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Pakistan holds an interesting place within the international community. They are the only predominantly Muslim country to possess nuclear weapons technology. And they’ve been implicated in sponsoring a number of uncontrolled jihadist groups, including the Taliban and Al Qaeda. As a result, Pakistan is a relevant player in international politics.
So just how powerful is Pakistan? Well nuclear capabilities aside, Pakistan has one of the most formidable armies in the world which serves to protect their borders and fight terrorist groups in the north. Based on manpower alone, they have the 7th largest active military, and spend as much as Norway and Mexico on defense. However, Pakistan’s military has been a somewhat tense establishment, considering that the country has experienced multiple regime changes over the last 60 years through internal military coups. Pakistan’s relationship with countries like the US and its allies has been shaky and unreliable.
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Since 1954, the US has suspended aid to Pakistan six times on the basis of their secret nuclear progress. Most recently, terrorist Osama bin Laden was captured in Pakistan, where some suggest he was knowingly harbored. Additionally, attacks against US, Danish, and Egyptian embassies in Pakistan have shown that the country is unable to prevent extremist acts of violence. Still, in 2004, President George W. Bush granted Pakistan major non-NATO ally status, allowing them access to certain levels of the US military, as well as surplus equipment.
Economically, Pakistan is considered a developing country, and is one of the “Next Eleven”, which are countries that are poised to become the new largest economies of the 21st century, largely due to its agricultural industry. Pakistan’s GDP is about 230 billion dollars a year, which ranks it 44th in the global economy, but the CIA notes that the country is stuck in a low-income, low growth trap. Pakistan ranks 7th in terms of population, with nearly 200 million residents, and is reportedly home to one of the most populated cities in the world, Karachi (Ka-ra-chi).
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Overall, despite Pakistan’s weakened foreign relations, and average GDP, it is primarily their nuclear capabilities that gives them their power. What they end up doing with that technology, is what makes them so risky to the rest of the world. Pakistan’s top nuclear scientist and several high ranking military members have been implicated in selling nuclear secrets to Libya, Iran, and North Korea. So is Pakistan powerful? Absolutely. But maybe not for all the right reasons.
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