Is Pakistan a State or a Country? It's Both.

State vs. Country: The Distinction

In political science and international law:

State = sovereign political entity: defined territory, permanent population, government, capacity to enter relations (Montevideo Convention)
Country = geographic/cultural term for a nation's land and people; often used synonymously with "state" in casual speech

Pakistan Qualifies as Both

Sovereign state: Independent since 14 Aug 1947; UN member (1947); own constitution, military, currency (PKR), foreign policy
Country: Distinct geographic region (796,095 km²), 240M+ people, shared culture (Urdu, Islam, Indus heritage), recognized borders

Federal Structure: Provinces, Not States

Pakistan is a federal republic comprising four provinces (Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan), two territories (Islamabad Capital Territory, Gilgit-Baltistan), and Azad Kashmir (self-governing, claimed by India). It does not have "states" in the US sense.