Portal:Pakistan
Introduction
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Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the second-largest Muslim population as of 2023. Islamabad is the nation's capital, while Karachi is its largest city and financial centre. Pakistan is the 33rd-largest country by area and the ninth-largest in Asia. Bounded by the Arabian Sea on the south, the Gulf of Oman on the southwest, and the Sir Creek on the southeast, it shares land borders with India to the east; Afghanistan to the west; Iran to the southwest; and China to the northeast. It shares a maritime border with Oman in the Gulf of Oman, and is separated from Tajikistan in the northwest by Afghanistan's narrow Wakhan Corridor.
Pakistan is the site of several ancient cultures, including the 8,500-year-old Neolithic site of Mehrgarh in Balochistan, the Indus Valley civilisation of the Bronze Age, and the ancient Gandhara civilisation. The regions that compose the modern state of Pakistan were the realm of multiple empires and dynasties, including the Achaemenid, the Maurya, the Kushan, the Gupta; the Umayyad Caliphate in its southern regions, the Samma, the Hindu Shahis, the Shah Miris, the Ghaznavids, the Delhi Sultanate, the Mughals, and most recently, the British Raj from 1858 to 1947. (Full article...)
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The national flag of Pakistan, also known as the Flag of the Star and Crescent (Urdu: پرچمِ ستارہ و ہلال), is made up of a green field with a stylized tilted white crescent moon and five-pointed star at its centre, and a vertical white stripe at its hoist-end. Though the specific shade of green on the flag is mandated only as 'dark green', its official and most consistent representation is in Pakistan green, which is shaded distinctively darker. It was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan on 11 August 1947, and it became the official flag of the Dominion of Pakistan on 14 August 1947, following independence from the British Empire. The flag was subsequently retained as that of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in 1956 and remains in use as the national flag to this day.
Most notably, the flag is referred to in the third verse of Pakistan's national anthem, and is widely flown on several important days of the year, including Republic Day, Independence Day and Defence Day. It is also hoisted every morning at schools, offices and government buildings to the playing of the national anthem and lowered again before sunset. A very elaborate flag-raising and lowering ceremony is carried out every evening by the Pakistan Rangers and their Indian Border Security Force counterparts at the Wagah–Attari border crossing between India and Pakistan, which is regularly attended by hundreds of spectators. The Government of Pakistan has formalized rules and regulations related to the flying of the national flag; it is to be displayed all day at full-mast on 23 March annually to commemorate the adoption of the Lahore Resolution in 1940 and the declaration of Pakistan as an independent Islamic republic with a constitution in 1956, both of which occurred on the same day. The same regulations also apply on 14 August annually, in celebration of Pakistan's day of independence; when the country was carved out from erstwhile British India as the homeland and nation-state for the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent. (Full article...)Selected picture -
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The tomb of Shah Rukn-e-Alam (among the eminent Sufi saints from Multan, Pakistan) was built between 1320 and 1324, is an unmatched pre-Moghul masterpiece. The Mausoleum of Rukn-i-Alam could possibly be considered as the glory of Multan. From whichever side the city is approached, the most prominent thing that can be seen from miles all around is a huge dome. This dome is the Shrine of the saint. The tomb is located on the southwest side of the Fort premises. This elegant building is an octagon, 51 feet 9 inches in diameter internally, with walls 41 feet 4 inches high and 13 feet 3 inches thick, supported at the angles by sloping towers. Photo credit: Zeeshan Javeed | |
General images
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Located on the bank of Arabian Sea in Karachi, Port Grand is one of the largest food streets of Asia. (from Culture of Pakistan) -
A traditional cup of black tea (from Culture of Pakistan) -
Faisal Mosque (from Islamabad) -
Truck art is a distinctive feature of Pakistani culture. (from Culture of Pakistan) -
Muhammad Iqbal, Pakistan's national poet who conceived the idea of Pakistan (from Culture of Pakistan) -
The Shrine of Meher Ali Shah was completed immediately before construction began on the future capital city just east of the shrine (from Islamabad) -
Faisal Mosque (from Islamabad) -
Topography of Pakistan (from Geography of Pakistan) -
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The Tomb of Shah Rukn-e-Alam is part of Pakistan's Sufi heritage. (from Culture of Pakistan) -
Pakistan is the fifteenth most water stressed country in the world. (from Geography of Pakistan) -
Pakistan map of climate classification zones (from Geography of Pakistan) -
K2, at 8,611 metres (28,251 ft), is the world's second highest peak (from Geography of Pakistan) -
Islamabad Golf Club (from Islamabad) -
Monument in F-9 Park (from Islamabad) -
The five zones and sectors of Islamabad (from Islamabad) -
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Pakistan Monument Islamabad (from Islamabad) -
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Dust storm over Pakistan and surrounding countries, 7 April 2005 (from Geography of Pakistan) -
Srinagar Highway, Islamabad (from Islamabad) -
The caves at Shah Allah Ditta, on Islamabad's outskirts, were part of an ancient Buddhist monastic community (from Islamabad) -
Islamabad's annual precipitation allows for the growth of lush forests in the city's hills. (from Islamabad) -
Trail 3 Islamabad (from Islamabad) -
The Lahore Fort, a landmark built during the Mughal era, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (from Culture of Pakistan) -
Dewan Masjid Islamabad (from Islamabad) -
Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore is the third-largest cricket stadium in Pakistan with a seating capacity of 27,000 spectators. (from Culture of Pakistan) -
Artistic depiction of Sindhi soldiers during medieval times (from Culture of Pakistan) -
Islamabad skyline (from Islamabad) -
Distribution of Pakistani diasporaPakistan+ 1,000,000+ 100,000+ 10,000+ 1,000(from Pakistanis) -
The Pakistan Monument (from Islamabad) -
Islamabad Zones (from Islamabad) -
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Islamabad Metro Bus (from Islamabad) -
Islamabad population pyramid in 2017 (from Islamabad) -
A sitar workshop in Islamabad, Pakistan. (from Culture of Pakistan) -
The Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metrobus was built in 2015 to connect Islamabad with neighbouring Rawalpindi. (from Islamabad) -
Quaid-i-Azam University (from Islamabad) -
Schoolgirls in Abbottabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, in shalwars with cuffed hems, and kameez with western-style collars. (from Culture of Pakistan) -
F-9 Fatima Jinnah Park (from Islamabad) -
Satellite image of the Sulaiman Range (from Geography of Pakistan) -
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Jinnah Sports Stadium, the largest stadium in Pakistan (from Islamabad)
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This week in history
- 8 October 2005: The Kashmir earthquake (also known as the South Asia earthquake or the Great Pakistan earthquake) of 2005, was a major earthquake, of which the epicentre was the Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The earthquake occurred at 08:50:38 Pakistan Standard Time (03:50:38 UTC) on 8 October 2005. It registered 7.6 on the richter scale making it a major earthquake similar in intensity to the 1935 Quetta earthquake, the 2001 Gujarat earthquake, and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. The Pakistani government's official death toll was 73,276, while officials say nearly 1,400 people died in Jammu and Kashmir and fourteen people in Afghanistan. Most of the affected people lived in mountainous regions with access impeded by landslides that blocked the roads, leaving an estimated 3.3 million homeless in Pakistan.
Provinces and Territories
Clickable map of the four provinces and three federal territories of Pakistan.
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Provinces:
Territories: Pakistani-administered portions of the Kashmir: | |
Things you can do
Selected biography -
Muhammad Ishaq Dar (Urdu: محمد اسحاق ڈار; born 13 May 1950), is a Pakistani politician who currently serves as Foreign Minister of Pakistan and the Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan since 2024. He previously served as Finance Minister of Pakistan from 2022 to 2023, as Leader of the House for the Senate since 2022, and as Leader of the Opposition for the Senate of Pakistan from 2012 to 2013. Dar, affiliated with the PMLN, was reelected as a senator on a technocrat seat from Islamabad in the 2024 Pakistani Senate elections. He identifies as a free-market conservative and has been associated with both economically liberal and fiscally conservative policies.
Dar was born in 1950 in Lahore. He attended the Hailey College of Commerce, Government College University, and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. He began his career as a chartered accountant in the public and private sector. He entered politics in the 1980s. He was elected to the senate in 2003 and was Leader of the Opposition from 2012 to 2013. He has served as federal minister for commerce; industries and investment; and finance and revenue. (Full article...)Did you know?
- ... that Rehri Goth, one of the poor neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Karachi, is one of the oldest settlements dating back to the 13th century? (31 March 2024)
- ... that Burushaski, a predominantly in northern Gilgit-Baltistan spoken rather than written language, has not more than 120,000 native speakers? (9 July 2023)
- ... that the MagnifiScience Centre in Karachi is the only science center in the country, and, unlike a museum, visitors are encouraged to touch and learn from the interaction with the exhibits? (11 June 2023)
- ... that Ruth Katherina Martha Pfau, the famous German–Pakistani Catholic nun who devoted more than 55 years of her life to fighting leprosy was the first Christian and first non-Muslim to have a state funeral in Pakistan? (2 September 2021)
- ... that Lahore Metrobus open in 2013, was modelled after the Istanbul Bus Rapid Transit System. Plans were developed in the last quarter of 2011 by both local and Turkish experts.[1] (31 August 2021)
- ... that Lahore Knowledge Park is an actualization of Triple Helix configuration; a framework to create synergies between government, academia and industry to operate into an interactive rather than linear model for the establishment of social formats and entities to promote commercial innovation and R&D. [2] (27 January 2017)
- ... that Karachi Kings is the most expensive franchise team of Pakistan Super League? (04 December 2015)
- ... that Sialkot is the world's largest producer of hand-sewed footballs, with local factories manufacturing 40~60 million footballs a year, amounting to roughly 60% of world production. (4 December 2017)
- ... that Hafiz Muhammad Fazal Azim Taha, the famous living Pakistani poet said about Iqbal's work that "He not only dreamed for Pakistan but also got the nation up for their rights". This famous saying is regarded as Iqbal's definition. (14 July 2014)
- ... that Tajammul Hussain Malik headed an unsuccessful coup attempt against Pakistani dictator General Zia-ul-Haq in 1980? (22 September 2009)
- ... that the Legal Framework Order, 1970, issued by Gen. Yahya Khan, set the rules for the first direct popular elections in the history of Pakistan? (14 September 2009)
- ... that in 1881 in the village of Bakhshali in northern Pakistan, the Bakhshali manuscript, the oldest surviving example of Indian mathematics, was discovered written on birch bark? (1 September 2008)
- ... that the original images of Lord Swaminarayan at the Shri Swaminarayan Temple in Karachi, Pakistan were removed and taken to India during the turbulent times of its partition? (1 September 2008)
- ... that Saudi Arabia promised to supply 50,000 barrels of free oil per day to help Pakistan if economic sanctions were imposed after its 1998 nuclear tests? (1 September 2008)
- ... that in a major improvement in bilateral relations in 2008, Pakistan proposed sharing nuclear technology with Bangladesh? (31 August 2008)
- ... that Abdur Rashid Kardar, a pioneer of the Pakistani film industry in Lahore, was a calligraphist who prepared posters for foreign-made films? (11 July 2008)
- ... that the Nigar Awards are the oldest awards of merit in the Pakistani film industry? (10 July 2008)
- ... that Syed Wajid Ali was the longest serving President of the Pakistan Olympic Association with a tenure of 26 years? (7 July 2008)
- ... that the 1948 film Teri Yaad was the first feature film to be released in Pakistan after the partition of India? (6 July 2008)
- ... that The Edhi Foundation, founded by Edhi, runs the world's largest volunteer ambulance service operating 1,800 of them with upto 6,000 a day in Karachi alone. (4 December 2017)
Pakistan news
- 3 June 2024 – Arrest of Imran Khan
- The Islamabad High Court overturns former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan's charges of leaking national security secrets. (Reuters)
- 29 May 2024 –
- At least 28 people are killed when a bus falls into a ravine in Washuk District, Balochistan, Pakistan. (Al Jazeera)
- 27 May 2024 – Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
- Twenty-three gunmen and seven soldiers are killed during three shootouts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. (AP)
- 24 May 2024 – 2024 Bishkek riots
- Hundreds of international students from Pakistan and other Asian countries leave Kyrgyzstan following attacks by Kyrgyz nationalist mobs on student hostels in Bishkek earlier this month. (Reuters)
- 18 May 2024 – 2024 Afghanistan–Pakistan floods
- At least 68 people are killed by floods in Ghor and Faryab provinces, Afghanistan. (AP)
- 18 May 2024 – 2024 Bishkek riots
- The Foreign Ministry of Pakistan asks that Pakistani nationals in Kyrgyzstan stay indoors after mob attacks on Pakistanis and other foreign nationals are reported. (AP)
Quote of the Day -
| “ | There is no power on Earth that can undo Pakistan. | ” |
| — Muhammad Ali Jinnah (Founder of Pakistan) | ||
Subcategories
Pakistan topics
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Recognized content
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Related portals
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Religions in Pakistan
Indian Subcontinent
Other countries
WikiProjects
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You are cordially invited to join and contribute to WikiProject Pakistan, a WikiProject dedicated to the development and improvement of articles relating to Pakistan.
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Associated Wikimedia
The following Wikimedia Foundation sister projects provide more on this subject:
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Commons
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Wikidata
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Wikinews
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Wikiquote
Collection of quotations -
Wikisource
Free-content library -
Wikiversity
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Wikivoyage
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Wiktionary
Dictionary and thesaurus
Wikipedias in Pakistani languages
Sources
- ^ Mahendra, Anjali. "The Metro Bus System comes to Lahore, Pakistan". TheCityFix. World Resources Institute. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
- ^ "Lahore Knowledge Park Company".
