Politics
Imran Khan, cricket celebrity and politician, addressing a political rally.
Asif Ali Zardari is the current President of Pakistan, he has faced heavy public opposition and corruption allegations.
Pakistan is a democratic
parliamentary federal republic with Islam as the state religion.
[41] 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.
[42]
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.
[41]
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.
[43] 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.
[44] Under the military rule of
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, A politically nationalist
insurgency in Balochistan was also bloodlessly
quelled by military
governor Rahimuddin.
[45] The 1990s were characterised by coalition politics dominated by the Pakistan Peoples Party and a rejuvenated Muslim League.
[41] 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.
[41] Pakistan is also a member of the
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO).
[41] 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"
[46] and a member of both the
Central Treaty Organisation (CENTO) and the
Southeast Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO). After
Sino-Indian War in 1962 Pakistan's closest strategic, military and economic ally is
China.
[47][48]
During the
Soviet-Afghan War in the 1980s, Pakistan was a major U.S. ally.
[50] But relations soured in the 1990s, when sanctions were imposed by the U.S. over Pakistan's refusal to abandon its nuclear activities.
[51] However, the American
War on Terrorism, as an aftermath of
11 September 2001 attacks in New York, led to an improvement in US–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.
[52] On the other hand, Pakistan is presently burdened with nearly 3 million displaced civilians due to the ongoing Afghan war. As of 2004, in contexts of the
War on Terror, Pakistan was being referred to as part of the
Greater Middle East by the US under the Bush administration.
[53]
On 18 February 2008, Pakistan held its
general elections after
Benazir Bhutto's assassination postponed the original date of 8 January 2008.
[54] 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.
[55] On 18 August 2008, Pervez Musharraf resigned as President of Pakistan amidst increasing
calls for his impeachment.
[56] In the presidential election that followed,
Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan People's Party won a landslide majority and became President of Pakistan.
[57]
Administrative divisions
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