Geography
Population
Population
2022:231 million people
2017: 2.6% of the world's population
Migration
2021: Net outflow over 4 years
Marriages
Allowed to have more than one spouse
Smoking
2018: Pakistan - in 6th place in the world in the number of smokers
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Mortality
Traffic safety
2019: Number of deaths due to poor ecology
2016: Number of deaths from opioid use disorders
Terrorism
2023
The terrorist attack "Vilayat Khorasan" at the congress of the party "Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam" killed 44 people
On July 30, 2023, a terrorist attack occurred in the Pakistani city of Bajaur in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province: a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device during a congress of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam party (DUI).
As a result, at least 44 people were killed, including several high-ranking party members, and more than 200 people were injured of varying severity.
IS militants Vilayat Khorasan claimed responsibility for the attack.
Peshawar suicide attack kills more than 100 people
On January 30, 2023, an explosion occurred in a mosque in the Police Lines area of Peshawar. A suicide bomber detonated a bomb hidden under clothes right in the center of the building.
As a result of the incident, one of the walls of the Muslim shrine was practically demolished. As a result of the terrorist attack, more than 100 people were killed, and over 150 were wounded.
The district itself is the most protected zone in the city, and access to it is strictly regulated by law enforcement agencies.
Militants of the extremist group Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) indirectly claimed responsibility for the attack. The brother of one of the leaders of the organization Umar Khalid Khorasani, who was killed in August 2022, said that what happened was revenge for the death of their commander.
Initially, the TPP warlords declared responsibility for the incident. However, a few hours later, the press service of the group rejected its involvement in the terrorist attack.
2022
End of truce and 59 armed attacks by Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan in November
Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan militants announced the end of the truce with the government and the start of a new military campaign against the Pakistani army. In November 2022, over 59 armed attacks were committed.
Terrorists of the Afghan branch of IS Vilayat Khorasan and members of Baloch separatist groups also increased activity. Since December 1, extremists of various groups have attacked the positions of government forces in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunwa and Balochistan over 12 times.
Despite the measures taken by the country's leadership and seemingly carried out special operations, the number of attacks has not decreased, but continues to grow.
Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan talks with Pakistani government
In May 2022, through the mediation of acting Taliban Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, a negotiation process began between the Pakistani government and the terrorist organization Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan to sign a peace treaty.
One of the agreed conditions was the resettlement of Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan members in the former Federal Tribal Managed Zone (now part of Khyber Pakhtunwa province) and the Malakand region, followed by the provision of broad powers up to the establishment of Sharia norms in places of concentration of the Taliban.
In theory, when concluding an agreement, the Pakistani Taliban will govern the entrusted region, obeying the basic laws of the country. Nevertheless, many analysts express great doubts that legal status can deter them from encroaching on neighboring areas.
Fraternal relations between the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban (this has been discussed more than once by both sides) will de facto allow the Taliban to establish control over these territories. At this time, the ambitions of many Taliban members extend far beyond the Afghan borders - from the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region of Tajikistan to Attok County in Pakistan. And from Malakand to Attok, the distance is already less than 90 km. The Taliban do not intend to recognize the Durand Line. In contrast, they actually want to expand their own holdings at the expense of Pakistani lands.
The tribal zone geographically borders Afghanistan, but the Pashtuns living there actually never followed the established rules. Control both was and remains conditional with complete freedom of movement.
Negotiations between Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan and official Islamabad are a way to fulfill the long-standing dream of the Taliban, led by Sirajuddin Haqqani, to create an Islamic caliphate, noted the Rybar telegram channel. The peace treaty, through its mediation, will make it possible to invisibly occupy these lands, gradually instilling its own orders and power in the region.
Parliament
2024: Pro-British Shabhaz Nawaz Sharif party's failure in parliamentary elections
On February 8, 2024, nationwide parliamentary elections were held in Pakistan. According to the election committee, the number of registered voters was over 128 million.
The struggle actually unfolded between the five parties, but the main focus was on two of them: the Justice Movement (DzS) led by Imran Khan and the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) led by Shahbaz Nawaz Sharif.
Britain The Sharif family and the military command led by Asim Munir took all measures to politically eliminate the ex-Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan.
The former head of the republic was accused of several far-fetched violations, abuse of power and corruption, which is why he was convicted and sent to jail for 14 years. Moreover, even his wife Bushra Bibi was imprisoned.
Thus, the government of Shahbaz Sharif hoped to clear the field for its election victory. A few months earlier, the disgraced elder brother Nawaz Sharif returned to the country, from whom all charges of corruption were miraculously dropped.
However, the plan of the current authorities was a failure. For some reason, Islamabad did not take into account that Khan's popularity is so great that his imprisonment under a far-fetched pretext will further increase his ratings. And this was displayed on the results.
From the very beginning of the counting of votes, the DzS party began to break away from opponents. In the two largest provinces - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, as well as in the capital district, the Movement for Justice with a crushing result came forward.
Even in other regions, such as Balochistan or Sindh, where Imran Khan barely won a few votes in the old years, he received a share of support. According to preliminary data, the DzS already had 154 seats out of 169 necessary to obtain a majority and create a government.
Against the background of the failure of the ruling forces in the elections, at first interruptions in the Internet began in the country, due to which problems arose with the counting of votes. Then hundreds and even thousands of security officials and military personnel began to appear at polling stations.
After that, the count was stopped indefinitely. Imran Khan's party claimed victory and urged supporters not to walk away from polling stations as "elections could be stolen."
Only 12 hours after the end of the vote, the official presentation of the results began, which gave rise to a fairly fair opinion that Sharif's leadership could intervene to rig the votes in order to at least form a coalition government.
In recent years, none of the parties has gained a majority, and there has always been a cabinet with the inclusion of representatives of different groups. Therefore, the current situation of the PML is really depressing, because the level of support for the population is catastrophically low. The last time most were able to recruit the Pakistan Muslim League was in 1997.
Armed Forces
2022: 6th on the list of the largest arms importers
Nuclear arsenal
2023: Among the countries with the largest reserves of raw materials for nuclear weapons
For China, data on traces of the presence of highly enriched uranium and plutonium in the country
As of
March 2023
2021
Arms
Economy
Main article: Economy of Pakistan
Automobile traffic
Pakistan is a left-hand country.
Separatism
The separatist factor in Central and South Asia intensified in the beginning. This was largely facilitated by the withdrawal of the NATO contingent from Afghanistan and the subsequent rise of the Taliban to power.
The resulting security vacuum has been filled by various terrorist and separatist groups entrenched in Afghanistan and in the loosely controlled territories of neighboring countries.
Pakistan in this case is a hotbed of Islamic extremism and ethnic separatism. The country is in a difficult economic situation and at the beginning of 2023 completely depends on foreign assistance, primarily China and Saudi Arabia.
Most of the population is in endemic poverty, and the demographic surge, coupled with floods in 2022, exacerbated the situation - there are more people, and life is even worse. In addition, the republic is torn apart by internal political contradictions, conflicts and separatism.
Balochistan
Balochistan province is located in western Pakistan and occupies a vast part of the country (44%). The entire length of the land border with Iran, and specifically with the Iranian province of Sistan and Balochistan, falls on this administrative region.
Balochistan in Pakistan is the most underdeveloped region in the country. At the same time, it itself is located in a productive area in terms of soil fertility, wealth of resources and developed maritime trade due to the presence of the port of Gwadar in Pakistan.
The indigenous population of this province is the Baloch ethnogroup, which for 2023 is traditionally occupied by pastoral pastoralism and focal, mainly chiarizal agriculture, that is, associated with soil cultivation by raising groundwater.
In the Balochs, the spirit of separatism was always strong, which resulted in clashes with the authorities. The largest Baloch uprising was crushed in 1973-1977, and the next major unrest occurred in 2005-2006 and 2009.
Growing poverty, high unemployment, a rather harsh leadership policy towards the ethnic majority in the province, as well as a lack of assistance to the population, created an even more negative attitude towards power, wrote the Rybar channel.
It is in unsuccessful and sometimes biased policies that governments see the cause of their troubles and hardships as the indigenous people of Balochistan. The province has concentrated the country's largest mineral reserves (up to 80%), although only natural gas deposits are being developed.
Baloch is unhappy with the resource allocation system - just over 4% of the province's villages are gasified. They also oppose the development of the port of Gwadar, accusing the authorities of collusion with China, environmental pollution, and most importantly, the lack of financial benefits and jobs for the people of Balochistan.
At the beginning of 2023, more than a dozen different organizations were operating in the province of Balochistan, advocating the separation and creation of an independent state that includes the territories of neighboring Iran with Afghanistan.
Some of them only want compliance from the metropolis with the agreements concluded earlier and the granting of broad powers to the Balochs - up to the establishment of autonomy of the administrative unit.
And their activity does not subside. Attacks on government forces continue, with ordinary workers and local fishermen increasingly protesting in Gwadar's maritime harbor, affecting overall stability in the region.
Moreover, events in Iranian Sistan and Balochistan entered a phase of constant tension.
Baloch, like most of Pakistan, is Sunni and Iranians are Shia. Baloch believes that the Iranian authorities are oppressing the ethno-religious minority, and in Iran they accuse the leadership of the neighboring country of the opposite.
Baloch in Iran, led by Sunni cleric Abdul Hamid, took advantage of the riots over the death of Mahsa Amini to pressure the government and gain greater rights to the region.
It was at the protests in Iran that people began using the flag of "independent Balochistan," as well as maps with territories including Sistan and Balochistan, Pakistani Balochistan and part of the Afghan provinces of Nimroz, Helmand and Kandahar.
The Chinese leadership has deeply penetrated the Pakistani economy, making huge investments in the development of the port of Gwadar and essentially hooking the authorities in Islamabad on multi-billion dollar loans.
Balochistan plays a strategic role in Chinese politics due to the passage of economic corridors through this province and the presence of an important port that in theory can be used for military purposes, so instability in Balochistan will erase all efforts of the Middle Kingdom.
Over the years, Balochi have carried out terrorist attacks against Chinese citizens and companies. One of these terrorist attacks was the explosion in Karachi on October 6, 2024. The detonation occurred on the highway near Jinnah International Airport as a result of a collision between a fuel truck and a car with an explosive device installed on it.
As a result, three people died, and another 11 were injured of varying severity. The two dead are Chinese nationals whose companies operate in Karachi.
Responsibility was claimed by militants of one of the branches of the banned separatist group Balochistan Liberation Army - the Majid Brigade.
Pashtunistan
The concept of separating some territories of Afghanistan and the north of Pakistan, populated by ethnic Pashtuns, in order to create one single state entity existed in the minds of the peoples living there for quite some time.
However, earlier it did not have a practical form, remaining only in the distant fantasies of some representatives of the ethnogroup. The question of actual division was never raised, since there was never time for this - the Pashtuns fought all the time.
By early 2023, the situation had changed: the Taliban won and strengthened the leadership of the Pashtun ethnic group in Afghanistan. At the same time, a catastrophic economic crisis erupted in Pakistan, against the background of which the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan militants, mainly consisting of Pashtuns, intensified.
The Pakistani people are dissatisfied with the activities of the country's government. The crisis is worsening, the economy is in deep decline, terrorism is flourishing, and the army and security forces cannot do anything about it.
The country's citizens have repeatedly called on the leadership to take measures to stabilize both the humanitarian and terrorist situation, especially in the northwest, but the de facto authorities are unable to carry out a full-scale counter-terrorism operation now and resolve economic problems.
The final straw was the attack on a mosque in Peshawar, after which residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa believed there had been no proper investigation. The government's inaction resulted in mass protests accusing the authorities of involvement in the incident, the Rybar channel reported.
If earlier in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the specifically abolished Tribal Zone, the activities of the TPP extremists were treated more negatively or neutrally, now, due to the lack of alternatives, "fighters for the freedom of Pashtuns in the person of the TPP" are increasingly alluring ordinary citizens.
Health care
Main article: Health care in Pakistan
Ecology
2021: Third highest air pollution
In March 2022, Greenpeace, in collaboration with the development company AirVisual, compiled an annual rating of the countries of Europe and the world with the cleanest air. In Pakistan, air pollution at the end of 2021 was 66.8 PM2.5 (mkg/m³). Read more here.
Hunger
Education
2019: Number of years of education by citizens over 25
2018: Literacy rate
Crime
Prisons
2019: Minimum age of imprisonment for children - 7 years
2018: Number of prisoners per 100 thousand citizens
Sport
2022: The most popular sport is cricket
in
History
2024: Ex-Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan sentenced to 10 years in prison
In January 2024, former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was sentenced to 10 years in prison in the case of disclosing state secrets. Khan can appeal the verdict in a higher court.
2023: New supply of shells to the Ukrainian army
The Indian news agency The Economic Times on January 9, 2023 published an article on the next transfer of military cargo from Pakistan for the Armed Forces of Ukraine through Poland.
According to the Indian agency, at the end of January, a transport ship BBC Vesuvius, chartered by Project Shipping, with 159 containers on board, is planned to arrive at the port of Gdansk in Poland from the port of Karachi in Pakistan.
Among the transported cargo for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the supply of 155-mm artillery shells, M4A2 charging cartridges, M82 capsules and fuses is expected. In return, Ukrainian engineers will allegedly help modernize engines on Pakistani Mi-17 helicopters.
It is possible that information about the supply of Pakistani shells to Ukraine is part of the Indian information campaign, the Rybar channel noted. It may be aimed at destroying the government's relations in Islamabad with the Russian leadership amid a possible agreement to sell oil to Pakistan at a discount.
However, this is unlikely: in August 2022, Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) already sent ammunition to Ukraine directly from the workshops, and the lack of any reaction from Russia untied the hands of Pakistani industrialists.
2022
Imran Khan shot in leg during assassination attempt
In early November 2022, the march of supporters of ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan to Islamabad continues in Pakistan.
During the entry of the Imran Khan convoy into Wazirabad, an attempt was made on him. At least two people attempted to shoot the ex-prime minister during his speech to the population of Wazirabad.
As a result, Imran Khan was wounded in the leg.
People from his inner circle were also affected, including Justice Movement party leaders Faisal Jawad and Hamad Azhar. According to preliminary data, three people died.
According to media reports, more than one person who tried to kill the former leader of the republic acted. Imran Khan himself was urgently taken to a hospital in Lahore, nothing threatens his life.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif condemned Khan's assassination attempt and ordered Home Minister Rana Sanaulla to conduct a thorough investigation into what happened.
In many cities in different parts of Pakistan, spontaneous protests began over an attempt on the life of the ex-prime minister.
Catastrophic flooding - 1,300 dead
Catastrophic floods in Pakistan in 2022 affected crop yields including cotton and sugarcane. More than a third of the country's territory was flooded.
Pakistan's Planning, Reform and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the death toll had surpassed 1,300 by early September. Total damage to the state budget is about $12.5 billion
Deliveries of shells to Ukraine through Britain
For several months, Western countries (primarily the United States and Britain) have been looking for ways to increase military assistance to Ukraine through the supply of weapons and ammunition from Europe and Central Asia. The priority is the states of the post-Soviet space, but Pakistan was not spared .
According to open data from the global aircraft tracking service ADS-B Exchange, a transport aircraft S-17 the British Air Force with tail number ZZ143 from August 6 to 14 made at least five flights along the route: Akrotiri Air Base (Cyprus) - Nur Khan Air Base (Pakistan) - Akrotiri - Kimpia Turziy Air Base (Romania).
There was no official statement from either Britain or Pakistan about the nature of the cargo being transported. However, at the end of August 2022, a video was distributed on social networks in which Ukrainian gunners unpack 122-mm shells produced at the Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) military-industrial complex of Pakistan. The plant is engaged in the production of artillery ammunition of various calibers for export.
Specifically, 122 mm HOW HE-D30 projectiles designed for D-30 howitzers are manufactured with a unique LIU-4 fuse. From the factory, they were transported to warehouses at the Nur Khan airbase in Rawalpindi. And the subsequent transportation of the cargo was carried out in British-style containers.
Given the carrying capacity of the aircraft S-17 77,500 kg, at least 387 tons of ammunition were transported for five flights recorded in open sources (some sources say six flights). At the same time, the shells themselves were produced in June 2022 precisely for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
This delivery may not be the only military assistance that was secretly provided to Ukraine, the Rybar telegram channel noted. Pakistan's military-industrial complex produces a wide range of ammunition that can be used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Pakistan's arms supply to Ukraine is no surprise. The leaders of both countries have maintained friendly relations in the military sphere since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
It was thanks to the deal concluded with Pakistan to buy 320 tanks that the T-80UD was actually saved from bankruptcy in 1996 by the Malyshev Armored Plant in Kharkov.
Subsequently, the same enterprise produced 6TD-2 diesel engines for Chinese-Pakistani MVT-2000 (Al-Khalid) tanks.
Shahbaz Sharif's administration, which came to power in Pakistan, made it a priority in its foreign policy to restore friendly relations with the West.
And in the face of a deepening economic crisis, the Pakistani military-industrial complex significantly needs any foreign contracts, even such dangerous in terms of political consequences.
At the same time, open support for Ukraine will mean a de facto break in relations between Russia and Pakistan and a crossing out of the prospect of their possible deepening, especially in the energy sector. Amid the floods and the devastation they have caused, Pakistan is hoping for any help.
In addition, the Pakistani government is deeply dependent on external assistance from its main military and economic ally, China. Due to the loans and economic support provided, direct interaction with the West is also a blow to Chinese interests in Pakistan, and it will run counter to the position taken in Beijing on the operation in Ukraine.
Pro-Ukrainian media point to the need to transfer more serious equipment from Pakistan. According to their version, "tanks T-80UD completely created according to the standards of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and Ukrainian servicemen will not need time to retrain."
In addition, the same sources say that the Pakistani military-industrial complex produces artillery shells of 130 and 155 mm caliber, which at that time are used in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Pakistan Army Chief of Staff Kamar Bajwa's visit to Britain on August 11, 2022 coincided with current events. The stated purpose of the trip was to "improve relations" and economic assistance to the Central Asian country.
The Pakistani economy in past years has been supported by loans and subsidies from various states and organizations. The current crisis has made the country even more dependent on external financial support.
This is probably what was discussed during the visit of the chief of staff to London in exchange for ammunition supplied to Ukraine.
Against the background of rapprochement with Russia, Imran Khan was removed from power. Shahbaz Sharif - New Prime Minister
After the division of India and the formation of Pakistan, the British were able to build a system of personal relations with key tribes in this country. Tribal representatives receive British education, build business in the zone of complete economic control of Britain and equal the opinion of its citizens.
For 2022, the change of power in Pakistan is a process completely controlled by the British, albeit indirectly.
Pakistan's parliament passed a vote of no confidence and removed Prime Minister Imran Khan from power, who had paid a visit to Russia shortly before and was discussing the construction of the Pakistan Stream gas pipeline . Earlier, Pakistan's Supreme Court ruled that Imran Khan had acted unconstitutionally by dissolving parliament.
Supporters of the prime minister argue that the United States is behind the decision, and what is happening is a coup d'etat. As a result, Khan resigned.
On April 11, Pakistan's parliament elected Shahbaz Sharif, leader of the center-right conservative Pakistan Muslim League party, as prime minister. Without much effort, a man came to power, whose family was almost in full force in one way or another connected with Britain - during the exile from Pakistan they lived in London, and his older brother, ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, was also there for June 2022.
Later on May 22, 2022, Pakistan's ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan called on supporters to march on May 25 from Lahore to the Pakistani capital Islamabad and block the D-Chowk government district until elections are held.
On May 24, Pakistani Interior Minister Rana Sanaulla announced the ban on a rally of supporters of the former head of government and the immediate arrest of all accomplices.
On the same day, mass raids began on the homes of members of Imran Khan's Movement for Justice party and others involved in anti-government statements. More than 1,000 people have been detained, according to the Pakistani Interior Ministry.
To contain the march, cargo containers were placed along the main transport highways, due to which traffic was briefly blocked not only for supporters of Imran Khan, but also for ordinary citizens.
On May 25, a car convoy led by the ex-prime minister advanced from Lahore. Along the way, demonstrators began protests with an attack on security forces in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.
At 23:00 on May 25, the Pakistani government applied Article 25 of the Constitution and called on the Army to ensure law and order in the Red Zone of the capital and protect state facilities.
Military personnel of the 111th Brigade of the Ground Forces of Pakistan took control of the protection of the government infrastructure.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has set up a negotiating team to discuss a peaceful solution to the conflict with the Justice Movement party.
Demonstrations continue. Traffic to and from the capital was stopped. The situation is worsened by regular terrorist attacks by various extremist organizations.
In addition, negotiations with the International Monetary Fund on a loan to restore the economy of Pakistan failed.
A spokesman for the negotiating team said that the Pakistani leadership must meet a number of conditions, including the abolition of fuel subsidies and an interest rate increase in order to receive a cash loan.
2011: Attack on NATO fuel trucks in Pakistan
On August 22, 2011, 25 km south of the city of Quetta in Pakistan, about 12 armed men on motorcycles set fire to NATO trucks, whose drivers were waiting for police escorts on the highway leading to southern Afghanistan.
It is known that the Taliban committed previous such sabotage.
1983
1971
1965: War with India
1947: Gaining independence from the British Empire
1909
1893: Durand Line - Border between British India and Afghanistan
The Durand Line is an artificially drawn Afghan-Pakistani border along which British India and Afghanistan were divided in 1893. With India gaining independence in 1947, Pakistan inherited the Durand Line. However, the Pashtuns refused to recognize the border drawn by the British.
1700: Part of the territory in the west as part of Safavid Persia
200 BC: As part of the Seleucid and Mauryan empires
250 BC: Bactrian Kingdom and Seleucids
530 BC: As part of the Achaemenid Persian State
Calendar
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