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| Pakistan is one of the 29 states which constitute the Republic of India.Over the years the people of Pakistan have insisted that they are infact citizens of a sovereign nation.However these obviously delusional fools have been jailed under Indian law.Pakistan is ruled by a local chieftain Pervez Mussharaff who recently proclaimed himself dictator of the the said state.Pakistan is inhabited mainly by a semibarbaric tribe often reffered to as "Pathans". | |||
| {{Infobox Country| | |||
| native_name = Islamic Republic of Pakistan<br />اسلامی جمہوریۂ پاکستان<br />Islāmī Jamhūriya-i-Pākistān | | |||
| common_name = Pakistan|the=| | |||
| image_flag = Flag of Pakistan.svg | | |||
| image_coat = Pakistan emblem.jpg | | |||
| national_motto = Yaqeen-e-muhkam, ittihād, nazm<br /> (]: Faith (self confidence), Unity, Discipline) | | |||
| image_map = LocationPakistan.png|Location of Pakistan | | |||
| national_anthem = ]<br>(Blessed Be The Sacred Land) | | |||
| official_languages = ], ] | | |||
| capital = ] | | |||
| latd = 33|latm=40|latNS=N|longd=73|longm=10|longEW=E | | |||
| government_type = ] | | |||
| leader_titles = ]<br />] | | |||
| leader_names = ]<br />] | | |||
| largest_city = ] (also ]) | | |||
| area = 803,940 | | |||
| area_rank = 34th | | |||
| area_magnitude = | | |||
| percent_water = 3.1 | | |||
| population_estimate = 162,419,946 | | |||
| population_estimate_year = 2005 | | |||
| population_estimate_rank = 6th | | |||
| population_census = | | |||
| population_census_year = | | |||
| population_density = 202 | | |||
| population_density_rank = 38th | | |||
| GDP_PPP_year = 2004 | | |||
| GDP_PPP = $360.8 billion | | |||
| GDP_PPP_rank = 26th | | |||
| GDP_PPP_per_capita = $2567 | | |||
| GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 135th | | |||
| HDI_year = 2003 | | |||
| HDI = 0.527 | | |||
| HDI_rank = 135th | | |||
| HDI_category = <font color="#FFCC00">medium</font> | | |||
| sovereignty_type = ] | | |||
| established_events = - Declared<br /> - Republic | | |||
| established_dates = From the ]<br />]<br />] | | |||
| currency = ] (Rs.) | | |||
| currency_code = PKR | | |||
| time_zone = ] | | |||
| utc_offset = +5:00 | | |||
| time_zone_DST = not observed | | |||
| utc_offset_DST = +5:00| | |||
| cctld = ] | | |||
| calling_code = 92 | | |||
| footnotes = | |||
| }} | |||
| The '''] of Pakistan''' (]: اسلامی جمہوریۂ پاکستان, ''islāmī jamhūriya i pākistān''), or '''Pakistan''' (Urdu: پاکستان, ''pākistān'') is a country located in ] that overlaps onto the Greater ] and ]. It borders ], ], ], ] and the ]. The name "Pakistan" in ] and ] means ''Land of the Pure''. It is the ] and the second largest ] country. | |||
| Pakistan is a member of the ], the ], the ], the ], the ] and the ]. | |||
| == History == | |||
| {{main|History of Pakistan}}, '']'' | |||
| ''Related articles: ], ], ], ], ]'', '']''. | |||
| ], 80 km southwest of ], was a centre of the ], 2600 BCE – 1800 BCE]] | |||
| As one of the cradles of human civilisation, the Pakistani region has long been at the crossroads of history. It was the birthplace of some of the most ancient civilisations and a strategic centre of historic trade routes, including the ]. Pakistan was the site of much of the ] and was subsequently occupied by many groups, including ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ]. This period saw the country advance in trade and culture to a level where the ] region and the great city of ] (Takshashila) became a great center of learning and development. | |||
| ===Ancient History=== | |||
| Unknown ] populations lived in the region for millennia until sporadic settlements sprang up along the Indus Valley. These ancient settlements eventually culminated with the ] of Pakistan around ] BCE. Some have hypothesised that the founders were a ] or ] people, but this remains difficult to verify as the Indus Valley script has not yet been deciphered. The ] spanned much of what is today Pakistan, but suddenly went into decline just prior to the migration of ] tribes from Central Asia. Their introduced culture mingled with that of the natives to produce the ] that existed between the ] and ] river in what is now modern ] around ] BCE. The Vedic civilization helped shape subsequent cultures in ]. | |||
| ] (]-]), founder of the ] kingdom]] | |||
| Nearly all of ancient Pakistan was conquered by the Persian ] that ruled the area for over two hundred years beginning in ] BCE. In ] BCE, ] defeated the king ] (Paurava) at the ] near ] and annexed the area to his ] empire. After Alexander's death and brief ] control, ] ] gained control of the territory. His grandson ] is known as one of the greatest proselytizers of ], which spread in the region. After the overthrow of last ruler of the ] in ], ] of ] conquered ] and ] in ], establishing an ] that lasted nearly two centuries, until around ]. To the south, this kingdom captured ] and extended to the coast of the ]. One of the most prominent Greco-Bactrian kings was ], who ruled from ] to ] and is believed to have been a convert to Buddhism. His territories covered the eastern dominions of the divided Greek empire of ] (from the areas of the ] and ], now in Afghanistan) and extended to the Pakistani province of ] with diffuse tributaries to the south and east, possibly even as far as ] in modern India. ] (modern ]) became his capital and prospered greatly under Menander's rule. The last Greek king to rule independently was probably ], whose reign ended about ] ]. Various Greek kings ruled into the beginning of the ] CE, as petty rulers (such as ]) and as administrators, after the area was conquered by various Central Asian groups, most notably the ] ]s. | |||
| The Kushan kingdom stretched from modern-day ] to Pakistan. The kingdom was founded by King ], and greatly expanded by his successor, ]. Kadphises' son ] conquered territory now in India, but lost much of the western parts of the kingdom, including Gandhara, to the ]n king ]. | |||
| Later invaders included the ]s, and ]s. While the Punjab remained under the Huns and Scythians, the ] ] then came to control most of western Pakistan, ] and ], and parts of ] and ] came under the rule of Hindu rajas. | |||
| ===Arrival of Islam=== | |||
| ], literally the 'Royal Mosque', was built in 1674 by ]. It is one of ]'s best known landmarks, and epitomises the beauty and grandeur of the ] era]] | |||
| In ] ], the ] dynasty sent a ] ] army led by ] and it conquered ] and ] in Southern ]. The arrival of the ] ] to the regions of ] and ] set the stage for the geographic boundaries of the modern state of Pakistan and formed the foundation for Islamic rule which eventually spread across much of South Asia. Following the rule of various Islamic empires, including the ], the ] kingdom, and the ], the region was controlled by the ] from ] until ]. The Muslim technocrats, bureaucrats, soldiers, traders, scientists, architects, teachers, theologians and sufis flocked from the rest of the Muslim world to Islamic ] in ]. The ] ] missionaries played a pivotal role in converting the millions of native people to ]. From 1739 until the early ] the region of Pakistan was ruled briefly by ] and then by the ] and later still the ] and Sikhs came to control ] and the ]. | |||
| ===British rule=== | |||
| The ] originally arrived in ] to trade in ], ], and ], and formed the ] which would eventually spearhead a colonial domination over South Asia. The shrinking ] Empire fell prey to the East India Company's conspiracies and the eventual collapse of the freedom struggle against the British by the ] leader ] from 1749 to 1799 left the remnants of the Mughal Empire completely vulnerable. The British did not gain strong footholds in the Pakistani region until the early 19th century and annexed the entire area during the ] rivalry with the ]. | |||
| ] (] - ]) the founder of Pakistan]] | |||
| While the ] for freedom continued well into the 20th century, the ], dubbed "]" by the British, in 1857 was the region's last major armed struggle against the British. The last Mughal Emperor ] was used as a figurehead by the rebellion, so the British decided to oust the Emperor and exiled him to ], ] (now ], ]). Bhadur Shah Zaffar, known as the Poet King, contributed some of ]'s most beautiful poetry, with the underlying theme of the freedom struggle. The Emperor was not allowed to return and died in solitary confinement in 1862. The Emperor's three sons, also involved in the War of Independence, were arrested and beheaded at the Khooni Derwaza (Blood Gate) in Delhi by Major Hudson of the British Army, and their heads were then put up for display at the Delhi Court. | |||
| Even though the War of Independence was a joint Muslim-Hindu struggle to oust the British, the brunt of British retaliation was directed at the Muslim population of the empire, employing the infamous "]" policy. This suppression and subjugation helped set the stage for the creation of Pakistan - a state for the Muslims of South Asia. ] a British-educated South Asian Muslim leader who had once been hailed as the "best ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity", adopted the cause, and later earned the title of Quaid-e-Azam (]: قائد اعظم) meaning "great leader" and founder of Pakistan. | |||
| ===Post-independence=== | |||
| ] | |||
| After a 60 year formal and generally unarmed struggle for independence, Pakistan came into existence on 14th August ] from the British Empire. The British divided up their empire into three parts: the central part, with a Hindu majority, became modern-day ], the western part along with parts of the Punjab became ], while ] (the Muslim majority part of ]) became ]. The ] resulted in the worst ever recorded communal riots in the region and perhaps one of the worst in modern history. An estimated 1 to 5 million Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus and others lost their lives as a direct consequence and millions more became refugee migrants to the newly formed Islamic Republic of Pakistan. | |||
| In 1971, economic and political discontent in ] – geographically separated from ] – and violent political repression escalated into a ] (see ]) in ] and the ], resulting in the secession of ], which formed the independent state of ] (now an independent and sovereign nation with the world's third largest Muslim population). Relations thawed in 1973 when Pakistan formally accepted diplomatic relations with Bangladesh. Today Bangladesh is one of Pakistan’s leading trading partners in cotton, fresh produce, machinery, and military equipment. | |||
| Present day Pakistan does not include some of the regions originally allocated to it. The Muslim-majority princely states of ] and ], ] and the district of ] were quickly occupied by Indian troops, whilst the Muslim-majority state of ] and ] was eventually occupied by Pakistan on the west and ] on the east. | |||
| Both Junagadh and Hyderabad were formally annexed and integrated into India in 1948. Jammu and Kashmir is still an unresolved dispute as the two countries have ] (1948, 1965, 1999) over this issue. | |||
| ====Origin of the name==== | |||
| The name is believed to have been coined by ] student and Muslim ] ]. He devised the word and first published it on ], ] in the pamphlet ''Now or Never''{{ref|pamphlet}}. He saw it as an ] formed from the names of the "homelands" of Muslims in ]. (P for ], A for ''Afghania'' the ] areas of the region, K for ], S for ] and ''tan'' for ], thus forming 'Pakstan.' An 'i' was later added to the English rendition of the name to ease pronunciation, producing Pakistan.) In the ] language, the concepts of "Pak" meaning "Pure" and "stan" for "land" or "home", gave the meaning ''Land of the Pure''. | |||
| ]-speaking countries refer to Pakistan as باکستان (Bakistan), as the ] lacks the sound of the letter "P." | |||
| ==Politics== | |||
| {{main|Politics of Pakistan}} | |||
| === Political history === | |||
| Pakistan has been ruled by both democratic and ]. The first decade was marred with political unrest and instability resulting in frequent collapses of civilian democratic governments. From 1947 to 1958 as many as seven ] of Pakistan either resigned or were ousted. This political instability paved the way for Pakistan’s first military take over. On ], 1958 Pakistan’s civilian and first President ] in collaboration with General ] abrogated Pakistan’s constitution and declared ]. | |||
| General ] was the president from ] to ], and General ] from ] to ]. Civilian rule continued from ] to ] under ], but he was deposed by General ]. General Zia conducted a referendom in the country in 1985, and become the president of Pakistan he also conducted then the open elcetions and ] was elected as a prime minister in March 24, 1985. General Zia was killed in a plane crash in 1988, after which ], daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was elected as the ]. She was the youngest woman ever to be elected the ] and the first woman to be elected as the Head of Government of a Muslim country. Her government was followed by that of ], and the two leaders alternated until the military ] by General ] in ]. Since the resignation of ] ] in 2001, Musharraf has been the President of Pakistan. | |||
| Nation-wide parliamentary elections were held in October 2002, with the ] winning a ] of seats in the ], and ] of that party emerging as ]. | |||
| Jamali resigned on ], ]. ]-Q leader ] became interim PM, and was succeeded by ] and former ] Vice President ], who was elected Prime Minister on August 27, 2004 by a National Assembly vote of 191 to 151. | |||
| ====Form of government==== | |||
| ].]] | |||
| Pakistan is a ] with a ], with four autonomous Provinces – ], ], ], and ] (North West Frontier Province) (Sarhad) plus the ] and the ]. Pakistan also exercises ] control over the state of ] (Azad meaning Free in Urdu) and the ]. | |||
| The ] federal legislature comprises the 100-member ] (with seats equally distributed among the provinces and the ] and the capital) and the 342-member ] (both chambers have reserved seats for women and religious minorities). Senators are elected for six-year terms (with half retiring every three years), whilst members of the National Assembly are elected for five-year terms. | |||
| The ] is the ] and ] of the Armed Forces, and is elected for a five-year term by the ] – comprising the Senate, the National Assembly, and the four Provincial Assemblies. The President’s appointment and term are constitutionally independent of the Prime Minister’s term. | |||
| The ] is usually the leader of the largest party in the National Assembly, and is assisted by a cabinet of ministers drawn from both chambers of the federal legislature. | |||
| Each province has a Provincial Assembly elected for five year terms through competitive multi-party elections, and which in turn elects a Chief Minister – the executive head of the province. The Chief Minister nominates the governor and the Provincial Assembly ratifies the nominee for a five year term. | |||
| The last National Assembly elections were held in October 2002, and Senate elections in February 2003. One notable outcome was the election of 91 women to Parliament – the largest number (and the largest percentage) of women in the parliament of any Muslim-majority country, according to data from the ].{{ref|ipudata}} | |||
| ====Political parties==== | |||
| Before and during the creation of Pakistan in 1947, the largely ] and ] All India ] supported the creation of Pakistan while the far-right religious parties such as the Shia Conference , Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Hind and leaders such as ] opposed the creation of Pakistan and supported a united South Asia. | |||
| The ], ] ] (PPP) emerged as a major political player during the ]. During the 1980s, a new political, anti-] movement was started by unorthodox and educated urban dwellers of ], most prominently ], now known as ]. | |||
| Currently, the largest party in Parliament is the ] (PML-Q) and the second largest is the Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP). The PML-Q obtained a ] in the October ] elections. Besides these major players, there are several other political parties active in Pakistan. | |||
| ===Foreign relations=== | |||
| Pakistan was an ally of the ] for much of its early history as a modern nation-state, from the ] and as a member of ] (Central Treaty Organization) and ] (Southeast Asia Treaty Organization). At the time, its relationship with the USA was so close and friendly that it was called the United States's ''most-allied ally'' in Asia. However, this changed after the ], when, during the height of the ], the US placed heavy military sanctions on Pakistan, forcing Pakistan to agree to a cease-fire, ending a war that was heading for a stalemate. Pakistanis felt betrayed and ill-compensated for the risks incurred in supporting the USA – after the ], Soviet leader ] had threatened the nuclear annihilation of Pakistani cities. | |||
| In 1964, Pakistan signed the ] (RCD) Pact with Turkey and Iran, when all three countries were closely allied with the USA – and as neighbors of the Soviet Union, wary of perceived Soviet expansionism. To this day, Pakistan has a close relationship with Turkey. RCD became defunct after the Iranian revolution, and a Pakistani-Turkish initiative led to the founding of the ] in 1985, an organization that now also includes Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. | |||
| After the 1965 war, Pakistan had somewhat distanced itself from the US, and its relations with China became stronger and soon both nations declared their close friendship, causing concern in the Western powers. Despite US opposition, Pakistan dropped out of CENTO and SEATO – both organizations eventually collapsed after Pakistan's departure. It established better relations with ] and supported the resolution to move official recognition for the Chinese seat from the Taiwan-based Republic of China to the Beijing government. | |||
| The United States maintained a lukewarm relationship until the ] administration. In 1971, Pakistan was involved in a ] which led the secession of East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. Many Pakistanis believed that the August 1971 Indo-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation{{ref|indosoviettreaty}} encouraged Indian belligerency during this crisis. ] supported Pakistan and did not accept the new nation of Bangladesh for over 3 years, even though in ] Pakistan itself had. The USA also did not recognize Bangladesh in favor of Pakistan until after the ]. Pakistan used its friendship with both China and the USA to bring the two countries together, arranging the visit of US ] ] to ]. | |||
| The ] involvement in the war and the Chinese influence on Pakistan prompted USA to bolster ties with its distanced ally, but the alliance would not approach its former strength until the ]. In the ], Pakistan was supplied by the US with necessary arms and helped in training and supporting anti-Soviet freedom fighters in Afghanistan. The US promised to provide Pakistan with ] fighter jets, although (because of the ]) only a few were eventually supplied. However, China chose to remain out of this alliance, providing moral support instead. | |||
| After the Afghan war, which ended in favor of the anti-Soviet alliance, the relationship with the US deteriorated when sanctions were imposed on Pakistan along with India for their nuclear programs. All military aid was again barred. China came to Pakistan's aid, helping it further develop its ] and ] and infrastructures – notably, Pakistan and China jointly funded the development of the JF-17 fighter jet. | |||
| After ]th, 2001, and in support of the subsequent American-led assault on Afghanistan, current Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf aligned his government again with the US and attempted to seal borders with Afghanistan and silence Islamic radicals along the border. Since this strategic re-alignment towards US policy, economic and military assistance has been flowing from the US to Pakistan. In recognition of its support in the ], in June 2004 ] ] designated Pakistan as a ], making it eligible, among other things, to purchase advanced American military technology. | |||
| Besides the above-mentioned countries, Pakistan enjoys alliances with many Middle Eastern countries, such as ] and the ]. ] pilots fly fighters for these two countries. Among former Soviet allies, ] and ] are the only two middle eastern countries with whom Pakistan enjoys excellent relations. | |||
| Pakistan is also an important member of the ], which brings it closer to every Muslim country. Pakistan has used the OIC as a forum for ''Enlightened Moderation''{{ref|enlightened_moderation}}, its plan to promote a ] and ] in the Islamic world. Besides the OIC, Pakistan is a member of the South Asian union of ]. The ] (ECO) is another major regional cooperation organization seeking to promote socio-economic development of its member states on the basis of their common needs and in keeping with the challenges taking place on the global economic scene. The Organization was founded by Pakistan, ] and ] as the successor organization of the ] (RCD). In 1992, it was expanded to include ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. | |||
| Pakistan is the second largest Muslim country in terms of population and its status as a ] and the only Islamic nation to have that status also plays a part in its international role. | |||
| ==Provinces and Territories== | |||
| ''See also'' : ''Main article: ]'', '']''. | |||
| Pakistan comprises four provinces, two territories, and also administers parts of ]. The provinces are further subdivided into a total of ]. | |||
| ] | |||
| '''Provinces''': | |||
| # ] | |||
| # ] | |||
| # ] | |||
| # ] | |||
| * Two provinces, NWFP and Balochistan, also have ] (PATA) which are expected to be developed into regular districts. | |||
| '''Territories''': | |||
| <ol start=5> | |||
| <li> ] | |||
| <li> ] | |||
| </ol> | |||
| '''Pakistani-administered portions of the Kashmir region''': | |||
| <ol start=7> | |||
| <li> ] | |||
| <li> ] | |||
| </ol> | |||
| <br> | |||
| ] - the second-highest mountain in the world]] | |||
| ==Geography== | |||
| : ''Main Article'' : '']'' | |||
| : ''See Also'' : ''], ], ]'' | |||
| ]]] | |||
| Pakistan has a total area of 803,940 square kilometres (land area of 778,720 km²), approximately the combined land areas of ] and the ]. | |||
| To Pakistan's east is ], which has a 2,912 km (1,809 mile) border with Pakistan. To the west is ], which has a 909 km (565 mile) border with Pakistan. To Pakistan's northwest lies ], with a shared border of 2,430 km (1,510 miles). ] is towards the northeast and has a 523 km (325 mile) border with Pakistan. To the south is the ], with 1,046 km (650 mile) of coastline. | |||
| The northern and western areas of Pakistan are mountainous. Pakistani-administered areas of Kashmir contain some of the highest mountains in the world, including ] and ]. Northern Pakistan has many areas of preserved moist temperate forest. | |||
| In the southeast is the Cholistan or ] which extends into India. 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. | |||
| ==Tourism== | |||
| ], ]]] | |||
| <!-- Unsourced image removed: ] --> | |||
| {{expandsect}} | |||
| Pakistan's culture, people and landscape are very diverse. Pakistanis pride themselves on their tradition of hospitality "Mehman-nawazi" to guests. Tourism is a growth industry in Pakistan. Pakistan has in the past been invaded and occupied by many different peoples, including Huns, Persians, Arabs, Turks, Mongols and various Eurasian groups, all of which left differences in culture among the various ethnic groups in matters such as dress, food, and religion. Pakistan also contains the ruins of ancient places such as ], ], Kot Diji, Thatta, Bhambore, ] (]) and ]. | |||
| There are many tourist attractions in Pakistan. In the North, some of the highest mountains in the world attract ]s and adventurers from around the world. The ] are one of the most scenic places to be found with many old army fortresses, towers and other architecture. Among the most beautiful valleys in this area are ] and ]. The ] valley (Wadi-e-Kalash) in ] is famous for its small community called ] who follow pre-Islamic animist religion. The ] claim descent from the army of ]. | |||
| In the east, the ] offers a view into the many different civilisations that settled there. ] is Pakistan's cultural capital and a historic city. There are many examples of Islamic ] architecture, such as ] and the ] in Lahore. Pakistan's film industry, ] is also based there. | |||
| ==Economy== | |||
| {{main|Economy of Pakistan}} | |||
| :''See Also'' : ''], ], ]'' | |||
| ] note of Pakistan.]] | |||
| Pakistan, a ], is the ] and has faced a number of challenges on the political and economic fronts. Although a very poor country when it became independent in 1947, in the 1960s Harvard economists proclaimed it to be a model of economic development. 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 late 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 ] and ] ]s 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 ] position and a rapid growth in ] reserves in recent years. | |||
| In the fiscal year that ended 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. | |||
| == Demographics == | |||
| {{main|Demographics of Pakistan}} | |||
| ===Population Statistics=== | |||
| Pakistan has the world's sixth largest population, more than ], but less than ]; because of Pakistan's high growth rate, it is expected to overtake ] in population in the year ]. Population projections for Pakistan are relatively difficult because of the apparent differences in the accuracy of each census and the inconsistencies between various surveys related to fertility rate, however it is likely that the rate of growth peaked in 1980s . | |||
| According to the ''2005 World Data Sheet'' the population of Pakistan was 162,400,000 on July 1st, ]. The fertility rate was 34 per thousand and death rate was 10 per thousand. The rate of natural increase was 2.4%. Pakistan also had high infant mortality rate of 85 per thousand births. The Pakistan's population is estimated to be around 166,300,000 in ]. | |||
| ===Religion=== | |||
| {{see also|Islam in Pakistan}} | |||
| Census data indicates that 96.28% of the population are ] of which an estimated 76% are ] and 20% are ]. This makes it the second largest Sunni population in the world (after ]) and the second largest ] population in the world (after ]). Most of the Sunnis adhere to the ] school of jurisprudence, whilst most of the Shias belong to the ] school of jurisprudence. Smaller Muslim sects include the ]s and the ]s. | |||
| The non-Muslim population mainly comprises ]s (1.6% of the population) and ]s (1.6% of the population), with small numbers of ], ]s, ]s, ], ]s, and ]s (mainly the ] in ]). Pakistan's religious demographics were influenced by the movement of populations in 1947 (millions of Muslims moved to Pakistan and millions of ] and ] moved to India) and the war in ] (millions of refugees who have become permanent residents). | |||
| Although today there are few Sikhs in Pakistan, the country has a significant place in ]. ], the founder of Sikhism was born in present-day Pakistan, and it is said he received his message near ]. Therefore, the religion actually originated in Pakistan. Most of Sikhism's holy sites are located in Pakistan. Many other great Sikh leaders, including ] and several ]s, were born in Pakistan. Ranjit Singh is buried in ]. | |||
| Pakistan is also the birthplace of ], the form of ] that is practiced by most ]s today, including those in ], ], ], ], and ]. The religion enjoyed prominence in the northwestern section of the country up until the Islamic conquest. | |||
| ===Languages=== | |||
| {{main|Languages of Pakistan}} | |||
| ] and ] are both recognised as the ] of Pakistan. English is used in government and corporate business and by the educated urban elite. Most universities use English as the medium of instruction for degree courses. Urdu is the ] of the people, being widely spoken as a second language, although it is the mother tongue of only 7.57% of the population, mainly ]s (Muslim refugees from India after 1947), while an unknown percentage of ] of urban areas appear to be switching to the usage of Urdu as well. | |||
| Besides these, nearly all Pakistanis speak mutually-intelligible regional ] of the ] family. The most widely spoken is ], followed by ], ], and ]. Other Indo-European languages spoken in Pakistan include ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] Khowar and many others. In addition, small groups of non-Indo-European languages are also spoken including ] which is a ] language and ] which is a language isolate. | |||
| ===Ethnic groups=== | |||
| ] | |||
| According to the latest census , the population comprises several main ethnic groups - ] (3.57% of the population), ]s (7.57%), ] (44.15%), ]s (15.42%), ] (10.53%), ]s (14.1%), and others 4.66%). Smaller ethnic groups are mainly found in the northern parts of the country such as Turwalis, Kafiristanis, Hindko, Brahui, Kashmiris, Khowar, Shina etc. Pakistan's census does not include the sizeable refugee population from neighbouring Afghanistan, who are found mainly in the ] and Baluchistan. From the ]s, Pakistan accommodated over three million Afghan refugees - the largest refugee population in the world, including ], ], and ]s. If Afghan refugees were added to the official population, total figures would alter the percentages of Pashtuns and the category of others. A large number of ] immigrants are concentrated in ], while hundreds of thousands of immigrants from Iran are scattered throughout the country. Pakistan is home to a small community of ] Jews but their numbers have been falling since the creation of ]. There is also a sizeable community of ], ], ]i (]), and ]ns; there are additional minorities of ] and ] descent. | |||
| ==Society and culture== | |||
| {{main|Culture of Pakistan}} | |||
| : See Also : ], ], ], ], ], ] | |||
| Pakistan has 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. This later changed during the expansion of Islam through Pakistan by the ] General ] and later by Mahmud of ] and others. Many cultural practices, foods and monuments, shrines, have been inherited from the rule of Muslim ] and ] emperors in all of Southern Asia. The ], ] is one of the clothing styles inherited from these rich cultural roots. Women wear brightly coloured ] with embroidery for special occasions such as weddings while men often wear the ]. | |||
| Pakistani society is largely ] and ]. 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 ] system, owing to the socio-economic constraints imposed by the traditional ] system. The past few decades have seen emergence of a middle class in cities such as ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], etc. The Northwestern part of Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan, is highly conservative and dominated by centuries-old regional ] customs. | |||
| ] | |||
| === Roots === | |||
| The modern nation of Pakistan has inherited a very rich cultural and traditional background going back to the ], 2800 BCE–1800 BCE. The region that is now Pakistan has in the past been conquered and settled by many different peoples, including ]s, ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and various Eurasian groups. There are regional differences in culture among the different ethnic groups in matters such as dress, food. Traditional ] practices of ] are very strong in Pakistani culture | |||
| ===Media=== | |||
| : ''See Also'' : '']'' | |||
| Until the 1990s, the government-owned ] (PTV) and ] (radio) were the dominant media outlets in Pakistan. However the past decade has seen the emergence of several private TV channels (news , entertainment) such as ], Indus TV, Mashriq, Hum, ARY and Aaj. As of 2005 there were about fifty Pakistani television channels operating. Traditionally the bulk of TV shows have been plays or soap operas – some of them critically acclaimed. Various American, European, and Asian TV channels and movies are available to a majority of the population via ] and ]. | |||
| ] is rich and represented by a wide variety of forms. It ranges from traditional styles such as ] and ] gayaki to more modern forms that try to fuse traditional ] with western music. The Qawwali maestro, ], is internationally renowned for creating a form of music which synchronized Qawwali with western music. Pakistan has produced many renowned ] singers such as ], ], ] and ]. Popular forms of music also prevail, the most notable being film music. In addition to this are the diverse traditions of folk music in all provinces. The arrival of ] refugees in the western provinces has also rekindled ] & ] music in Pakistan. ] has become a hub for Afghan musicians and a distribution centre for Afghan music abroad. Afghan singers have become famous throughout the Northwest Frontier Province and some have even married within the local population strengthening the ethnic kinship of the Pashtuns on both sides of the ]. | |||
| A small indigenous movie industry is based in ], commonly known as ''']'''. | |||
| Indian (Bollywood) movies are banned in Pakistan. However, pirated CDs are easily available and therefore Indian film stars are quite popular across the border as well. | |||
| === Globalization === | |||
| Increasing ] has increased the influence of "Western culture" in Pakistan. Pakistan ranks 46th in the world on the . Many Western ] have established themselves in Pakistan, and are found in the major cities. ], ], Pakistan.]] | |||
| A large Pakistani ] exists in the West. Whereas Pakistanis in the United States, ] and ] tend to be professionals, the majority of them in the ], ] and the ]n 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 ]. 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. | |||
| === Mercantile culture === | |||
| Pakistan's ] sector accounts for 53% of the country's ]. ] and ] 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. ] city is especially known for the great contrast in shopping experiences - from burgeoning ]s to modern multi-story ]s. | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| {{PakistanTopics}} | |||
| {{Pak links}} | |||
| == References == | |||
| * {{note|pamphlet}} | |||
| * {{note|ipudata}} | |||
| * {{note|enlightened_moderation}} | |||
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| == External links == | |||
| {{portal}} | |||
| {{sisterlinks|Pakistan}} | |||
| ===Facts about Pakistan=== | |||
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| ===Economic and demographic data=== | |||
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| === Pakistani Government Links === | |||
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| ===Collections of images of Pakistan=== | |||
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| * . Many images reusable under a ] license. | |||
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| === Pakistani IT industry=== | |||
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| === Pakistani Publications & News === | |||
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| ===Other external links=== | |||
| * - human rights organisation | |||
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| {{Territorial_Capitals_in_Pakistan}} | |||
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Revision as of 07:12, 8 February 2006
Pakistan is one of the 29 states which constitute the Republic of India.Over the years the people of Pakistan have insisted that they are infact citizens of a sovereign nation.However these obviously delusional fools have been jailed under Indian law.Pakistan is ruled by a local chieftain Pervez Mussharaff who recently proclaimed himself dictator of the the said state.Pakistan is inhabited mainly by a semibarbaric tribe often reffered to as "Pathans".