreign terrorists and other illegal activities; Afghan, Coalition, and Pakistan military meet periodically to clarify the alignment of the boundary on the ground and on maps
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 1,043,984 (Afghanistan)
IDPs: undetermined (government strikes on Islamic militants in South Waziristan); 34,000 (October 2005 earthquake; most of those displaced returned to their home villages in the spring of 2006) (2007)
Illicit drugs:
significant transit area for Afghan drugs, including heroin, opium, morphine, and hashish, bound for Iran, Western markets, the Gulf States, Africa, and Asia; financial crimes related to drug trafficking, terrorism, corruption, and smuggling remain problems; opium poppy cultivation estimated to be 2,300 hectares in 2007 with 600 of those hectares eradicated; federal and provincial authorities continue to conduct anti-poppy campaigns that utilizes forced eradication, fines, and arrests
FACT SHEET ON PAKISTAN ECONOMY (2010-2011)
PAKISTAN
History Of Pakistan
3000 - 1500 BC
Indus Civilization.
1700 BC
Aryans invade from Central Asia.
516 BC
Northern Pakistan becomes the easternmost province of the Achaemenid Empire of Persia.
327 - 325 BC
Alexander the Great invades Pakistan.
272 - 236 BC
Mauryan Emperor Ashoka promotes Buddhism.
185 BC
Bactrian Greeks conquer northwest Pakistan.
75 BC
Arrival of Scythians (Sakas) from Central Asia.
20 AD
Parthians conquer northern Pakistan.
60 AD
Kushans from Central Asia overthrow the Parthians.
3rd Century
Kushans decline and are dominated by the Sassanian Empire of Persia
4th Century
Kidar (Little) Kushans come to power.
445
White Huns invade Gandhara and are converted to Hinduism, possibly as the Rajput warrior caste.
565
Sassanians and Turks overthrow Huns.
Late 6th - 7th Century
Turki Shahis control area west of Indus, including Gandhara.
711
Mohammad Bin Qasim conquers Sindh and southern Punjab
870
Hindu Shahis arrive from Central Asia
1001 - 26
Mahmud of Ghaznavi invades.
Mass conversions to Islam.
1034 -1337
Sindh ruled by Sumrahs, a Sindhi tribe
1150
Mohammad Ghuri destroys the Kingdome of Mahmud Ghaznavi.
1194
Mohammad Ghuri makes Delhi the capital of the empire
1206 - 1526 Delhi Sultanate
Delhi Sultanate established by Ilbari Dynasty At the time of Muhammd Ghuri's death in 1206 (had no sons), Qutbuddin Aibak was in Lahore, where he assumed the sovereign powers as he was elected Sultan by the Amirs. The assumption of sovereign powers by Qutbuddin Aibak in 1206 is regarded as the foundation of the Sultanate Delhi.
1221
The Mongol, Genghiz Khan invades Punjab
1290-1320 Khalji Dynasty
Marks the end of the Turks rule.
Among the Khaljis, Alauddin Khalji (1296-1316) reign is known for revenue reforms, market regulations and conquests.
1320-1412 Tuqhluq Dynasty
Tuqhluq were from 'Qarauna Turk' tribe. Sultan Ghiyasuddin Tughluq Shah (Ghazi Malik) founder of third dynasty of the Sultanate. Among the Tughluq dynastry, Mohammad Tughluq and Firuz Tughluq are most popular.
1337
Sammah Rajputs overthrow the Sumrahs in Sindh
1398-9
Tamerlane invades from Central Asia
1414-51 The Saiyids
Khizr Khan was the founder of the Saiyid dynasty. Alauddin Alam Shah was the last ruler.
1451-1526 The Lodhis
Lodhis were Afghans Bahlol Lodhi was the founder of this dynasty. The last Lodhi Sultan, Ibrahim Ladhi (1517-26) was killed by Babur in the first battle of Panipat.
1526
The Sultanate of Delhi ended. Babur defeats the Lodis, the last of the Delhi sultans, and establishes the Mughal Empire.Tarkhans capture power in Sindh.
1524
Babur, first Mughal emperor, rais Punjab Sindh conquered by Shah Beg Arghun from Kandahar. Amir Chakar Rind unites Balochi tribes and defeats Sammahs.
1527 - 1857 The Mughal Empire
Zahiruddin Mohammad Babur son of Umar Shaikh Mirza -- The first Mughal Emeror (1526-30) and founder of the Mughal empire in India. March 16 -- A decisive battle took place with Rana Songa of Mewar, a powerful Rajput prince. Babur's autobiography Tuzuk-i-Bauri (Babur Namah) written in Turki.
1530
December 26 -- Babur died in Agra. Humyun become the Mughal emperor. Humayun reign 1530, 40, 1555-6.
1540
Suri Dynasty (1540-55) Sher Shah Suri defeated Humayun in the battles of Chausa and Kanauj and became the emperor. Humayun is forced into exile in Persia by Sher Shah Suri.
1545
Death of Sher Shah Suri.
1555
Humayun regains empire.
1556
Akbar, son of Humayun, is emperor (1556-1605) Humayun died after falling from his library (Sher Mandil) stairs. Thirteen years old Humayun's son Akbar becomes the emperor. Akbar is famous for his liberal policies especially towards non-Muslims. Akbar contributed greatly in Indian music. Tansen was the most accomplished musician of that days.
1527
Jahangir is emperor (1605-27) After Akbar, his son Salim becomes emperor. Salim took the title of Jehagir (Conqueror of the world). Jehangir's reign consider be the peak of Mughal rule (and his son's reign).
1528
Sha Jahan is emperor (1627-59) After Jehangir, his son Khurram becomes the empror of Mughal emperor. Khurram took the title of Shah Jehan (Emperor of the World) The Mughal Empire was at its zenith during Shah Jehan's rule.
1583
Queen Elizabeth I dispatched the ship Tyger to the sub-continent to exploit opportunities for trade.
1614
The British East India Company opens its first office in Bombay.
1658
Aurangzeb Alamgir is emperor (1658-1707). Sikhs organize as a warrior sect.
1707
Aurangzeb Alamgir died. His death regards as the beginning of the end of Mughal empires. Aurangzeb Alamgir's son bahadur Shah Zafar becomes the last emperor of Mughal dynastry.
1736
Founding of Kalhora Dynasty in Sindh
1739
Nadir Shah of Persia invades the subcontinent.
1747-73
Ahmad Shah Durrani founds the Kingdom of Afghanistan and acquires Indus territories, Punjab and Kashmir.
1757
The battle of Plassey is considered a major breakthrough for the Britishers in the Subcontinent.
1707 - 1762
Shah wali Ullah's Reform Movement.
1760-1830
Sikhs become dominate force in Pubjab.
1789
Talpur Balochis overthrow Kalhora Dynazty in Sindh
1799-1839
Ranjit Singh rules Punjab from Lahore.
1830
Faraizi Movement (1830-57)
1843
British annex Sindh. First British-Afghan War
1845-6
First British-Sikh War
1848-9
The British defeat the Sikhs in Second Sikh War, annex Punjab and NWFP
1857
First War of Independence (Mutiny)
1858
British government assumes direct rule of British East India Company lands, establishes British Raj Aligarh Movement (1858-98)
1866
Deoband Movement (1866-1947)
1884
Anjuman Himayat-i-Islam, Lahore (1884-1947)
1885
Establishment of Indian National Congress
1887
All districts of Balochistan in British hands
1889
British establish Gilgit Agency
1891
British conquer Hunza and Nagar
1894
Nadva-tul-'Ulama of Lucknow (1894-1947)
1906
December 30 -- The annual meeting of Mohammadan Educational Conference held at Dacca under the chairmanship of Nawab Viqar ul Mulk. In the meeting Nawab Salim ullah Khan presented a proposal to establish a political party, All India Muslim League, to safeguard the interests of the Muslims. All India Muslim League founded as forum for Indian Muslim separatism
1916
The Lucknow Pact
1919
The Khilafat Movement (1919-1924)
1930
Mohammad Iqbal proposes creation of separate Muslim state
1940
Lahore Resolution, which endorses idea of separate nation for India's Muslims, to be called Pakistan.
1947
June 3 -- the British Government accepted the idea of partition of India.
September 11 -- Quid-e-Azam Dies and Kashmir Crisis Starts.
May - India tests its first nuclear device at nation's nuclear testing grounds near Pokhran in southeastern India.
United State pledges military assistance following Soviet Union intervention in Afghanistan.
1983
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto's daughter Benazir Bhotto (born: 1953) returns from exile to lead PPP in campaign for elections.
1988
History Of Pakistan
3000 - 1500 BC
Indus Civilization.
1700 BC
Aryans invade from Central Asia.
516 BC
Northern Pakistan becomes the easternmost province of the Achaemenid Empire of Persia.
327 - 325 BC
Alexander the Great invades Pakistan.
272 - 236 BC
Mauryan Emperor Ashoka promotes Buddhism.
185 BC
Bactrian Greeks conquer northwest Pakistan.
75 BC
Arrival of Scythians (Sakas) from Central Asia.
20 AD
Parthians conquer northern Pakistan.
60 AD
Kushans from Central Asia overthrow the Parthians.
3rd Century
Kushans decline and are dominated by the Sassanian Empire of Persia
4th Century
Kidar (Little) Kushans come to power.
445
White Huns invade Gandhara and are converted to Hinduism, possibly as the Rajput warrior caste.
565
Sassanians and Turks overthrow Huns.
Late 6th - 7th Century
Turki Shahis control area west of Indus, including Gandhara.
711
Mohammad Bin Qasim conquers Sindh and southern Punjab
870
Hindu Shahis arrive from Central Asia
1001 - 26
Mahmud of Ghaznavi invades.
Mass conversions to Islam.
1034 -1337
Sindh ruled by Sumrahs, a Sindhi tribe
1150
Mohammad Ghuri destroys the Kingdome of Mahmud Ghaznavi.
1194
Mohammad Ghuri makes Delhi the capital of the empire
1206 - 1526 Delhi Sultanate
Delhi Sultanate established by Ilbari Dynasty At the time of Muhammd Ghuri's death in 1206 (had no sons), Qutbuddin Aibak was in Lahore, where he assumed the sovereign powers as he was elected Sultan by the Amirs. The assumption of sovereign powers by Qutbuddin Aibak in 1206 is regarded as the foundation of the Sultanate Delhi.
1221
The Mongol, Genghiz Khan invades Punjab
1290-1320 Khalji Dynasty
Marks the end of the Turks rule.
Among the Khaljis, Alauddin Khalji (1296-1316) reign is known for revenue reforms, market regulations and conquests.
1320-1412 Tuqhluq Dynasty
Tuqhluq were from 'Qarauna Turk' tribe. Sultan Ghiyasuddin Tughluq Shah (Ghazi Malik) founder of third dynasty of the Sultanate. Among the Tughluq dynastry, Mohammad Tughluq and Firuz Tughluq are most popular.
1337
Sammah Rajputs overthrow the Sumrahs in Sindh
1398-9
Tamerlane invades from Central Asia
1414-51 The Saiyids
Khizr Khan was the founder of the Saiyid dynasty. Alauddin Alam Shah was the last ruler.
1451-1526 The Lodhis
Lodhis were Afghans Bahlol Lodhi was the founder of this dynasty. The last Lodhi Sultan, Ibrahim Ladhi (1517-26) was killed by Babur in the first battle of Panipat.
1526
The Sultanate of Delhi ended. Babur defeats the Lodis, the last of the Delhi sultans, and establishes the Mughal Empire.Tarkhans capture power in Sindh.
1524
Babur, first Mughal emperor, rais Punjab Sindh conquered by Shah Beg Arghun from Kandahar. Amir Chakar Rind unites Balochi tribes and defeats Sammahs.
1527 - 1857 The Mughal Empire
Zahiruddin Mohammad Babur son of Umar Shaikh Mirza -- The first Mughal Emeror (1526-30) and founder of the Mughal empire in India. March 16 -- A decisive battle took place with Rana Songa of Mewar, a powerful Rajput prince. Babur's autobiography Tuzuk-i-Bauri (Babur Namah) written in Turki.
1530
December 26 -- Babur died in Agra. Humyun become the Mughal emperor. Humayun reign 1530, 40, 1555-6.
1540
Suri Dynasty (1540-55) Sher Shah Suri defeated Humayun in the battles of Chausa and Kanauj and became the emperor. Humayun is forced into exile in Persia by Sher Shah Suri.
1545
Death of Sher Shah Suri.
1555
Humayun regains empire.
1556
Akbar, son of Humayun, is emperor (1556-1605) Humayun died after falling from his library (Sher Mandil) stairs. Thirteen years old Humayun's son Akbar becomes the emperor. Akbar is famous for his liberal policies especially towards non-Muslims. Akbar contributed greatly in Indian music. Tansen was the most accomplished musician of that days.
1527
Jahangir is emperor (1605-27) After Akbar, his son Salim becomes emperor. Salim took the title of Jehagir (Conqueror of the world). Jehangir's reign consider be the peak of Mughal rule (and his son's reign).
1528
Sha Jahan is emperor (1627-59) After Jehangir, his son Khurram becomes the empror of Mughal emperor. Khurram took the title of Shah Jehan (Emperor of the World) The Mughal Empire was at its zenith during Shah Jehan's rule.
1583
Queen Elizabeth I dispatched the ship Tyger to the sub-continent to exploit opportunities for trade.
1614
The British East India Company opens its first office in Bombay.
1658
Aurangzeb Alamgir is emperor (1658-1707). Sikhs organize as a warrior sect.
1707
Aurangzeb Alamgir died. His death regards as the beginning of the end of Mughal empires. Aurangzeb Alamgir's son bahadur Shah Zafar becomes the last emperor of Mughal dynastry.
1736
Founding of Kalhora Dynasty in Sindh
1739
Nadir Shah of Persia invades the subcontinent.
1747-73
Ahmad Shah Durrani founds the Kingdom of Afghanistan and acquires Indus territories, Punjab and Kashmir.
1757
The battle of Plassey is considered a major breakthrough for the Britishers in the Subcontinent.
1707 - 1762
Shah wali Ullah's Reform Movement.
1760-1830
Sikhs become dominate force in Pubjab.
1789
Talpur Balochis overthrow Kalhora Dynazty in Sindh
1799-1839
Ranjit Singh rules Punjab from Lahore.
1830
Faraizi Movement (1830-57)
1843
British annex Sindh. First British-Afghan War
1845-6
First British-Sikh War
1848-9
The British defeat the Sikhs in Second Sikh War, annex Punjab and NWFP
1857
First War of Independence (Mutiny)
1858
British government assumes direct rule of British East India Company lands, establishes British Raj Aligarh Movement (1858-98)
1866
Deoband Movement (1866-1947)
1884
Anjuman Himayat-i-Islam, Lahore (1884-1947)
1885
Establishment of Indian National Congress
1887
All districts of Balochistan in British hands
1889
British establish Gilgit Agency
1891
British conquer Hunza and Nagar
1894
Nadva-tul-'Ulama of Lucknow (1894-1947)
1906
December 30 -- The annual meeting of Mohammadan Educational Conference held at Dacca under the chairmanship of Nawab Viqar ul Mulk. In the meeting Nawab Salim ullah Khan presented a proposal to establish a political party, All India Muslim League, to safeguard the interests of the Muslims. All India Muslim League founded as forum for Indian Muslim separatism
1916
The Lucknow Pact
1919
The Khilafat Movement (1919-1924)
1930
Mohammad Iqbal proposes creation of separate Muslim state
1940
Lahore Resolution, which endorses idea of separate nation for India's Muslims, to be called Pakistan.
1947
June 3 -- the British Government accepted the idea of partition of India.
- July 18 -- The British Parliament passes the Indian Independence Act.
July 19 -- Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan (1895-1951) of Muslim League becomes the first Prime Minister.
August 14 -- Birth of Pakistan, consisting of East Bengal, a part of Assam (Sylhet), West Punjab, Sind, NWFP and Baluchistan.
Some 15 million people flee religious persecution, Muslim fleeing to East and West Pakistan, while Hindus flee to India. An estimated one million people are killed in widespread communal violence and millions are made homeless.
Under Section 8 of the Indian Independence Act, 1947, the Government of India Act, 1935 (with certain adaptations) becomes constitution of Pakistan.
August 15 -- Quid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah (1876-1948) of Muslim League becomes first governor-general and Liaquat Ali Khan(1895-1951) of Muslim League becomes the first Prime Minister of the new nation.
September 11 -- Quid-e-Azam Dies and Kashmir Crisis Starts.
- September 14 -- Cheif Minister of Bengal Khwaja Nazimuddin (1894-1964) of Muslim League becomes second governor-general.
The first war with India over Kashmir
- March 12 -- Objectives Resolution passes moved by Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan.
- October 16 -- Liaquat Ali Khan assassinated in Rawalpindi.
October 17 -- Finance Minister Ghulam Mohammad (1895-1956) of Muslim League becomes the third Governor General.
Governor General Khawaja Nazimuddin of Muslim League becomes second Prime Minister.
- December 22 -- The second draft of the Basic Principle Committee presents to the Constituent Assembly.
- April 17 -- Malik Ghulam Mohammad dismisses the Khawaja Nazimuddin.
(Important note: This is this act of Ghulam Mohammad that sets an unhealthy tradition and precedent in Pakistan of Presidents removing ELECTED governments. This tradition is later carried on by various Presidents creating a continuous instability in the Pakistan.)
April 17 -- A not well-known leader of East Pakistan Mohammad Ali Bogra (1909-1963 ) of Muslim League, who was then Pakistani Ambassador to United State, becomes third Prime Minister.
- May 1954 -- Governor General Ghulam Mohammad appointed Iskander Mirza (1899-1969) as Governor of East Pakistan. In order to established the peace in East Pakistan, the first step he took as Governor was to order the arrest of 319 persons, including Mujib al Rahman and Yusuf Ali Choudhury. By mid June, the number of persons arrested had reached 1051, including 33 assembly members and two Dhaka University Professors. So, in a way Iskander Mirza had sown a permanent seed of hatred for the Central government in the heats of East Pakistani people.
October 24 -- Malik Ghulam Mohammad dissolved the Constituent Assembly of Mohammad Ali Bogra and declares a state of emergency.
Pakistan signed an agreement with the U.S. saying that US will come to Pakistan's aid in a time of war.
- August 11 -- Bogra resigns and Chaudhary Mohammad Ali (1905-1963) of Muslim League becomes appointed forth Prime Minister.
October 6 -- Governor-General Ghulam Mohammad resigns.
October 6 -- Iskander Mirza (1899-1969) of Military becomes the fourth and last Governor General.
- March 23 -- Constitution take on and proclaims Pakistan an Islamic republic. The Constitution consisted of 234 articles, which divided into 13 parts and 6 schedules. The National Assembly (the only house of the parliament) was consists of 300 members. The 300 hundred National Assembly seats were equally divided between West Pakistan and East Pakistan (note that the concept of one unit was there in constitution.).
March 23 -- Iskander Mirza of Republican Party becomes first president.
September 12 -- Chaudhry Mohammad Ali resigns and after the adoption of the constitution, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy (1893-1963) of Awami League becomes the fifth Prime Minister.
- October 17 -- Suhrawardy resigns, due to President's refusal to convene a meeting of the parliament to seek a vote of confidence.
October 17 -- The Law Minister in the Federal Cabinet Ibrahim Ismail Chundrigar (1897-1960) of Muslim League becomes sixth Prime Minister.
December 11 -- I. I. Chundrigar was Forced to resign since he failed to maintain the support of his coalition partners and thus becomes the only Prime Minister of Pakistan for less than two months.
December 16 -- Malik Feroze Khan Noon (1893-1970) of Republican Party takes over the office of Prime Minister and becomes the seventh prime minister.
- October 7 -- President Iskander Mirza abrogates Constitution and with the help of Gen. Ayub Khan, the Chief Martial Law Administrator, enforces the first martial law as a response to rebellions in East Pakistan.
Military coup -- Chief of the army staff takes over and declares martial law.
October 24 -- Gen. Mohammad Ayub Khan (1907-1974) of Military becomes eighth Prime Minister and resign from the office of chief martial law administrator.
October 27 -- Iskander Mirza's Presidency ends and sent into exile.
October 27 -- Gen. (Mohammad Ayub Khan) of Military assumes presidency and becomes second president.
October 28 -- Ayub Khan resigns from prime ministership.
- Constitution Adopted (second time).
Gen. Mohammad Ayub Khan of Military becomes president.
- August -- Second war between India and Pakistan over Kashmir
- January 10 -- Gen Ayub Khan and Indian prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri signed the cease-fire agreement in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, USSR.
The cease-fire agreement led to the resigning of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Ayub Khan's talented Minister of Foreign Affairs.
- March 25 -- Ayub Khan handed his place over to Agha Mohammad Yahya Khan (1907-1980), who promised return to civilian rule. He is the first chief martial law administrator (March 25, 1969 through March 31, 1969).
Martial law declared by military chief Agha Mohammad Yahya Khan.
March 25 -- Gen. Agha Mohammad Yahya Khan of Military takes over and becomes the third president.
March 27 -- Gen Ayub Khan resigns from office of Prime Minister.
- First general elections.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's Awami League acquires absolute majority in new National Assembly.
West Pakistan-dominated government headed by military chief Yahya Khan Declines to assemble assembly.
- East Pakistan attempts to break away.
Civil war begins in East Pakistan.
East Pakistan declares itself independent nation and becomes Bangladesh.
India intervenes on behalf of Bengali separatists.
Pakistani military surrenders to Indian armed forces.
December 7 -- Nurul Amin (1893-1974) of Pakistan People's Party becomes ninth prime minister.
December 20 -- Nurul Amin resigns.
December 20 -- President (military chief) Yahya Khan resigns.
December 20 -- Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto (1928-1979) of Pakistan Peoples Party becomes fourth president of Pakistan.
- President Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and India's Prime Minister Indira Gandhi sign Simla agreement that adjusts cease-fire line between Pakistan and India and creates new Line of Control.
- New constitution goes into effect (Third time).
August 13 -- Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto resigns from presidency.
August 14 -- Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto of Pakistan People's Party becomes tenth prime minister.
August 14 -- Fazal Elahi Chaudhry (1904-1982) of Pakistan People's Party becomes fifth President.
May - India tests its first nuclear device at nation's nuclear testing grounds near Pokhran in southeastern India.
- Prime Minister Z. A. Bhutto's government begins nuclear program.
- Diplomatic ties established between Pakistan and Bangladesh.
- Riots erupt over allegations of rigging of general election by Pakistan Peoples Party.
Gen. Mohammad Zia ul-Haq (1924-1988) of Military declares martial law.
July 5 -- Gen. Zia ul-Haq of Military becomes eleventh prime minister.
- September 16 -- President Fazal Elahi Chaudhry resigns
September 16 -- Gen. Zia ul-Haq of Military becomes sixth president.
- Islamic penal code introduced.
Gen. and president Zia ul-Haq of Military hangs First elected Prime Minister of Pakistan Z. A. Bhutto.
United State pledges military assistance following Soviet Union intervention in Afghanistan.
1983
- Gen. and president Zia announces that he will lift the martial law but military will retain the key role in future governments.
- Martial law and ban on political parties lifted.
General elections held under military rule.
Controversial eighth Amendment is passes.
March 24 -- Military chief Zia-ul Haq resigns from prime ministership and Mohammad Khan Junejo (1932-1993) of Pakistan Muslim League become twelfth prime minister.
Gen. Zia ul-Haq of Military President.
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto's daughter Benazir Bhotto (born: 1953) returns from exile to lead PPP in campaign for elections.
1988
- May 29 -- Military chief (president) Zia dismisses Prime Minister Mohammad Khan Junejo's government.
June 9 -- Gen. and president Zia becomes thirteenth prime minister.
Military chief , president and prime minister Zia orders new elections.
August 17 -- Military chief ,president and prime minister Zia, the US ambassador and top Pakistan army officials die in mysterious plane crash.
August 17 -- Ghulam Ishaq Khan (born: 1915) becomes seventh President. (Acting president to Dec. 12, 1988.)
Benazir Bhotto's Pakistan People's Party wins November general election.
Benazir Bhutto, the eldest child of Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto sworn in as first woman Prime Minister of a Muslim nation. She becomes fourteenth prime minister.
December 14 -- Ghulam Ishaq Khan Khan becomes seventh President.
- May -- India test fires its Agni missile, ballistic missile that can be able to deliver a nuclear warhead to any target in Pakistan or southern China.
- August 6 -- Benazir Bhutto's government dismissed on charges of incompetence and corruption.
August 6 -- Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi (born: 1931) of National People's Party becomes fifteenth Prime Minister (caretaker).
In National election, Benazir Bhutto's PPP lost to coalition of rightist parties.
November 6 -- Jotoi resigns and Mian Nawaz Sharif (born: 1949) of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz group) becomes sixteenth prime minister.
- Islamic Shariah law formally incorporated into legal code.
- Nawaz Sharif's government launches campaign to stamp out violence by supporter of Mohajir Quami Movement (MQM).
- April 19 -- President Ishaq Khan dissolves the National and Provincial Assemblies.
April 18 -- Ishaq Khan selects Mir Balakh Sher Mazari of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz group) as the seventeenth Prime Minister (caretaker).
May 26 -- Mazari’s tenure as a caretaker Prime Minister ended in May, when the Supreme Court of Pakistan invalidates the presidential order on May 26 and reinstated Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif as the Prime Minister. Nawaz Sharif becomes eighteenth prime minister.
July 18 -- the President, Ghulam Ishaq and the Prime Minister, Mian Nawaz Sharif both resign under pressure from military, thus dissolving all the Central and provincial Assemblies.
July 18 -- Wasim Sajjad (born: 1941) of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz Group) selected as eight President (interim).
July 18 -- Moin Qureshi (born: 1930)selected as nineteenth Prime Minister (caretaker).
On October 6th and 9th General Elections were held.
Octorber 19 -- Benazir Bhutto (born: 1953) wins slim margin and took oath as Prime Minister. She becomes twenth prime minister.
On November 13, Presidential election was held.
Sardar Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari (born: 1940) of Pakistan People's Party candidate won by 274 to 168 votes against, the then acting President Wasim Sajjad.
November 14 -- Wasim Sajjad resign and Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari of Pakistan Peoples Party elected as eighth President.
- November 5 -- President Farooq Leghari dismisses Benazir Bhutto accuses her government of corruption and nepotism under the Article 58(2) b of the Eighth Amendment.
November 5 -- Miraj Khalid (born: 1916) becomes twenty first prime minister (caretaker).
- Queen Elizabeth II visits Pakistan on 50th Anniversary of its Independence. Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, right, meets Britain's Queen Elizabeth II at the presidential palace in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Malik Meraj Khalid selected as Caretaker Prime Minister.
On February, National elections held.
February 17 -- Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif becomes twenty second Prime Minister.
February 18 -- Nawaz Sharif obtained a vote of confidence from the National Assembly on February 18.
Controversial Eighth Amendment is repealed, which empowered the president to dismiss the prime ministers.
Passing Thirteenth Am Amendment and the Ehtesab Act, 1997.
December 2 --Because of constitutional crisis, President Farooq Leghari resigned on December 2.
December 2 -- Wasim Sajjad of PML-N becomes tenth President (interim) (second time).
- January 1 -- Wasim Sajjad resigns and Mohammad Rafiq Tarar (born: 1929) of PML-N becomes eleventh President.
May 28-29 -- Pakistan carried out its nuclear tests in response to Indian detonation of its three nuclear devices and becomes a Nuclear Power.
Nawaz Sharif's government proclaims an emergency on May 28, because of this, all fundamental rights of Pakistani people were suspended and all the foreign currency accounts in Pakistani banks were frozen.
A Ghauri missile (a modified SCVD ballistic missile similar to India's Agni ballistic missile).
Nawaz Sharif introduces the Fifteen Amendment on October 9.
The Fifteen Amendment, which is an effort by Sharif to acquire more powers, soon brought him into serious confrontation with military. This confrontation led to the resignation of General Jehangir Karamat on October 7.
Mohammad Rafiq Tarar (born: 1929) becomes an eleventh President.
- Feburary 20 -- Indian prime Minister Vajayeee visits Pakistan.
In April, Benazir Bhutto and her husband convicted of corruption and given jail sentences.
April 11 -- India test an upgraded version of Agni missile on Wheeler Island in the Bay of Bengal.
The Kargil Offensive.
The Kargil crisis in its aftermath led to tense relationship between Nawaz Sharif and the military. It was this tense relationship, which culminated in the removal of the Nawaz government by successor of General Karamat (Musharraf ).
October 12 -- Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif overthrown in military coup led by military chief Pervez Musharraf (born: 1943), thus Military Comes to Power Again.
Pakistan is suspended from Commonweath due to widely condemned military coup.
October 12 -- military chief Musharraf becomes the Chief Executive of Pakistan. October 14 -- military chief and chief executive becomes twenty third prime minister.
- In April, Nawaz Sharif sentenced to life imprisonment on hijacking and terrorism charges.
In December, Nawaz Sharif goes into exile in Saudi Arabia after being pardoned by military authorities.
- Agra Summit.
US Military invasion in Afghanistan.
June 20 -- Gen. Pervez Musharraf (born: 1943) of Military dissolved the parliament as a result the figurehead president, Rafiq Tarar vacated his position. Later in the day Gen Pervez Musharraf names himself president while remaining head of the military. He becomes twelfth the President.
US Military invasion in Afghanistan.
July, Gen Musharraf meets Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in Agra summit. Talks fails (not even a joint statement).
September - Pakistan cut its diplomatic relation with the Taliban and becomes a major ally to U.S. campaign against the Taliban and al-Qaida.
US lifts some sanctions imposed after Pakistan's nuclear tests, but retains those imposed after Musharraf's coup.
- January - Gen. Musharraf announces that elections will be held on October 2002.
April - Gen. Musharraf of Military wins another five years in office in a referendum criticized as unconstitutional and fraught with irregularities.
May - Pakistani military fires three medium-range surface-to-surface missiles that can carry nuclear warheads.
August - President Musharraf of Military grants himself sweeping new powers, including the right to dismiss an elected parliament. Opposition parties accuse Musharraf of perpetuating dictatorship.
October - General election results in a hung parliament.
November 23 - National Assembly "selects" Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali (born: 1944) of Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam Group), a member of a party close to Gen Musharraf of Military, as a twenty fourth prime minister and Musharraf resigns from prime ministership.
Fact Sheet on Women in Pakistan 2009 Fact Sheet
Publications and Reports Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS)
2007-2008
Punjab Development Statistics
Statistical Pocket Book of Punjab
Devinfo
Fortnightly Retail Price Report of Essential Articles in Punjab (Division wise)
Final Estimates of Major Rabi Crops in Punjab
Final Estimates of Major Kharif Crops in Punjab
Land Utilization Statistics of Punjab
Area & Production of Major/Minor Crops in Punjab
Statistics of Arts and Science (Intermediate and Degree Colleges)
2007-2008
Punjab Development Statistics
Statistical Pocket Book of Punjab
Devinfo
Fortnightly Retail Price Report of Essential Articles in Punjab (Division wise)
Final Estimates of Major Rabi Crops in Punjab
Final Estimates of Major Kharif Crops in Punjab
Land Utilization Statistics of Punjab
Area & Production of Major/Minor Crops in Punjab
- 2010-11 New
Statistics of Arts and Science (Intermediate and Degree Colleges)