PakistanFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaThis article is about the country. For other uses, seePakistan (disambiguation).Islamic Republic of Pakistan (Urdu)Islm Jumhriyah-yi Pkistn

FlagEmblem

Motto:mn, Ittid, Nam (Urdu)"Faith, Unity, Discipline"[1]

Anthem:Qaum Tarnah "The National Anthem"[2]

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Area controlled by Pakistan shown in dark green; claimed but uncontrolled territory shown in light green.

CapitalIslamabad3340N7310E

Largest cityKarachi

Official languagesUrdu(National)[3][4][5]English(official)

Regional languagesPunjabi,Pashto,Sindhi,Saraiki,Balochi,Kashmiri,Brahui,Hindko,Shina,Balti,Khowar,BurushaskiYidgha,Dameli,Kalasha,Gawar-Bati,Domaaki[6][7]

ReligionIslam

DemonymPakistani

GovernmentFederalparliamentaryrepublic

-PresidentMamnoon Hussain(PML-N)

-Prime MinisterNawaz Sharif(PML-N)

-Chief JusticeJawwad S. Khawaja

-Chairman SenateRaza Rabbani(PPP)

-Speaker National AssemblyAyaz Sadiq(PML-N)

LegislatureMajlis-e-Shoora

-Upper houseSenate

-Lower houseNational Assembly

Independencefrom theBritish Empire

-Conception[8]29 December 1930

-Declaration28 January 1933

-Resolution23 March 1940

-Dominion14 August 1947

-Islamic Republic23 March 1956

-Fall of Dhaka16 December 1971

Area

-Total803,940km2[a](36th)310,403sqmi

-Water(%)3.1

Population

-2015estimate191,715,847[10][11](6th)

-Density234.4/km2(55th)607.4/sqmi

GDP(PPP)2015estimate

-Total$928.433 billion[12](26th)

-Per capita$4,886[12](136th)

GDP(nominal)2015estimate

-Total$250.136 billion[13](42nd)

-Per capita$1,342.7[13](153rd)

Gini(2008)30.0[14]medium

HDI(2013)0.537[15]low146th

CurrencyPakistani rupee() (PKR)

Time zonePKT(UTC+5)

-Summer(DST)(UTC+6b)

Drives on theleft[16]

Calling code+92

ISO 3166 codePK

Internet TLD.pk

a.See alsoPakistani English.

b.Not always observed; seeDaylight saving time in Pakistan.

Pakistan(i/pkstn/ori/pkistn/;Urdu:ALA-LC:Pkistn,pronounced[pkstn](listen)), officially theIslamic Republic of Pakistan(Urdu: ALA-LC:Islm Jumhriyah-yi PkistnIPA:[slmi dmurih pkstn]), is asovereigncountry inSouth Asia. With a population exceeding191 million people,[10][17]it is the sixthmost populouscountry and with an area covering 796,095km2(307,374 sq mi), it is the 36th largest country in the world in terms of area. Pakistan has a 1,046-kilometre (650mi)coastlinealong theArabian Seaand theGulf of Omanin the south and is bordered byIndiato the east,Afghanistanto the west,Iranto the southwest andChinain the far northeast respectively. It is separated fromTajikistanby Afghanistan's narrowWakhan Corridorin the north, and also shares amaritime borderwithOman.The territory that now constitutes Pakistan was previously home to severalancient cultures, including theMehrgarhof theNeolithicand the Bronze AgeIndus Valley Civilisation, and was later home to kingdoms ruled by people of different faiths and cultures, includingHindus,Indo-Greeks,Muslims,Turco-Mongols,AfghansandSikhs. The area has been ruled by numerous empires and dynasties, including the IndianMauryan Empire, the PersianAchaemenid Empire,Alexander of Macedonia, the ArabUmayyad Caliphate, theMongol Empire, theMughal Empire, theDurrani Empire, theSikh Empireand theBritish Empire. As a result of thePakistan Movementled byMuhammad Ali Jinnahand thesubcontinent's struggle for independence, Pakistan was created in 1947 as an independent nation forMuslimsfrom the regions in the east and west of Subcontinent where there was a Muslim majority. Initially adominion, Pakistan adopted anew constitutionin 1956, becoming an Islamic republic. Acivil warin 1971 resulted in the secession ofEast Pakistanas the new country ofBangladesh.Pakistan is afederalparliamentary republicconsisting offour provinces and four federal territories. It is anethnicallyandlinguisticallydiverse country, with a similar variation in itsgeographyandwildlife. Aregionalandmiddle power,[18][19]Pakistan has theseventh largest standing armed forcesin the world and is also anuclear poweras well as a declarednuclear-weaponsstate, being the only nation in theMuslim world, and the second inSouth Asia, to have that status. It has a semi-industrialisedeconomywith a well-integratedagriculture sector, itseconomyis the26th largestin the world in terms of purchasing power and45th largestin terms of nominal GDP and is also characterized among theemerging and growth-leading economiesof the world.The post-independence history of Pakistan has been characterised by periods of military rule, political instability andconflicts with neighbouring India. The country continues to face challenging problems, includingoverpopulation,terrorism,poverty,illiteracy, andcorruption. Despite these factors it ranked 16th on the 2012Happy Planet Index.[20]and its stock exchange being ranked in top ten.[21]It is a member of theUnited Nations, theCommonwealth of Nations, theNext Eleven Economies,Shanghai Cooperation Organisation,ECO,UfC,D8,Cairns Group,Kyoto Protocol,ICCPR,RCD,UNCHR,Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank,Group of Eleven,CPFTA,Group of 24, theG20 developing nations,ECOSOC, founding member of theOrganisation of Islamic Cooperation,SAARCandCERN.[22]Contents[hide] 1Etymology 2History 2.1Early and medieval age 2.2Colonial period 2.3Independence and modern Pakistan 3Government and politics 3.1Foreign relations of Pakistan 3.2Administrative divisions 3.3Military 3.4Kashmir conflict 3.5Law enforcement 4Geography, environment and climate 4.1Flora and fauna 4.2National parks and wildlife sanctuaries 5Infrastructure 5.1Economy 5.2Nuclear power 5.3Tourism 5.4Transport 5.5Science and technology 5.6Education 6Demographics 6.1Religion 7Culture and society 7.1Clothing, arts, and fashion 7.2Feminism 7.3Media and entertainment 7.4Urbanisation 7.5Diaspora 7.6Literature and philosophy 7.7Architecture 7.8Food and drink 7.9Sports 8See also 9Notes 10References 11Further reading 12External linksEtymologyThe namePakistanliterally means "Land ofthe Pure" inUrduandPersian. It comes from the wordpkmeaningpureinPersianandPashto[23]while the wordistnis a Persian word meaningplace of; it is a cognate of theSanskritwordsthn(Devanagari:[stan]).[24]It was coined in 1933 asPakstanbyChoudhry Rahmat Ali, aPakistan Movementactivist, who published it in his pamphletNow or Never,[25]using it as anacronym("thirty million Muslim brethren who live in PAKSTAN") referring to the names of the five northern regions of theBritish Raj:Punjab,Afghania,Kashmir,Sindh, andBaluchistan".[26][27][28]The letteriwas incorporated to ease pronunciation and form the linguistically correct and meaningful name.[29]HistoryMain articles:History of PakistanandHistory of South AsiaYou may needrendering supportto display theUrdu textin this article correctly.

Early and medieval ageMain articles:Indo-Greek Kingdom,Indus Valley Civilization,Vedic Civilization,Sikh EmpireandMughal Empire

Standing BuddhafromGandharaSome of the earliest ancient human civilisations in South Asia originated from areas encompassing present-day Pakistan.[30]The earliest known inhabitants in the region wereSoanianduring theLower Paleolithic, of whom stone tools have been found in theSoan ValleyofPunjab.[31]TheIndus region, which covers most of Pakistan, was the site of several successive ancient cultures including the NeolithicMehrgarh[32]and the Bronze AgeIndus Valley Civilisation(28001800 BCE) atHarappaandMohenjo-Daro.[33][34]TheVedic Civilization(1500500 BCE), characterised byIndo-Aryanculture, laid the foundations ofHinduism, which would become well established in the region.[35][36]Multanwas an important Hindu pilgrimage centre.[37]The Vedic civilisation flourished in the ancientGandhrancity of Takail, nowTaxilain Punjab.[32]Successive ancient empires and kingdoms ruled the region: the PersianAchaemenid Empirearound 519 BCE,Alexander the Great's empire in 326 BCE[38]and theMaurya Empirefounded byChandragupta Mauryaand extended byAshoka the Greatuntil 185 BCE.[32]TheIndo-Greek Kingdomfounded byDemetrius of Bactria(180165 BCE) included Gandhara and Punjab and reached its greatest extent underMenander(165150 BCE), prospering theGreco-Buddhistculture in the region.[32][39]Taxila had one of the earliest universities and centres of higher education in the world.[40][41][42][43]The Medieval period (6421219 CE) is defined by the spread ofIslamin the region. During this period,Sufimissionariesplayed a pivotal role in converting a majority of the regional Buddhist and Hindu population to Islam.[44]TheRai Dynasty(489632 CE) ofSindh, at its zenith, ruled this region and the surrounding territories.[45]ThePala Dynastywas the last Buddhist empire that underDharampalaandDevapalastretched acrossSouth Asiafrom what is nowBangladeshthroughNorthern Indiato Pakistan and later toKambojregion inAfghanistan.The Arab conquerorMuhammad bin QasimconqueredIndus valleyfromSindhtoMultanin southernPunjabin 711 CE.[46][47][48][49][50]The Pakistan government's official chronology identifies this as the point where the "foundation" of Pakistan was laid.[46][51][52]This conquest set the stage for therule of several successive Muslim empiresin the region, including theGhaznavid Empire(9751187 CE), theGhoridKingdom and theDelhi Sultanate(12061526 CE). TheLodi dynasty, the last of the Delhi Sultanate, was replaced by theMughal Empire(15261857 CE). The Mughals introduced Persian literature and high culture, establishing the roots ofIndo-Persian culturein the region.[53]In the early 16th century, the region remained under theMughal Empireruled byMuslim emperors.[54]By the early 18th century, the increasing European influence caused to slowly disintegrate theempirewith the lines between commercial and political dominance being increasingly blurred.[54]

Edwin Lord Weeksillustration of an open-air restaurant nearWazir Khan Mosque,Lahore.During this time, the EnglishEast India Company, had established coastal outposts.[54]Control over the seas, greater resources, technology, and militaryforce projectionbyEast India CompanyofBritish Empireled it to increasingly flex its military muscle; a factor that was crucial in allowing theCompany to gain controloversubcontinentby 1765 and sidelining the European competitors.[55]Expanding access beyondBengaland the subsequent increased strength and size of itsarmyenabled it to annex or subdue most of region by the 1820s.[54]To many historians, this marked the starting of region's colonial period.[54]By this time, with its economic power severely curtailed by theBritish parliamentand itself effectively made an arm of British administration, theCompanybegan to more consciously enter non-economic arenas such as education, social reform, and culture.[54]Such reforms included the enforcement ofEnglish Education Actin 1835 and the introduction of theIndian Civil Service(ICS).[56]Traditionalmadrasahs primary institutions of higher learning forMuslimsin thesubcontinent were no longer supported by theEnglish Crown, and nearly all of themadrasahslost their financial endowment.[57]Colonial periodMain articles:Pakistan Movement,Aligarh MovementandBritish Raj

SirSyed Ahmad Khan(1817-98) whosevisionformed the basis of Pakistan

Muhammad Ali Jinnah(18761948) served as Pakistan's first Governor-General and the leader of thePakistan MovementThe gradual decline of theMughal Empirein the early 18th century enabled theSikh Empire's influence to control larger areas until theBritishEast-India Companygained ascendancy over theIndian subcontinent.[58]Therebellionin 1857 (orSepoy mutiny) was the region's major armed struggle against theBritish EmpireandQueen Victoria.[59]Divergence in therelationshipbetweenHinduismandIslamcreated a major rift inBritish India; thus instigating racially-motivatedreligious violenceinIndia.[60]Thelanguage controversyfurther escalated the tensions between Hindus and Muslims.[61]TheHindu renaissancewitnessed the awakening of intellectualism in traditionalHinduismand saw the emergence of more assertive influence in the social and political spheres inBritish India.[62][63]Intellectual movementto counter theHindu renaissancewas led by SirSyed Ahmad Khanwho help founded theAll-India Muslim Leaguein 1901 and envisioned as well as advocated for thetwo-nation theory.[58]In contrast to theIndian Congress'santi-Britishefforts, theMuslim Leaguewas apro-Britishwhose political programinherited the British valuesthat would shape Pakistan's futurecivil society.[64][65]In events duringWorld War I,British Intelligencefoiled ananti-Englishconspiracyinvolving the nexus ofCongressand theGerman Empire.[66]The largely non-violent independence struggle led by the Indian Congress engaged millions of protesters in mass campaigns ofcivil disobediencein the 1920s and 1930s against theBritish Empire.[67][68][69]

Over 10 million people were uprooted from their homeland and travelled on foot, bullock carts and trains to their promised new home during thePartition of India. During the partition between 200,000 to 500,000 people were killed in the retributive genocide.[70]TheMuslim Leagueslowly rose to mass popularity in the 1930s amid fears of under-representation and neglect ofMuslimsinpolitics. In his presidential address of 29 December 1930,Allama Iqbalcalled for "the amalgamation ofNorth-WestMuslim-majority Indian states" consisting ofPunjab,North-West Frontier Province,SindandBaluchistan.[71]Muhammad Ali Jinnah, thefounder of Pakistan, greatly espoused thetwo-nation theoryand led the Muslim League to adopt theLahore Resolutionof 1940, popularly known as the Pakistan Resolution.[58]InWorld War II,JinnahandBritish educatedfounding fathersin theMuslim Leaguesupported theUnited Kingdom'swar efforts, countering opposition against it whilst working towardsSir Syed'svision.[72]Ascabinet missionfailed inIndia, theGreat Britainannounced the intentions to end itsrajinIndiain 194647.[73]NationalistsinBritish India includingJawaharlal NehruandAbul Kalam AzadofCongress,JinnahofMuslim League, andMaster Tara Singhrepresenting the Sikhsagreed to the proposed terms of transfer of power and independence in June 1947.[74]As theUnited Kingdomagreed uponpartitioningofIndiain 1947, the modern state of Pakistan was established on14 August 1947(27th ofRamadanin 1366 of theIslamic Calendar)in amalgamating theMuslim-majorityeastern and northwestern regions ofBritish India.[69]It comprised the provinces ofBalochistan,East Bengal, theNorth-West Frontier Province,West PunjabandSindh; thus forming Pakistan.[58][74]ThepartitioningofPunjabandBengalled to the series of violent communal riots acrossIndia and Pakistan; millions of Muslims moved to Pakistan and millions of Hindus and Sikhs moved to India.[75]Dispute overJammu and Kashmirled to theFirst Kashmir Warin 1948.[76][77]Independence and modern PakistanMain articles:Monarchy of Pakistan,Dominion of PakistanandHistory of Pakistan

TheAmericanCIAfilm on Pakistan made in 1950 examines the history and geography of Pakistan.Afterindependencefrom thepartitionofIndiain 1947,Muhammad Ali Jinnah, thePresidentofMuslim League, became nation's firstGovernor-Generalas well as firstPresident-Speakerof theParliament.[78]Meanwhile, Pakistan'sfounding fathersagreed upon appointingLiaquat Ali Khan, thesecretary-generalof theparty, nation'sfirstPrime Minister. Adominion statusin theCommonwealth of Nations, Pakistan was under twoBritish monarchwhenGeorge VIrelinquished the title ofEmperor of Indiato becomeKingof Pakistan in 1947.[78]AfterGeorge VI's death on 6 February 1952,Elizabeth IIbecame theQueenof Pakistan who retained the title until Pakistan becoming theIslamic republicin 1956,[79]butdemocracywas stalled by themartial lawenforced byPresidentIskander Mirzawho wasreplacedbyarmy chief, GeneralAyub Khan. Formingpresidential systemin 1962, the country experiencedexceptional growthuntil asecond warwithIndiain 1965 which led to economic downfall and wide-scalepublic disapprovalin 1967.[80][81]Consolidatingthe control fromAyub Khanin 1969, PresidentYahya Khanhad to deal with a devastatingcyclonewhich caused 500,000 deaths inEast Pakistan.[82]

Signing ofTashkent Declarationto endhostilitieswithIndiain 1965 inTashkent,USSR, by PresidentAyubalongside withBhutto(center) andAziz Ahmed(left).In 1970, Pakistan held itsfirst democratic electionssince independence, that were meant to mark a transition frommilitary ruleto democracy, but after the East PakistaniAwami Leaguewon againstPakistan Peoples Party(PPP); Yahya Khan andmilitary establishmentrefused to hand over power.[83][84]Instigatedcivil unrestinvited themilitarylaunchedan operationon 25 March 1971, aiming to regain control of the province.[83][84]Thegenocidecarried out during this operation led to a declaration of independence and to the waging ofa war of liberationby the BengaliMukti Bahiniforces in East Pakistan, with support from India.[84][85]However, in West Pakistan the conflict was described as acivil waras opposed to War of Liberation.[86]Independent estimates of civilian deaths during this period range from 300,000 to 3 million.[87]Preemptive strikesonIndiaby the Pakistan'sair force,navy, andmarinessparked theconventional warin 1971, which witnessed the Indian victory andEast PakistangainingindependenceasBangladesh.[84]With Pakistansurrenderingin the war, Yahya Khan was replaced byZulfikar Ali BhuttoasPresident; the country worked towards promulgatingconstitutionand putting the country on roads ofdemocracy.Democraticrule resumed from 1972 to 1977 an era of self-consciousness, intellectualleftism,nationalism, and nationwide reconstruction.[88]During this period, Pakistan embarked on ambitiously developing thenuclear deterrencein 1972 ina view to preventanyforeign invasion; the country'sfirstnuclear power plantwas inaugurated, also the same year.[89][90]Accelerated in response tofirst nuclear testbyIndiain 1974, thiscrash programcompleted in 1979.[90]Democracyended witha military coupin 1977 against theleftistPPP, which saw GeneralZia-ul-Haqbecome thepresidentin 1978. From 197788, PresidentZia'scorporatisationandeconomic Islamisationinitiatives led to Pakistan becoming one of the fastest-growing economies in South Asia.[91]While consolidating thenuclear development, increasingIslamization,[92]and the rise of homegrownconservativephilosophy, Pakistan helped subsidize and distributeU.S.resources to factionsof themujahideenagainst theUSSR'sinterventionincommunistAfghanistan.[93][94]President Zia diedin aplane crashin 1988, andBenazir Bhutto, daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was elected as the country'sfirst femalePrime Minister. ThePakistan Peoples Partyfollowed by conservativePakistan Muslim League (N), and over the next decade whose two leaders fought for power, alternating in office while the country's situation worsened; economic indicators fell sharply, in contrast to the 1980s. This period is marked by prolongedstagflation, instability,corruption,nationalism,geopoliticalrivalry withIndia, and the clash ofleft wing-right wingideologies.[95][96]AsPML(N)secured asupermajorityinelectionsin 1997, Sharif authorised thenuclear testings(See:Chagai-IandChagai-II), as aretaliationtosecond nuclear testsordered byIndia, led byPrime MinisterAtal Bihari Vajpayeein May 1998.[97]

PresidentBushmeets with PresidentMusharrafinIslamabadduring his 2006 visit to Pakistan.Military tension between the two countries in theKargil districtled to theKargil Warof 1999, and a turbulence incivic-military relationsallowed GeneralPervez Musharraftook over through abloodless coup d'tat.[98][99]Musharraf governed Pakistan aschief executivefrom 1999 to 2001 and as President from 2001 to 2008 a period ofenlightenment, socialliberalism, extensiveeconomic reforms,[100]anddirect involvementin theU.S.-ledwar on terrorism. When theNational Assemblyhistorically completed its first full five-year term on 15 November 2007, the new elections were called by theElection Commission.[101]After theassassinationofBenazir Bhuttoin 2007, thePPPsecuredlargest votesin theelectionsof 2008, appointing party memberYousaf Raza Gillanias Prime Minister.[102]Threatened with facingimpeachment, President Musharraf resigned on 18 August 2008, and was succeeded byAsif Ali Zardari.[103][104][105]Clashes with thejudicaturepromptedGillani's disqualification from theParliamentand as thePrime Ministerin June 2012.[106]By its own financial calculations, Pakistan'sinvolvementin thewar on terrorismhas cost up to ~$67.93 billion,[107][108]thousands of casualtiesand nearly 3million displaced civilians.[109]Thegeneral electionheld in 2013 saw thePML(N)almost achieve asupermajority, following whichNawaz Sharifbecame elected as thePrime Minister, returning to the post for the third time after fourteen years, in a democratic transition.[110]Government and politicsMain articles:Government of Pakistan,Politics of Pakistan,Political history of PakistanandHuman rights in PakistanPakistan is ademocraticparliamentaryfederal republicwithIslamas thestate religion.[111]Thefirst setwas adopted in 1956 but suspended by Ayub Khan in 1958 who replaced it with thesecond setin 1962.[69]Complete and comprehensiveConstitutionwas adopted in 1973suspended byZia-ul-Haqin 1977 but reinstated in 1985is the country's most important document, laying the foundations of the current government.[112]The Pakistanimilitary establishmenthas played an influential role in mainstream politics throughoutPakistan's political history.[69]Presidents are brought in bymilitary coupswho imposed inmartial lawin19581971,19771988, and19992008.[113]As of now, Pakistan has amulti-partyparliamentary systemwith cleardivision of powersandresponsibilities between branches of government. The first successfuldemonstrative transactionwas held in May 2013.Politicsin Pakistan is centered and dominated by the homegrown conceivesocial philosophy, consisting the ideas ofsocialism,conservatism, and thethird way. As of thegeneral electionsheld in 2013, the three main dominated political parties in the country: thecentre-rightconservativePakistan Muslim League-N(PML-N); thecentre-leftsocialistPakistan Peoples Party(PPP); and thecentristandthird-wayPakistan Movement for Justice(PTI) led bycricketerImran Khan. Head of State: ThePresidentwho is elected by anElectoral Collegeis the ceremonial head of the state and is the civiliancommander-in-chiefof thePakistan Armed Forces(withChairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committeeas its principal military adviser), but military appointments and key confirmations in the armed forces are made by thePrime Ministerafter reviewing the reports on their merit and performances. Almost all appointed officers in thejudicature,military,chairman joint chiefsandjoint staff, and legislatures require the executive confirmation from thePrime Minister, whom the President must consult, by law. However, the powers to pardon and grant clemency vest with thePresident of Pakistan. Legislative: Thebicamerallegislature comprises a 100-memberSenate(upper house) and a 342-memberNational Assembly(lower house).Membersof theNational Assemblyare elected through thefirst-past-the-postsystem underuniversal adult suffrage, representing electoral districts known as National Assemblyconstituencies. According to the constitution, the 70 seats reserved for women and religious minorities are allocated to the political parties according to their proportional representation. Senate members are elected by provincial legislators, with all of provinces have equal representation. Executive: ThePrime Ministeris usually the leader of themajority rule partyor a coalition in theNational Assembly thelower house. ThePrime Ministerserves as thehead of governmentand is designated to exercise as the country'schief executive. ThePrime Ministeris responsible for appointing acabinetconsisting of ministers and advisors as well as running the government operations, taking and authorizing executive decisions, appointments and recommendations that require executive confirmation of the Prime Minister. Provincial governments: Each of thefour provincehas a similarsystem of government, with adirectly electedProvincial Assemblyin which the leader of the largest party or coalition is electedChief Minister. Chief Ministers oversees theprovincial governmentsand head the provincial cabinet, it is common in Pakistan to have different ruling parties or coalitions in each provinces. The provincial assemblies have power to make laws and approve provincial budget which is commonly presented by the provincial finance minister every fiscal year.Provincial governorswho play role as the ceremonial head of province are appointed by thePresident.[112] Judicature: Thejudiciaryof Pakistan is a hierarchical system with two classes of courts: the superior (or higher) judiciary and the subordinate (or lower) judiciary. TheChief Justiceof Pakistan is thechief judgewho oversees the judicature'scourt systemat all levels of command. The superior judiciary is composed of theSupreme Courtof Pakistan, theFederal Shariat Courtand fiveHigh Courts, with the Supreme Court at the apex. TheConstitution of Pakistanentrusts the superior judiciary with the obligation to preserve, protect and defend the constitution. Neither the Supreme Court nor a High Court may exercise jurisdiction in relation to Tribal Areas, except otherwise provided for. The disputed regions ofAzad Kashmirand GilgitBaltistan have separate court systems.