Pakistan

From MaxTravelz

Pakistan (Urdu: پاکستان) is a populous country in South Asia. Located along the Arabian Sea, it is surrounded by Afghanistan to the west and northwest, Iran to the southwest, India to the east, and China to the northeast. It is strategically located astride the ancient trade routes of the Khyber and Bolan Pass between Asia and Europe.

Contents 1 Regions 2 Cities 3 Other destinations 3.1 Archaeological Sites 3.2 Mountain peaks 3.3 National Parks 4 Understand 4.1 Climate 4.2 Terrain 4.3 History 4.4 Tourism 5 Get in 5.1 By plane 5.2 By train 5.3 By car 5.4 By bus 5.5 By boat 6 Get around 7 Talk 8 Buy 9 Eat 10 Drink 11 Sleep 12 Learn 13 Work 14 Stay safe 15 Stay healthy 16 Respect 17 Geography 18 Economy 19 Communications 20 Transportation 21 Transnational Issues 22 Contact

Regions

Administrative divisions 

4 provinces, 1 territory*, and 1 capital territory**;

1. Balochistan
2. North-West Frontier Province
3. Punjab
4. Sindh
5. Islamabad Capital Territory**
6. Federally Administered Tribal Areas*
7. Azad Kashmir

• The Pakistani-administered portion of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region includes Azad Kashmir and the Northern Areas.

Cities

Pakistan has many cities and towns. Below is a list of nine of the most notable. Other cities are listed under their specific regions.

• Islamabad - Federal Capital

• Faisalabad - Famous for its textiles industry
• Hyderabad
• Karachi - Financial Capital
• Lahore - City of the Mughals, famous for its mughal architecture and monuments
• Muzaffarabad - Capital of Azad Kashmir
• Peshawar - City of the Frontier
• Quetta - Capital of Balochistan
• Rawalpindi - Major tourist stopover before travelling to hill stations

Other destinations

• Kaghan
• Karakoram
• Skardu
• Mingora
• Malam jabba ski resort in Swat
• Lake Saif-ul-mulk in Naran
• Bhurban
• Nathia gali
• Karimabad in Hunza with its fort.
• Gilgit Valley
• Chitral Valley
• Ziarat Valley
• Khyber pass
• Holy places of Khalsa
• Marine Turtles & Mangrove Forests
• Keenjhar & Haleji Lakes
• Wetlands & Historical Sites Of Salt Range

Archaeological Sites

• Taxila: Gandhara civilization
• Takht-i-Bahi: Buddhist Monastery
• Indus Valley civilizations: MohenjoDaro, Harappa
• Mehrgarh
• Banbhore
• Butkara Stupa
• Chaukundi
• Thatta
• Dir

Mountain peaks

• K2
• Masherbrum
• Gasherbrum
• Nanga Parbat
• Broad peak
• Ultar peak
• Istronal
• Trich mir
• Rakaposhi

National Parks

• Kirthar National Park
• Deosai National Park
• Margalla Hills National Park
• Ayubia National Park
• Chitral Gol National Park

Understand

Climate

Mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north. Flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August)

Terrain

Flat Indus plain in east; mountains in north and northwest; Balochistan plateau in west. Experiences frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe, especially in north and west.

Highest point 

K2 (Mt. Godwin-Austen) 8,611 m - Second tallest mountain in the world

History

Prior to the 1900's the area of Pakistan was the area from which the Muslims ruled over Central and Southern Asia for over a thousand years. Initially where the Arabs landed by ship, soon it would be where the Persians would base their rule. Today Pakistan is made up of people from various races including Arabs from after the Islamic expeditions, Persians from Bukhara and Samarkand, Turks from Central Asia and the Hindus who were converted to Islam.

The official name of Pakistan was used after the separation of British India in 1947. The once Mughal Empire was divided into the Islamic Republic of Pakistan (with two sections West and East) and largely Hindu India. A third war between these countries in 1971 resulted in East Pakistan seceding and becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. A dispute over the state of Kashmir is ongoing.

Pakistan is a nuclear weapons state and conducted tests in 1998.

Almost all leaders of Pakistan after Muhammad Ali Jinnah have been accused of corruption and the country has since been unable to restore any of the prestige the Muslims once had.

Tourism

Official Tourism Web site

Get in

The consulate in Istanbul does not issue visas unless you are a resident of Turkey, it maybe possible in Ankara.

The Pakistani embassy in New Delhi issues visas with a few days needed to process the application. Expect to spend a few hours at the embassy; go as early in the day as possible.

Visas are easier for people of Pakistani origin living overseas.

By plane

Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi are the main gateways to Pakistan by air. However, there are many other airports in Pakistan that have international flights as well to the Gulf and Far East. Two other international airports are in Peshawar and Quetta.

• Quaid-e-Azam International Airport in Karachi is served by many international airlines, including Swiss, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines, and PIA. (http://www.karachiairport.com/)

• Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore has been completely renovated with a new terminal for international arrivals and departures. Many airlines are currently operating to the airport including Emirates, Qatar Airways, Gulf Air, Singapore Airlines, Pakistan International (PIA), Saudi Arabian Airlines, Thai Airways, Kuwait Airways and over four private airlines from Pakistan. (http://www.lahoreairport.com.pk/)

• Islamabad International Airport is currently in review to be expanded and modernized to meet the needs of the future passenger numbers as demand for air travel has increased dramatically. There are many airlines operating into Islamabad including many of the above with British Airways as well. The only problem is that the airport is also used by Government officials as well as arrivals from foreign diplomats so the airport may shut down as security is increased so flights are delayed. (http://www.islamabadairport.com.pk)

By train

Pakistan has train links with India and Iran.

India has two links: Samjhauta Express from Lahore to Attari near Amritsar in Punjab. The Thar Express restarted in February 2006, after 40 years out of service. It runs from Munabao in the Indian state of Rajasthan to Khokrapar in Pakistan's Sindh province.

Iran has one link, starting Zahadan, and going to Quetta.

Neither train is the fastest or most practical way to enter Pakistan. Should speed be a priority it is better to take the bus, or if you are really in a hurry, to fly, however the trains are sights in their own right.

By car

From ancient times people have been travelling through Pakistan using the Grand Trunk Road and the Silk Road that run through Pakistan and into all the Asian subcontinent but travelling this way is time consuming. New highways have been developed and the country is due for an expansion in its highway network. Currently, a world-class motorway connects the cities of Lahore, Islamabad and Faisalabad, with extension up to Peshawar due to be completed soon.

Pakistan is connected to China through the Karakoram Highway, a modern feat of engineering that traverses a remarkably scenic route through the Karakoram and Himalayan mountains.

There are two routes between Pakistan and Afghanistan, both currently extremely dangerous:

• the Khyber Pass connects Peshawar to Jalalabad and Kabul
• the Bolan Pass connects Quetta to Kandahar

By bus

From India: While there is international service running from Delhi to Lahore it is just as fast, much more flexible, and much cheaper to take the journey by stringing together local transport.

From China: You can take a bus from Kashi over the Karakoram Highway to Pakistan.

By boat

Get around

In the past, getting around was a very hectic task, but nowadays it's very easy because of the advent of motorways and many private airlines.

Talk

Pakistan national and official languages are English and Urdu, but Punjabi and other native languages are still very commonly spoken.

Urdu is the national language and is spoken throughout Pakistan as the lingua franca. In addition to Urdu most Pakistani's speak their regional language or dialect such as Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto, Baluchi, Seraiki, Burushaski etc. Some Useful phrases are:

Learn a few basic Urdu words, which will delight everyone you meet;

• 'Assalaam Alaykum' - Hello
• 'Khuda hafiz' or 'Allah Hafiz' - Goodbye
• 'Shukria' - Thank you
• 'Maaf karo' - literally 'forgive me'; useful when dealing with beggars
• 'Mera naam John Doe hai'- My name is John Doe
• 'Mein Lithuania say hoon' - I am from Lithuania
• 'Mujhay Lahore bohat pasand hai' - I really like Lahore
• 'Tumhara naam kya hai' - what is your name?
• 'Tum kahaan rehtey ho' - where do you live?

English is the official language as it is used by all Government officials and Politians. English and Urdu have become the main languages in cities and is used more than any other native language in the cities. Native languages are used mostly in northern areas or in villages.

Buy

You can buy almost anything in Pakistan, possibly except for sex toys, pornography and alcohol. Karachi and Lahore have many western style shopping centres stocked with nearly everything imaginable. in Lahore there more western shopping centers for western clothesa nd stuff. like for example there's one small shopping center where you can buy some western clothes like jeans, shirts, skirts, etc. there are some brand name stores like Gap, Levis, and Old Navy.

Eat

Pakistani food mainly consists of various kinds kabobs eaten with either flatbread or rice. Food tends to be either mild or very spicy depending on where you are. So state your preference before beginning to eat. In general, most of the same food you can find in the highest quality restaurants/hotels there is available commonly in the markets (but European-style food is generally reserved for the former).

• The types of flatbread (collectively referred to as Nan are:
  • Nan - A soft and thick bread that often requires special clay ovens and cannot be properly made on home stoves. It is recognized by its larger, white exterior.
  • Roti/Chapatti - A homemade bread that doesn't have as much flavor as naan. It is a cheap alternative that is ready in minutes.
  • Paratha - An extremely oily version of the roti. Usually excellent if you're going out to eat, but beware of health concerns; often it is literally dripping with oil because it is meant to be part of a rich meal. Pratha is more declicious if you cook it in pure oil like "desi ghee".
  • Sheer Mal - This is a slightly sweetened, lightly oiled bread that has waffle-like squares punched in it. It is often considered the most desirable bread and is a delicacy to most people. Often paired with nihari.
  • Taftan - Much like the sheer mal but with a puffed-up ring around it. This is generally just as good as the sheer mal but easier to eat liquidy shorba with.

As you might have noticed, Nan is usually used to pick up liquid and soft foods like shorba and beans. Utensils are not commonly used during meals in Pakistan except to serve dishes (unless someone is eating rice and would like to be polite or is unpracticed eating it by hand). Attempting to cut a naan with a knife and drink shorba with a spoon may elicit some amusement around you. Watching others may help.

• Types of kababs (mainly made of Beef or Lamb) are:
  • Seekh Kabab (سيخ کباب) - A long skewer of Beef mixed with herbs and seasonings.
  • Shami Kabab (شامي کباب) - A round patty of seasoned Beef, softer than seekh kabobs.
  • Chapli Kabab (چپلي کباب) - A spicy round kabob that is a specialty of Peshawar.
  • Chicken Kabab (مرغ کباب) - A popular kabob that is found both with bone and without.
  • Lamb Kabab (کبابِ برہ گوشت) - The all lamb meat kabob is usually served as cubes.

• More Pakistani Foods:
  • Roasted Chicken (whole) (مرغ بريان) - A whole chicken roasted. Very famous around Pakistan. You'll see them on the rotisserie while driving on Lahore streets.
  • Briyani (برياني) - A dish with mixed pieces of chicken and rice. It smells nice from the saffron and other seasonings added.
  • Chicken Tikka - Barbequed chicken with a spicy exterior. Looks like a huge, red chicken leg and thigh. For all meat lovers. Is available most anywhere.
  • Haleem - Thick soup-like mix of tiny chunks of meat, lentils and wheat grains.

There are too many shorbas, or sauces, to enumerate. However, you should know of the most common ones.

• Vegetarian
  • Daal - Yellow (plain) or brown (slightly sour) lentil "soup". Usually unspiced. Common to all economic classes.
  • Aloo Gobi - Potatoes and cauliflower. Cooked so that both are soft and breakable with finger pressure.
  • Bhindi - Okra, Can be bitter...
  • X + ki sabzi - A vegetarian mixture with 'X' as the main ingredient.

• With Meat
  • Aloo Gosht (Potatoes and Meat) - Chunks of potato and goat meat in gravy. Levels of spice vary. One example of a generic dish that includes most things + Gosht(meat).
  • Nihari- Beef simmered for several hours. A delicacy often eaten with Nan, Sheer Mal, or Taftan. Few people will have this available without spice. Eat with lemon, fried onion and caution: it is one of the spiciest curries.
  • Paye - Very, very wet salan, often served in a bowl or similar dish. Eat by dipping pieces of naan in it, maybe finishing with a spoon. Hard to eat.

• Desserts
  • Enjoy a variety; ice cream can be found in an abundance of flavors such as the traditional pistachio flavoured Kulfi;
  • Falooda (فلودہ) is tasty rosewater desert. The sweets are extremely popular in Pakistan and called different things depending on where you go. Eat small chunks at a time, eating large pieces can be rude and will generally be too sweet.
  • Kulfi is a very traditional made ice-cream mixed with cream and different types of nuts.
  • If you want to go to some ice-cream parlors, there are some good ice-cream parlors in Lahore like "Polka Parlor" "Jamin Java" "Hot Spot".

Drink

Tap water is not fit for drinking unless you have lived there and drank it for a long time (your body will not be used to the local organisms and parasites). Ask for bottled water wherever possible, and avoid anything cold that might have water in it. In Karachi and Lahore, you will find that bottled water is available everywhere. However, Nestle Pure Life is the most trusted brand of bottled water.

• See Stay Healthy for details.

• Tea (or Chai as it is referred to in Pakistan) is popular throughout the country.
  • Both black and green tea (Sabz chai or qahvah) are common and are traditionally drunk with cardamom and lots of sugar.
  • Kashmiri chai that is a milky tea with added almonds and nuts to give added flavour. A very popular tea during wedding and the cold season.

In the warmer southern region, sweet drinks are readily available throughout the day. Look for street vendors that have fruits (real or decorations) hanging from their roofs. Also, some milk/yogurt shops serve lassi. Ask for meethi lassi for a sweet yogurt drink and you can also get a salty lassi which tastes good if you are having "bhindi" in food or some other rich dish. Also, there is a sweet drink called Mango Lassi which is very rich and thick made with yogurt and mango pulp and pieces of mango.

Sleep

Hotels or mahmankhane (مہمان خانہ) are usually found around busy transportation hubs like bus stations. Don't be fooled by an impressive lobby. See the room, check the beds, the toilets, the lights, the windows, etc.

If you have a big enough wallet you may want to try the Grand Pearl Continental Hotels, Holiday Inn Hotels and many five star hotels located in all major cities as well as many tourist destinations.

Learn

Work

Many Pakistani companies are looking for Sales representatives and usually all manner of companies will be happy to speak to a well-dressed Westerner about business.

Many tourists are known to buy leather goods and other curios in Pakistan sell them in Goa India or somehow get them shipped back to the West.

Otherwise your best way of working is contact the numerous Aid agencies that work out of Peshawar. Don't go to Peshawar without a contact or a plan.

Stay safe

Outside the cities and some regions of each city, travel in groups that include locals. In the unwesternized parts of each city (the posh, westernized parts are obvious: they have better roads and larger homes), travel in groups and dress conservatively. Stay with locals who like you.

Don't let safety factors stop you from visiting Pakistan. It's much safer than you hear, depending on where you go, and most people are rather welcoming and honest.

Stay healthy

Avoid tap water! Take every precaution to drink only boiled, filtered or bottled water. Tap water is known to contain many impurities. Also beware when drinking milk--don't drink it fresh from the milk carrier ever; boil and cool it. Non-pasteurized dairy can spread tuberculosis. Nestle Milk Pak is a trusted brand available in most Western-style grocery stores.

In the summer it gets very hot. Be careful to stay hydrated.

Some foods may be quite spicy for western tastes! Always notify your host, cook or waiter if you are intolerant of spice.

Tuberculosis is common in some regions. Be very careful, very careful around people with a hacking cough.

Respect

Pakistanis pride themselves on their tradition of hospitality to guests (Mehmanawazi). Just a greeting of Salam aleikum will get you far in endearing yourself to people. If you are travelling outside the big cities like Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad it is advisable to learn some basic Urdu or a regional language.

Do not make silly jokes about religion, women, sex, or alcohol. You will cause offence and it is something you're really ill advised to do.

Just respect and observe. Pakistan is a conservative country and it is inadvisable for women to wear long skirts or pants in public (Pakistani women wear the traditional shalwar kameez). Dress codes for men are more lax although they should refrain from wearing shorts in public. As well, showing someone the sole of your feet or shoe is considered an insult, and can lead to you being considered disrepectful.

Geography

Economy

Pakistan has suffered from decades of internal political disputes, low levels of foreign investment, and a costly, ongoing confrontation with neighboring India. However, IMF-approved government policies, bolstered by generous foreign assistance and renewed access to global markets since 2001, have generated solid macroeconomic recovery the last four years. The government has made substantial macroeconomic reforms since 2000, although progress on more politically sensitive reforms has slowed. For example, in the budget for fiscal year 2006, Islamabad did not impose taxes on the agriculture or real estate sectors, despite Pakistan's chronically low tax-to-GDP ratio. While long-term prospects remain uncertain, given Pakistan's low level of development, medium-term prospects for job creation and poverty reduction are the best in more than 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. GDP growth, spurred by double-digit gains in industrial production over the past year, has become less dependent on agriculture, and remained above 7% in 2004 and 2005. Inflation remains the biggest threat to the economy, jumping to more than 9% in 2005. The World Bank and Asian Development Bank announced that they would provide US $1 billion each in aid to help Pakistan rebuild areas hit by the October 2005 earthquake in Kashmir. Foreign exchange reserves continued to reach new levels in 2005, supported by steady worker remittances.

Communications

Transportation

Transnational Issues

Recent talks and confidence-building measures have begun to defuse tensions over Kashmir, site of the world's largest and most militarized territorial dispute with portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas); UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) has maintained a small group of peacekeepers since 1949; India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964; in 2004, India and Pakistan instituted a cease fire in the Kashmir, and in 2005 restored bus service across the highly militarized Line of Control; Pakistan has taken its dispute on the impact and benefits of India's building the Baglihar dam on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir to the World Bank for arbitration and in general the two states still dispute Indus River water sharing; to defuse tensions and prepare for discussions on a maritime boundary, India and Pakistan resurveyed a portion of the disputed Sir Creek estuary at the mouth of the Rann of Kutch in 2004; Pakistani maps continue to show Junagadh in India's Gujarat State; by 2005, Pakistan with UN assistance had repatriated 2.3 million Afghan refugees and has undertaken a census to count the remaining million or more, many of whom remain at their own choosing; Pakistan maintains troops in remote tribal areas to control the border with Afghanistan and root out organized terrorist and other illegal cross-border activities; regular meetings with Afghan and Coalition allies aim to resolve periodic claims of boundary encroachments

Contact

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