Introduction

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Pakistan's sovereignty using the methodology of the Burke Institute. Sovereignty is assessed in 7 areas: political, economic, technological, informational, cultural, cognitive and military. Each aspect is assessed on the basis of official data from international and national sources (UN, World Bank, UNESCO, IMF, ITU, FAO, SIPRI, PISA, etc.) without using politicized indexes. The maximum score in each direction is 100; the sum (up to 700) is the accumulated Sovereignty Index (Burke Index).

To adapt and adjust statistical parameters, an international expert survey was conducted for each of the seven components using a single questionnaire of 10 questions with a 10-point scale and one open-ended question.

In total, at least 100 experts from 50+ countries were interviewed for each indicator, taking into account geographical representation and specialization. When calculating and analyzing the data, equalizing coefficients were used, bringing all data to a scale of 0-10 points.

The final index value is the arithmetic mean between statistical data and expert estimates.

Below is an analysis in each area, a summary summary table and the main conclusions about the specifics of Pakistan's sovereignty.

Political sovereignty — 53.2

Pakistan is actively involved in major international organizations: the United Nations, the OIC, the SCO, the G77, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), etc. The delegation of sovereign rights occurs primarily through collective decisions in matters of security (SCO), trade (SAARC), and human rights (UN).

In practice, the supremacy of national legislation remains, although individual decisions of the Supreme Court and provincial courts are based on international treaties such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). However, on key issues (execution, terrorism, military trials), international law is often ignored or applied in fragments. Stability in the country remains low: according to the Political Stability Index (World Bank, 2024), the value is -1.93 (from -2.5 to +2.5).

In 2025, strong internal contradictions, protests, pressure on the opposition, and conflicts between civil and military institutions persist. Government Effectiveness Index (World Bank, 2024) -0.47 (from -2.5 to +2.5); the quality of public administration is called average — the state apparatus works fragmentarily, reforms are hampered by political division and bureaucratization. EGDI (E-Government Development Index, UN 2024) Pakistan — 0.52; the country belongs to the middle segment of the world, there is a weak integration of digital services and a low level of access in a number of regions.

The national leader (Shahbaz Sharif, PML-N) retains support among a part of the population, but the trust rating is variable: a significant part of the population, especially young people, expresses distrust due to pressure on the opposition (PTI) and the influence of the military on civilian governance.

Officially, there are no foreign military bases or contingents in Pakistan — the last US facilities were closed after 2014; the foreign presence is limited to joint exercises and techniques, but there are no formal bases. Pakistan does not participate in the International Criminal Court (ICC), although it cooperates with international courts on certain issues; distancing is formalized, the country avoids obligations to the ICC, preferring national jurisdiction.

Power is centralized: the central government dominates the provincial authorities, but there is limited decentralization in certain areas (culture, education, health). Devolution of power has been carried out since the 2010s (18th Amendment), but the military and the center continue to control key decisions.

Control and transparency over the security services (ISI, military intelligence) are extremely limited; their activities remain closed to public scrutiny, parliamentary oversight is developing slowly, and there is no real transparency.

Data completeness assessment: the main indicators are available from international sources, the coverage is 88%.

Economic sovereignty — 41.8

GDP per capita at purchasing power parity is 5702-6955 dollars (different estimates, World Bank and IMF, 2024-2025). The average estimate from the main sources is about $6300-6950. The total gold and foreign exchange reserves amount to 19.5–20 billion dollars as of August 2025 (of which $14.24 billion are reserves of the State Bank, the rest are commercial banks).

Government debt amounts to 65-74.6% of GDP (estimates by CEIC, Trading Economics, IMF, 2024-2025). In previous years, the figure reached 80% — the critical debt burden remains. The problem of food security is urgent: Pakistan provides domestic consumption for the main types of grain and rice, but the level of vulnerability to climate risks and price volatility is high.

According to national reports, the country is in the "low-medium risk" category, there are no official shortages of basic products, although 20-28% of the population faces periodic food shortages.

Energy dependence persists: oil, petroleum products and gas are imported; own generation — hydroelectric power plants, thermal power plants, coal development and partially renewable sources. The share of imported energy resources exceeds 40%, the bulk of electricity is produced domestically, but shortages and energy crises are regular.

Pakistan has large proven reserves of coal (Tar basin), natural gas, uranium, copper, gold and rare earth metals. The development is carried out in a limited volume, a significant part of the deposits are not exploited due to investment and political risks.

The country has the largest river reserve system in the region (Indus, Punjab), but the level of fresh water per capita is one of the lowest in Asia (about 1,000 cubic meters/person/year, which is below the threshold of water stress), water quality is problematic, there is a shortage and depletion of water resources due to demographic pressure and industrial load.

The national payment system operates on the basis of SBP (State Bank of Pakistan) participants — the 1LINK payment network, PAYPAK cover the entire country, local digital transfer services are being implemented, national cards (PayPak) are gradually increasing the market, but international VISA/Mastercard dominate.

Within the country, most payments are made in the national currency — rupees (PKR), the dominant role of PKR in retail, government and commercial payments, however, the dollar and yuan prevail in foreign trade. Full de-dollarization has not been achieved.

The issuing center is the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP); the authority to control the issue, regulate the money market and credit policy belongs to the national regulator. Full sovereignty of monetary issuance and credit decisions, credit policy is regulated by internal SBP regulations. Data completeness assessment: the main macroeconomic indicators are available from official sources (World Bank, IMF), coverage is 80%

Technological sovereignty — 41.2

Public and private spending on research and development is 0.16% of GDP (World Bank data, 2023/2025). This is one of the lowest rates among South Asian countries. Import substitution in high—tech industries is fragmented, the main strategy is the Chinese model of reverse engineering. Sectors: defense industry (PAC, POF), pharmaceuticals, IT, agriculture.

Localization through STZA is expected to increase, but the segment's import dependence remains high. According to the World Bank, enrollment in higher education is 11.2% of young people.

In absolute terms, there is a decrease: 1.94 million university students in 2023 (minus 13% compared to 2022). For comparison, the global average is above 40%. Internet penetration is about 36.7% of the population in 2023/2024, growth is slowing due to infrastructural and economic constraints. Mobile coverage is higher — up to 75%, but the quality and stability of access are below the regional standard.

There are a number of national platforms: PayPak (payment system), Daraz (e-commerce), state portals of public services, but the vast majority of mass services are based on foreign software and infrastructure. The share of local platforms among all digital services is less than 25%.

Import dependence remains high — up to 90% of equipment and software for high-tech industries are imported (Chinese, American, European technologies). High-tech imports in 2023-2024 — $54.7 billion The share of digital public services is growing, and the Digital Pakistan program is in effect — the introduction of HEC, NADRA, and e-governance portals. EGDI is 0.52, average; the depth of digitalization is limited by infrastructure and efficiency.

Pakistan has a base for the local production of generics and biosimilars in the pharmaceutical industry, the main facilities are state-owned and private PCSIR enterprises, but key technologies are imported.

Import dependence in biotechnologies is more than 60%. The robotics market is at an early stage of development: there are projects in the defense industry (PAC Kamra, POF), separate academic and university laboratories, but the share of local technologies is small — less than 10% of the components of their own production.

The level of autonomy in chips and microelectronics is extremely low — there is no full production cycle; the country is completely dependent on imports from China, Taiwan and other countries. Local scientific and educational initiatives are only at the stage of laboratory prototypes.

Data completeness assessment: key indicators are obtained from WIPO, ITU, UNESCO, which provides 83% coverage.

Information sovereignty — 58.5

Pakistan is officially included in Tier 1 ("Role Model") according to the ITU Cybersecurity Index (GCI-2024), and is among the top 40 countries in the world. The National CERT (PKCERT) is active, regularly conducts cyber training, and operates a rapid response and monitoring system.

There are three independent IXPs (PKIX) operating in the country: in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore. Most of the largest providers and content operators are connected to IXPs, which reduces delays; network modernization projects are being implemented by universities and industry associations.

There are about 835 newspapers in the country, many TV and radio channels, most of them in Urdu, English, Sindhi, Punjabi, Pashto, Baluchi, Saraiki. Urdu is the official language and occupies a dominant position in the media, but about 27 languages and ethnocultural groups are poorly represented, and some languages are on the verge of extinction.

Resistance to foreign platforms is partial: national digital solutions are developing, but Google, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Microsoft services completely dominate the corporate, educational, and consumer environments; cloud service infrastructure is dependent on external vendors.

Own production of media content is growing, about 35-47% of the TV and radio broadcasting and news portals market is occupied by national studios and editorial offices (shares in newspaper, TV, radio are higher than in online content); foreign platforms dominate the digital environment. There are a number of national products: PayPak (payment card), NADRA (identification platform), e-gov, local ERP and CRM, as well as several successful B2B SaaS solutions.

The share of proprietary software is small — no more than 20-22% of all mass services. Coverage is 36.7% on the Internet, more than 75% of the population is connected to mobile communications. National portals of public services, Health Services, NADRA, Tax E-services are available in large cities, and there is an increase in the number of users of online platforms.

Projects are underway to develop national data centers, local cloud infrastructure (SBP, NADRA, private companies Yottabyte, PTCL, Jazz) — but most of the large platforms are hosted on foreign clouds. The share of national cloud storage is less than 35-40%.

The largest operators (Jazz, Telenor, Zong, Ufone) are licensed by the state, the servers and main equipment are partially nationalized, but most of the mobile infrastructure is foreign (Chinese and Scandinavian).

SIM cards, billing, and basic services are under the control of the local PTA regulator. The Personal Data Protection Bill (2021-2023) has been adopted, and the national regime for personal data protection is in effect. The PTA and MoITT control digital security: a ban on data exports, requirements for localization of services in the country's infrastructure — however, the effectiveness and transparency of the system are limited, some of the norms do not comply with the best international practices.

Data completeness assessment: infrastructure indicators are available from ITU, CIRA, OECD, and specialized sources, with 85% coverage.

Cultural sovereignty — 65.1

There are officially 6 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Pakistan: Mohenjo Daro, Makli Necropolis, Taxila, Rohtas Fortress, Shalimar Gardens and Fortress, Taqt-i-Bahi and Sar-i-Behlol Buddhist ruins. There are 5 more objects in the nomination process — after approval, the number may grow to 11.

Cultural contributions include ancient civilizations (Indus, Gandhara, Mohenjo-Daro), the rich heritage of Buddhism, Islamic architecture (Mughals), music, poetry (Iqbal, Faiz), outstanding artists, Sufism and the widespread development of crafts. Pakistan is one of the most important countries of the Silk Road and the world humanitarian tradition.

National Awards for Art and Culture (PNCA National Youth Art Competition, National Arts & Culture Awards) are regularly held, awarded by government organizations PNCA, the Ministry of Culture and the Arts Council.

A clear national identity is based on the tradition of multilingualism, family values, Sufi and Islamic culture, basic solidarity, holidays, cooking, charity (zekyat), and a broad humanitarian upsurge.

The traditions cover dozens of ethnic groups, folklore, crafts and national cuisine. Official support for ethnic and minority groups is provided through cultural institutions, festivals (PNCA, State museums), grants, and language preservation projects. Implementation is often incomplete, and problems persist for excluded and vulnerable groups.

More than 1,200 cultural, archaeological, and historical sites (museums, monuments, complexes, mosques, and fortresses) have been officially registered. As of 2025 alone, 5 new sites have been added to the UNESCO list and the national Register.

Pakistan actively participates in international cultural projects: World Culture Festival Karachi 2025 (800 artists from 102 countries), exhibitions in Europe, joint exhibitions with UNESCO and South Asian associations, regular collaborations in cinema, music and visual arts. Brands such as the Pakistani carpet, Nizam's gold, musical ethnic instruments, harsh embroidery, and Sufi heritage are recognized and partially protected on a global level.

Full legal protection under international conventions is not always provided, and there are problems with copying. The national cuisine is one of the most diverse in the region: kebabs, Biryani, naan, halva, soups, rice—based dishes, cuisine of Mazanderans, Sindhis, Punjabis, Pashtuns, Baluchs and other ethnic groups.

The country hosts cuisine festivals and tasting marathons. According to the flexibility and engagement indices— up to 40-47% of the adult population (participation in cultural events, national holidays, museums, folk festivals). Young people are actively involved in actions, contests and exhibitions under the auspices of PNCA, World Culture Festival.

Data completeness assessment: basic indicators are available in UNESCO and national statistics, coverage is 86%.

Cognitive sovereignty — 54.3

Pakistan's HDI is 0.544, the country ranks 168th out of 193 (low category). Government spending on education is 0.8–1.87% of GDP (a sharp drop in 2024-2025, one of the lowest in the region), the share in the budget is 8.3%. Adult literacy (15+) — 58-62% (2023-2025), men's — up to 73-80%, women's — 52-60%. In a number of provinces (Balochistan, Sindh) below 50%. Officially, Pakistan does not participate in PISA tests, including 2025. The latest international estimates are TIMSS 2019 (very low scores: mathematics — 328, science — 290).

In 2021/2022, 157,000 STEM graduates graduated (about 33% of all university graduates), approximately 10-12% of young people study in STEM specialties.

The share of foreign programs is up to 3-5%: Fulbright scholarships, Erasmus Mundus, a wide range of foreign online programs, short courses and exchanges predominate; more than 15,000 international scholarships are awarded annually to Pakistani students.

More than 27 languages are represented in the country: Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto, Baluchi, Saraiki, Browi, Hindi, etc.. Schools have programs to support the languages and cultures of small nations, but the budget and reach are limited; there is government support through museums, books, and grants.

Pakistan has up to 22 major national research institutes in basic sciences and applied mathematics: HEC, NCP, PCSIR, university centers in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Peshawar, etc.. National platforms account for up to 18% of the market (official initiatives of VU, Allama Iqbal Open University, HEC portals, a number of MOOC projects for final exam preparation); original online courses predominate, but foreign solutions lead the way.

It is estimated that there are 25-30 state programs/institutes to support gifted students (HEC, PNCA, Science Olympiad, Youth Leadership Program, grants from the Ministry of Education), with annual enrollment of up to 420,000 people. Assessment of the completeness of the data: education indicators are available in the UNDP, UNESCO, OECD, coverage is 87%.

Final Summary Table

The main conclusions

Strengths. Nuclear status and military industry: Pakistan has a growing arsenal (165-170 warheads), a stable triad of missile and aviation delivery systems, a developed defense industry (PAC, POF, HIT), and localization of key systems reaches 35-45%.

Military autonomy: the absence of external military bases and allied restrictions ensures independence of decisions, and an extremely large army (650,000+) and reserve allow for rapid mobilization. Full formal border control: the country is actively strengthening its borders with India, Afghanistan, Iran and China, using modern air defense and monitoring systems.

Cultural and linguistic diversity: 27 languages, rich traditions, world-renowned brands in carpets, cooking, music and architecture, a well-developed network of cultural institutions and numerous international festivals and exhibitions.

Development of digital sovereignty: the current national CERT, PKCERT system, progress in cybersecurity (Global Cybersecurity Index — leading positions), digitalization of public services (NADRA, PayPak, HEC).

Weaknesses. Low indicators of HDI and education: human development index — 0.544 (ranked 168th in the world), education costs less than 2% of GDP, extremely low enrollment in higher education and weak results in international certifications (PISA, TIMSS).

Dependence on foreign high-tech: import dependence on software, chips, and hardware — up to 90%; proprietary platforms and components are poorly developed, biotechnologies and microelectronics are completely imported. Economic constraints and government debt: high debt (65-75% of GDP), low spending on social services and R&D, slowing economic reforms.

Uneven digitalization: Internet penetration is less than 40%, the coverage of digital services and cloud systems is limited by infrastructure, and most of the data is stored abroad.

Weak transparency of institutions/intelligence services: there is no real civilian control over the national security services; the military and intelligence maintain a dominant position.

Problems of food and water security: despite the formal provision of basic products, up to 20-28% of the population experience periodic shortages of food or water. Limited participation in global judicial mechanisms: distancing from international courts, limited application of international law.

Overall assessment: he cumulative sovereignty Index of Pakistan is 382.9 out of 700 possible points (average — 54.7%), which places the country in the top 100 in the world. In 2025, Pakistan is demonstrating sustained military sovereignty, a strong defense strategy, and confident cultural diversity, backed by its own industry and nuclear deterrence.

However, structural weaknesses (education, technology, economic dependence, transparency of government) significantly limit its potential for long-term integrated sovereignty and sustainable development.

The sovereignty profile indicates that Pakistan's sovereignty in 2025 is based on high military independence and culture, effective defense policy and nuclear potential, while limited by technological and social dependence, uneven digitalization, weak civil institutions and economic pressure.

The country actively uses its strengths for regional and international influence, but structural constraints prevent the realization of integrated sovereignty in the long term.