Pakistan

F

Commerce and Trade

Pakistan’s foreign trade consists largely of exports of raw materials and basic products such as cotton yarn, and imports of manufactured products. In 2003 exports earned about US$12,695 million and imports cost US$15,549 million. The chief exports were textiles and fabrics; clothing; rice; carpets and rugs; leather; fish; and cotton. The main imports were machinery; electrical equipment; petroleum products; transport equipment; oils and fats; metal and metal products; and organic chemicals. Pakistan’s leading trade partners included Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates. Tourism is of increasing importance in Pakistan’s foreign currency earnings. In 2006 there were around 898,000 tourist arrivals; the foreign exchange receipts from tourism in 2006 were US$1,544 million.

G

Transport

Lack of a modern transport network has been a major hindrance to Pakistan’s development. Its terrain, laced with rivers and mountains, presents formidable obstacles to internal land transport.

The country has about 258,340 km (160,525 mi) of roads, of which 65 per cent are all-weather roads. There are approximately 2.6 million motor vehicles in Pakistan; in 2004 there was a ratio of approximately 10 passenger cars per 1,000 people. The railway network operated by Pakistan Railways totals about 7,791 km (4,841 mi) of track. Karachi is the principal port; a second major port, Muhammad bin Qasim, was opened in the early 1980s.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), 56 per cent government owned, provides domestic as well as overseas service to about 30 countries. The main international airports serve Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, and Quetta.

H

Communications

In the mid-1990s Pakistan had more than 2.5 million telephones; by 2005 there was a ratio of 34 telephones per 1,000 people. In 2000 there were 14 million radios, and 19 million television sets. The Pakistan Television Corporation transmits eight channels. Transmissions first began in Lahore in 1964, followed by Karachi in 1966. The Shalimar Television Network is part state and part privately owned. Radio Pakistan is the state-owned radio service; it is complemented by Azad Kashmir Radio and a number of other stations. Newspapers are mainly printed in Urdu and English. In 2004 Pakistan had 291 daily newspapers. The major dailies are concentrated in Lahore and Karachi. The average circulation of all dailies in 1999 was just over 6 million.

V

Government

Pakistan is an Islamic republic. After the army coup of October 1999, it was under military rule. Supreme power was vested in the president, General Pervez Musharraf. Pakistan, in its periods of civil rule, operates a federal system of government. Following the secession of East Pakistan in 1971, Pakistan adopted a new constitution in 1973 to replace the one in operation since 1956. The military coup d’état of 1977, however, brought a system of martial law into effect, and most aspects of the 1973 constitution were suspended. In 1985 parliamentary government was re-established, martial law was ended, and the constitution restored, after amendments extending the powers of the president, including those of appointing and dismissing ministers and vetoing new legislation. Legislation enacted in 1991 made Shari’ah, or Islamic law, the supreme law of the land. Prior to the Musharraf regime, a constitutional court ruled on matters relating to the constitution, and could overrule presidential decisions. On April 1, 1997, the federal legislature revoked sections of the constitution’s eighth amendment, in effect reducing the powers of the president in order to restore power to the elected government. The legislation, known as the 13th amendment, brought the presidency back under the control of the prime minister; the president could not dismiss parliament without the prime minister’s permission.

A

Executive and Legislature

According to the 1973 constitution, as amended in 1985, the head of state of Pakistan is a president, elected to a five-year term by a college of deputies from the federal and provincial assemblies. The chief executive has been the prime minister, who was responsible to the legislature. Following the military coup d’etat in October 1999, General Musharraf became chief executive of Pakistan, as well as Chief of Army Staff and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. He named himself president in June 2001, which was confirmed in a referendum of 2002. Musharraf won the presidential election of 2007 but the results were referred to the Supreme Court to decide whether he had legal grounds to contest the election. He stood down as army chief to comply with the newly constituted Supreme Court and was sworn in for a further term in November 2007. He resigned as president in August 2008.

During civil rule, legislative power is vested in the bicameral federal legislature (Majilis-e-Shoora). Since 2002 the National Assembly has had 342 members who are elected for five-year terms; 10 are reserved for minority representatives and 60 for women representatives. The Senate has 100 seats, with members elected for six-year terms.