ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a brief historical background and a description of major events in Pakistan. It also provides basic political, economic, and social data arranged in the following categories: polity, economy, population, purchasing power parities, life expectancy, ethnic groups, capital, political rights, civil liberties, and status. The chapter discusses the progress and decline of political rights and civil liberties in Pakistan. Two years after deposing a corrupt and autocratic elected government, General Pervez Musharraf's military regime continued to rule Pakistan. Though Musharraf pledged to return Pakistan to civilian rule by the end of 2002 after cleaning up the country's finances and politics, he declared himself president in June and also dismissed the hitherto suspended national and provincial assemblies. Pakistan continued to be ruled by a military government, headed by General Pervez Musharraf, which operated with limited transparency and accountability. Pakistan is an Islamic republic, and there are numerous restrictions on religious freedom.
