PAKISTAN

1947 – Independence & Partition

1971 – Bangladeshi independence

Stats

People 97% Muslim Languages:

Official: Urdu (8%) Majority: Punjabi

(48%) Literacy: 50%

Economy GDP per capita:

$2500 (173rd in world)

Pop. below poverty line: 24%

Unemployment: 13.6% (+ substantial underemployment)

Agrarian

Government

parliamentary gov’t but alternate b/t civilian & military regimes

1999-2008: Pres. Pervez Musharraf (military coup)

2008: Pres. Asif Ali Zardari (civilian / election)

Musharraf Zardari

Kashmir Conflict

disputed territory (India vs. Pakistan)

India’s claim: Kashmir’s leader voted to join India in 1947

Pakistan’s claim: Muslim majority

India won’t give up Kashmir – fears more separatism

Nuclear Weapons

India and Pakistan have nukes fear of more dangerous war

Islamic Fundamentalism

terrorists hide in the tribal areas

focused in N & S Waziristan

Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATAS) residents are Pakistani

citizens but are more tied to their Pashtun identity

political autonomy Taliban gain leadership

US & Pakistan

US relies on Pakistan to help fight terrorists

After 9/11 Pakistan started assisting US goals, but there is some support in Pakistan for the terrorists Pakistan opened airspace to US military,

shared intelligence, and allowed US forces to stage operations from its soil

Does Pakistan aid terrorists? India says yes, Pakistan aids 2 Islamic

groups that commit terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir

Pakistan says it provides moral support to the Islamic cause and that it has shut down armed groups carrying out cross-border attacks in Indian-controlled Kashmir