ous commercial vessels have been
attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; hijacked
vessels are often disguised and cargoes stolen; crew and passengers
are often held for ransom, murdered, or cast adrift

Transnational Issues
Pacific Ocean

Disputes - international:

some maritime disputes (see littoral states)

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Pakistan

Introduction
Pakistan

Background:

The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world and
dating back at least 5,000 years, spread over much of what is
presently Pakistan. During the second millennium B.C., remnants of
this culture fused with the migrating Indo-Aryan peoples. The area
underwent successive invasions in subsequent centuries from the
Persians, Greeks, Scythians, Arabs (who brought Islam), Afghans, and
Turks. The Mughal Empire flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries;
the British came to dominate the region in the 18th century. The
separation in 1947 of British India into the Muslim state of
Pakistan (with West and East sections) and largely Hindu India was
never satisfactorily resolved, and India and Pakistan fought two
wars - in 1947-48 and 1965 - over the disputed Kashmir territory. A
third war between these countries in 1971 - in which India
capitalized on Islamabad's marginalization of Bengalis in Pakistani
politics - resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of
Bangladesh. In response to Indian nuclear weapons testing, Pakistan
conducted its own tests in 1998. The dispute over the state of
Kashmir is ongoing, but discussions and confidence-building measures
have led to decreased tensions since 2002. Mounting public
dissatisfaction with President MUSHARRAF, coupled with the
assassination of the prominent and popular political leader, Benazir
BHUTTO, in late 2007, and MUSHARRAF?s resignation in August 2008,
led to the September presidential election of Asif ZARDARI, BHUTTO?s
widower. Pakistani government and military leaders are struggling to
control Islamist militants, many of whom are located in the tribal
areas adjacent to the border with Afghanistan. The Pakistani
government is also faced with a deteriorating economy as foreign
exchange reserves decline, the currency depreciates, and the current
account deficit widens.

Geography
Pakistan

Location:

Southern Asia,