Conventional short name: Pakistan

former: West Pakistan

Data Code: PK

Government type: federal republic

Capital: Islamabad

Administrative divisions: 4 provinces, 1 territory* , 1 capital territory** ; Balochistan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas* , Islamabad Capital Territory** , North-West Frontier, Punjab, Sindh 

note: the Pakistani-administered portion of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region includes Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas

Independence: 14 August 1947 ( from UK )

National holiday: Pakistan Day. 23 March (1956) (proclamation of republic)

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 chief of state: President Mohammad RAFIQ TARAR ( since 31 December 1999) head of state: Chief Executive Gen. Pervez MUSHARRAF (since 12 October 1999)

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the chief executive Election: President elected by Parliament for a five-year term; election last 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 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 0f 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 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 of 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 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 party - NA; seats by party - PML/N 30, PPP 17, ANO 7, MQM/A 6,JWP 5, BNP 4, JUI/F 2, PML/J 2, BNM/M 1, PKMAP 1, TJP 1,indepents 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, Indepents 21, minorties 10; note -Gen.Pervez MUSHARRAF dismissed parliament 15 October 1999

Judicial branch: supreme court, Judicial chief's are appointed by the president; Federal Islamic (Shari'a) court

Political Parties and leaders:  note: Gen. Pervez MUSHARRAF dissolved parliament following the military takeover of 12 October 1999, however, political parties have been allowed to operate; Awami National Party or ANP [ Wali KHAN]; Balochistan National Movement/ Hayee Group or BNM/H [Dr. HAYEE Baluch]; Balochistan National Movement/Mengal Group or BNM/M [Sardar Akhter MENGAL]; Baluch National Party or BNP [leader NA]; Jamhorori Watan Party or JWP [Akbar Khan BUGTI] Jamiat Ulema-i-Isalm, Fazlur rehman faction or JUI/F; Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan, Niazi faction or JUP/NI [leader NA]; Millat Party [Farooq LEGHARI]; Milli Yakjheti Council or MYC is an umbrella organization which includes Jamaat-e-islami or JI [Qazi Hussain AHMED], Jamiat Ulma-i-islam, Sami-u--haq faction or HUI/S, Therik-I-Jafria Pakistan or TJP[Allama Sajid NAQVI], and Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan, Norrani faction or JUP/NO, Mutahida Qaumi Movment, Altaf HUSSAIN faction or MQM/A [Altaf HSSSAIN]; National People's Party or PPP [Ghulam Mustafa JATOI]; Pakhtun Khwa Milli Awami Party or PKMAP [Mahmood Khan ACHAKZAI]; Pakhtun Quami party or PKOP [Mohammad Afzal KHAN], Pakistan Awami Tehrik or PAT [Tahir-u-Qadri], Pakistan Muslim League, 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 [Leader NA]; Pakistan People's Party or PPP [Benazir BHUTTO]; Pakistan People's Party / Shaheed Bhutto or PPP/SB [Ghinva BHUTTO]; Pakistan Therik-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),landlords, industrialists, and small merchants also influential

International organization participation: AsDB, C (Suspended), CCC, CP ECO,ESCAP, FAO,G19,G-24,G77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,IMF, Inmarast, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IMO, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS,(observer), OIC, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO,UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNOMIG, UNTAET, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Maleeha LODHI  , chancery: 2315 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 , telephone: [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 embassy: Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5, Islamabad

mailing address: P.O.Box 1048, Unit 62220, APO AE 09812-2200

telephone: [92] (51) 826161 through 826179

Fax: [92] (51) 276427

consulate (s) general: Karachi

consulate (s) general: Lahore, Peshawar           

GDP: purchasing power parity - $282 billion (1999 est.)

GDP- real growth rate: 3.1% (199 est.)

GDP- per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,000 (1999 est.)

GDP- composition by sector:

agriculture: 25.2%

industry: 26.6%

services: 48.2% (1998 est.)

Population below poverty line: 34% (1991 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 4.1%

highest 19%: 27.7 % (1996)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6% (1999 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 44%, 

industry 17%, services 39% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate: 7% (FY98/99 est.)

Budget:                                                                                                                      revenues: $10 billion                                                                                                 expenditures: $11.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY98/99)

Industries: textile, food processing, beverages, construction materials, clothing, paper products.

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

Electricity - production: 59.262 billion kwh (1998)

Electricity - production by source:  

fossil fuel: 63.05%

hydro: 36.31%

nuclear: 0.64%

other: 0% (1998)                                                                            

Electricity - consumption: 55.114 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1998)

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

Exports: $8.4 billion (f.o.b., 1999)

Export  - commodities: cotton, fabric, and yarn, rice, other agricultural products

Export - partners: US 22%, Hong Kong 7%, UK 7%, Germany 7%, UAE 5%, (FY98/99)

Importers: $9.8 billion (f.o.b., 1999)

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

Imports partners: US 8%, Japan 8%, Malaysia 7%, Saudi Arabia 7%, UAE 7% (FY98/99)

Debt - external: $32 billion (1999 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $2 billion (FY97/98)

Currency: 1 Pakistani rupee (PRe) = 100 Piasa

Exchange rates: Pakistani rupees (PRs) per US $1 - 51.90 (December 1999), 44.550 (1998), 40.185 (1997), 35.266 (1996), 30.930 (1995)

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Telephones - mobile cellular: 158,000 (1998)

Telephone system: the domestic system is mediocre, but improving; service is adequate for government and business use, in part because have established their own private system; since 1998, 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 system, telecommunication service are still not readily available to the majority of the rural population.

domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable, cellular, and satellite           international: Satellite earth stations- 3 Intelsat ( 1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); 3 operational international gateways exchanges (1 at Karachi and 2 at Islamabad); microwave radio relay to neighboring countries

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

Radios: 12.5 million (1997)

Televisions: 3.1 million (1997)

Internet Service Providers (ISP's): 26 (1998)