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Pakistan: Government

Key Figures

Chief of State:
President Arif Alvi Zardari
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif

Overview

Government Name:
Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Constitution:
Adopted: 1974; Identifies the state in terms of physical existence and borders, people and their fundamental rights, state's constitutional law and orders, and the constitutional structure and establishment of the institutions and country's armed forces.
Government Type:
Federal Parliamentary Republic
Islamic Republic of Pakistan Flag
Coat of Arms of Islamic Republic of Pakistan

Index of Economic Freedom

Grades each country on a scale of 0 to 100, based on ten freedoms, with 100 representing the greatest amount of economic autonomy from government intervention. Source: Heritage Foundation (2023)

Country Risk Rating

D
A high-risk political and economic situation and an often very difficult business environment can have a very significant impact on corporate payment behavior. Corporate default probability is very high. Source: Coface (2022)

Government Branches

Main Powers Election Process Election Cycle 1
Executive

President can dissolve the National Assembly and has other residual powers. Prime minister provides advice to the president with assistance from the Federal Cabinet.

President is indirectly elected by an electoral college. Prime minister is elected by parliament.

President: 6 years; Prime minister: 5 years (expires with the dissolution of the National Assembly)
Judicial

Supreme Court has original, appellate, and advisory jurisdiction. Provincial High Courts are in each of the four provinces and has original and appellate jurisdiction for their specified province.

Supreme Court has its chief justice is appointed by the president while other judges are appointed by president after consultation with the chief justice.

Mandatory retirement age of 65
Legislative

Both senate and the national assembly can initiate and pass legislation aside from finance bills, but only the national assembly can approve the federal budget and finance bills. The senate, however, cannot be dissolved by the president.

Senate members are elected by indirect vote. National Assembly has 272 members elected by plurality vote in single-member constituencies, 60 members are reserved for women, and 10 members are reserved for minorities.

National Assembly: 5 years; Senate: 6 years

Regional Trade Blocs
SAARC

International Organization Participation [2]

Environmental Agreements [3]

Tax Information [2]

Tax Authority:
Federal Board of Revenue
Tax Name:
GST

Sources:

  1. ElectionGuide http://www.electionguide.org/
  2. EY, http://www.ey.com
  3. CIA World Factbook, https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/
  4. U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/