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| Travel Guide for outgoing emigratnts |
Dear citizen:
You know very well how much the Pakistan government tends to lock after and protect the Pakistani citizens in and out Pakistan , therefore the Bureau of Emigrationrealizes the advisement and discrimination of Pakistani citizens specially those who traveled abroad and gain experience in knowing what should and should not do to have a pleasant and safe stay.
There is no doubt that you are the best ambassador of your country in which you reflect a beautiful image for Muslims and Pakistan and in regard of our concern we present you this guide line :
- Make sure that your passport is not expired for at least six months because some countries may not allow you to inter, also your family members that don’t have an independent passport must be added to yours and their number must be mentioned in the visa
- Some countries require a visa, so make sure to get your visa before leaving specially if you are taking your family with you because you may not allowed to inter and it will cost you a lot to go back.
- When you go to the airport you must check your airline and hotel reservations and make sure that you carry all your travel documents, money, and other personal belonging and if you don’t have any hotel reservation then you can make them in the airport where usually you find offices for hotel services with reasonable prices.
- As soon as you arrive the country you must head to the Pakistani embassy to take your passport information, your address, and your phone numbers in order to provide you with the service you may need.
- Your passport is your personal document, so don’t lose it or give it to anybody unless if it is necessary like working personals in the embassy or other officials and do not leave your passport at hotel receptions (in case you lost your passport head to the nearest police office to make a report and provide the embassy with a copy of the report to help you).
- Keep your passport and your personal belongings in safe places by having a safe container at the hotel to put your passport, your money, and your travel tickets (don’t carry big amounts of money in your pocket and make sure that most of the money you carry are cheques or credit cards and keep their numbers safe).
- If you are travelling for business then make sure before you go on with any negotiations with any companies or traders to contact the trade chambers in Saudi Arabia before you travel to check on those companies, also you must consult a lawyer for any contracts.
- Remember that some countries demand on checking in on all the jewellery and local currency to the custom employee , so make sure to have a receipt for all the money that have been transferred into the country currency so that you don’t lose them.
- You must respect the law and the rules of the country you tend to visit and that requires you to head to the embassy of that country in Pakistan and learn all about the rules.
- The Pakistan’s embassies like a home to all Pakistani citizens and in case of having any problem don’t hesitate to contact the nearby embassy.
Related Link:
Foreign Missions Abroad |
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| Background of Pakistan |
The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world and dating back at least 5,000 years, spread over much of what is presently Pakistan. During the second millennium B.C., remnants of this culture fused with the migrating Indo-Aryan peoples. The area underwent successive invasions in subsequent centuries from the Persians, Greeks, Scythians, Arabs (who brought Islam), Afghans, and Turks. The Mughal Empire flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries; the British came to dominate the region in the 18th century. The separation in 1947 of British India into the Muslim state of Pakistan (with West and East sections) and largely Hindu India was never satisfactorily resolved, and India and Pakistan fought two wars - in 1947-48 and 1965 - over the disputed Kashmir territory. A third war between these countries in 1971 - in which India capitalized on Islamabad's marginalization of Bengalis in Pakistani politics - resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. In response to Indian nuclear weapons testing, Pakistan conducted its own tests in 1998. The dispute over the state of Kashmir is ongoing, but discussions and confidence-building measures have led to decreased tensions since 2002. |
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| Geography of Pakistan |
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Location |
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Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north |
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Geographic coordinates |
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30 00 N, 70 00 E |
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Map references |
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Asia |
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Area |
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total: 803,940 sq km
land: 778,720 sq km
water: 25,220 sq km |
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Area - comparative |
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slightly less than twice the size of California |
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Land boundaries |
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total: 6,774 km
border countries: Afghanistan 2,430 km, China 523 km, India 2,912 km, Iran 909 km |
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Coastline |
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1,046 km |
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| Maritime claims |
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
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| Climate |
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mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north |
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| Terrain |
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flat Indus plain in east; mountains in north and northwest; Balochistan plateau in west |
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| Elevation extremes |
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lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: K2 (Mt. Godwin-Austen) 8,611 m |
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| Natural resources |
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land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited petroleum, poor quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone |
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| Land use |
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arable land: 24.44%
permanent crops: 0.84%
other: 74.72% (2005) |
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| Irrigated land |
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182,300 sq km (2003) |
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| Total renewable water resources |
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233.8 cu km (2003) |
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| Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) |
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total: 169.39 cu km/yr (2%/2%/96%)
per capita: 1,072 cu m/yr (2000) |
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| Natural hazards |
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frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August) |
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| Environment - current issues |
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation |
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| Geography - note |
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controls Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, traditional invasion routes between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent |
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| People of Pakistan |
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Population |
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167,762,040 (July 2008 est.) |
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Age structure |
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0-14 years: 36.3% (male 31,316,803/female 29,567,622)
15-64 years: 59.4% (male 51,000,863/female 48,648,480)
65 years and over: 4.3% (male 3,409,246/female 3,819,026) (2008 est.) |
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Median age |
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total: 21.2 years
male: 21 years
female: 21.4 years (2008 est.) |
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Population growth rate |
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1.805% (2008 est.) |
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Birth rate |
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26.93 births/1,000 population (2008 est.) |
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Death rate |
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7.83 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.) |
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Net migration rate |
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-1.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.) |
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| Sex ratio |
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2008 est.) |
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| Infant mortality rate |
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total: 66.95 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 67.05 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 66.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.) |
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| Life expectancy at birth |
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total population: 64.13 years
male: 63.07 years
female: 65.24 years (2008 est.) |
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| Total fertility rate |
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3.58 children born/woman (2008 est.) |
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| Natural resources |
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land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited petroleum, poor quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone |
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| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate |
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0.1% (2001 est.) |
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| HIV/AIDS - deaths |
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4,900 (2003 est.) |
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| Major infectious diseases |
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degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria
animal contact disease: rabies
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2008) |
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| Nationality |
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noun: Pakistani(s)
adjective: Pakistani |
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| Ethnic groups |
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Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch, Muhajir (immigrants from India at the time of partition and their descendants) |
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| Religions |
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Muslim 97% (Sunni 77%, Shi'a 20%), other (includes Christian and Hindu) 3% |
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| Languages |
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Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Siraiki (a Punjabi variant) 10%, Pashtu 8%, Urdu (official) 8%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2%, Brahui 1%, English (official; lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries), Burushaski and other 8% |
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| Literacy |
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 49.9%
male: 63%
female: 36% (2005 est.) |
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| Goverment of Pakistan |
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Country name |
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conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Pakistan
conventional short form: Pakistan
local long form: Jamhuryat Islami Pakistan
local short form: Pakistan
former: West Pakistan |
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Government type |
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federal republic |
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Capital |
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name: Islamabad
geographic coordinates: 33 42 N, 73 10 E
time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
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Administrative divisions |
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4 provinces, 1 territory*, and 1 capital territory**; Balochistan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas*, Islamabad Capital Territory**, North-West Frontier Province, Punjab, Sindh
note: the Pakistani-administered portion of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region consists of two administrative entities: Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas |
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Independence |
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14 August 1947 (from British India) |
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National holiday |
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Republic Day, 23 March (1956) |
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Constitution |
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12 April 1973; suspended 5 July 1977, restored 30 December 1985; suspended 15 October 1999, restored in stages in 2002; amended 31 December 2003; suspended 3 November 2007; restored on 15 December 2007 |
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| Legal system |
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based on English common law with provisions to accommodate Pakistan's status as an Islamic state; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations |
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| Suffrage |
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18 years of age; universal; joint electorates and reserved parliamentary seats for women and non-Muslims |
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| Executive branch |
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chief of state: President Pervez MUSHARRAF (since 20 June 2001)
note: following an October 1999 military coup, General Pervez MUSHARRAF suspended Pakistan's constitution and assumed the additional title of Chief Executive; in May 2000, Pakistan's Supreme Court validated the 1999 coup and granted MUSHARRAF executive and legislative authority for three years following the coup; in June 2001, MUSHARRAF named himself president, replacing Mohammad Rafiq TARAR; an April 2002 referendum extended MUSHARRAF's presidency by five years; on 6 October 2007, MUSHARRAF was reelected President of Pakistan, although the Supreme Court was reviewing a challenge to his eligibility to serve another term; MUSHARRAF declared emergency rule from 3 November to 15 December, during which time he replaced several Supreme Court Justices; the reconstituted court upheld his presidency on 22 November 2007
head of government: Syed Yousaf Raza GILLANI (since 25 March 2008)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the President upon the advice of the prime minister
elections: the president is elected by secret ballot (1,170 votes total) through an Electoral College comprising the members of the Senate, National Assembly, and the provincial assemblies for a five-year term; election last held on 6 October 2007 (next to be held in October 2012); the prime minister is selected by the National Assembly; election last held on 24 March 2008
election results: MUSHARRAF reelected; MUSHARRAF 671 votes; Wajihuddin AHMED 8 votes; 6 votes invalid; GILLANI elected prime minister GILLANI 264 votes; Pervaiz ELAHI 42 votes; several abstentions |
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| Legislative branch |
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bicameral Parliament or Majlis-e-Shoora consists of the Senate (100 seats; members indirectly elected by provincial assemblies and the territories' representatives in the National Assembly to serve six-year terms; one half are elected every three years) and the National Assembly (342 seats; 272 members elected by popular vote; 60 seats reserved for women; 10 seats reserved for non-Muslims; to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held in March 2006 (next to be held in March 2009); National Assembly - last held 18 February 2008 (next to be held in 2013)
election results: Senate results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PML 38, MMA 18, PPPP 10, MQM 6, PML/N 4, PKMAP 3, ANP 2, PPP/S 2, BNP/A 1, BNP/M 1, JWP 1, NA 1, PML/F 1, independents 12; National Assembly results (as of 18 March 2008) - percent of votes by party - NA; seats by party - PPPP 121, PML-N 91, PML 54, MQM 25, ANP 13, MMA 6, PML-F 5, BNP-A 1, NPP 1, PPP-S 1, independents 18; note - by-elections for the remaining seats of the National Assembly will be held in mid-April 2008 |
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| Judicial branch |
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Supreme Court (justices appointed by the president); Federal Islamic or Shari'a Court |
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| Political parties and leaders |
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Awami National Party or ANP [Asfandyar Wali KHAN]; Balochistan National Party/Hayee Group or BNP/H [Dr. Hayee BALUCH]; Baluch National Party/Awami or BNP/A [Moheem Khan BALOCH]; Baluch National Party-Mengal or BNP/M [Sardar Ataullah MENGAL]; Jamhoori Watan Party or JWP; Jamiat-al-Hadith or JAH [Sajid MIR]; Jamiat-i-Islami or JI [Qazi Hussain AHMED]; Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, Fazlur Rehman faction or JUI/F [Fazlur REHMAN]; Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, Sami ul-HAQ faction or JUI/S [Sami ul-HAQ]; Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan or JUP [Shah Faridul HAQ]; Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal or MMA [Qazi Hussain AHMED]; Muttahida Qaumi Movement, or MQM [Altaf HUSSAIN]; National Alliance or NA [Ghulam Mustapha JATOI] (merged with PML); Pakhtun Khwa Milli Awami Party or PkMAP [Mahmood Khan ACHAKZAI]; Pakistan Awami Tehrik or PAT [Tahir ul QADRI]; Pakistan Muslim League, Functional Group or PML/F [Pir PAGARO]; Pakistan Muslim League, Nawaz Sharif faction or PML/N [Nawaz SHARIF]; Pakistan Muslim League or PML [Chaudhry Shujaat HUSSAIN]; Pakistan Peoples Party or PPP/S [Aftab Ahmed Khan SHERPAO]; Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians or PPPP [Bilawal Bhutto ZARDARI, chairman; Asif Ali ZARDARI, co-chairman]; Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf or PTI [Imran KHAN]; Tehrik-i-Islami [Allama Sajid NAQVI]
note: political alliances in Pakistan can shift frequently |
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| Political pressure groups and leaders |
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military remains most important political force; ulema (clergy), landowners, industrialists, and small merchants also influential |
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| International organization participation |
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ADB, ARF, C (reinstated 2004), CP, ECO, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, SCO (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMIT, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
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| Flag description |
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green with a vertical white band (symbolizing the role of religious minorities) on the hoist side; a large white crescent and star are centered in the green field; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam |
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| Communication in Pakistan |
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Telephones - main lines in use |
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5.24 million (2006) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular |
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63.16 million (2007) |
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Telephone system |
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general assessment: the telecommunications infrastructure is improving dramatically with foreign and domestic investments into fixed-line and mobile networks; mobile-cellular subscribership has skyrocketed, reaching some 63 million in mid-2007, up from only about 300,000 in 2000; fiber systems are being constructed throughout the country to aid in network growth; main line availability has risen only marginally over the same period and there are still difficulties getting main line service to rural areas
domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable, cellular, and satellite networks
international: country code - 92; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable systems that provide links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); 3 operational international gateway exchanges (1 at Karachi and 2 at Islamabad); microwave radio relay to neighboring countries (2006) |
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Radio broadcast stations |
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AM 31, FM 68, shortwave NA (2006) |
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Television broadcast stations |
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20 (5 state-run channels and 15 privately-owned satellite channels) (2006) |
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Internet country code |
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.pk |
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Internet hosts |
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164,067 (2007) |
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| Internet users |
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12 million (2006) |
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| Transportation in Pakistan |
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Airports |
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146 (2007) |
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Airports - with paved runways |
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total: 92
over 3,047 m: 16
2,438 to 3,047 m: 19
1,524 to 2,437 m: 29
914 to 1,523 m: 18
under 914 m: 10 (2007) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways |
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total: 54
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 16
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 24 (2007) |
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Heliports |
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18 (2007) |
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Pipelines |
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gas 10,398 km; oil 2,076 km (2007) |
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Railways |
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total: 8,163 km
broad gauge: 7,718 km 1.676-m gauge (293 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 445 km 1.000-m gauge (2006) |
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Roadways |
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total: 258,340 km
paved: 167,146 km (includes 711 km of expressways)
unpaved: 91,194 km (2004) |
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| Merchant marine |
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total: 14 ships (1000 GRT or over) 325,254 GRT/536,876 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 10, petroleum tanker 3
registered in other countries: 12 (Comoros 2, Hong Kong 1, North Korea 1, Malta 2, Panama 5, St Vincent and The Grenadines 1) (2007) |
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| Ports and terminals |
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Karachi, Port Muhammad Bin Qasim |
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Thanks to PTDC for the above Information
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