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Government Of PAKISTAN |
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Country name: |
conventional long
form: Islamic Republic of Pakistan
conventional short form: Pakistan
former: West Pakistan |
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Government
type: |
federal republic
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Administrative
divisions: |
4 provinces, 1
territory*, and 1 capital territory**; Balochistan, Federally
Administered Tribal Areas*, Islamabad Capital Territory**,
North-West Frontier Province, Punjab, Sindh
note: the Pakistani-administered
portion of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region includes Azad
Kashmir and the Northern Areas. |
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Independence: |
14 August 1947
(from UK) |
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National
holiday: |
Republic Day, 23
March (1956) |
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Constitution: |
10 April 1973,
suspended 5 July 1977, restored with amendments 30 December
1985; suspended 15 October 1999 |
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Legal system: |
based on English
common law with provisions to accommodate Pakistan's status as
an Islamic state; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations |
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Suffrage: |
21 years of age;
universal; separate electorates and reserved parliamentary seats
for non-Muslims |
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Executive branch: |
note: following
a military takeover on 12 October 1999, Chief of Army Staff and
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Gen. Pervez
MUSHARRAF suspended Pakistan's constitution and assumed the
additional title of Chief Executive; exercising the powers of
the head of the government, he appointed an eight-member
National Security Council to function as Pakistan's supreme
governing body; President Mohammad Rafiq TARAR remains the
ceremonial chief of state; on 12 May 2000, Pakistan's Supreme
Court unanimously validated the October 1999 coup and granted
MUSHARRAF executive and legislative authority for three years
from the coup date
chief of state: President Mohammad Rafiq TARAR (since 31
December 1997)
head of government: Chief Executive Gen. Pervez MUSHARRAF
(since 12 October 1999)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the
chief executive
elections: president elected by
Parliament for a five-year term; election last held 31 December
1997 (next to be held NA 2002); following legislative elections,
the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority
coalition is usually elected prime minister by the National
Assembly; election last held 3 February 1997 (next to be held
NA); note - Gen. Pervez MUSHARRAF overthrew the government of
Prime Minister Mohammad Nawaz SHARIF in the military takeover of
12 October 1999; in May 2000, the Supreme Court validated the
October 1999 coup and set a three-year limit in office for Chief
Executive MUSHARRAF
election results: Rafiq TARAR elected president; percent of
Parliament and provincial vote - NA%; results are for the last
election for prime minister prior to the military takeover of 12
October 1999 - Mohammad Nawaz SHARIF elected prime minister;
percent of National Assembly vote - NA% |
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Legislative
branch: |
note - Gen.
Pervez MUSHARRAF dissolved Parliament following the military
takeover of 12 October 1999; bicameral Parliament or
Majlis-e-Shoora consists of the Senate (87 seats; members
indirectly elected by provincial assemblies to serve six-year
terms; one-third of the members up for election every two years)
and the National Assembly (217 seats - 10 represent non-Muslims;
members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 12
March 1997 (next to be held NA); National Assembly - last held 3
February 1997 (next to be held NA); note - no timetable has yet
been given for elections following the military takeover
election results: Senate - percent
of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PML/N 30, PPP 17, ANP
7, MQM/A 6, JWP 5, BNP 4, JUI/F 2, PML/J 2, BNM/M 1, PKMAP 1,
TJP 1, independents 6, vacant 5; National Assembly - percent of
vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PML/N 137, PPP 18, MQM/A
12, ANP 10, BNP 3, JWP 2, JUI/F 2, PPP/SB 1, NPP 1, independents
21, minorities 10; note - Gen. Pervez MUSHARRAF dismissed
Parliament 15 October 1999 |
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Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court
(justices appointed by the president); Federal Islamic or
Shari'a Court |
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Political
parties and leaders: |
note: Gen.
Pervez MUSHARRAF dissolved Parliament following the military
takeover of 12 October 1999, however, political parties have
been allowed to operate; Awami National Party or ANP [Wali
KHAN]; Balochistan National Movement/Hayee Group or BNM/H [Dr.
HAYEE Baluch]; Baluch National Party or BNP [Sardar Akhtar
MENGAL]; Jamhoori Watan Party or JWP [Akbar Khan BUGTI];
Jamiat-al-Hadith or JAH [Sajid MIR]; Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam,
Fazlur Rehman faction or JUI/F [Fazlur REHMAN]; Jamiat
Ulema-i-Pakistan, Niazi faction or JUP/NI [Abdul Sattar Khan
NIAZI]; Millat Party [Farooq LEGHARI]; Milli Yakjheti Council or
MYC is an umbrella organization which includes Jamaat-i-Islami
or JI [Qazi Hussain AHMED], Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, Sami-ul-Haq
faction or JUI/S [Sami ul-HAQ], Tehrik-I-Jafria Pakistan or TJP
[Allama Sajid NAQVI], and Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan, Noorani
faction or JUP/NO [Shah Ahmad NOORANI]; Mutahida Qaumi Movement,
Altaf faction or MQM/A [Altaf HUSSAIN]; National People's Party
or NPP [Ghulam Mustapha JATOI]; Pakhtun Khwa Milli Awami Party
or PKMAP [Mahmood Khan ACHAKZAI]; Pakhtun Quami Party or PQP
[Mohammed AFZAL Khan]; Pakistan Awami Tehrik or PAT [Tahir ul
QADRI]; Pakistan Muslim League, Functional Group or PML/F [Pir
PAGARO]; Pakistan Muslim League, Junejo faction or PML/J [Hamid
Nasir CHATTHA]; Pakistan Muslim League, Nawaz Sharif faction or
PML/N [Nawaz SHARIF]; Pakistan National Party or PNP [Hasil
BIZENJO]; Pakistan People's Party or PPP [Benazir BHUTTO];
Pakistan People's Party/Shaheed Bhutto or PPP/SB [Ghinva
BHUTTO]; Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf or PTI [Imran KHAN]
note: political alliances in
Pakistan can shift frequently |
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Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
military remains
important political force; ulema (clergy), landowners,
industrialists, and small merchants also influential
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International
organization participation: |
AsDB, C
(suspended), CCC, CP, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU,
MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, UN,
UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK,
UNMOP, UNOMIG, UNTAET, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTrO |
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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 |
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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 |
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