About Pakistan
Geography
- Area: 796,095 km2 (For comparison Denmark has an area of: 46,000 km2)
- Population: 225,199,929 (2021)
- Capital: Islamabad with 1,198,035 inhabitants
- Population growth: +1.9% on average (2022)
- Population: Majority Pakistani, minority immigrants (Afghans & others)
- Languages: Urdu (national) and English (official and widely spoken). Other local languages like Punjabi, Pashto, Seraiki, Baluchi, Bruhui, Hindko, Kashmiri and Shina are spoken in different parts of Pakistan
- Religion: Islam 96.47%, Hinduism, Roman Catholic and other Christian faiths 3.53%
- National Day: 14 August (Independence Day 14 August 1947)
Government
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif took oath as the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan on May 11, 2022. PML-N is backed by coalition partners including Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) and others.
• Prime Minister: Shehbaz Sharif (PML-N)
• Minister for Foreign Affairs: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari (PPP)
• Minister for Interior: Rana Sanaullah Khan (PML-N)
• Minister for Climate Change: Sherry Rehman (PPP)
• Minister for Energy: Khurram Dastgir Khan (PML-N)
• Minister for Finance: Ishaq Dar (PML-N)
Governance
Pakistan is a multi-party democracy with a bicameral legislature comprising the Senate of Pakistan (upper house, with 100 seats) and the National Assembly (lower house, with 342 seats). The National Assembly includes 60 seats reserved for women and 10 seats reserved for non-Muslims. The number of seats allocated to each of the five provinces and to the capital and FATA (Federally Administered Areas) are based on the size of the population of each area.
The constitution of Pakistan provides for a president as head of state and a prime minister (PM) as head of government. The president is elected for a term of five years and plays a mostly ceremonial role with limited power. The prime minister is elected by the National Assembly and leads the executive branch of government, including all matters of domestic and foreign policy.
Pakistan is divided into five provinces.
- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: provincial capital: Peshawar
- Punjab; provincial capital: Lahore
- Sindh, provincial capital: Karachi (also Pakistan’s largest city with around 20 mio. inhabitants)
- Balochistan; provincial capital: Quetta
- Gilgit-Baltistan; provincial capital: Gilgit
The tribal areas adjoining Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are federally administered and in daily language called FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas). Azad Jammu Kashmir has a special status, as the area is disputed between Pakistan and India.
Economy
- GDP per capita: 1.537 USD (2021)
- Expected real growth rate in GDP: 4.2% (2022)
- Currency: Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 100 = $0.42 (September 2022)
- Corporate tax rate: 29% (2021)
- Personal income tax rate: 35% (2021)
- Inflation: 21.3 % (June 2022), 8.3 % (2021)
- Labour force 73,780,029 (2021)
- Unemployment 4.4% (2020), 4.45% (2022 forecast)
Pakistan is the world's 45th largest economy with a GDP of 257 billion USD. According to the World Bank's 2021 classification, Pakistan belongs to the group of lower middle-income countries.
The economy remains reliant on agriculture (accounting for 23% of GDP in 2021), especially cotton, but industry (18% of GDP in 2021) and large-scale manufacturing have strong potential given the size of the domestic market. Services account for over 50% of GDP. According to the latest IMF data (September 2021), Pakistan’s nominal GDP per capita is US$1,378 (placing it 151st in the world), while in PPP terms the level was US$5,160 (134th in the world).
Pakistan was Denmark's 61st largest export market in 2021, totalling exports of DKK 2.1 billion, which accounted for 0,1% of Danish exports. Imports of goods and services to Denmark from Pakistan totalled DKK 2.0 billion in 2021.
Political
Domestic Political Situation
Since independence in 1947 political development in Pakistan has been turbulent and chaotic, characterized by alternating periods of civilian and military rule and by the struggle between liberal and religious forces. In 2008, following almost 10 years of military backed rule, the country moved back onto the path of democracy with subsequent peaceful, democratic transitions of power in both 2013 and 2018. However, the current government of Pakistan continue to face major challenges including provision of basic services, widespread corruption, ensuring safety and security and human rights especially for women, ethnic and religious minorities and other vulnerable groups.
Pakistan continues to be subject to religious and sectarian violence and attacks. Militant attacks, including terrorist bombings against government institutions, mosques, markets, schools etc. constitute a considerable threat in the country. The security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkwa, FATA and Balochistan is worse compared to the rest of the country.
Foreign Political Situation
Since independence, Pakistan’s foreign policy has been dominated by a tense relationship with India leading to several wars, uncountable skirmishes and a nuclear arms race between the two countries.Today the relationship remains fragile but improvements have taken place under the current government including a military deescalation and truce reestablished on 25 February 2021.
As a consequence of the long and to some extend disputed border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the political and security developments in Afghanistan holds crucial implications for Pakistan, especially in the border areas.
Climate
Pakistan lies in the temperate zone. The climate is generally arid, characterized by hot summers and cool or cold winters. 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 between the different areas of the country.
The climate in the capital city of Islamabad varies from an average daily low of 2°C in January to an average daily high of 40°C in June.