Pakistan country profile

The Muslim-majority state of Pakistan was born out of the partition of the Indian sub-continent in 1947, and has faced both domestic political upheavals and regional confrontations.

Created to meet the demands of Indian Muslims for their own homeland, Pakistan was originally made up of two parts.

The break-up of the two wings came in 1971 when the Bengali-speaking east wing seceded with help from India to become the independent state of Bangladesh.

Development in Pakistan has been hampered by Islamist violence and economic stagnation, and relations with its key neighbours India and Afghanistan are often fraught.

President: Arif Alvi

Arif Alvi is a long-standing member of the Tehreek-e-Insaf party, and has served two terms as a member of parliament.

He was elected by parliament in September 2018 to succeed Mamnoon Hussain, whose five-year term had come to an end. His term comes to an end in March 2024.

Pakistan is a parliamentary republic where the prime minister wields most power, but presidents have often played key roles in constitutional crises.

Prime Minister: Anwaar ul Haq Kakar (outgoing)

Anwaar ul Haq Kakar served as Pakistan's caretaker prime minister from August 2023 until the February 2024 general election.

Following Pakistan's February 2024 elections, which were mired in controversy, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) reached a formal agreement to form a new government.

Both parties won fewer seats than candidates loyal to the jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan in the election. Mr Khan's PTI party alleged the vote was rigged to keep his supporters out of power.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardaro, chairman of the PPP, said: "The coalition's aim is to address the country's economic crisis."

Former Prime Minister and President of PMLN Shahbaz Sharif pledged "collective action to tackle economic and other challenges".

The agreement means Mr Sharif is on course to become prime minister for a second time with the backing of the junior coalition partner, while Asif Ali Zardari of the PPP will be the coalition's candidate to become president in March 2024 - an office he has previously held.

The two parties previously formed an alliance to oust Mr Khan from power in 2022 and ruled until August 2023.

The Himalayan region of Kashmir has been a flashpoint between India and Pakistan for over six decades.

Since India's partition and the creation of Pakistan in 1947, the nuclear-armed neighbours have fought two wars over the Muslim-majority territory, which both claim in full but control in part.

Today it remains one of the most militarised zones in the world. China administers parts of the territory.

Pakistan is one of the world's deadliest countries for journalists, with 14 media workers being killed in 2014 alone. Both intelligence agents and members of banned militant organisations are responsible for the threats to reporters, according to media watchdog organisations.

The government uses legal and constitutional powers to curb press freedom and the law on blasphemy has been used against journalists. Critics have raised concerns over the restrictive nature of a new code of conduct for broadcasters introduced in 2015.

Some key dates in Pakistan's history:

1947 - Muslim state of East and West Pakistan created out of partition of India at the end of British rule.

1948 - First war with India over disputed territory of Kashmir.

1971 - East Pakistan attempts to secede, leading to civil war. India intervenes in support of East Pakistan which eventually breaks away to become Bangladesh.

1999 - Army chief Pervez Musharraf seizes power in coup, ousting Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

2007 - Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto is assassinated while on campaign trail for 2008 parliamentary election.

2018 - Former international cricket star Imran Khan becomes prime minister on a pledge to end corruption and dynastic politics, but loses power four year later.