1.

OVERVIEW

1.1 Pakistan: An Introduction

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan was founded on the 14th of
August 1947. The seat of the federal government is based in the city
of Islamabad, which is the Republic’s capital.

Pakistan is the land of the Indus river, which flows through the
country for 2500 kilometers (1600 miles) from the Himalaya and
Karakoram mountain ranges to the Arabian Sea. It is a land of
snow-covered peaks and burning deserts, of fertile mountain
valleys and irrigated plains. It has an estimated population of
151.548 million (January 1, 2005) representing an array of ethnic
groups but united by the Islamic faith.

Pakistan is strategically located at the crossroads of Asia, where

the road from China to the Mediterranean meets the route from
India to Central Asia. For thousands of years, this junction has
been a melting pot of diverse cultures, attracting traders and
adventurers, pilgrims and holy men. Now the old Chinese trade
route is reopened; the spectacular Karakoram Highway threads its
way through the Himalayas, Karakorams and Pamirs, following
the ancient Silk Route and entering China over the 4733 metre
(15,528 feet) Khunjerab Pass, the highest metalled border
crossing in the world.

Pakistan’s 4000-year history is richly illustrated by

archaeological sites and imposing monuments scattered over the
length and breadth of the country. Brick cities from the Indus
civilization, which flourished around 2000 BC, stand beside
Buddhist ruins contemporaneous with the birth of Christianity.
Magnificent muslim tombs from the 12th century vie with the
palaces, mosques and forts of the Moghul emperors of the 16th
and 17th centuries.

Location: Geographically, Pakistan comprises of three main

regions, the mountainous North, where three of the world’s great

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mountain ranges (the Hindukush, the Karakorams and the
Himalayas) meet, the enormous but sparsely populated plateau of
Balochistan in the south-west and the Punjab and Sindh plains of
the Indus River and its main tributaries. Located in South Asia,
between 230 - 42/ and 360 - 55/ latitude north and between the
longitudes of 600 - 45/ and 750 - 20/ east, Pakistan is bordered by
India on the east, China on the north east, Afghanistan on the north
west while Iran shares its border in the south west and Arabian Sea
in the south.

Area: The borders of Pakistan encompass a total area of 796,096

square kilometers. The provincial break up is given below:-

Area Distribution
Area
Province/Region
(Sq. Km)
Pakistan 796,096
Islamabad 906
Punjab 205,345
Sindh 140,914
North West Frontier Province (NWFP) 74,521
Balochistan 347,190
Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) 27,220

Climatically, Pakistan enjoys a considerable measure of variety.

North and northwestern high mountain ranges are extremely cold in
winter while the summer months from April to September are very
pleasant. The vast plains of the Indus Valley are extremely hot in
summer and have cold weather in winter. The coastal strip in the
south has a temperate climate. There is general deficiency in the
rainfall. In the plains the annual average rainfall ranges from 13 cm
in the northern parts of the lower Indus plains to 89 cm in the
Himalayan region. Rains are monsoonal in origin and fall late in
summer. Average rainfall is 76 cm per annum.

Pakistan has continental panorama with magnificent mountain

ranges, plateaus (Potohar), deserts (Thar and Thal), plains
(Punjab), rivers, lakes and the Arabian Sea. The Himalayan,

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Karakoram, Hindukush, Suleman and Salt ranges are some of the
most renowned mountain ranges in the world with K-2 (second to
Mount Everest), Nanga Parbat and Tirich Meer as some of the
highest peaks in the world. Out of 14 highest peaks (more than
8000 m), in the world, 5 are situated in Pakistan. Pakistan boasts
the densest concentration of high mountains in the world, with 82
peaks over 7000 meters (23,000 feet) within a radius of 180 Km
(112 miles). The Himalayas and Karakorams rose to the heights
when the northward drifting Indian geological plate collided with
the Asia plate, its northern edge nosing under the Asian plate and
pushing up the mountains still, causing the mountains to rise 7
millimeters (¼ inches) in a year.
Mountain Peaks of Pakistan
Height World
Name of the Peak Range
M (F) Rank
K2 8611 (28,253) Karakoram 2
Nanga Parbat 8125 (26,660) Himalaya 9
Gasherbrum I 8068 (26,470) Karakoram 11
Broad Peak 8047 (26,400) Karakoram 12
Gasherbrum II 8035 (26,360) Karakoram 14
The lofty mountains of Pakistan are interpenetrated with a range of
mountain passes to relent for movements across the valleys and
frontiers. The most important among them are listed as under:

Historical Mountain Passes

Pass Location
Khyber Pass NWFP
Kurram Pass NWFP
Tochi Pass NWFP
Gomal Pass NWFP
Lowari Pass NWFP
Bolan Pass Balochistan
Khunjerab Pass Northern Areas
Pakistan is repository of ancient civilizations, such as those of Mehr
Garh, Moenjodaro, Harappa, Gandhara, and Taxila and a vast
collection of relics relating to art and sculptures has been unearthed
and rehabilitated. Pakistan’s archaeological sites are located at a
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number of places such as Mehr Garh (Quetta), Chakwal, Kot Diji,
Moenjodaro, Harappa, Taxila, Takht-i-Bahi, Dir and Swat. The
Mehr Garh site, at the foot of Bolan Pass in Balochistan, discovered
in 1984 is the first Neolithic site in the world. The evidence suggests
that the site remained occupied for 5000 years (from 8th to 3rd
millenniums BC) before the Indus Valley Civilization of
Moenjodaro and Harappa.

Population and Density: Pakistan has an estimated population of

151.548 million (January 1, 2005) with a density of more than 190
persons per square kilometer.

Languages: Though united in Islam, the people represent many

ethnic groups and speak a variety of languages. Urdu is the
national language of Pakistan. Both Urdu and English are used in
official matters and correspondence. The major regional languages
spoken are Punjabi in Punjab, Sindhi in Sindh, Pushto, Hindko,
Khawer, Kohistani and Kafiri in North West Frontier Province,
Balochi, Pushto and Brahuvi in Balochistan and Balti, Shina,
Brushuski and Wakhi in Northern areas. Some other regional
languages are Saraiki, Chitrali, Kalashi, Pothohari, Kashmiri,
Gojri, Dari, Gujrati, Persian, etc.
Most of people in Pakistan are bi-lingual, speaking their regional
language and Urdu with almost equal facility. The educated
classes are at least tri-lingual, speaking quite easily a regional
language, Urdu and English.

Political System: Pakistan has a democratic system of government

with a bicameral Parliament consisting of a Senate and National
Assembly. This structure is supported with four provincial
assemblies and a system of district government.
Religion: Islam is the state religion. There are many other
minorities’ religions such as Christianity, Hinduism (Hindumat),
Zoroastrian (Parsi) etc., that flourish in Pakistan, as the government
strongly believes in the freedom of worship.

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Transport and Communication: Pakistan has a number of sea, dry
and air ports. It also has a wide network of roads and railways.
Television, radio and satellite links provide a good and reliable
communication system.
Karachi and Mohammad Bin Qasim are international Seaports
handling both passengers and cargo whereas Minora and Pasni are
mainly fish ports.
Gawadar Port is being developed as an international seaport with
the assistance of Chinese government. Estimated cost of Phase I
and II is US $ 248 million and US $ 524 million respectively.
Work on Phase I will be completed by March 2005. Phase II is
planned to be developed through private sector on BOT basis.
Hyderabad, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Sialkot, Peshawar, Quetta and
Faisalabad are the dry ports for handling imports/exports of the
country. Pakistan has 38 airports situated all over the country. The
cities of Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Gawadar, Pasni and
Quetta have international airports that link Pakistan to the world.
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is the country's national carrier
with a vast domestic and international network. Besides, private
airlines also operate.
Irrigation and Canal System: The Indus river forms the axis of
Pakistan, and its tributaries drain whole of the country, except
sparsely populated province of Balochistan. The Indus river and
its tributaries provides the largest irrigation system in the world.
This is the largest network of canal system in the world, serving 34.5
million acres of contiguous cultivated land and a novel underground
water system (karez) in Balochistan. The break up is given below.
Irrigation Network
Main Rivers 5
Inter-river Link Canals 12
Major Dams (Tarbela, Mangla, Warsak) 3
Barrages 19
Independent Canals 43
Length of Main Canals 58,500 Km
Tubewells 680,477 (P)

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 Rivers
Name Length (km)
Indus 2896
Jehlum 825
Chenab 1242
Ravi 901
Sutlej 1551
Beas (Tributary of Sutlej) 398

Agriculture is the hub of Pakistan’s economy which consists of

crops and livestock products. It directly contributes 25 percent to
GDP and provides employment to 44 percent of the total labour
force of the country. Major crops include wheat, rice, cotton,
sugarcane, maize, tobacco, barely, rape-seed etc. The important
fruits are mango, citrus, banana, guava, dates, apple, pear, plum,
apricot and peach. Pakistan has two main crop seasons i.e. Kharif
and Rabi. Kharif crops are sown during April to June and
harvested during October to December. Rabi crops are sown
during October to December and harvested during April to June.

Currency: Basic unit of currency is Rupee which divides into 100

paisa. Currency notes of 5, 10, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 Rupee are in
use. Coins of 1, 2 and 5 rupee are in circulation.

Economy: Pakistan has mixed economy, though public sector’s role

has been receding.

Industry: Chemical, Electrical, Machinery, Fertilizer, Sports, Steel,

Sugar, Textiles and Tobacco are the main industries of Pakistan.
Minerals: Nature has blessed Pakistan with variety of minerals.
Some minerals of economic importance are coal, copper, rock salt,
lime stone, marble, china clay, dolomite, fire clay, gypsum, silica
sand, emerald, ruby, gas and crude oil. Copper ore reserves of 412
million tonnes containing on the average 0.50 gram gold and 1.50
gram silver per tonne have been found at Saindak, district Chagai,
Balochistan. The annual production capacity of the project is

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15,800 tonnes of blister copper containing 1.5 tonnes of gold and
2.8 tonnes of silver. The production has started from July 2003.
Sports: Hockey is the national game of Pakistan. However, cricket,
squash and snooker are the popular sports of the country in which
the national teams participate in all international events. Pakistan has
been a world champion in hockey, squash and cricket. Football,
tennis, polo, swimming, and wrestling and a host of other games are
also played.

Islamic Calendar: Muslim festivals are celebrated according to

Muslim (Lunar) Calendar. Months of the Islamic calendar are
Moharrum, Safar, Rabi-ul-Awal, Rabi-us-Sani, Jamadi-ul-Awal,
Jamadi-us-Sani, Rajab, Shaban, Ramzan, Shawal, Zee Qaad, Zil Haj

Social life: Pakistan enjoys a rich repertoire of festive, religious and

folk events. Many festivals are celebrated in the country through
out the year. Following are some of them:

Eid-ul-Fitr: (1st of Islamic month Shawwal)

Celebrated at the end of fasting month (Ramzan). After sun rise
collective prayer is offered. The gifts, sweets and visits are
exchanged.

Eid-ul-Azha: (10th of Islamic month Zilhaj)

Celebrated commemorating the great sacrifice offered by Prophet
Abraham. After sun rise collective prayer is offered. The goats,
sheep, cows or camels are sacrificed and meat is distributed
among relatives, friends and poor.

Sibi Festival: (Last week of February)

Celebrated at Sibi in Balochistan province. A show of high bread
horses, camels, cattle, traditional sports, handicrafts exhibition,
folk dances and music are the main features. Indigenous Baloch
traditions.

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Basant: (Kite Flying Festival in Mid February)
Basant is celebrated in Lahore, Punjab province. Kite flying
competitions, music and delicious foods are the main features of
the festival.

Mela Chiraghan: (festival of terracotta lamps, last week of March)

Held outside Shalimar Gardens, Lahore in Punjab province for
one week.
Nauroze: (March 21 – 23)
Celebrated in Gilgit, Hunza, Skardu and Chitral. Polo, football,
volley-ball, hockey matches, folk dances and music are the main
events of the festival. A number of local and foreign tourists
especially Japanese visit Northern areas during spring season.
Pakistan Day: (March 23)
Pakistan day, on which Pakistan Resolution was passed in 1940,
is celebrated with traditional zeal and enthusiasms. Illumination
of important buildings and military parade at Islamabad are the
main events of the festival
Baisakhi: (April 13)
Baisakhi is a harvest festival celebrated on April 13 particularly
in Punjab when Rabi crop is ready for harvesting. On this
occasion, harvesting is started with merry festivities such as folk
music and dances specially the bhangra dance by farmers.

Chanan Pir Mela: (April)

Largest collection of camels of Cholistan and desert people.

Joshi or Chilimjusht: (May 14 – 15)

Held in Kalash Valleys, Chitral to welcome the spring season.
Folk dances, music and exchange of dishes are main events of the
festival.

Shandur Polo Festival: (July 7 - 9)

Polo has been a traditional sport of Chitral valley from centuries.
It is played on the highest polo ground of the world at Shandur
Pass. Other activities of the festival are folk music and dances.

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Independence Day: (August 14)
It is the day on which Pakistan came into being. It is celebrated
all over the country by flag hosting ceremony at Islamabad,
holding meetings, processions, rallies and illumination of
important buildings. There is a lot of gaiety at night.

Lok Mela: (1st week of October)

This festival is held at Islamabad for one week. The folk music,
folk dances, craftsmen at work, exhibition and sale of handicrafts
are the main events. It is a unique opportunity to watch the actual
crafts being manufactured in the folk heritage festival.

Shahbaz Qalander: (18-20 Shaban)

Biggest display of dhamal dance, unique feature of swirling
dance by women, “naubat dance” in Sewan Sharif, Sindh. Largest
collection of “qalandars” & “jogis” in close vicinity of Manchar
lake, abode of last surviving Indus blind dolphins.

Shah Latif Bhitai, Bhit Shah, Halla Sindh: (12-14 Safar)

Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai was an eminent saint and sufi poet of
Sindhi language. Main features are that it is one of the most
exotic musical festivals with recitation of Shah’s mystic poetry
(vai) where largest collection of minstrels, mendicants, “faqirs”,
eunuchs community pays homage to the saint through ecstatic
dance and music.

Baba Farid Festival: (5 Muharram)

A festival is held in Pakpattan, Punjab to pay tribute to great sufi
saint and poet of Saraki language. Folk music and passing of
people through famous gate known as Bahishti Darwaza (door to
heaven) are the main features of this festival.