Monday, January 25, 2010
Sports
Sports in Pakistan 
Cricket is the most popular sport in Pakistan The national sport of Pakistan is Field hockey, although Cricket is the most popular game across the country. The national cricket team has won the Cricket World Cup once (in 1992), were runners-up once (in 1999), and co-hosted the games twice (in 1987 and 1996). Pakistan were runners-up in the inaugural 2007 ICC World Twenty20 held in South Africa and are the champions of 2009 ICC World Twenty20 held in England. Squash is another sport that Pakistanis have excelled in. Successful world-class squash players such as Jahangir Khan and Jansher Khan won the World Open several times during their careers. 
Polo is regarded as a traditional sport and played widely in the northern areas At an international level, Pakistan has competed many times at the Summer Olympics in field hockey, Boxing, athletics, swimming, and Shooting. Pakistan's medal tally remains at 10 medals (3 gold, 3 silver and 4 bronze) while at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games it stands at 61 medals and 182 medals respectively. Hockey is the sport in which Pakistan has been most successful at the Olympics, with three gold medals in (1960, 1968, and 1984). Pakistan has also won the Hockey World Cup a record four times (1971, 1978, 1982, 1994). The Motorsport Association of Pakistan is a member of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.[140] in Caving adventure sports Pakistan is member country to UIS (Union of International Speleology)[133] The Freedom Rally is a yearly off-road race which takes place during the Independence celebrations. Pakistan also qualified for the Golf World Cup for the first time in 2009.[141]
Tourism
Tourism in Pakistan 
Despite having an image problem, hyped particularly in the West, and once alleged as one of the most dangerous countries in the world by the British magazine "The Economist",[130] tourism is still a growing industry in Pakistan because of its diverse cultures, peoples and landscapes.[131] The variety of attractions ranges from the ruins of ancient civilizations such as Mohenjo-daro, Harappa and Taxila, to the Himalayan hill-stations, that attract those interested in field and winter sports. Pakistan also has several mountain peaks of height over 8,000 metres (26,250 ft), that attract adventurers and mountaineers from around the world, especially to K2.[132] Starting in April to September, domestic and international tourists visit these areas helping tourism become a source of income for the local people.
The northern parts of Pakistan are home to several historical fortresses, towers and other architecture including the Hunza and Chitral valleys, the latter being home to the Kalash, a small pre-Islamic Animist community.[134] Punjab is also the site of Alexander's battle on the Jhelum River. The historic city of Lahore is considered Pakistan's cultural centre and has many examples of Mughal architecture such as the Badshahi Masjid, Shalimar Gardens, Tomb of Jahangir and the Lahore Fort.[135] The Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) also helps promote tourism in the country.[136] However, tourism is still limited because of the lack of proper infrastructure and the worsening security situation in the country. The recent militancy in Pakistan's scenic sites, including Swat in NWFP province, has dealt a massive blow to the tourism industry, beside this much of the troubles in these tourist destinations are also blamed on the frail travel network, tourism regulatory framework, low prioritization of the tourism industry by the government, low effectiveness of marketing and a constricted tourism perception.[137][138] After these areas were being cleared off the militant groups in late 2009, the government of Pakistan with the financial support from the USAID have started a campaign to reintroduced tourism in Swat valley. Pakistan receives 500,000 tourists annually, and almost half of them heads to northern Pakistan.[139]
In Balochistan there are many caves for cavers and tourists to visit especially the Juniper Shaft Cave, the Murghagull Gharra cave, Mughall saa cave, and naturally decorated cave. Pakistan is a member country of the Union International de Spéléologie (UIS).[133]
Culture
Culture of Pakistan
Cloth market in Karachi 
A sitar workshop in Islamabad 
View of Food Street in Lahore
A Kalash man dances during the Uchau Festival. The Literature of Pakistan covers the literatures of languages spread throughout the country, namely Urdu, Sindhi, Punjabi, Pushto, Baluchi as well as English[126] and Persian as well. Prior to the 19th century, the literature mainly consisted of Lyric poetry and religious, mystical and popular materials. During the colonial age the native literary figures, under the influence of the Western literature of realism, took up increasingly different topics and telling forms. Today, short stories enjoy a special popularity.[127]
Pakistani society is largely Hierarchical, with high regard for traditional Islamic values, although urban families have grown into a Nuclear family system because of the socio-economic constraints imposed by the traditional Joint family system.[119] Recent decades have seen the emergence of a middle class in cities like Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, Faisalabad, Multan and Peshawar that wish to move in a more centrist direction, as opposed to the northwestern regions bordering Afghanistan that remain highly conservative and dominated by centuries-old regional tribal customs. Increasing Globalization has resulted in ranking 46th on the A.T. Kearney/FP Globalization Index.[120]
The variety of Pakistani music ranges from diverse provincial Folk music and traditional styles such as Qawwali and Ghazal Gayaki to modern forms fusing traditional and western music, such as the synchronisation of Qawwali and western music by the world renowned Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. In addition Pakistan is home to many famous folk singers such as the late Alam Lohar, who is also well known in Indian Punjab. However, majority of Pakistanis listen to Indian music produced by Bollywood and other Indian film industries. The arrival of Afghan refugees in the western provinces has rekindled Pashto and Persian music and established Peshawar as a hub for Afghan musicians and a distribution centre for Afghan music abroad.[121]
State-owned Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) and Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation were the dominant media outlets, but there are now numerous private television channels. Various American, European, and Asian television channels and films are available to the majority of the Pakistani population via private Television Networks, cable, and Satellite television. There are also small indigenous film industries based in Lahore and Peshawar (often referred to as Lollywood). And while Bollywood films have been banned from being played in public cinemas since 1965 they have remained popular in popular culture.[122]
The architecture of the areas now constituting Pakistan can be designated to four distinct periods—pre-Islamic, Islamic, colonial and post-colonial. With the beginning of the Indus civilization around the middle of the 3rd millennium[123] B.C., an advanced Urban culture developed for the first time in the region, with large structural facilities, some of which survive to this day.[124] Mohenjo Daro, Harappa and Kot Diji belong to the pre-Islamic era settlements. The rise of Buddhism and the Persian and Greek influence led to the development of the Greco-Buddhist style, starting from the 1st century CE. The high point of this era was reached with the culmination of the Gandhara style. An example of Buddhist architecture is the ruins of the Buddhist monastery Takht-i-Bahi in the northwest province.
The arrival of Islam in today's Pakistan meant a sudden end of Buddhist architecture.[125] However, a smooth transition to predominantly pictureless Islamic architecture occurred. The most important of the few completely discovered buildings of Persian style is the tomb of the Shah Rukn-i-Alam in Multan. During the Mughal era design elements of Islamic-Persian architecture were fused with and often produced playful forms of the Hindustani art. Lahore, occasional residence of Mughal rulers, exhibits a multiplicity of important buildings from the empire, among them the Badshahi mosque, the fortress of Lahore with the famous Alamgiri Gate, the colourful, still strongly Persian seeming Wazir Khan Mosque as well as numerous other mosques and mausoleums. Also the Shahjahan Mosque of Thatta in Sindh originates from the epoch of the Mughals. In the British colonial period, predominantly functional buildings of the Indo-European representative style developed from a mixture of European and Indian-Islamic components. Post-colonial national identity is expressed in modern structures like the Faisal Mosque, the Minar-e-Pakistan and the Mazar-e-Quaid.
The national poet of Pakistan, Allama Muhammad Iqbal, suggested the creation of a separate homeland for the Muslims of India. However, Iqbal had also wrote the Tarana-e-Hind which stated the belief of a strong united India. His book The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam is a major work of modern Islamic philosophy. The most well-known representative of the contemporary Urdu literature of Pakistan is Faiz Ahmed Faiz. Sufi poetry Shah Abdul Latif, Bulleh Shah and Khawaja Farid are also very popular in Pakistan.[128] Mirza Kalich Beg has been termed the father of modern Sindhi prose.[129]
Education
Education in Pakistan 
Punjab University Old Campus, also known as Allama Iqbal Campus Education in Pakistan is divided into five levels: primary (grades one through five); middle (grades six through eight); high (grades nine and ten, leading to the Secondary School Certificate); intermediate (grades eleven and twelve, leading to a Higher Secondary School Certificate); and University programmes leading to graduate and advanced degrees.[109]
Pakistan also has a parallel secondary school education system in private schools, which is based upon the curriculum set and administered by the Cambridge International Examinations, in place of government exams. Some students choose to take the O level and A level[110] exams through the British Council.
There are currently 730 technical & vocational institutions in Pakistan.[111] The minimum qualifications to enter male vocational institutions, is the completion of grade 8.
The programmes are generally two to three years in length. The minimum qualifications to enter female vocational institutions, is the completion of grade 5.[114] All academic education institutions are the responsibility of the provincial governments. The federal government mostly assists in curriculum development, accreditation and some financing of research.![Literacy Rate – Pakistan, Sources:[112][113]](http://www.wikiwak.com/wak/File:Literacy_Rate_Pak_%281951_-_2008%29.jpg)
English medium education is to be extended, on a phased basis, to all schools across the country.[115] Through various educational reforms, by the year 2015, the ministry of education expects to attain 100% enrolment levels amongst primary school aged children, and a literacy rate of 86% amongst people aged over 10.[116]
Pakistan also has Madrassahs that provide free education and also offer free boarding and lodging to students who come mainly from the poorer strata of society.[117] After criticism over terrorists using them for recruiting purposes, efforts have been made to regulate them.[118]
Economy
Economy of Pakistan 
A View of I. I. Chundrigar Road road, Karachi, which is the Financial hub of pakistan 
The IDEAS exhibition is held in Karachi every year GDP growth was steady during the mid 2000s at a rate of 7%;[93][94] however, slowed down during the Economic crisis of 2008 to 4.7%.[15] A large inflation rate of 24.4% and a low savings rate, and other economic factors, continue to make it difficult to sustain a high growth rate.[95][96] Pakistan's GDP is US$167 billions, which makes it the 48th-largest economy in the world or 27th largest by purchasing power adjusted exchange rates. Today, Pakistan is regarded as to having the second largest economy in South Asia.[97] 
GDP by Province The structure of the Pakistani economy has changed from a mainly agricultural base to a strong service base. Agriculture now only accounts for roughly 20% of the GDP, while the service sector accounts for 53% of the GDP.[98] Significant foreign investments have been made in several areas including telecommunications, real estate and energy.[99][100] Other important industries include apparel and textiles (accounting for nearly 60% of exports), food processing, chemicals manufacture, and the iron and steel industries.[101] Pakistan's exports in 2008 amounted to $20.62 billion (USD).[15] Pakistan is a rapidly developing country.[102][103][104] However, the Economic crisis of 2008 led Pakistan to seek more than $100 billion in aid in order to avoid possible bankruptcy.[105][106] This was never given to Pakistan and therefore it had to depend on a more aggressive fiscal policy, backed by the IMF. A year later Asian Development Bank Reports Pakistan economic crisis easing in 2009.[107] Furthermore it is projected that in 2010 Pakistan economy would grow at least 4 percent and could grow more with strong international economic recovery
Pakistan has a semi-industrialized economy.[86][87] The growth poles of the Pakistani economy are situated along the Indus River,[87][88] diversified economies of Karachi and Punjab's urban centers, coexist with lesser developed areas in other parts of the country.[87] Despite being a very poor country in 1947, Pakistan's economic growth rate has been better than the global average during the subsequent four decades, but imprudent policies led to a slowdown in the late 1990s.[89] Recently, wide-ranging economic reforms have resulted in a stronger economic outlook and accelerated growth especially in the Manufacturing and Financial services sectors.[89] Since the 1990s, there has been great improvement in the foreign exchange position and rapid growth in Hard currency reserves.[89]
The 2005 estimate of foreign debt was close to US$40 billion. However, this has decreased in recent years with assistance from the International Monetary Fund and significant debt-relief from the United States. Pakistan's Gross domestic product, as measured by Purchasing power parity, is estimated to be US$475.4 billion[90] while its Per capita income stands at $2,942.[90] The poverty rate in Pakistan is estimated to be between 23%[91] and 28%.[92]
Flora and fauna
Flora of Pakistan and Fauna of Pakistan 
Markhor, Pakistan's national animal The national animal of Pakistan is the Markhor and the national bird is the Chukar, also known as Chakhoor in Urdu.[81] The wide variety of landscapes and climates in Pakistan allows for a wide variety of wild animals and birds. The forests range from Coniferous alpine and Subalpine trees such as spruce, pine, and Deodar cedar in the northern mountains to Deciduous trees such as the mulberry-type Shisham in the Sulaiman range in the south. The western hills have Juniper and Tamarisk as well as coarse grasses and scrub plants. Along the southern coast are Mangrove forests which form much of the coastal wetlands.[82]
In the south, there are crocodiles in the murky waters at the mouth of the Indus River whilst on the banks of the river, there are boars, deer, Porcupines, and small rodents. In the sandy scrublands of central Pakistan are found jackals, hyenas, wild cats, panthers, and leopards while the clear blue skies abound with hawks, falcons, and eagles. In the southwestern deserts are rare Asiatic cheetahs. In the northern mountains are a variety of endangered animals including Marco Polo sheep, Urial sheep, Markhor and Ibex goats, black and brown Himalayan bears, and the rare Snow Leopard. During August 2006, Pakistan donated an orphaned snow leopard cub called Leo to USA.[83] Another rare species is the blind Indus River Dolphin of which there are believed to be about 1,100 remaining, protected at the Indus River Dolphin Reserve in Sindh.[84] In recent years the number of wild animals being killed for fur and leather trading led to a new law banning the hunting of wild animals and birds and the establishment of several wildlife sanctuaries and game reserves. The number of hunters have greatly dwindled since then.[85]
Geography and climate
Geography of Pakistan 
The Baltoro Glacier, Northern Pakistan, is one of the longest glaciers outside of the polar regions. Pakistan covers 340,403 square miles (881,640 km2),[77] approximately equalling the combined land areas of France and the United Kingdom. Its eastern regions are located on the Indian tectonic plate and the western and northern regions on the Iranian plateau and Eurasian landplate. Apart from the 1,046-kilometre (650 mi) Arabian Sea coastline, Pakistan's land borders total 6,774 kilometres—2,430 kilometres (1,509 mi) with Afghanistan to the northwest, 523 kilometres (325 mi) with China to the northeast, 2,912 kilometres (1,809 mi) with India to the east and 909 kilometres (565 mi) with Iran to the southwest.[15]
Kund Malir beach
The northern and western highlands of Pakistan contain the towering Karakoram and Pamir mountain ranges, which incorporate some of the world's highest peaks, including K2 (28,250 ft; 8,611 m) and Nanga Parbat (26,660 ft; 8,126 m).
The Balochistan Plateau lies to the West, and the Thar Desert in East. An expanse of alluvial plains lies in Punjab and Sind along the Indus river. The 1,000-mile-long (1,609-km) Indus River and its tributaries flow through the country from the Kashmir region to the Arabian Sea.[78]
Pakistan has four seasons: a cool, dry winter from December through February; a hot, dry spring from March through May; the summer rainy season, or southwest monsoon period, from June through September; and the retreating monsoon period of October and November. The onset and duration of these seasons vary somewhat according to location.[79] Rainfall can vary radically from year to year, and successive patterns of flooding and drought are also not uncommon.[Military
Military of Pakistan
Further information: War in North-West Pakistan
The armed forces of Pakistan are an all-volunteer force and are the sixth-largest in the world. The three main services are the Army, Navy and the Air Force, supported by a number of paramilitary forces which carry out internal security roles and border patrols. The National Command Authority is responsible for exercising employment and development control of all strategic nuclear forces and organizations.The Pakistan military first saw combat in the First Kashmir War, gaining control of what is now Azad Kashmir. In 1961, the army repelled a major Afghan incursion on Pakistan's western border.[73] Pakistan and India would be at war again in 1965 and in 1971. In 1973, the military quelled a Baloch nationalist uprising. During the Soviet-Afghan war, Pakistan shot down several intruding pro-Soviet Afghan aircraft and provided covert support to the Afghan mujahideen through the Inter-Services Intelligence agency. In 1999, Pakistan was involved in the Kargil conflict with India. Currently, the military is engaged in an armed conflict with extremist Islamic militants in the north-west of the country.
The Pakistani armed forces contributed to United Nations peacekeeping efforts, with more than 10,700 personnel deployed in 2009,[74] and are presently the largest contributor. In the past, Pakistani personnel have volunteered to serve alongside Arab forces in conflicts with Israel. Pakistan provided a military contingent to the U.N.-backed coalition in the first Gulf War.[75]
Pakistan's military employs armaments that include atomic weapons, mobile vehicle ballistic missile systems, laser communication systems, armored cars and tanks, and multi-role fighter/bomber jets.
Since 2004, Pakistani armed forces are engaged in fighting against Pakistani Taliban groups. Ever since the militant groups have been retaliating by suicide bombings in Pakistani cities, killing more then 3000 civilians and armed personnels only in 2009.[76]
Languages and Religions
Pakistan is a Multilingual country with more than sixty languages being spoken. English is the Official language of Pakistan and used in official business, government, and legal contracts,[15] while Urdu is the National language.
Major Ethnic Groups in Pakistan
Punjabi is the provincial language of Punjab. Pashto is the provincial language of North-West Frontier Province. Sindhi is the provincial language of Sindh and Balochi is the provincial language of Balochistan.[68]
Other languages include Aer, Badeshi, Bagri, Balti, Bateri, Bhaya, Brahui, Burushaski, Chilisso, Dameli, Dehwari, Dhatki, Domaaki, Farsi (Dari), Gawar-Bati, Ghera, Goaria, Gowro, Gujarati, Gujari, Gurgula, Hazaragi, Hindko (two varieties), Jadgali, Jandavra, Kabutra, Kachchi (Kutchi), Kalami, Kalasha, Kalkoti, Kamviri, Kashmiri, Kati, Khetrani, Khowar, Indus Kohistani, Koli (three varieties), Lasi, Loarki, Marwari, Memoni, Od, Ormuri, Pahari-Potwari, Pakistan Sign Language, Palula (Phalura), Sansi, Savi, Shina (two varieties), Torwali, Ushojo, Vaghri, Wakhi, Waneci, and Yidgha.[69] Some of these are endangered languages with a relatively small number of speakers and others have hundreds of thousands of speakers. Most of the languages belong to the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European family. The exceptions are Burushaski, which is a Language isolate; Balti, which is Sino-TIbetan; and Brahui, which is Dravidian.
Pakistan is the second-most populous Muslim-majority country[10][70] and also has the second-largest Shi'a population in the world.[11] About 95% of the Pakistanis are Muslim, of which nearly 75% are Sunni and 20% are Shi'a.[15] Although the two groups of Muslims usually coexist peacefully, sectarian violence occurs sporadically.[71]
The religious breakdown of the country is as follows:[15]
- Islam 173,000,000 (96%) (nearly 70% are Sunni Muslims and 20% are Shi'a Muslims).
- Hinduism 3,200,000 (1.85%)
- Christianity 2,800,000 (1.6%)
- Sikhs Around 20,000 (0.001%)
- The remaining are Parsis, Ahmadi Muslims, Buddhists, Jews, Bahá'ís, and Animists (mainly the Kalasha of Chitral).[72]
Demographics
Demographics of Pakistan and Ethnic groups in Pakistan 
Population density in Pakistan The estimated Population of Pakistan in 2009 was over 180,800,000[54][55] making it the world's sixth most-populous country, behind Brazil and ahead of Russia. By the year 2020, the country's population is expected to reach 220 million, owing to a relatively high growth rate.[56] About 20 % of the population live below the international poverty line of US$1.25 a day.[57] Population projections for Pakistan are relatively difficult because of the differences in the accuracy of each census and the inconsistencies between various surveys related to the fertility rate, but it is likely that the rate of growth peaked in the 1980s and has since declined significantly.[58] Life expectancy at birth was 63 for females and 62 for males in 2006.[59] Healthy life expectancy at birth was at 54 for males and 52 for females in 2003.[59] Expenditure on health was at 2% of the GDP in 2006.[59] The mortality below 5 was at 97 per 1,000 live births in 2006.[59]
The majority of southern Pakistan's population lives along the Indus River. By population size, Karachi is the biggest city of Pakistan.[60] In the northern half, most of the population lives about an arc formed by the cities of Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Gujrat, Jhelum, Sargodha and Sheikhupura. In the past, the country's population had a relatively high growth rate that has, however, been moderated by declining fertility and birth rates. Dramatic social changes have led to rapid urbanization and the emergence of megacities. During 1990–2003, Pakistan sustained its historical lead as the most urbanized nation in South Asia, with city dwellers making up 36% of its population.[61]
Pakistan has a multicultural and multi-ethnic society and hosts one of the largest refugee populations in the world as well as a young population. Approximately 1.7 million Afghan refugees remain in Pakistan.[62] Nearly half of this population actually was born and grew up in Pakistan during the last 30 years. [63] They are not counted in the national census, even the ones born in Pakistan, because they are still considered citizens of Afghanistan. About 8 million Muhajirs—then roughly one-fourth of the country’s population—arrived from India after the independence in 1947.[64] The Urdu-speaking Muhajirs make up nearly half of the Karachi’s 17 million residents,[65] with Punjabis and Pashtuns also having sizable communities in the city.[66]
| Rank | City | Location | Population | Rank | City | Location | Population |  Karachi, Sindh  Lahore, Punjab |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karachi | Sindh | 12,827,927 | 11 | Sargodha | Punjab | 586,922 | |
| 2 | Lahore | Punjab | 6,936,563 | 12 | Bahawalpur | Punjab | 530,438 | |
| 3 | Faisalabad | Punjab | 2,793,721 | 13 | Sialkot | Punjab | 502,721 | |
| 4 | Rawalpindi | Punjab | 1,933,933 | 14 | Sukkur | Sindh | 476,776 | |
| 5 | Multan | Punjab | 1,566,932 | 15 | Larkana | Sindh | 435,817 | |
| 6 | Hyderabad | Sindh | 1 536 398 | 16 | Sheikhupura | Punjab | 411,834 | |
| 7 | Gujranwala | Punjab | 1,526,168 | 17 | Jhang | Punjab | 365,198 | |
| 8 | Peshawar | NWFP | 1,390,874 | 18 | Mardan | NWFP | 340,898 | |
| 9 | Quetta | Balochistan | 859,973 | 19 | Rahim Yar Khan | Punjab | 340,810 | |
| 10 | Islamabad | Capital Territory | 673,766 | 20 | Gujrat | Punjab | 328,512 |
Government and politics
Government of Pakistan, Politics of Pakistan, and Foreign relations of Pakistan 
Prime Minister's Secretariat, Islamabad The first Constitution of Pakistan was adopted in 1956, but was suspended in 1958 by General Ayub Khan. The Constitution of 1973 — suspended in 1977, by Zia-ul-Haq, but re-instated in 1985 — is the country's most important document, laying the foundations of the current government.[15] Pakistan is a semi-presidential federal Democratic Republic with Islam as the state religion.[38]
Pakistan is an active member of the United Nations (UN) and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), the latter of which Pakistan has used as a forum for Enlightened Moderation, a plan to promote a Renaissance and enlightenment in the Muslim world.[38] Pakistan is also a member of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO).[38] In the past, Pakistan has had mixed relations with the United States; in the early 1950s, Pakistan was the United States' "most allied ally in Asia"[43] and a member of both the Central Treaty Organisation (CENTO) and the Southeast Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO). 
Provinces and territories of Pakistan
The Bicameral legislature comprises a 100-member Senate and a 342-member National Assembly. The President is the Head of State and the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and is elected by an electoral college. The prime minister is usually the leader of the largest party in the National Assembly. Each province has a similar system of government with a directly elected Provincial Assembly in which the leader of the largest party or alliance becomes Chief Minister. Provincial Governors are appointed by the President.[38]
The Pakistani military has played an influential role in mainstream politics throughout Pakistan's history, with military presidents ruling from 1958–71, 1977–88 and from 1999–2008.[39] The leftist Pakistan Peoples Party, led by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, won support after the loss of East Pakistan but was overthrown amidst riots in 1977.[40] Under the military rule of Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, during the 1980s, the anti-Feudal, pro-Muhajir Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) was started by unorthodox and educated urban dwellers of Sindh and particularly Karachi. A politically Nationalist insurgency in Balochistan was also bloodlessly quelled by military governor Rahimuddin.[41] The 1990s were characterized by coalition politics dominated by the Pakistan Peoples Party and a rejuvenated Muslim League.[38]
 National Symbols of Pakistan[42] | |
|---|---|
| Flag | Flag of Pakistan |
| Emblem | Faith, Unity, Discipline |
| Anthem | Qaumi Tarana |
| Animal | Markhor |
| Bird | Chukar |
| Flower | Jasmine |
| Tree | Cedrus deodara |
| Juice | Sugarcane juice |
| Sport | Field hockey |
| Dress | Shalwar Kameez |
During the Soviet-Afghan War in the 1980s Pakistan was a major U.S. ally.[citation needed] But relations soured in the 1990s, when sanctions were imposed by the U.S. over Pakistan's refusal to abandon its nuclear activities.[44] However, the American War on Terrorism, as an aftermath of 11 September 2001 attacks in U.S.A., led to an improvement in U.S.–Pakistan ties, especially after Pakistan ended its support of the Taliban regime in Kabul. Its positive side was evidenced by a major increase in American military aid, providing Pakistan $4 billion more in three years after the 9/11 attacks than before.[45] On the other hand, Pakistan is presently burdened with nearly 3 million displaced civilians due to the on going Afghan war. Since 2004, Pakistan has been referred to as part of the Greater Middle East by the U.S.[46]
On 18 February 2008, Pakistan held its general elections after Benazir Bhutto's assassination postponed the original date of 8 January 2008.[47] The Pakistan Peoples Party won the majority of the votes and formed an alliance with the Pakistan Muslim League (N). They nominated and elected Yousaf Raza Gilani as Prime Minister of Pakistan.[48] On 18 August 2008, Pervez Musharraf resigned as President of Pakistan amidst increasing calls for his impeachment.[49] In the presidential election that followed, Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan People's Party won by a landslide majority and became President of Pakistan.[50]
Subdivisions
Main articles: Subdivisions of Pakistan, Districts of Pakistan, and List of most populated metropolitan areas in Pakistan
| Provinces: | Territories:
|
- Balochistan and NWFP also have Provincially Administered Tribal Areas.[51](PATA)
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