Pakistan People's Party sign in Karachi
Courtesy Sheila Ross

Former prime minister and leading politician, Mian Nawaz Sharif
Courtesy Embassy of Pakistan, Washington

Pakistan has had considerable difficulty developing stable, cohesive political organizations because they have suffered long periods of repression. Further, political parties, with few exceptions, have been founded as vehicles for one person or a few individuals, or to achieve specifically defined goals. When these individuals die or abandon their parties, or after party goals have been met, many organizations have lost their raison d'être and have lacked the ability to carry on. In addition, political parties have been handicapped by regional and ethnic factors that have limited their national appeal and have also been torn by personal and class rivalries.

Data as of April 1994

NOTE: The information regarding Pakistan on this page is re-published from The Library of Congress Country Studies and the CIA World Factbook. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Pakistan POLITICAL DYNAMICS information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Pakistan POLITICAL DYNAMICS should be addressed to the Library of Congress and the CIA.