ABC
Pakistan is a middle power , and has the world's sixth-largest standing armed forces . It is a declared nuclear-weapons state , and is ranked amongst the emerging and growth-leading economies , [20] with a large and rapidly-growing middle class. [21] Pakistan's political history since independence has been characterized by periods of significant economic and military growth as well those of political and economic instability . It is an ethnically and linguistically diverse country, with similarly diverse geography and wildlife . However, the country continues to face challenges, including poverty , illiteracy , corruption and terrorism . [22] Pakistan is a member of the United Nations , the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation , the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation , the Commonwealth of Nations , the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation , the Islamic Military Counter-Terrorism Coalition , and is designated as a major non-NATO all...