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Lake Saiful Muluk
Manchar Lake
Rush Lake
Attabad Lake
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1.1.6 Climate
Pakistan extends north-south over a considerable expanse of latitude (23°-42’ north to 36°-55’) and a
distance of about 1,600 kilometres from the sea. This latitude, together with the diversity of topography
results in varied temperatures at different locations at any given time.
In the plain areas, the hottest month is June, while in the hill stations the hottest month is usually
July. In hilly areas, summer temperatures are like winter temperatures influenced by altitude and the
‘face’ of the land. In the coastal areas, the summers are milder. Temperatures in January are quite low
in the northern, western, and north-western mountains, making these regions the coldest regions in the
winter with heavy snowfall. For example, Skardu District experiences temperatures as low as -10 °C in
the winter months of December and January. Quetta, the capital city of Balochistan province, also
experiences severe winters and snowfall on its mountains. On the contrary, Jacobabad in Sindh province
is considered as the hottest city in Pakistan with usual temperature around 50°C in the summer months.
Other areas such as Turbat, Kech and Sibbi in Balochistan also experience extremely high temperatures
in summer.
The monsoon and the western depression are the two main seasons for rainfall in Pakistan,. The
monsoon rainfall takes place from July to September, contributing to high levels of humidity in the air.
The western depression brings rainfall primarily during December to March. ]
Pakistan’s monthly climatology of average minimum surface air temperature, average mean surface air
temperature, average maximum surface air temperature and precipitation 1991-2022 can be seen in
Figure 1.4.11
Figure 1.4: Pakistan’sٔMonthlyٔAverageٔTemperatureٔandٔPrecipitation,ٔ1991-2022
11 Climate change knowledge portal for development practitioners and policy makers. The World Bank. Retrieved December 21, 2024, from https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/country/pakistan.
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1.2 Flora and Fauna 1.2.1 Flora Pakistan's native flora offers varied climatic zones which range from arid and semi-arid to temperate and tropical. The northern and north-western highlands are mostly covered with coniferous forests. Fir (Abies pindrow) and Spruce (Picea smithiana) occupy the highest altitudes, Deodar (Cedrus deodara) and blue pine (Pinus wallichiana), the intermediate heights and chir pine (Pinus roxburghii) occupy the lower areas.
Deodar – Cedrus deodara Kiker – Acacia nilotic
Gulab – Rosa Indica Shisham – Dalbergio Sissoo The Eastern Plains of Punjab and Sindh are covered with species including Shisham (Dalbergio sissoo) and Kiker (Acacia nilotica), especially along the banks of River Indus. Kair (Capparis aphylla) is a common source of firewood, especially in the desert areas of Punjab and Sindh.
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1.2.2 Fauna Pakistan is home to many species of fauna including 177 mammals and 660 bird species.12 Large varieties of deer, fox, wild boar, bear, crocodile, and jackals are commonly found in forest areas. Pakistan is also home to endangered species including snow leopards, Indus river dolphin, and Markhor. Various species of partridges, pheasants, pelicans, cuckoo, owls, pigeons, parrots, sandgrouse and eagles are commonly found in Pakistan. An estimated population of one million birds migrates southwards during winter. Most of them land on the wetlands along the Indus River in the Sindh Province. These freshwater wetlands provide suitable habitats and feeding opportunities to a wide variety of water-birds passing through Indus flyway. Pakistan has approximately 200 freshwater fish species. The famous fish species include Rahoo, Singhara, and Malli. In addition to fish, some 700 marine species of invertebrates include crab, shrimp and prawn and another 300 species of shellfish. Both categories of species are of significant economic importance to Pakistan.13,14
Blind Dolphin of the Indus River
Chinkara Deer
Chakor, National Bird of Pakistan
Markhor The National Animal of Pakistan
12 Roberts, T. (1977). Mammals of Pakistan. London and Tonbridge:Ernest Benn Limited. 13 Fauna and Endangered Wildlife of Pakistan. Accessed May 21, 2018 for NCR-2017, from http://pakistanpedia.com/f_f/fauna.html. 14 Attribution: Several high-definition images featured in the last two sections, “Physical Features and Topography” and “Flora and Fauna,” were sourced from Wikipedia.
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1.3 Administrative Structure Pakistan is administratively divided into four provinces, namely Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh, and Balochistan. Islamabad is the capital territory. The autonomous regions which are part of Pakistan include Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan.
Each province is divided into divisions which are sub-divided into districts. Each district is
further sub-divided into tehsil/ sub-division to facilitate administrative functioning. Generally, a sub-
division comprises of one tehsil/taluka, but in some cases more than one tehsil/taluka fall under one
sub-division.
The revenue system of Pakistan has two types of areas to manage the administrative structure,
i.e., settled and unsettled. In rural areas, settled areas are those where the smallest administrative unit
i.e. Mauza/Deh has a measured area with a unique serial number called the Hadbast or serial number
with a delimitation well defined and documented. Unsettled areas are those where revenue settlement
has not taken place so far, and the smallest administrative unit is called a village.
On the other hand, all localities which are either Metropolitan, Muncipal Corperations.,
Muncipal Committees, Town Committees or Cantonments are treated as urban. During the 7th
Population and Housing Census-2023, the areas notified as urban by the respective provincial
governments were treated as urban for the data collection purpose. Table 1.1 gives breakdown of
administrative units by province and other areas in Pakistan according to the Census-2023.
Table 1.1: Administrative Units of Pakistan
Administrative Units
Divisions
Districts
Tehsils
/Talukas
Villages/
Muazas
Urban
Areas
Pakistan
30
136
591
46697
615
Punjab
9
36
146
24700
282
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
7
35
148
9821
67
Sindh
6
30
138
5690
202
Balochistan
8
34
158
6357
63
ICT
1 1 129 1 Source: Provincial Revenue / Local Government Departments
1.4 Legislative Structure The Parliament of Pakistan, according to the 1973 Constitution, is bicameral and legislative branch of the government. Article 50 of the Constitution clearly states that the Parliament of Pakistan consists of the President and two Houses known as the National Assembly and the Senate.
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1.4.1 President of Pakistan The President of Pakistan is the ceremonial Head of State and a figurehead who is the civilian Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The Constitution of Pakistan vests him with powers of granting pardons, reprieves, and making important military appointments in consultation with and approval from the Prime Minister. 1.4.2 National Assembly The National Assembly of Pakistan has a total of 336 members, including 60 seats reserved for women and 10 for non-Muslims as per Article 51 of the Constitution. The seats in the National Assembly are allocated to provinces and federal capital on the basis of population, as officially published in the last preceding census. The present composition of seats of National Assembly is shown in Table 1.2.
Table 1.2: Distribution of National Assembly Seats by Province
Punjab Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sindh Balochistan Federal Capital Total General 141 45 61 16 3 266 Women 32 10 14 4 0 60 Non-Muslims
10 Total 173 55 75 20 3 336 Source: National Assembly of Pakistant at http://na.gov.pk/. The National Assembly Hall The Parliament House The Parliament House building in Islamabad was inaugurated on 28th May, 1986. It took exactly 11 years to build. It was designed by Edward Durel Stone, an architect from USA. The five storied building has a total floor space of about 598,000 sq. feet. The Senate Hall and the National Assembly Hall are situated back to back on the second floor and separated by a common area housing the lifts. Source: Senate of Pakistan at https://www.senate.gov.pk/
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1.4.3 The Senate The Senate is a permanent legislative body with equal representation from each of the four provinces (23 seats), elected by the members of their respective provincial assemblies. Additionally, there are representatives from Islamabad Capital Territory (4 seats) as well.
Both the Senate and the National Assembly can initiate and pass legislation except for finance bills, which is the prerogative of the National Assembly. The present structure/ composition of seats of the Senate of Pakistan is given in Table 1.3.
Table 1.3: Composition/ Structure of the Senate of Pakistan Provinces / Territories General Technocrats / Ulema Women Non- Muslims Total Punjab 14 4 4 1 23 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 14 4 4 1 23 Sindh 14 4 4 1 23 Balochistan 14 4 4 1 23 Federal Capital 2 1 1
4
Total
58
17
17
4
96
Source: Senate of Pakistant at https://senate.gov.pk/.
1.5 Executive Structure
1.5.1 Prime Minister of Pakistan
The Prime Minister of Pakistan is the executive head of the Government of Pakistan, constitutionally
designated as the Chief Executive. He is popularly elected by the direct elections in the Parliament. The
Prime Minister is responsible for appointing a Cabinet as well as running the government affairs. The
Prime Minister duly appoints the chairmen and executives in almost all state institutions and
corporations which include:
•
Federal Secretaries in the administrative positions of the government.
•
Key administrative and military personnel in the Pakistan Armed Forces.
•
Chairmen and other Members of the Federal Commissions and public institutions.
•
Ambassadors and High Commissioners to other countries.15
15 Official Gateway to the Government of Pakistan. Accessed May 13, 2018 for NCR-2017, from https://pakistan.gov.pk/. The Senate Hall
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1.5.2 Provincial Governments
Each provincial government in Pakistan follows a structure similar to that of the federal government,
comprising a Governor, a Council of Ministers led by the Chief Minister, and a provincial assembly.
Members of these assemblies are elected through universal adult suffrage, with additional seats reserved
for women and minorities to ensure inclusive representation.
Pakistan's four provinces enjoy considerable autonomy in running public affairs. The 18 th
Amendment Bill passed in the year 2010 greatly empowered the provinces by giving them financial
autonomy to implement policy and programmes and delegating authority from the federal government
to the provincial governments to administer functions of the province. The provision of public services
in the areas such as health, education, population welfare, agriculture, environment and infrastructure
is now the responsib ility of the provincial g overnments. Although a well -defined division of
responsibilities exists between federal and provincial governments, some functions allow both levels to
legislate and establish departments for implementation. This shared authority is intended to enhance
service deliver y but requires coordination to avoid duplication and ensure effective resource use.
Governors act as the formal heads of the provinces, but their role is largely ceremonial. The real
executive authority lies with the Ch ief Ministers, who hold primary responsibility for provincial
governance and decision-making.
1.5.3 Local Governments
The local government system is based on the federated structures of a three-tier system of district (zila),
tehsil and union councils. Each level of local government has defined functions and service
responsibilities, for example, agriculture, community development, education and health is managed at
district level, municipal infrastructure services at tehsil level, and community-based services at union
council level. The levels of government are integrated through a bottom-up planning system, the council
electoral arrangements, and specific procedures for monitoring service delivery.16
The District Councils and Metropolitan Corporations are the highest tier of local government in
the five provinces, whilst both urban and rural local governments have two or three tiers in all provinces
except Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where councils are not identified as either urban or rural. Under the 18th
Constitutional Amendment, the Provincial Assembly of Balochistan passed the Local Government Act
(LGA) in 2010, whereas the Provincial Assemblies of Punjab, Sindh and KP passed their LGAs in
2013. However, th e LGA in all provinces has not been executed effectively as no province has yet
devolved sufficient functions and powers to the local governments and have retained the authority to
suspend or remove the heads of the elected local governments.
Furthermore, despite the provision of the local government system, devolution of power in true
sense is yet to take place in the country. Management of the administrative Districts still lies effectively
with the bureaucratic setup in the form of the Deputy Commissioner or DC’s offices. Deputy
Commissioner is the executive head of the district who looks after the administrative matters such as
16 The local government system in Pakistan. Commonwealth Local Government Forum. Retrieved May 13, 2018 for NCR -
2017, from http://www.clgf.org.uk/default/assets/File/Country_Profiles/Pakistan.pdf.
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law and order and development schemes and projects. He/she resolves public grievances and supervises
working of all the government functionaries in the district.
Deputy Commissioners are usually assisted by the Additional Deputy Commissioners, Assistant
Commissioners, District Monitoring Officers, Tehsildars and other junior ranking staff. Despite efforts
to transfer power from the powerful bureaucracy to local governments, the desired results have yet to
be achieved.
1.6 Judiciary
Pakistan’s judicial system operates at the federal, provincial, and district levels, comprising a Supreme
Court, Provincial High Courts , Sessions Courts , Magistrate Courts , and various special courts and
tribunals. Additionally, the country has a Federal Shariat Court, which ensures laws align with Islamic
principles.
1.6.1 Supreme Court of Pakistan
The Supreme Court of Pakistan was established
under the Constitution of 1956, succeeding the
Federal Court created in 1948, which itself
replaced the Federal Court of India, established
in 1937. Since its inception, the Supreme Court
has retained its name and jurisdiction through
successive legal frameworks, including the
Constitution of 1973.
As the highest appellate court and court
of last resort, the Supreme Court is the final
arbiter of the law and the Constitution in
Pakistan. Its decisions are binding on all other
courts, and all executive and judicial authorities
are obligated to act in aid of the Court. The Constitution outlines detailed provisions regarding the
Court’s composition, jurisdiction, powers, and functions, ensuring judicial independence and its
separation from the executive.
The Supreme Court has a unique responsibility to maintain harmony and balance among the
three pillars of the State. As the guardian of the Constitution, it is entrusted with preserving, protecting,
and defending the Constitution while safeguarding the fundamental rights of all citizens of Pakistan.
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1.6.2 Federal Shariat Court
The Federal Shariat Court was established on 26th
May,1980 by the President’s Order No.1 of 1980
as incorporated in part VII of the Constitution of
Pakistan, 1973 under the title of chapter 3A. This
Court is a unique institution with no parallel in the
entire Muslim world. It is backed by powerful
provisions of the Constitution. The preamble of the
Constitution explicitly affirms that sovereignty
over the entire universe belongs to Almighty Allah
alone and the authority to be exercised by the
people of Pakistan within the limits prescribed by
Him is a sacred trust. Article 2A lays down that the
principles and provisions set out in the Objectives
Resolution are a substantive part of the Constitution. Article 227 makes it incumbent that all existing
laws shall be brought in conformity with the injunctions of Islam as laid down in the Holy Qur’an and
the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), and Chapter 3-A which pertains to the functions
and organization of Federal Shariat Court, empowers the court and entrusts it with the responsibility to
examine and decide the question whether or not any law or provision of law is repugnant to the
injunctions of Islam as laid down in the Holy Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (peace be
upon him) . "Law" is defined in article 203 B( C ) of the Constitution and includes any custom or usage
having the force of law but does not include the Constitution, Muslim personal law, any law relating to
the procedure of any court or tribunal.17
1.6.3 High Courts
There are five high courts of Pakistan, each based in the capital city of the four provinces, plus one in
the federal capital, Islamabad. Articles 192 to 203 of the Constitution of Pakistan outline the
constitution of the courts, appointment of the judges, their oath of office, and jurisdiction of the high
courts.
At the time of partition in August 1947, the Lahore High Court, the Dhaka High Court, the Chief Court
of Sind and the Judicial Commissioner's Court in the North-West Frontier Province were deemed to be
the four high courts of Pakistan. In 1955, the Dhaka High Court and the Lahore High Court became the
High Court of East Pakistan and the High Court of West Pakistan, respectively. The West Pakistan
High Court had benches at Karachi and Peshawar as well as circuit courts at Quetta (replacing the
Judicial Commi ssioner in Balochistan) and Bahawalpur (replacing the High Court of Judicature at
Baghdad-ul-Jadid).
As the province of West Pakistan was dissolved in 1970, three high courts were established:
Lahore High Court, Peshawar High Court, and Sind and Balochistan High Court (with its principal seat
at Karachi). In 1976 the Sindh and Balochistan High Court was s plit into the High Court of Sind
(Karachi) and the High Court of Balochistan (Quetta). In 1985 the Lahore High Court had Benches at
17 Federal Shariat Court of Pakistan. Accessed December 15, 2018, from https://www.federalshariatcourt.gov.pk/en/home/. Federal Shariat Court of Pakistan