Pakistan

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan (Urdu: اسلامی جمہوریۂ پاکستان, islāmī jamhūriya i pākistān), or Pakistan (Urdu: پاکستان, pākistān) is a country located in South Asia and overlaps onto the Greater Middle East and Central Asia. The country borders India, Afghanistan, Iran (Persia), China and the Arabian Sea. With around 163 million inhabitants, it is the sixth most populous country and the second most populous Muslim-majority nation. It is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and the OIC. It was formerly a major part of the British Empire as western British India before gaining independence in 1947 through the Partition of India.

History

Main article: History of Pakistan (Including pre-history, civilizations of the region, and modern events to date)

Other articles:History of India, History of Afghanistan, History of Iran, History of South Asia.

Pakistan exists in a region whose history has overlapped that of India, Afghanistan and Persia (Iran). As one of the cradles of human civilization, the Pakistani region has long been at the crossroads of history. Pakistan was the site of the Indus Valley civilization and was subsequently conquered by many groups, including Aryans, Persians, Greeks, Greco-Bactrians, Kushans, White Huns, and Scythians, and various other more obscure groups. This period saw the region advance in trade and culture to a level where Gandhara and the great city of Taxila became a great center of learning and development.

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Buddha's First Sermon at Sarnath, Kushan Period, ca. 3rd century Pakistan (ancient region of Gandhara)

Later settlers included Arabs, Turks and Mongols. The arrival of the Arab Muslim in the provinces of Sindh and Punjab set the stage for the geographic boundries of the modern state of Pakistan and formed the foundation for Islamic rule which was destined to spread across much of South Asia. This region was ruled by the Mughals from 1526 until 1739 and from 1739 until the early 19th century the entire region was ruled by the Afghans while the Baluchis and Sikhs controlled the south and east. After that, it was annexed by the British Empire and stayed part of British India until 1947, with much civil unrest, especially in the regions which were predominantly Afghan. The British divided up the Indian empire into 3 parts, the central part, with a Hindu majority, became modern-day India. The western part along with parts of Punjab became the western part of Pakistan while East Bengal, the Muslim majority part of Bengal, became the eastern half of Pakistan. However, economic and political discontent coupled with violent political repression escalated into a civil war (see Bangladesh Liberation War) in East Pakistan and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, resulting in the violent secession of East Pakistan, which formed the independent state of Bangladesh.

Politics

Domestic politics

Main article: Politics of Pakistan

Form of government

Officially a federal republic, Pakistan has had a long history of alternating periods of electoral democracy and authoritarian military government. The most recent general elections were held in October 2002. After monitoring the October 2002 elections, the Commonwealth Observer Group stated in its report, "We believe that on election day this was a credible election: the will of the people was expressed and the results reflected their wishes." [1] On 22 May 2004, the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group re-admitted Pakistan into the Commonwealth, formally acknowledging "the progress made in restoring democracy and rebuilding democratic institutions in Pakistan." [2]

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Parliament lodges in Islamabad.

Political parties

Before and during the creation of Pakistan in 1947, the secular and centrist Pakistan Muslim league supported the creation of Pakistan while the far-right Islamic conservative party opposed the creation of Pakistan and supported a united India. The far-right parties have never enjoyed popular support among a majority of Pakistanis. The liberal, leftist Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) emerged as a major political player during the 1970s.

Currently, the largest party in Parliament is the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) (PML-Q) and the second largest is the Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians (PPPP). The PML-Q obtained a plurality in the October 2002 elections.

Most recent national election results

**Senate after February 2003 elections**
Party	Seats
PML/Q	40
PPPP	11
MMA	21
MQM/A	6
PML/N	4
NAP	3
PML/F	1
PkMAP	2
ANP	2
PPP/S	2
JWP	1
BNP-Awami	1
BNP-Mengal	1
BNM/H	1
Independents	4

**National Assembly elections, October 2002**
Party	Seats
PML/Q	126
PPPP	81
MMA	63
PML/N	19
MQM/A	17
NAP	16
PML/F	5
PML/J	3
PPP/S	2
BNP	1
JWP	1
PAT	1
PML/Z	1
PTI	1
MQM/H	1
PkMAP	1
Independents	3

Political history

Politically, Pakistan has been ruled by both democratic and military governments. General Ayub Khan was the president from 1958 to 1969, and General Yahya Khan from 1969 to 1971. Civilian rule continued from 1971 to 1977 under Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, but he was deposed by General Zia-Ul-Haq. General Zia was killed in a plane crash in 1988, after which Benazir Bhutto, daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was elected as the Prime Minister of Pakistan. She was the youngest woman to ever be elected the Head of Government and the first woman to be elected as the Head of Government of a Muslim country. Her government was followed by that of Nawaz Sharif, and the two leaders alternated until the military coup by General Pervez Musharraf in 1999. Since the resignation of President Rafiq Tarar in 2001, Musharraf has been the President of Pakistan.

Nation-wide parliamentary elections were held in October 2002, with the PML-Q winning a plurality of seats in the National Assembly of Pakistan, and Zafarullah Khan Jamali of that party emerging as Prime Minister. Jamali resigned on June 26, 2004. PML-Q leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain became interim PM, and was succeeded by Finance Minister and former Citibank Vice President Shaukat Aziz, who was elected Prime Minister on August 27, 2004 by a National Assembly vote of 191 to 151.

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Pakistan

The Indus highway passes through the Pakistan-Japan Friendship Tunnel, formerly known as the Kohat Tunnel.

Pakistan was an ally of the United States for much of its early history as a modern nation-state, from the 1950s and as a member of CENTO and SEATO. However, it all changed from 1965 when Pakistan went to war with India during the height of the Cold War with India. The US placed heavy military sanctions on Pakistan during the war forcing Pakistan to agree to the cease fire and pulling out of the war that was heading for a stalemate.

After the 1965 war Pakistan had moved away from the US and its relations with China became stronger and soon both nations declared their alliance. Their relations have gone so far that it concerns the Western Super Powers. Pakistan dropped out of CENTO and SEATO for Chinese and supported their induction as permanent member of United Nations Security Council with Veto authority. Pakistan did this against the United States' will.

United States did not return to Pakistan as a friend until the 1971 war. In November 1971 Pakistan was involved in a bloody civil war which led to Indian intervention and the breaking away of East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. China supported Pakistan and did not accept the new nation of Bangladesh for over 3 years, even though in 1973 Pakistan itself had. The US also did not accept Bangladesh in favor of Pakistan until after the Simla Treaty.

This time US had returned as friend with sympathy to Pakistan just because of Soviet involvement in the war and Chinese influence on Pakistan. They wanted to regain the lost ally but the alliance will not be formed until Afghan war. In the 1980s US returned as ally to Pakistan and supplied the needed arms to Pakistan which was training supporting anti-Soviet militia in Afghanistan. US will also provide Pakistan with F-16s which were enough for enemies not to take their fighters to skies against PAF. China how ever stood away from this and only morally supported Pakistan. China said it will not intervene into Pakistan-US relations which in fact had always bothered them. China has never liked United State's political and diplomatic games with Pakistan and had warned Pakistan against US on many occasions.

After the Afghan war which ended in favor of Anti-Soviet Alliance, US left Pakistan alliance and imposed sanctions on Pakistan on the basis of Pakistan's nuclear program. All military equipment were again barred. It was China which came back to Pakistan's aid and helped Pakistan establish military industry of its own along with aviation industry.

Since then, Pakistan, not relying on the United States but on China, has produced its own tanks, fighter jets, guns and other military equipment and is also exporting them.

Both Pakistan and China enjoy free trade with each other as well. China has also establish the biggest port in region in Pakistan's port town of Gwadar.

The US has returned as Pakistan's ally but it has been too late for them to stop the Chinese influence in Pakistan, which is said to be concrete.

Another strong long term ally of Pakistan used to be Iran under the Shah. But after the fall of Shah relations have not been that of an ally and Iran no longer is referred to as ally.

Besides the US and China, Pakistan enjoys alliance with some Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. PAF pilots fly fighters for these two countries. Libya and Syria are the only two middle eastern countries with whom Pakistan enjoys great relations even though they were Soviet allies.

Pakistan is also an important member of the OIC, which brings it closer to every Muslim country. Besides OIC, Pakistan is a member of South Asian union of SAARC.

Pakistan is the second largest Muslim country in terms of population and its status as declared nuclear power—the only Islamic nation—also plays into its role on the international scene.

Geography

K2 — the second tallest mountain in the world

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Lake Saiful-Muluk — a lake in the mountainous Mansehra district north of the Galyat region.

Main article: Geography of Pakistan Pakistan geographical location is one of the most important in the world. Pakistan has a total area of 803,940 square kilometers, over three times the size of the United Kingdom. It has a land area of 778,720, slightly less than the combined land areas of France and the United Kingdom put together.

To the south is the Arabian Sea, with 1,046 km (650 mile) of Pakistani coastline. To Pakistan's east is India, which has a 2,912 km (1,809 mile) border with Pakistan. To its west is Iran, which has a 909 km (565 mile) border with Pakistan. To Pakistan's northwest lies Afghanistan, with a shared border of 2,430 km (1,510 miles.) China is towards the northeast and has a 523 km (325 mile) border with Pakistan.

The northern and western areas of Pakistan are mountainous. Pakistani administered areas of Kashmir contain some of the highest mountains in the world, including the second tallest - K-2 and has some areas of preserved moist temperate forest. In the southeast, Pakistan's border with India passes through a flat desert, called the Cholistan or Thar Desert. West-central Balochistan has a high desert plateau, bordered by low mountain ranges. Most areas of the Punjab, and parts of Sindh, are fertile plains where agriculture is of great importance.

Pakistan is also the home of world's most ancient civilisations. Places like Mohenjodaro, Kot Diji, Thatta, Bhambore, Gandhara, Dir are sites that were lit up by the dawn of civilization centuries before the birth of Christ.

Much of Pakistan still remains unexplored by tourists, researchers, scholars, and geologists. Pakistan has also a lot of potential in tourism industry if Govt. of Pakistan gives attention to its tourism industry.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Pakistan

Overview

Pakistan, a developing country, is the sixth most populous in the world and is faced with a number of challenges on the political and economic fronts. At the time of its independence in 1947 it was poor, but in 1960s was seen as as a model of economic development around the world. In each of its first four decades, Pakistan's economic growth rate was better than the global average, but imprudent policies led to a slowdown in the 1990s. Since then, the Pakistani government has instituted wide-ranging reforms, and economic growth has accelerated in the current century. Pakistan's economic outlook has brightened and its manufacturing and financial services sectors have experienced rapid expansion.

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Karachi, Pakistan's largest city, is its financial capital and the home of the Karachi Stock Exchange, the largest of its stock exchanges.

The growth of the non-agricultural sectors has changed the structure of the economy, and agriculture now only accounts for roughly one-fifth of the GDP. There has been a great improvement in its foreign exchange position and a rapid growth in hard currency reserves as a result of its current account surplus.

In 2004 Pakistan's GDP growth rate was 8.4% which is (after China) the second-highest among the ten most populous countries in the world.

Macroeconomic reform and prospects

According to the CIA World Factbook, the government has made substantial inroads in macroeconomic reform since 2000, and medium-term prospects for job creation and poverty reduction are the best in nearly a decade. Islamabad has raised development spending from about 2% of GDP in the 1990s to 4% in 2003, a necessary step towards reversing the broad underdevelopment of its social sector. Reduced tensions with India and the ongoing peace process raise new hopes for a prosperous and stable South Asia.

In 2005, the World Bank reported that

Pakistan was the top reformer in the region and the number 10 reformer globally — making it easier to start a business, reducing the cost to register property, increasing penalties for violating corporate governance rules, and replacing a requirement to license every shipment with two-year duration licenses for traders.

Middle class

Measured by purchasing power, Pakistan has a 30 million strong middle class enjoying per capita incomes more than $8000-$10,000, according to Dr. Ishrat Husain, Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan [3]. In addition, Pakistan has a growing upper class with relatively high per capita incomes. However, Pakistan has no individuals with as much as a billion US dollars, according to Forbes magazine, and has the distinction of being the most populous nation to have no billionaires.

Economic history

First five decades

Pakistan was a very poor and predominantly agricultural country at the time of its independence in 1947 from British India. Agriculture accounted for 53% of its GDP. In each of its first four decades, Pakistan's economic growth rate was better than the global average. Industrial-sector growth, including manufacturing, was also above average. In the early 1960s, Pakistan was seen as a model of economic development around the world, and there was much praise for the way its economy was progressing. Many countries sought to emulate Pakistan's economic planning strategy and one of them, South Korea, copied its Second Five Year Plan, 1960-65. Not just that But World financial center in Seoul was modeled after Karachi. Later, economic mismanagement in general, and fiscally imprudent economic policies in particular, caused a large increase in the country's public debt and led to slower growth in the 1990s.

Economic resilience

Historically, Pakistan's overall economic output (GDP) has grown every year since a 1951 recession. Despite this record of sustained growth, Pakistan's economy had, until a few years ago, been characterized as unstable and highly vulnerable to external and internal shocks. However, the economy proved to be unexpectedly resilient in the face of multiple adverse events concentrated into a four-year period —

the Asian financial crisis;
economic sanctions — according to Colin Powell, Pakistan was "sanctioned to the eyeballs";
global recession;
a severe drought — the worst in Pakistan's history, lasting four years;
heightened perceptions of risk as a result of military tensions with India — with as many as a million troops on the border, and predictions of impending (potentially nuclear) war; and
the post-9/11 military action in neighboring Afghanistan, with a massive influx of refugees from that country.

Despite these adverse events, Pakistan's economy kept growing, and economic growth accelerated towards the end of this period. This resilience has led to a change in perceptions of the economy, with leading international institutions such as the IMF, World Bank, and the ADB praising Pakistan's performance in the face of adversity.

Recent history

Since about the turn of the century, the Pakistani government has instituted wide-ranging reforms, and economic growth has accelerated in the current century. Pakistan's economic outlook has brightened and its manufacturing and financial services sectors have experienced rapid expansion. The growth of the non-agricultural sectors has changed the structure of the economy, and agriculture now only accounts for roughly one-fifth of the GDP. There has been a great improvement in its foreign exchange position and a rapid growth in hard currency reserves as a result of its current account surplus.

In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2005, Pakistan's GDP growth rate was 8.4% which is (after China) the second-highest among the ten most populous countries in the world. Its exports grew by as much as 17% and the country also saw increasing foreign investments in the IT sector, thanks to cheap labor, a low tax rate and a large pool of English speakers.

Stock market

In the first three years of the current century, Pakistan's KSE-100 stock market index (Karachi Stock Exchange) was the best-performing major market index in the world, driven in part by profit growth, high dividend yields and greater transparency in publicly traded companies as a result of reforms enacted by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan.

Currency

The basic unit of currency is the Rupee, which is divided into 100 paisas. Since the turn of the century, a strengthening economy and large current-account surplus has caused the rupee's exchange rate to rise in value. In response, Pakistan's central bank has prevented the rupee from rising too much, by lowering interest rates and buying dollars, in order to preserve the country's export competitiveness. As of 2005, one US dollar is approximately equal to 60 rupees.

Manufacturing and finance

Pakistan's manufacturing sector has experienced double-digit growth in recent years, with large-scale manufacturing growing by 18% in 2003. A reduction in the fiscal deficit has resulted in less government borrowing in the domestic money market, lower interest rates, and an expansion in private sector lending to businesses and consumers. Foreign exchange reserves continued to reach new levels in 2003, supported by robust export growth and steady worker remittances.

Tax incentives for IT industry

The Government of Pakistan has, over the last few years, granted numerous incentives to technology companies wishing to do business in Pakistan. A combination of decade-plus tax holidays, zero duties on computer imports, government incentives for venture capital and a variety of programs for subsidizing technical education, are intended to give impetus to the nascent Information Technology industry.

Technology and the Internet

Paging and mobile (cellular) telephony were adopted early and freely. Cellular phones and the Internet were adopted through a rather laissez-faire policy with a proliferation of private service providers that led to fast adoption. Both have taken off and in the last few years of the '90s and first few years of the 2000s. With a rapid increase in the number of internet users and ISPs, and a large English-speaking population, Pakistani society has seen major changes.

Pakistan has more than 10 million internet users as of 2005. The country is said to have a potential to absorb up to 50 million mobile phone Internet users in the next 5 years thus a potential of nearly 1 million connections per month

Almost all of the main government departments, organisations and institutions have their own websites.
The use of search engines and messenger services is also booming. Pakistanis are some of the most ardent chatters on the internet, communicating with users all over the world. Recent years have seen a huge increase in the use of online marriage services, for example, leading to a major re-alignment of the tradition of arranged marriages.
As of 2005 there were 6 mobile companies operating in the country with nearly 10.5 million mobile phone users in the country.
Wireless Loops and fixed line sector also has been liberalised and private sector has entered thus increasing the teledensity from less than 3% to more than 10% in span of two years.

Agriculture, energy, and natural resources

Pakistan's principal natural resources are arable land, water, and extensive natural gas and petroleum reserves.

Agriculture

About 28% of Pakistan's total land area is under cultivation and is watered by the largest irrigation systems in the world. Water resources include several major rivers, fed by meltwater from snow and glaciers in some of the highest mountains ranges of the world — the Karakorams, Himalayas, and the Pamirs. Other important sources are tube-wells tapping into large aquifers. The most important crops are cotton, wheat, and rice. Other important crops are sugarcane, maize, sorghum, millets, pulses, oil seeds, barley, fish, fruits and vegetables.

Pakistan is a net exporter of foodgrains.

Energy

Pakistan has extensive energy resources, including fairly sizable natural gas reserves, oil reserves and coal. It also has a large potential for the further development of hydroelectric power. Domestic petroleum production totals only about half the country's oil needs. Pakistan is operating, constructing or planning to construct several nuclear reactors to meet its rapidly growing electricity requirements.

Minerals

Other important minerals are gypsum, limestone, chromites, iron ore, rock salt, silver, gold, precious stones, gems, marble, copper, sulphur, fire clay, silica. The Salt range in Punjab Province has large deposits of pure salt.

Trade

Exports

Pakistan exports rice, cotton fiber, cement, tiles, marble, textiles, leather goods, sports goods, surgical instruments, electrical appliances, carpets, and rugs, and many other items.

Imports

Pakistan's single largest import category is petroleum. Other imports include trucks, automobiles, and industrial machinery.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Pakistan

Population statistics

Pakistan has the world's sixth largest population, more than Russia, but less than Brazil. Because of Pakistan's high growth rate, it is expected to overtake Brazil in population before 2025. Based on the high fertility rates of the 1980s, demographers had projected that Pakistan would be the third most populous nation by 2050. However, from 1988 onward, Pakistan's fertility rate has fallen faster than that of any other country except China (Feeney and Alam, 2003, PDF). It is now projected that its population will stabilize at a more sustainable level.

Religion

The majority of the people of Pakistan are Muslim, professing Islam to be their faith. Most muslims in Pakistan are Sunni (>75%) Shia (20%), although a number of smaller sects exist.

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Shah Faisal Mosque, the largest mosque in the world

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Wooden Church in Nathiagali

Pakistan has a small non-Muslim population, mostly consisting of Christians 2.5%, Hindus, Buddhists, Zoroastrians, Sikhs, Jews, and Animists in the remote Northern Areas 1.2%. Pakistan's religious demographics were altered by partition which led to a higher Muslim majority than had previously existed.

Pakistan is also the birthplace of two major world religions, Sikhism and Mahayana Buddhism. Although today there are few Sikhs in Pakistan, Pakistani Punjab was the birthplace of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism as well the Sikh conqueror Ranjit Singh. In addition, Pakistan is also the birthplace of Mahayana Buddhism, the form of Buddhism practiced by most Buddhists today, including those in China, India, Japan, Vietnam, and Korea.

Languages

Urdu and English are both recognized as the official languages of Pakistan. English is used in government and corporate business and by the educated urban elite. Public universities use English as the medium of instruction. Urdu is the lingua franca of the people, being widely spoken as a second language, although it is the mother tongue of only 8% of the population — mainly Muhajirs (Indian Refugees) and educated Punjabis, and mostly in Karachi.

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Major Ethnic Groups in Pakistan and surrounding areas, 1980

Besides these, nearly all Pakistanis speak mutually related provincial Indo-European languages, of which the most widely spoken is Punjabi, followed by Pashto, Sindhi, and Balochi. Other Indo-European languages spoken in Pakistan include Seraiki, Dari, Hindko, Shina, Wakhi, Kashmiri, and many others. In addition, small groups of non-Indo-European languages are also spoken including Brahui which is a Dravidian language and Burushaski which is a language isolate.

Ethnic groups

Punjabis comprise the largest ethnic group in the country. Other important ethnic groups include: Pashtun/Afghans, Sindhis, Balochis, Muhajirs and Seraikis. Numerous other ethnic groups are mainly found in the northern parts of the country such as Turwalis, Kafiristanis, Hindko, Brahui, Kashmiris, Khowar, Shina and so forth. There are also sizeable numbers of refugees from neighboring Afghanistan, who are found mainly in the NWFP and Baluchistan - in the 1980s, Pakistan accommodated over three million Afghan refugees - the largest refugee population in the world, which includes Pashtuns, Tajiks, and Hazaras among others. A sizeable number of Bengali immigrants are mainly concentrated in Karachi.

Subdivisions

Main article: Subdivisions of Pakistan, Districts of Pakistan.

Pakistan has 4 provinces, 2 territories, and also administers parts of Kashmir. The provinces are further subdivided into a total of 105 districts.

Provinces:

Territories:

Islamabad Capital Territory
Federally Administered Tribal Areas
Two provinces, NWFP and Balochistan, also have PATA (Provincially Administered Tribal Areas.) It is expected that these will be developed into regular districts.

Pakistani-administered portions of Jammu and Kashmir region:

Azad Kashmir (Azad means "free" or "independent" in Urdu)
Northern Areas

Society and culture

Main article: Culture of Pakistan

Because of Pakistan's geography, it inherits a rich and unique culture, and has actively preserved its established traditions throughout history. Prior to the Islamic invasion many Punjabis and Sindhis were Hindu and Buddhist, but all that changed during the Islamic conquest of what is today Pakistan by the Syrian general Muhammad bin Qasim and later Mahmud of Ghazni. Many cultural practices and monuments, shrines, have been inherited from the rule of Muslim Mughal and Afghan emperors. The Pakistani national dress, Shalwar Kameez.

Pakistani society is largely multilingual and multicultural. Religious practices of various faiths are an integral part of everyday life in society. Education is highly regarded by members of every socio-economic stratum. Traditional family values are highly respected and considered sacred, although urban families have grown into a nuclear family system, owing to the socio-economic constraints imposed by the traditional joint family system. The past few decades have seen emergence of a middle class in cities such as Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, Faisalabad, Sukkur, Peshawar, Gujrat, Abbottabad, Multan, etc. The Northwestern part of Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan, is highly conservative and dominated by centuries-old regional tribal customs.

Roots

The modern nation of Pakistan has inherited a very rich cultural and traditional background going back to the Indus Valley Civilization, 2800 BC–1800 BC. The region that is now Pakistan has in the past been invaded and occupied by many different peoples, including Elamo-Dravidians, Aryans, Greeks, White Huns, Persians, Arabs, Turks, Afghans, Mongols and various Eurasian groups. There are differences in culture among the different ethnic groups in matters such as dress, food, and religion, especially where pre-Islamic customs differ from Islamic practices. pre-Islamic practices are being eroded as time goes by.

Film and television

Traditionally, the government-owned Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) has been the dominant media player in Pakistan. However the past decade has seen the emergence of several private TV channels (news , entertainment) such as the GEO TV, ARY channels..etc. Traditionally the bulk of TV shows have been plays or soap operas---some of them critically acclaimed. Various American, European, Asian TV channels and movies are available to a majority of the population via Cable TV.

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Actress and singer Noor Jehan in a 1950s film, Anarkali

Pakistani music is represented by a wide variety of forms. It ranges from traditional styles (such as Qawwali) to more modern forms that try to fuse traditional Pakistani music with western music. The Qawwali maestro, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, whos family hailed from Afghanistan, is internationally renowned for creating a form of music which synchronized Qawwali with western music. Popular forms of music also prevail, the most notable being Film music. In addition to this are the diverse traditions of folk music. The emergence of Afghan refugees in the frontier provinces has also rekindled Pashto & Persian music in Pakistan. Peshawar has become a hub of Afghan musicians, and a distribution center for Afghan Music abroad. Afghan singers have become famous throughout the Frontier and some have even married within the local population strengthening the ethnic kinship of the Afghans on both sides of the Durand line.

An indigenous movie industry exists in Pakistan, and is known as Lollywood as it is based in Lahore, currently producing over 40 feature-length films a year. There was a time when Lollywood was churning out as many as 120 films a year. The Pashto film industry based in Peshawar still produces over 50 films a year.

Globalization

Increasing globalization has increased the influence of "Western culture" in Pakistan. Pakistan ranks 46th in the world on the Kearney/FP Globalization index. Many Western restaurant chains have established themselves in Pakistan, and are found in the major cities.

A large Pakistani diaspora exists in the West. Whereas Pakistanis in the United States, Canada and Australia tend to be professionals, the majority of them in the United Kingdom, Germany and the Scandinavian nations comes from a rural background and belongs to the working class. Pakistan has more expatriates than any other Muslim country, with a large number of expatriates living in the Middle East. Pakistani emigrants and their children influence Pakistan culturally and economically, keeping close ties with their roots by travelling to Pakistan and especially by returning or investing there.

Sports

The most popular sport in Pakistan is cricket. Pakistan has produced several of the best batsmen and bowlers in the world, including Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Javed Miandad, Inzamam-ul-Haq, and Shoaib Akhtar. Almost every district and neighborhood in Pakistan has its cricket team and most people start playing from a young age. Pakistan has won several international cricket events, including the World Cup in 1992.

Other popular participatory and spectator sports in Pakistan include:

Field Hockey. Pakistan has won three gold medals at the Olympics and the Hockey World Cup four times. It has also won the the most number number of Asian gold medals and has been consistently ranked as the top 5 teams in the world.
Polo, which is believed to have originated in Central Asia, and continues to be an important sport there with several large annual competitions. The Shandur Polo Tournament, played at the world's highest pologround, is one of the biggest tourist draws to Chitral and Gilgit in Northern Pakistan.
Squash. Jahangir Khan and Jansher Khan are considered to be two of the greatest squash players of all time.
Football (Soccer) is played mostly on a local level, primarily in Baluchistan and Afghan Frontier Provinces. Those areas provide most of the players on the national team.
Tennis. Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi recently defeated Paradorn Srichapan of Thailand to win the Asia-Oceana Zone 1 section of the Davis Cup.
Formula One motor racing, NBA basketball, rugby, table tennis, chess, Kabaddi and badminton.

Mercantile culture

Pakistan's service sector accounts for 53% of the country's GDP. Wholesale and retail trade is 30% of this sector. Shopping is a popular pastime for many Pakistanis, especially among the well-to-do and the thirty-million strong middle class. Karachi city is especially known for the great contrast in shopping experiences - from burgeoning bazaars to modern multi-story shopping malls.

External links

Economic and demographic data

Pakistani Government Links

Pakistani IT industry

Pakistani Film Festivals

KaraFilm Festival - Karachi International Film Festival

Pakistani Publications & News

English-language

Urdu-language

Global Science: Pakistan's Leading Science magazine

Pakistani TV channels

History

Collections of images of Pakistan

Flikr. Many images reusable under a Creative Commons license.
Pakistan Photos and Picture gallery
Streetphotos.net: everyday photographs from all around Pakistan, and a weblog focusing on perceptions of Pakistan
Worldisround
Picture Page on Pakistan
Urdu Music Videos from IM of Pakistan

History

Politics

Domestic politics

Form of government

Political parties

Most recent national election results

Political history

Foreign relations

Geography

Economy

Overview

Macroeconomic reform and prospects

Middle class

Economic history

First five decades

Economic resilience

Recent history

Stock market

Currency

Manufacturing and finance

Tax incentives for IT industry

Technology and the Internet

Agriculture, energy, and natural resources

Agriculture

Energy

Minerals

Trade

Exports

Imports

Demographics

Population statistics

Religion

Languages

Ethnic groups

Subdivisions

Society and culture

Roots

Film and television

Globalization

Sports

Mercantile culture

See also

External links

Economic and demographic data

Pakistani Government Links

Pakistani IT industry

Pakistani Film Festivals

Pakistani Publications & News

English-language

Urdu-language

Pakistani TV channels

Radio

Cineplex Chain

Maps of major cities

History

Collections of images of Pakistan

Other external links