Contact

Pakistan Office, South Asia

Friedrich-Naumann-Foundation
House 19, Street 19, F-6/2
44000 Islamabad
Pakistan

Tel.: +92 051 227 88 96
Fax: +92 051 227 99 15

mobile:+92 0300 850 7661

Email: officepakistan@fnst.org

Contact person:

Project Director: Mr. Peter-Andreas Bochmann

Program Officer: Ms. Munazza Batool

Finance and Administration: Mr. Muhammad Anwar


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Country Profile




OFFICIAL NAME: Islamic Republic of Pakistan

CAPITAL: Islamabad

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION: The territory of Pakistan extends from 23°45' to 36°50' N and between 6Project Director0°55' and 75°30'E, and is bounded to the west, north-west and north by Iran and Afghanistan (a narrow panhandle in the high Pamirs separates it from direct contact with Tajikistan), to the north-east by the People's Republic of China, to the east and south-east by India and to the south by the Arabian sea.

Country Profile

Pakistan Office, South Asia

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ECONOMIC PROFILE

Pakistan operates a mixed economy in which the state-owned enterprises (including industrial corporations, trading houses, banks, insurance companies, institutions of higher learning, medical schools and hospitals, and transport companies) account for nearly half of the gross domestic product (GDP). In addition, the state, with the help of an intricate system of industrial licensing and trade regulations, controls new private investments. The state also has at its disposal labor, health, and tax laws to oversee the functioning of the private sector. The balance between the public and private sectors of the economy was altered in favor of the former in 1972-74 as a result of a series of nationalization measures. Until then, and unlike most other developing countries, Pakistan had regarded the private sector as the leading sector of the economy. The removal of the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto administration in 1977, however, reversed much of the nationalization schemes, and in spite of tight government controls, the private sector again assumed a major role in the Pakistani economy. Nevertheless, the public/private sector mixed economy has not improved the country's economic status. Pakistan continues to suffer from high inflation (7.8 percent for FY 1997-1998) and from a huge international debt that places its foreign exchange situation in perpetual crisis. Years of unsupervised and often reckless fiscal policies have exacerbated inflationary pressures, caused the rupee to lose whatever integrity it had had in the earlier years, destroyed personal savings, and allowed public debt to literally explode. The economy, which was primarily agricultural at the time of independence, is now considerably diversified. Agriculture, is no longer the largest sector, representing only 24.2 percent of GDP in 1997 compared to 26.4 percent for industry. Thus agriculture contributes less than one-fourth of the GDP, while manufacturing provides more than one-quarter. In terms of the structure of its economy, Pakistan somewhat resembles the middle-income countries of East and Southeast Asia (the services sector represented 49.4 percent of GDP in 1997) more than the poorer nations of the subcontinent, e.g., Bangladesh and Nepal. With an estimated 34 percent living below the poverty line and with an inflation rate in FY 1997-1998 running at 7.8 percent Pakistan's economic performance leaves much to be desired. But relative to other developing countries gaining independence after World War II, it has made progress. GDP continues to increase at an average rate of 5 percent a year and various sectors of Pakistani society reveal higher standards of living. Nevertheless, the relentless increase in population denies significant forward progress and despite real growth in the economy, output per capita has risen slowly. By 2000 Pakistan's economy was more than four times as large as it was at the time of independence in 1947, but its population was more than three and a half times as large, and its per capita income was only twice as large. Still, Pakistan does not have a high incidence of absolute poverty (the level below which a minimally adequate diet and other essential requirements are not affordable). The proportion of the population living in absolute poverty is considerably smaller than in other South Asian countries (including India).


TIMELINE


1906 - Muslim League founded as forum for Indian Muslim separatism.

1940 - Muslim League endorses idea of separate nation for India’s Muslims.

1948 - Muhammed Ali Jinnah, the first governor general of Pakistan, dies.

1951 - Jinnah’s successor Liaquat Ali Khan is assassinated.

1956 - Constitution proclaims Pakistan an Islamic republic.

1960 - General Ayyub Khan becomes president.

1969 - General Ayyub Khan resigns and General Yahya Khan takes over.

1972 - Simla peace agreement with India sets new frontline in Kashmir.

1973 - Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto becomes prime minister.

1978 - General Zia becomes president.

1979 - Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto hanged.

1988 August - General Zia, the US ambassador and top Pakistan army officials die in mysterious air crash.

1996 - President Leghari dismisses Bhutto government amid corruption allegations.

1997 - Nawaz Sharif returns as prime minister after his Pakistan Muslim League party wins elections.

1999 October - Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif overthrown in military coup led by General Pervez Musharraf. Coup is widely condemned, Pakistan is suspended from Commonwealth.

2002 August - President Musharraf grants himself sweeping new powers, including the right to dismiss an elected parliament. Opposition forces accuse Musharraf of perpetuating dictatorship.

2002 November - Mir Zafarullah Jamali selected as prime minister by the National Assembly. He is the first civilian premier since the 1999 military coup and a member of a party close to General Musharraf.

2003 February - Senate elections: Ruling party wins most seats in voting to the upper house. Elections said to be final stage of what President Musharraf calls transition to democracy.

2003 December - Pakistan and India agree to resume direct air links and to allow overflights of each other's planes from beginning of 2004 after two-year ban.

2004 February - Leading nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan admits to having leaked nuclear weapons secrets. Technology is said to have been transferred to Libya, North Korea and Iran.

2004 April - Parliament approves creation of military-led National Security Council. Move institutionalises role of armed forces in civilian affairs.

2004 May - Pakistan readmitted to Commonwealth.

2004 June - Military offensive near Afghan border against suspected al-Qaeda militants and their supporters after attacks on checkpoints. Earlier offensive, in March, left more than 120 dead.

Source: BBC News



for more information about Pakistan:

www.infopak.gov.pk/