Pakistan
POPULATION 147,663,429
SUNNI MUSLIM 81 percent
SHIA MUSLIM 15 percent
HINDU 2.02 percent
CHRISTIAN 1.63 percent
OTHER. 35 percent
Country Overview
Introduction
Pakistan came into existence in 1947, when India, ruled by the British, was granted independence and partitioned into two countries: Pakistan, as a haven for Muslims living all across the Indian subcontinent; and India, which was overwhelmingly Hindu. It is for this reason that Islam is at the center of Pakistan's national identity and deeply intertwined in Pakistani political discourse. The country adopted its current name, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, in 1956. Pakistan borders India to the east, Iran to the west, Afghanistan to the northwest, China to the northeast, and the Arabian Sea to the south. An eastern wing of Pakistan, located northeast of India, succeeded in 1971 and became Bangladesh.
In Urdu the word "Pakistan" means "land of the pure," and the name was used to set Pakistanis apart from the Hindus in India. The founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah (1876–1948), instituted a secular state, stressed the separation of religion and politics, and made provisions for the free expression of other faiths. In 1973, under Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (president, 1971–77; prime minister, 1973–77), Pakistan was declared an Islamic state in a new constitution, opening the way toward Islamization.
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