Full name of the country: Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Capital: Islamabad
Type of government: Federal parliamentary system
Head of the state: President
Head of the government: Prime Minister
President is head of state and has important powers but generally acts on the advise of the Prime Minister and is elected for a period of five years by a joint sitting of the Federal Legislature.
Bicameral legislature: Lower House, the National Assembly, has 207 directly elected members who serve for five years and ten representing minorities; Upper House, the Senate, has 87 members elected for six years with one third retiring every two years each of the four provinces elects 19 Senators, the remaining 11 being elected from the Federal Capital Territory and the tribal areas.
Territorial division: Economic and political powers
The Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a federation of four provinces and has a parliamentary form of government, with a multi-party system. The Federal Parliament is a bicameral legislature.
The Lower House, the National Assembly, is elected on adult franchise basis while the Upper House, the Senate, is elected by the provincial legislatures. The four provinces have unicameral legislatures.