CHALLENGES

EXTREMISM Analysts have long warned that Pakistan is not getting to the root causes of extremism, and that the militants can still carry out spectacular attacks.

ECONOMY Pakistan’s next government faces growing fears of a balance of payments crisis, with speculation mounting it will have to seek its second IMF bailout in five years.

WATER SHORTAGES

It is on the verge of an ecological disaster if authorities do not address looming water shortages, experts say.

Official estimates show that by 2025 the country will be facing an “absolute scarcity” of water, with less than 500 cubic metres available per person -- just one third of the water available in parched Somalia, according to the UN.

POPULATION GROWTH

Conservative Pakistan, with its limited family planning, has one of the highest birth rates in Asia at around three children per woman, according to the WB and government figures. The boom is negating hard-won economic and social progress in the developing country, experts have warned.

CIVIL/MILITARY RELATIONS OR MILITARY MATTERS

The military, which has ruled Pakistan for roughly half its history, denies the allegations and says it takes “no direct role” in the election. It is set to deploy more than 3,70,000 soldiers on polling day.