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General information


Population : 210 milion people (5th in the World,4th in Asia)
Total Area : 881,913 km^2 (33rd in the World,9th in Asia)
Official languages : Urdu, English
Official currency : Rupee(PKR)
Capital : Islamabad
Population density : 244.4 people/km^2 (56th in the World,17th in Asia)
Top 5 biggest cities : Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala

The territory that now constitutes Pakistan was the site of several ancient cultures, including the Mehrgarh of the Neolithic and the Bronze Age Indus Valley Civilisation, and was later home to kingdoms ruled by people of different faiths and cultures, including Hindus, Indo-Greeks, Muslims, Turco-Mongols, Afghans, and Sikhs. The area has been ruled by numerous empires and dynasties, including the Persian Achaemenid Empire, Alexander III of Macedon, the Indian Mauryan Empire, the Arab Umayyad Caliphate, the Gupta Empire,the Delhi Sultanate, the Mongol Empire, the Mughal Empire, the Afghan Durrani Empire, the Sikh Empire (partially), and, most recently, the British Empire.

Pakistan is the only country to have been created in the name of Islam.As a result of the Pakistan Movement led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the subcontinent's struggle for independence, Pakistan was created in 1947 as an independent homeland for Indian Muslims. It is an ethnically and linguistically diverse country, with a similarly diverse geography and wildlife. Initially a dominion, Pakistan adopted a constitution in 1956, becoming an Islamic republic.

An ethnic civil war in 1971 resulted in the secession of East Pakistan as the new country of Bangladesh. In 1973 Pakistan adopted a new constitution establishing, alongside its pre-existing parliamentary republic status, a federal government based in Islamabad consisting of four provinces and four federal territories. The new constitution also stipulated that all laws are to conform to the injunctions of Islam as laid down in the Quran and Sunnah.

A federal parliamentary republic state, Pakistan is a federation that comprises four provinces: Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Balochistan and four territories: the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Islamabad Capital Territory, Gilgit–Baltistan, and Azad Kashmir. The Government of Pakistan exercises the de facto jurisdiction over the Frontier Regions and the western parts of the Kashmir Regions, which are organised into the separate political entities Azad Kashmir and Gilgit–Baltistan (formerly Northern Areas).








National sport : Field hockey

Cricket



National animals : Markhor (screw horn goat) (Capra falconeri)

Chukar partridge(Alectoris chukar)



National plant: Jasmine (Jasminum spp.)



Deodar cedar



National instruments: Dafli







The significance of the 23rd of March

Pakistan Day (Urdu: یوم پاکستان‬‎, lit. Yaum-e-Pakistan) or Pakistan Resolution Day, also Republic Day, is a national holiday in Pakistan commemorating the Lahore Resolution passed on 23 March 1940 and the adoption of the first constitution of Pakistan during the transition of the Dominion of Pakistan to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on 23 March 1956 making Pakistan the world's first Islamic republic.A Republic Day parade by the armed forces is often part of the celebrations.

The day celebrates the adoption of the Pakistan resolution by the Muslim League at the Minar-e-Pakistan (lit. Pakistan Tower), that called for the establishment of an independent federation comprising provinces with Muslim majority located in the north-western and north-eastern regions of British controlled territories in India (excluding autonomous princely states) on 23 March 1940.Since then, the day is celebrated annually throughout the country as a public holiday. The Armed forces of Pakistan usually hold a military parade to celebrate the event.






I shall now talk about one of the most fascinating civilizations of antiquity, the Indus Valley Civilization, whose territory stretches across much of modern day Afghanistan,Pakistan and India.


The Indus Valley Civilization (Harrapan Civilization), which lasted between 3300 BC and 1300 BC, was one of the four cradles of civilization in the Old World, along with Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt and China.

It is speculated that aridification of the region in the 3rd millenium may have been the deciding factor in the process of urbanisation,as land was getting more scarce. This same aridification process became too much to handle in the 1300’s BC, and lead to widespread famine and eventually, to collapse.

Another theory to explain the collapse of this civilization is the theory of “Aryan invasion”, which refers to an invasion of Indo-Europeans from Central Asia. It is speculated that these Aryans might have been better warriors than the Harrapans, who were better city builders, as evidenced by the ruins of cities like Harappa and Mohenjo Daro.

Mohenjo Daro with the Great Bath of Mohenjo Daro on the left:

At its peak, the Indus Civilisation may have had a population of over five million.Inhabitants of the ancient Indus River valley developed new techniques in handicraft (carnelian products, seal carving) and metallurgy (copper, bronze, lead, and tin).

The Indus cities are noted for their urban planning, baked brick houses, elaborate drainage systems, water supply systems, and clusters of large non-residential buildings.Children's toys were found in the cities, with few weapons of war, suggesting peace and prosperity.Their trade seals, decorated with animals and mythical beings, indicate they conducted thriving trade with lands as far away as Sumer in southern Mesopotamia.

Trade seals:


The Harappans are well knows for having very advanced sewage management systems. Many houses had bathrooms and wells and there was an elaborate underground drainage system.Aditionally, there were many bathhouse-like buildings, which suggested that either the Indus were very focused on hygiene, or that these bathhouses may have served a ceremonial or religious purpose.

In fact, these drainage systems were more advanced than what most European cities had in the 19th century!

The bust of a priest:

The primary reason why we don’t know very much about this civilization is because we never figured out their writing system. We still haven’t managed to find a “Rosetta stone” like we did for the Egyptians.

Some interesting speculations:

1.It was quite egalitarian. Many of the houses have been found to have very similar sizes, suggesting either that the wealth was of the civilization was fairly well spread out, or that a central authority heavily regulated the layout and plan of the city.

2.It was peaceful. Comparative to many other civilizations from that time, very few weapons of war have been found.

3.They had knowledge of dentistry. In 2006, 11 drilled human molars had been found at an Indus Valley Civilization site.

Imagining of the entrance to Mohenjo Daro:







Top 5 visited places by tourists


Faisal Mosque









Designed by Turkish architect Vedat Dalokay, and built between 1976 and 1986, this spectacular modern mosque now dominates the landscape of Islamabad.The mosque is named after Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz, the Saudi king who suggested the idea of a national Pakistani mosque, and largely financed its construction.

The 5,000-square-meter prayer hall is an eight-sided, concrete structure, inspired by the traditional tents of Bedouins, with a capacity for 100,000 worshippers. It’s surrounded by four 88-metre-high minarets in perfect one-to-one ratio with the base. They were designed as the sides of an imaginary cube, in honor of the sacred, cubic Kaaba found at the centre of Mecca’s most important mosque.


Badshahi Mosque






The majestic Badshahi Mosque in Lahore is one of the most stunningly beautiful sacred sites for Muslims. Built in 1673, this mosque was the world’s largest for over 300 years until the Faisal Mosque was completed in 1986. Its huge courtyard, which stretches over an area of 26,000 square meters, remains the biggest in the world, and can host up to 95,000 worshippers.

The mosque’s external walls are clad with red sandstone panels, painstakingly sculptured with beautiful, lotiform motifs and embellished with marble inlays. As per tradition, the mosque has four minarets and three domes, the central one bigger than the other two. These are coated with white marble, which creates a striking contrast with the dominating red. Travelers welcomed into the mosque through a grand entrance gate will discover that inside the building isn’t any less breathtaking, with its cornucopia of arches, stucco tracery and frescoes which never fail to astonish.



Tomb of Muhammad Ali Jinnah





Widely revered as the Great Leader or Father of the Nation throughout Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a pivotal figure in leading the country to independence from the British Empire. A beautiful mausoleum in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city and Jinnah’s hometown, celebrates his memory and is home to his tomb, as well as those of his sister and Pakistan’s first prime minister.

The mausoleum’s bold design impresses with its striking yet iconic simplicity: a nearly cubic base, with an extension of 75 square meters, topped by a large dome, both clad with splendid white marble. The sanctum can be entered on any of the four entrances, one on every wall, and each situated under an eye-catching Moorish arch. Jinnah’s tomb lies on an elevated platform rising in the middle of the stunning surrounding park, with beautiful moans and a set of 15 successive fountains that lead the eye towards the mausoleum.


Lahore Fort


*View of Badshahi Mosque from the balcony of Lahore Fort

The origins of the Lahore Fort, a stronghold in Old Lahore, are so ancient that it’s impossible to establish precisely when the fort was first constructed. It is known, however, that in the second half of the 16th century, the original mud-brick structure was demolished and rebuilt with burnt bricks.

Since then, this fortified citadel has undergone numerous other modifications at the hands of almost all the rulers who reigned over Lahore, British colonialists included. As a result, it summarizes Pakistan’s amazing cultural heritage in the various artistic influences seen throughout its wide range of different buildings: mosques, mausoleums, palaces, audience halls, baths, watch towers, and more. A journey through Lahore Fort is in fact a journey through Pakistan’s past, and is for this reason recommended to anyone visiting the country.

Minar-e-Pakistan




On 23 March 1940, the All-India Muslim League passed a resolution that represented the decisive step towards the foundation of Pakistan. Twenty years later, on the site in Lahore where that historical event had taken place, construction work began on a commemorative monument, the Minar-e-Pakistan, which was completed eight years later.

The Minar-e-Pakistan is a 62-meter-high minaret rich in symbols standing for the history of Pakistan. The tower is laid on an elevated base, in the shape of a five-pointed star, which comprises of four platforms. The stones used to build each platform are progressively more refined from the bottom up (ranging from uncut stones to polished white marble), to signify the difficult developments but final success of the Pakistan Movement for independence. Like Islamabad’s Pakistan Monument, this landmark’s lower part is built in the shape of a blossoming flower, from which the tower rises as a symbol of the country’s birth.

The Minar-e-Pakistan is situated in a large park, quite popular among Lahorites, which is visible along with pretty much the entire city from the minaret’s top dome.









Top 3 locations suggested by the locals



Anarkali Bazaar in Lahore









Anarkali Bazaar is a major bazaar in Lahore, dating back at least 200 years, and named for the Tomb of Anarkali located nearby. Anarkali was a courtesan who was exiled by the Mughal Emperor Akbar for having a love affair with his son, the future Emperor Jahangir.

Burns Road in Karachi










Named for British spy-doctor James Burns, this road features a melting pot of both ethnic backgrounds (Punjabi, Memon, Guddi) and delicious street food.


The markets of Peshawar


Peshawar is home to many markets, selling stuff that isn’t readily available in other parts of Pakistan. Examples include Afghan carpets, semi-precious gem stones, berry honey and chappal, which are a type of footwear.







Inventions Pakistan gave to the world!

*Ommaya reservoir! - a method of introducing chemotherapy drugs straight into the cerebrospinal fluid
*Ayub K. Ommaya,1963




*Electroweak particle interaction!
*Abdus Salam, 1979



*Ruler!
*1500 BC, Indus Valley Civilization in modern day Pakistan




*Furnace!
*1900 BC, Indus Valley Civilization in modern day Pakistan



*Button!
* 2000 BC, Indus Valley Civilization in modern day Pakistan












Famous people from Pakistan

Muhammad Ali Jinnah - lawyer, politician, and the founder of Pakistan.[1] Jinnah served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until Pakistan's independence on 14 August 1947, and then as Pakistan's first Governor-General until his death. He is revered in Pakistan as Quaid-i-Azam[i/](Urdu: قائد اعظم‬‎, "Great Leader") and Baba-i-Qaum (بابائے قوم‬, "Father of the Nation"). His birthday is considered a national holiday in Pakistan.

(1876-1948)


Sir Muhammad Iqbal - widely known as Allama Iqbal, was a poet, philosopher, and politician, as well as an academic, barrister and scholar in British India who is widely regarded as having inspired the Pakistan Movement. He is called the "Spiritual Father of Pakistan." He is considered one of the most important figures in Urdu literature, with literary work in both Urdu and Persian.

(1877-1938)


Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan - former nuclear physicist and a metallurgical engineer, who founded the uranium enrichment program for Pakistan's atomic bomb project. Khan founded and established the Kahuta Research Laboratories (KRL) in 1976, serving as both its senior scientist and Director-General until he retired in 2001. Khan was also a figure in other Pakistani national science projects, making research contributions to molecular morphology, the physics of martensite alloys, condensed matter physics, and materials physics.

(born 1936)



Jahangir Khan - former World No. 1 professional squash player from Pakistan, who is considered to be the greatest player in the history of squash. Jahangir Khan is originally from Neway Kelay Payan, Peshawar.During his career he won the World Open six times and the British Open a record ten times. From 1981 to 1986, he was unbeaten in competitive play. During that time he won 555 matches consecutively, the longest winning streak by any athlete in top-level professional sports as recorded by Guinness World Records.He retired as a player in 1993, and has served as President of the World Squash Federation from 2002 to 2008, when he became Emeritus President.

(born 1963)


Imran Khan Niazi - Pakistani politician, former first-class cricketer and philanthropist who leads the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and serves as a member of the National Assembly. Prior to entering politics, Khan played international cricket for two decades in the late twentieth century.

(born 1952)









Traditional food


Daal Chawal



Daal Chawal is the combination of dal, which is a soup of sorts made from lentils, and chawal, which is boiled rice. This is a staple food in much of South Eastern Asia, where it is also known as dal bhat.

Biryani



This dish, sometimes knows as “spicy rice”, originates from the Muslim centers of the Indian subcontinent. Is is a delicious combination of rice,herbs,spices and some also add meat (except pork), and egg.

Kulcha



Kulcha is a type of mildly leavened flatbread originating in the Punjab region.It is very similar to naan bread. It is eaten alongside many other dishes in the Pakistani cuisine.


Paya



This stew is made of hooves (usually mutton) ,cooked with various spices.Don’t let the hooves fool you. It tastes quite delicious.


Haleem (Khichra)



Popular across much of the Middle East,Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent, this dish consists of wheat, barley, minced meat, lentils and spices that have been cooked together for 7-8 hours so that the final result is a paste that combines all of those flavors.

Karahi



This spicy chicken/mutton dish is prepared in a karahi pot, (hence its name), similar to the more popular wok. The Pakistani version does not have capsicum or onions, while the Indian version usually does.

Halwa Puri



This dish,usually eaten for breakfast, consists of puri bread, chana masala, which consists of chickpeas and halva, which is a popular confectionery across Eurasia.


Traditional desserts

Rabri



Rabri is a sweet, condensed-milk-based dish, originating from the Indian subcontinent, made by boiling the milk on low heat for a long time until it becomes dense and changes its color to pinkish. Sugar, spices and nuts are added to it to give it flavor. It is chilled and served as dessert.

Soan papdi



Soan papdi is a dessert made of sugar,flour,milk,ghee butter and the spice cardamom.It has a crispy flaky texture and it is usually served cube-shaped.

Karachi Halva



This type of halva is made of cornflour,water,ghee butter and sugar.Many people add dry fruits as well. It is usually made for special occasions and it has a soft texture.

Kalakand



This sweet is made of solidified sweetened milk and paneer cheese. It originates from Rajasthan and is popular in both India and Pakistan.

Traditional drinks

Lassi



Lassi is a yogurt-based drink popular in the Indian subcontinent.It has 2 variations based on whether spices or sugar is adde😛 savoury lassi (with roasted cumin) and sweet lassi. There is also salted mint lassi which is popular in Bangladesh.

Sugarcane juice








Interesting facts about Pakistan


1.Karachi, the largest city of Pakistan, is its financial hub as well as home to almost 17 million people. It also has a major seaport. Karachi was the first capital city of Pakistan post-independence and remained so until the capital was shifted to Rawalpindi in 1958.
2.K-2 (Chagori) is the highest mountain peak in Pakistan and the second highest in the world.
3.Pakistan also has one of the oldest civilizations in history, Mehrgarh, dating back to 6000 B.C. Mehrgarh is now seen as a precursor to the Indus Valley Civilization. It is one of the earliest sites with evidence of farming and herding in South Asia.
4.The ‘Khewra Salt Mine’ in Pakistan is the second largest and oldest salt mine in the world.
5.Pakistan has the eleventh-largest armed force in the world. It has 617,000 people in its army. UN peacekeeping missions are supported largely by the Pakistani army.”
6.Pakistanis are the fourth-most intelligent people in the world, according to poll results gathered from 125 countries by the Institute of European Business Administration.
7.The world’s longest glacial system outside the polar regions – the Biafo Glacier – is in Pakistan.
8.The Shah Faisal Mosque in Pakistan can accommodate 100,000 worshipers at a time. It was the largest mosque in the world from 1986 until 1993.
9.Pakistan is also home to the world’s second-largest Muslim population, behind Indonesia. Note that India is home to the world’s third-largest Muslim population.
10.Benazir Bhutto became the first female Prime Minister of Pakistan, and of any Muslim nation.






My 5 words when I hear about Pakistan:
#Islam,#Mughal,#Karachi,#Mosque,#Jinnah

What are your 5?





Special thanks to Ahsan and I will leave you with the Pakistan motto:








Waiting for feedback , comments , opinions and if there is anyone that thinks I missed something , I could do something better or just wants to help me with this project , PM me !

Special thanks to Kariky for the spacers !!




Hope you enjoyed and see you next time!

P.S. Article 43/74!







P.S.2. Don't forget to push the flags !