Its All About Pakistan

Lahore Food Streets

2010-03-23T21:21:00.000-07:00

Lahore is city of live hearted people, always finding an occasion for enjoyment, entertainment and good feast. While parks and other recreational facilities are filled with holiday makers, specially on weekends, the eateries are seldom found vacant throughout the weekdays. The traditional food of Lahore is found in the Walled City of Lahore, while the western and Chinese cuisines are generally found in the posh localities of Lahore Cantonment, Gulberg, Shadman and Shahjamal.

More: Pakistanpaedia

History of Multan

2010-03-23T20:51:00.000-07:00

Pak Info

Multan is a city in south central Punjab province. It is built just east of the Chenab River. About 966 km from Karachi and more or less right in the center of the country lie the ancient city of Multan. Multan, the 'City of Pirs and Shrines' is a prosperous city of bazaars, mosques, shrines and superbly designed tombs.

A circular road around the rampart gave access to the city through thirteen gates. Some of the imposing structures of these gates are still preserved. In the bazaars of the Old City one still comes across tiny shops where craftsmen can be seen busy turning out master-pieces in copper, brass, silver as well as textiles in the traditional fashion.

The old city has narrow colorful bazaars full of local handicrafts and narrow winding lanes. There are many places of historical, cultural and recreational interest in the city.

Multan is a commercial and industrial center, it is connected by road a rail with Lahore and Karachi and by air with Karachi, Quetta, and Faisalabad. Industries include fertilizer, soap, and glass factories; foundries; cotton, woolen and silk textile mills; flour, sugar and oil mills; and a large thermal-power station. It is famous for its handicrafts (ceramics and camel-skin work) and cottage industries. There are hospitals, public gardens, and several colleges affiliated with the University of the Punjab. The University of Multan was established in 1975. Large, irregular suburbs have grown outside the old walled town, and two satellite towns have been set up. The numerous shrines within the old city offer impressive examples of workmanship and architecture.

The Shams-e Tabriz shrine is built almost entirely of sky-blue engraved glazed bricks. That of Shah Rukn-e Alam (Tughlaq period) has one of the biggest domes in Asia. The shrine of Sheikh Yusuf Gardez is masterpiece of the Multani style. Other shrines include the Pahladpuri Temple and the Idgah Mosque (1735).

Location Multan lies between north latitude 29'-22' and 30'-45 and east longitude 71'-4' and 72'-4'55. It is located in a bend created by five confluent rivers. The Sutlej separates it from Bahawaipur District and the Chenab from Muzaffargarh district. About 215 metres (740 feet) above sea level.

Area 45 square km
Population 3.800 M
Major Crops Wheat, Cotton, Rice and Sugar Cane
Major Fruit Mangoes, Oranges, Citrus & Dates
Men Wears "Shalwar Kamiz" & "Lungi"
Women Wears "Shalwar Kamiz" + "Chadar"
Language "Saraki" is the local language, Urdu, Punjabi & English languages are also acceptable.
Climate Cold in winter and very hot in summer. The normal rainfall is about 6" during the monsoon from July to September.
Wild Life Fox, Jackal and wild boar. Amongst birds are grey and black partridges, sand grouse visiting the district in winter, quail, plover and pigeons are common
Tourist Information For local assistance, information and planning your holidays, please contact PTDC Tourist Information Centre at Sindbad Hotel, Nishtar Chowk, Bahawalpur Road, Multan.

Lansdowne Bridge, Rohri - Bukkur - Sukkur

2010-02-26T12:47:00.000-08:00

Any vistor to Sukkur-Rohri Pakistan is usually awe struck by the largest man made monuments in the area. They are two in number. One is the 118 year old Lansdowne bridge and the other is the 45 year old Ayub Arch.

In the photo above, silver metallic structure is the Ayub Arch and the brown metallic structure is the historic Lansdowne bridge. This photo is dated July 25, 2007 and is courtesy of Raja Islam

Indus was bridged at Attock in 1887 and that allowed Railways in India to run from the Western most post of Khyber Pass to the eastern city of Calcutta.

India’s rail link to the port of Karachi was however, still broken at the Indus flowing between the towns of Rohri and Sukkur. Indus was not bridged between Kotri and Hyderabad either therefore trains ran on Karachi-Jamshoro-Larkana-Sukkur route as early as 1879 and then they were ferried across to Rohri and vice versa on a river ferry.

At Sukkur the river Indus flows through a gap in a range of low limestone hills and gets divided into two channels (Sukkur and Rohri channels) by an island called Bukkur. The Bukkur island thus provides the best spot for a river crossing. See photo to the left, which shows two river channels between Sukkur and Rohri.

The river channel between Sukkur and Bukkur got bridged by 1885. The river bottom here is rocky so it provided solid foundations for masonry piers. This bridge got completed with three girder spans of 90, 230 and 270 feet. A 2007 photo of this bridge can be seen here.

Bridging the channel between Bukkur and Rohri was not so easy. The river bed here is not rocky but silty which made it difficult to build a bridge pier. Therefore bridge designs were put forward to build a bridge without a pillar. One such design was for an arched bridge but it was not considered in 1870s. Interestingly later on in 1962 the river was bridged using a very similar design that came to be known as the Ayub Arch.

Between 1872 and 1882 bridge survey was conducted and different people suggested 5 different bridge proposals. None of them was considered completely feasible at that time. An engineer by the name of Sir Alexander Rendel was then called in and he proposed a design consisting of two anchored cantilevers, each 310 feet long, carrying a suspended span of 200 ft in the middle. Interestingly, this design was considered feasible and later came to be known as the Lansdowne Bridge.

The girderwork of this bridge was given to Westwood, Baillie & Co. of London.

The bridge was first put together in the contractor’s yard. The 170 feet tall cantilevers of the bridge when assembled, made quite a conspicious scene in London.

By 1887 the steel work started to arrive at Sukkur and Rohri. The bridge construction was then started under the supervision of F.E. Robertson and Hecquet. Their names are written to date on a plaque on each cantilever of the bridge.

The construction of Lansdowne bridge was no joke. It is said that bridge designer didn’t thought much about how the bridge would be built in real life. Giant derricks, each weighing 240 tons and each being 230 feet in length had to be erected leaning out over the water and at the same time they had to incline inwards in the plane at right-angles to the line of the bridge. And as if that was not difficult enough, horizontal tie girders 123 feet long and weighing 86 tons each had to be assembled at a height of 180 feet. This indeed was a challenge in 1880s.

When both cantilevers were completed, work started on the center span. The bridge designer had intended that 200 ft long span would be assembled on boats and then hoisted up.

This plan did not work in practical as Indus remained quite violent 6 months of the year owing to floods. In the end Robertson built another temporary bridge to provide a platform on which the suspended span could be put together. This temporary staging wieghed 56 tons. The permanent girderwork of the 200 ft span was erected and riveted in four and a half days. This is a good going even with today’s standards. In 1880s Robertson’s men didn’t have pneumatic tools or electric drives.

The Human and Monetary Cost

The construction of Lansdowne bridge claimed 6 lives. Four men felled from the dizzy heights and 2 were knocked out by falling tools on them. The cost of bridge was Rs 2,696,000 including Rs 276,000 that were spent on foundations only.

On March 19, 1885, Lansdowne bridge was tested by running coupled L class locomotives and a train giving a gross load of 786 tons or about 1 ton per foot. The train crossed the bridge at a speed of 56 kmph (35 mph) and it caused a deflection of 8.9 cm (3.5 in) at the center of the 250 m (820 ft) span.

The Inauguration Ceremony

Lansdowne bridge was inaugurated on March 25, 1889. End of March is usually very hot in Sukkur, therefore the ceremony was scheduled for early morning. The chief guest was Lord Reay, Governer of Bombay who was deputising for Lord Lansdowne, the Viceroy of India. Consecratoy prayers were offered by the Bishop of Lahore. The bridge was declared open by unlocking a big ornamental lock which was used to shut down the iron gates of the fortified entrance to the bridge. This lock was designed by J.L. Kipling, CIE, Principal of Mayo School of Art in Lahore and father of famous poet and author, Joseph Rudyard Kipling.

Enhancements to the Bridge

In 1889 when the bridge was opened, the heaviest locomotive on this section weighed only 73 tons.
This weight was divided on 16 wheels including tender. With increasing loads, it became necessary to strengthen the bridge. Two such strengthenings were carried out in 1910 and 1939 by removing the dead weight of the bridge. In 1939, 200 tons of dead weight was removed from the bridge. This allowed eight engines coupled together with an axle weight of 17 ton to cross this bridge. The bridge was lightened by removing roadway decking. Two feet of walkways was retained. The road traffic between Sukkur and Rohri was diverted via the Sukkur (Lloyd) Barrage.

Neither Architecture nor Engineering?

While Lansdowne bridge is a feat of construction, not many people agree on whether it is aesthetically pleasing also.

The appearence of the cantilever bridge at Sukkur is bizarre in the extreme and the structure is economical in neither weight of material nor cost of shopwork.

The publication of Engineer of July 11, 1884 was even more outspoken:

Contemplating the monstrosity of the general design, one would expect that in point of economy and detail construction, a fair degree of excellence had been attained. But neither is this the case. There are many ways of reducing the unsupported lengths of the great uprights and raking struts, and consequently of reducing material; but as these would involve some calculations of stresses beyond those of the most elementary kind, they were probably not deemed worth the trouble…. A derrick, the half of an English roof-truss, a Whipple girder, the other half of the roof-truss and another derrick, are very excellent things in thmeselves, but to string them together upon one line, thereby making a bridge, is not engineering, nor is it architecture.

Photos from 1895

In 1895, members of World Transportation Commission from USA visited Lansdowne Bridge and following photos are from this historic occasion.

(1) Fortified entrance to the bridge on Sukkur Side. This is not Lansdowne bridge but the other smaller bridge connecting Sukkur with the island of Bukkur

The Lansdowne bridge is still operational. Not because it is needed for trains but because after the roadway deck was restored it is used by the light traffic between Sukkur and Rohri. Road traffic is not as heavy as a train therefore this bridge may have many years of life left in it. The photo here is from 2006 and shows light traffic still using the bridge.

Chronology

1872-74: First site survey is made of Rohri-Sukkur area by J.Ramsey to bridge Indus here. He proposed a 650 feet long suspension bridge.

1875: The survey was continued by Major General Sir James Browne who recommended a stiffened suspension bridge with cables formed of steel links and a span of 786 feet.

1879:

(1) Railways reached Sukkur from Karachi.
(2) Sir Guilford Molesworth suggested a three-hinged arched bridge.
(3) J.R. Bell suggested a parallel truss cantilever bridge with a main span of 680 ft.

1882: A scheme of a bridge with 250 ft spans supported on masonry piers was proposed. This design was almost chosen when a severe flood in the river took its bed depth down to 100 ft and this design was shelved.

July 11, 1884: Publication of the Engineer called Lansdowne bridge design as a “monstrosity” which “is not engineering, nor is it architecture”.

1885: The Indus channel between Sukkur and Bukkur island got bridged.

1887: The steel work for the Lansdowne Bridge started to reach Sukkur from the Westwood, Baillie & Co. of London.

May, 1887: Bed plates for the Bukkur side of the Lansdowne bridge Cantilever arrived by the end of month.

Septemer, 1887: Full supply of steel works for the Rohri side cantilever arrived at the site.

March 19, 1889: Lansdowne bridge was tested by running coupled L class locomotives and a train giving a gross load of 786 tons or about 1 ton per foot.

March 25, 1889: Inauguration of Lansdowne Bridge.

1910: Bridge strengthening was carried out to increase the load it could carry.

1924: Permissible speed of trains on the bridge was reduced by 8 kmph (5 mph), after deformation and temperature stress was discovered.

1936: Harold Wood Robinson who was deputy chief engineer of bridges, prepared an outline design for a two hinged arch design to replace Lansdown bridge. The drawing was prepared in the Bridge office in Moghalpura, Lahore but this project didn’t see light of the day.

1939: Bridge strengthening was carried out to increase the load it could carry. This time 200 tons of dead weight of the bridge was removed.

Via: Rohri.Net LansDowne Rohri Widget: Widgetbox

A1GP History Of The A1GP Series

2010-02-24T14:32:00.000-08:00

On 30 March 2004, A1 Grand Prix, a brand new concept in international motorsport was launched to the worlds press at the prestigious Jumeira Beach hotel in Dubai. Series founder Sheikh Maktoum Hasher Maktoum Al Maktoum unveiled his vision for an exciting yet accessible sport where all countries could compete equally on a level playing field. From this spark, grew A1GP, a series with deliberately equalised technology and national teams, racing their flag in the World Cup of Motorsport.

From March 2004 onwards, Sheikh Maktoum and his business partner, Tony Teixeira, set about building the team that would bring this exciting concept to reality. British firms Lola International and Zytek Engineering were appointed to develop the chassis and engine, based on the initial drawings of Sheikh Maktoum himself while US Company Cooper Tires was chosen as the official tyre supplier. By July of that year, the first generation A1GP race car was ready to be unveiled.

While Sheikh Maktoum focused on developing every strand of his initial vision, from the design of the cars on the track to the look and feel of the website, tickets branding and overall consumer experience, Tony Teixeira set about attracting investors and potential team owners.

Over the coming year, 25 national teams were developed representing countries as diverse in culture and economic prosperity as they were in their motorsport experience. Countries such as China and Lebanon would compete against the likes of the USA, Great Britain and France and with the launch of each team came the support of high profile sports stars and successful businessmen alongside world leaders and politicians.

After an intense testing programme, the final A1GP race car was built and August 2005 saw the newly formed A1 Teams take to the track for the first time. Throughout five days of testing at both the Silverstone Circuit in the UK and Paul Ricard HTTT in the South of France, the cars proved fast and reliable and an exciting spectacle was assured as the time had come for the racing to begin.

30 March 2004

His Highness Sheikh Maktoum Hasher Maktoum Al Maktoum unveiled the A1 Grand Prix concept in the glamorous emirate of Dubai.

7 June 2004

A1 Grand Prix announced world renowned engine manufacturers Zytek Engineering were to produce the 3.4 litre V8 engine that would power the A1GP race car.

15 July 2004

Following extensive wind tunnel testing, the final design A1GP race car was shown in public for the first time at the Farnborough International Air Show in the UK.

19 August 2004

Sky Sports, the UKs leading broadcaster of motorsport, signed an exclusive deal to televise the Series, the first of 30 networks to back A1GP around the globe.

20 August 2004

One of the UK's most experienced international racing drivers, former Formula One driver Ralph Firman signed up to test the A1GP race car. Firman went on to drive for A1 Team Ireland in the 2005/06 season.

27 August 2004

The A1GP race car completed 2,000 kilometres of successful hot and clod weather testing in both the UK and Spain.

27 September 2004

Cooper Tire and Rubber Company, from Findlay, Ohio, USA, through its Avon Tyres racing operation in Melksham, Wiltshire signed a three-year deal to supply A1GP with controlled slick and treaded wet tyres.

30 September 2004

China, Great Britain, Lebanon, Pakistan, Portugal and South Africa were named as the first six nations to sign up to the A1 Grand Prix series at the official launch of A1 Team Great Britain.

1 November 2004

Teams from Australia, Canada and Malaysia were announced as President Thabo Mbeki unveiled South Africas national car at the Teams official launch. A subsequent meeting between the A1GP Directors and Nelson Mandela confirmed the level of support the series could aspire to.

25 November 2004

The A1GP race car ran at the Vallelunga track in Italy completing a three day test totalling 3,500 miles on the engine.

1 December 2004

President General Emile Lahoud was the second President to unveil his country's A1 Grand Prix car at the A1 Team Lebanon launch in Beirut.

16 December 2004

A contract with Huntingdon based company Lola International initiated the production of 50 identical A1GP race cars, the largest single order in motor racing history.

28-29 February 2005

President General Pervez Musharraf attended the official launch of A1 Team Pakistan at the spectacular Lahore Fort as A1 Grand Prix made history, being the first to run a single seat race car in Pakistan.

14 March 2005

Footballer, Ronaldo, one of the worlds most famous international sporting stars, was named as seat holder for A1 Team Brazil at the official launch of A1 Team Mexico.

30 March 2005

Alan Jones, ex-F1 Champion and seat holder for A1 Team Australia unveiled their entry into the Series while close rival New Zealand was announced as the next country to sign up.

6 April 2005

1.3 billion people were added to A1 Grand Prixs potential fan base with the launch of A1 Team China.

25 May 2005

A1 Grand Prix unveiled the provisional race calendar for its inaugural season, taking in a mix of established world-famous venues, exciting new state-of-the-art facilities and tight twisty street circuits.

30 May 2005

Co-seat holders for A1 Team Portugal Real Madrid and Portugal International star Luis Figo and Manchester United Assistant Manager Carlos Queiroz became the first team in continental Europe to unveil their racing livery.

16 June 2005

International statesmen Nelson Mandela welcomed A1 Grand Prix representatives at his home in Cape Town, South Africa during a promotional tour of the country.

29 June 2005

Two-times F1 World Champion, Emerson Fittipaldi joined three-times FIFA World Player of the Year, Ronaldo as co-seat holder for A1 Team Brazil at its official launch in São Paulo.

31 July 2005

Indian Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh welcomed representatives of A1 Grand Prix at his New Delhi residence during the launch for A1 Team India. Teams from France, Switzerland and the USA were also announced.

3-4 August 2005

At 09.51 on 3 August 2005, Great Britain became the first A1 team to get their car on track as part of a 15 team test session at the historic Silverstone circuit.

15 August 2005

A1 Team Ireland became joined the A1 Grand Prix series, taking the competitor list to 18 countries reaching every habitable continent on the planet.

24-26 August 2005

A1 Teams from Germany, Russia and Indonesia were announced as the Series embarked on its second team test session at the Paul Ricard HTTT in the South of France.

5 September 2005

Another ex-F1 driver, Jos Verstappen confirmed his place in the 2005/06 season, driving the bright orange A1 Team Netherlands car at their national launch.

10 September 2005

A1 Team Czech Republic signed up to the Series announcing Tomas Enge, Jarek Janis and Jan Charouz as drivers.

11 September 2005

Austria, Italy and Japan, three nations with a momentous heritage in motorsport completed the A1GP line up as they joined the Series in the week of its first race.

25 September 2005

The A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Brands Hatch, Great Britain was held, the first full racing event in A1GPs history. A1 Team Brazils Nelson Piquet Jr took the double winning both the Sprint and the Feature races.

4 November 2005

A1 Grand Prix makes its first long haul trip as the series heads to Sydney, Australia. Two 747s are used to transport 250 tonnes of equipment from Estoril to Eastern Creek.

6 November 2005

A1 Grand Prix proved safety to be one of the most important factors in the build of its 3.4 litre V8-engined race cars. A1 Team Japan suffered a crash that totally destroyed the car but left the driver Hayanari Shimoda unhurt.

29 January 2006

A1 Grand Prix attracted its biggest crowd to date as over 100,000 people lined the streets of Durban for the series and the citys first ever street race. With an electric atmosphere and excitement on the track, the race was voted best event of the 2005/06 calendar at the end of season awards ceremony.

11 February 2006

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono officially welcomed A1 Grand Prix to Indonesia at a Gala dinner attended by around 300 dignitaries. Representatives including drivers and seat holders from the 23 A1 Teams joined members of the A1 Grand Prix organisation for the evening hosted at the Jakarta Convention Centre.

13 March 2006

Despite failing to finish the Laguna Seca, USA Feature race, A1 Team Frances weekend performance was enough to guarantee an unbeatable lead making them the first world champions at the penultimate race of the season.

31 March 2006

The loyalty of the Dutch fans throughout the 2005/06 season was rewarded as A1 Grand Prix announced that Circuit Park Zandvoort would host the first race of its second season. Grandstand tickets sold out in a matter of days and additional seating had to be arranged.

2 April 2006

A1 Grand Prix held its first Gala Awards night honouring the success and achievements of the 2005/06 teams and drivers. Champion A1 Team France became the first team to officially be presented with the World Cup trophy.

25 May 2006

Attracted by the success of A1 Grand Prixs first racing season, major London investors committed to providing full funding for the series, assuring a strong future for the first ever World Cup of Motorsport.

14 June 2006

A1 Grand Prix announced plans to change the sporting and technical regulations for the second season increasing the length of the Feature race, reducing the Sprint race and changing the overall points system.

1 July 2006

A1 Grand Prix underwent an official branding change and the series officially became known as A1GP World Cup of Motorsport to better convey its nation versus nation concept.

5 July 2006 A1GP revealed its provisional calendar for the second season adding new races to the line-up which included the Beijing street race and an event at the newly upgraded Taupo Park in New Zealand.

13 August 2006

Around 25,000 people lined the streets of Manchester in the UK as six A1GP race cars roared around the city centre, reaching speeds of up to 70mph. A1 Teams Australia, China, Great Britain, Ireland, Lebanon and Malaysia thrilled the crowds along a purpose built 1.5km course as part of its broadcast partners Sky Festival.

30 31 August 2006

In a taste of things to come A1 Team Germany set the fastest lap time in A1GPs official test session with a then unknown Nico Hülkenberg at the wheel. A1 Team Great Britain took second spot on the time sheet with Darren Manning in the car. Johnny Reid for A1 Team New Zealand secured the third quickest time.

29 September 2006

Satisfied with his motorsport creation, A1GP World Cup of Motorsport Founder and Chairman Sheikh Maktoum Hasher Maktoum Al Maktoum released his stake in a multi million dollar transaction to permit a broadening of the institutional shareholder base ahead of a planned initial public offering.

31 September 2006

The official start of A1GPs second racing season saw A1 Team Singapore join the line-up for the much anticipated Zandvoort race. A1 Team South Africa had its first race win in the Sprint while A1 Team Germany set the scene for the season winning the Feature race.

8 October 2006

A1 Team Malaysia took the first double win of the season at the A1GP Brno, Czech Republic.

12 November 2006

In a challenging weekend for all involved, A1GP overcame all the obstacles to become the first ever racing series to compete in the streets of Chinas capital city, Beijing.

12 November 2006

A1GP announced the appointment of its new CEO, Pete da Silva. Da Silva joined A1GP from Siemens, South Africa.

6 December 2006

A1GP World Cup of Motorsport significantly expanded its global television reach, signing an exclusive broadcast deal with America's SPEED channel and a terrestrial highlights package with Channel Five in the UK.

21 January 2007

A1 Team New Zealand made the best ever finish of any home team at the series first visit to Taupo. The event was a huge success and the enthusiastic crowd made it clear that drivers Jonny Reid and Matt Halliday were well supported.

4 February 2007

A1 Team China made its first ever step on the podium finishing third in the A1GP Sydney, Australia. Germany continued to show its dominance of the season taking its sixth consecutive victory.

25 February 2007

In an action-packed Durban street race, A1 Team Pakistan managed to stay on course, scoring their first point of the series despite being the last team to cross the finish line. Germanys win made driver Nico Hülkenberg the most successful individual driver in A1GP history.

26 March 2007

Rookie Oliver Jarvis broke A1 Team Great Britains duck giving the team its maiden victory in the Mexico City Feature race. Despite finish third overall in the first season and sitting in third place again in the 2006/07, Great Britain had made it 39 races without a single win.

15 April 2007

A1 Team Germanys third place finish in the Shanghai Feature race was enough to put them clear of New Zealand in the championship standings, making them the 2006/7 world champions.

29 April 2007

A1 Team Great Britain broke the home race curse, winning the Brands Hatch Sprint race at the 2006/07 season finale. Forty-two races into the series, Great Britain became the first team to win on home soil.

30 April 2007

Seven-times Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher honoured the success of his county in the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport, presenting A1 Team Germany with the World Cup trophy at the series end of season awards ceremony. 1 August 2007 A1GP revealed its calendar for the third season adding a new race in Zhuhai, China.

Source : http://www.theautochannel.com (11/11/2007)

A1GP Team Pakistan

2010-02-24T14:16:00.000-08:00

The 08/09 season saw wholesale changes not just at A1GP but within Team Pakistan. On September 10, 2008 Adam Khan was announced to hold the dual-role of race driver, and seat holder of A1 Team Pakistan for the 2008-09 season. replacing Arif Hussain who had successfully established A1 Team Pakistan. Team Craft took over the running of the team. The team has not yet participated in the season as Adam Khan is too big for the new Ferrari built chassis.

The chassis was eventually built ahead of Round 5 in Gauteng, however Khan did not race for undisclosed reasons. He did not race in Round 6 either due to a date clash with his ING Renault F1 Team demonstration driver duties, and did not compete in the final round.

Via: Wikipedia

Events

2010-02-22T17:58:00.000-08:00

The important festivals of the year are either religious occasions or a commemoration of the creation of the country. Eid-al-Fitr follows the month of fasting, Ramadan. Eid-al-Adha is celebrated in memory of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son to God. These religious holidays vary every year according to the lunar calendar and are occasions for families and friends to visit each other, share gifts and special treats. People dress in their finest clothes for these festivities. Money is donated to the poor and an animal is sacrificed by those who can afford it.

National holidays include:

Independence Day (August 14)
Death anniversary of Quaid-E-Azam, Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan (September 11)
Birthday of Quaid-E-Azam (December 25)

Other holidays are
Pakistan Day (March 23) which commemorates the passing of the Pakistan Resolution
National Defense Day (September 6)
Labor Day (May 1)

Pakistan Communications

2010-02-22T17:56:00.001-08:00

COMMUNICATIONS: Telephone: IDD is available. Country code: 92. Outgoing international code: 00.

Fax: Services are operated by the Pakistan telephone and telegraph department. Telegram: There are services at post offices, telegraph offices and main hotels. The Central Telegraph Offices provide a 24-hour service.

Post: Airmail takes four to five days to reach Western Europe. There are poste restante facilities in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi. General post offices in major cities offer 24-hour services. Important letters should be registered or insured.

Press: The English-language press enjoys a great deal of influence in business circles. Dailies include The Financial Post, The Leader, The Pakistan Observer, The Pakistan Times, The Star, The Nation, The News, The Frontier Post, The Muslim, The Business Recorder and Dawn.

Introducing Pakistan

2010-02-22T17:43:00.000-08:00

Pakistan displays some of Asia’s most magnificent landscapes as it stretches from the Arabian Sea, its southern border, to some of the world’s most spectacular mountain ranges in the north. Pakistan is also home to sites that date back to word’s earliest settlements rivaling those of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.

Location

Located in South Asia, Pakistan shares an eastern border with India and a north-eastern border with China. Iran makes up the country’s south-west border, and Afghanistan runs along its western and northern edge. The Arabian Sea is Pakistan’s southern boundary with 1,064 km of coastline.

The country has a total area of 796,095 sq km and is nearly four times the size of the United Kingdom. From Gwadar Bay in its south-eastern corner, the country extends more than 1,800 km to the Khunjerab Pass on China’s border.

The National Flag of Pakistan is dark green in colour with a white bar, a white crescent in the centre and a five-pointed star. The significance of the colour and symbols used in the Pakistan Flag is as follows:

The white and dark green field represents Minorities & Muslim majority,respectively.
The crescent on the Flag represents progress.
The five-rayed star represents light and knowledge.

Languages and Literature

2010-02-18T14:15:00.000-08:00

Languages and Literature with the arrival of the Muslims and later the British, India witnessed rise and fall of many foreign languages both as official and widely spoken national and regional languages. From Indian "Sanskrit" script to Arabic and Persian and later English and then revival of indigenous languages is a journey of more than a thousand years. This transition brought to fore one distinct change: Hindi for Hindus and Urdu ( a new language) for the Muslims, while English being common to both as official or "Daftari" language. Continuing with the British system of official language of, English continues to be the official language of Pakistan till date , while Urdu is the national language and lingua franca.

"Urdu", a language that has originated between the 11th to 13th centuries became a language for the invaders who came from different language regions. Later it also became the language of the Muslims. Although it is spoken as a first language by only 8% of the population, upon partition was recognised as the national language of Pakistan for its easy understanding by majority of the population.
Urdu derives its origin from the Turkish ""Orda" (camp). With he emergence of the Turkish and the Persians, a need was felt to have a common language which could be equally understandable by both the foreigners and the natives. So by combining the Hindi, Persian and Turkish, a new language was born. Camp followers, traders and native soldiers working with the invaders all helped to shape the original lingua franca, which is why Urdu is also known as the 'Lashkari (camp)' language. Urdu thus owes its syntax to the subcontinent as English does to Anglo-Saxon Dom. Like English it is harmonious and musical without being monotonous. Initially it was a more of a literary language, specially in poetry, than its household application. Mir Taqi Mair a renowned Muslim poet of 18th century once remarked that Urdu was the language that was spoken at the doorsteps of the Dheli's great red mosque. Hyderabad Daccen, which had a Muslim ruling class fostered Urdu culture. The language continued to be patronized more by the Muslims than Hindus and thus was adopted as the "National" language of Pakistan at the time of independence. Generally, the majority of Pakistanis can speak or understand two or more languages, one being Urdu which is widely understood and spoken in all parts of Pakistan, in addition to the native languages of each area.

The Regional Languages

"Sindhi" is the language widely spoken in the lower Sind province and is one of the oldest native languages of the subcontinent. With its unique spoken accent and four dots, it is very pleasant to listen to. 12% people, mainly in Sind speak Sindhi. Sindhi word is derived from the river Indus Called Sindh or Sindhu which runs from Ladakh to Arabian Sea. Sindhi language is an Indo-Aryan language which has mixed with Arabic Sanskirit and Persian with course of time. It has its own script which is similar to Arabic but with lot of extra accents and phonetic. There are 52 characters in Sindhi language. Quraan was first time translated into Sindhi in back in 12th century or earlier.

"Punjabi", is the language of Punjab and adjoining areas. As a first language, about 48% people all over Pakistan speak Punjabi. In addition to this, "Saraiki" a variance of Punjabi is spoken by around 10%. "Hindko" yet another regional language, mainly spoken in NWFP closely associates with Punjabi and about 2% speak this language. Punjabi, Hindko and Seraiki, all mutually intelligible, are classified by linguists as dialects of Lahnda. Added together, speakers of these mutually-intelligible languages make up nearly two-thirds of Pakistan's population. These are also, to a lesser extent, mutually intelligible with Urdu, and it can easily be understood by even those whose mother tongue is not Punjabi.

"Pushto" is the language of most of the people living in the NWFP and is also widely spoken in adjoining areas of Afghanistan. Although a little hard to speak has it own charm. 8% people of Pakistan speak Pushto, mainly in the NWFP and Balochistan.

"Balochi" is the language of the Balochistan province. Brahwi and Pushto languages are also spoken in the province. The ratio of Balochi and Brahwi is 3% and 1% respectively. Balochi and Pushto draw their roots from the Persian language.

Chambeili ( Jasmine ) The National Flower of Pakistan

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Flora and natural landscape of any country or region largely hinges on its climate, geography, closeness to sea and mountains besides soil type and precipitation. from sea shore, the altitude in Pakistan rises to 8,611 m (height of K-2, the second highest peak of the world), and temperature varies from sub-zero in the glacier-clad mountains to 52°C (125°F) at Sibi (Balochistan province) and Mianwali (Punjab). The average annual precipitation ranges from as low as .50 mm at Nok Kundi in Balochistan to 2032 mm in the northern mountain ranges. This diversity in altitude, temperature and precipitation has resulted in a diversity of biotic communities, and a relatively rich flora of at least 5,700 species of various form of plants.

Markhor - National Animal of Pakistan

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The Markhor (Capra falconeri), is the largest member of the goat family,[2] and is found in northeastern Afghanistan, northern India (southwest Jammu and Kashmir), northern and central Pakistan, southern Tajikistan and southern Uzbekistan. The species is classed by the IUCN as Endangered, as there are less than 2,500 mature individuals which continued to decline by an estimated 20% over 2 generations.

Via: Wikipedia

Pakistan Postage Stamps

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Chakur (Partridge) - National Bird of Pakistan

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The Chukar (Alectoris chukar) is a Eurasian upland game bird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds. Its native range in Asia from Pakistan and Kashmir, India and Afghanistan. It is closely related and similar to its western equivalent, the Red-legged Partridge, Alectoris rufa. The Chukar is a rotund 32-35 cm long bird, with a light brown back, grey breast, and buff belly. The face is white with a black gorget. It has rufous-streaked flanks and red legs. When disturbed, it prefers to run rather than fly, but if necessary it flies a short distance on rounded wings. Chukar prefer rocky, steep, and open hillsides. The Chukar is a resident breeder in dry, open, and often hilly country. In the wild, Chukar travel in groups of 5-40 birds called coveys. It nests in a scantily lined ground scrape laying 8 to 20 eggs. Chukars will take a wide variety of seeds and some insects as food. When in captivity, they will lay 1 egg per day throughout the breeding season if the eggs are collected daily. For hunters, Chakur is a very challneging bird becuase of its surgical upward flights and sudden disappearances in the bushes.

Religion and Pakistan

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The Islamic republic of Pakistan and Islam are synonymous since Pakistan was carved out of the Hindu dominated British India so that Muslims could live and practice their religion free of any bondage, subjugation and fear.Today, about 97 percent of all Pakistanis are Muslims. As per a rough estimate, Sunni Muslims constitute 77 percent of the population and that adherents of Shia Islam make up an additional 20 percent. This makes Pakistan the second largest Sunni population in the world (after Indonesia) and the second largest Shia population in the world (after Iran). Most of the Sunnis adhere to the Hanafi school of jurisprudence, whilst most of the Shias belong to the Ithna 'ashariyah school of jurisprudence. Smaller Muslim sects include the Ismailis and the Dawoodi Bohras. Christians, Hindus, and members of other religions each account for about 1 percent of the population. Although, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a predominant Muslim state, its minorities are given equal opportunities to participate in the affairs of the state with complete freedom and the right to practice their own faith. This is manifested in the form of large number churches, temples and other holy places of minority religion population.

Islam is the dominating religion of almost 97% people of Pakistan, since Pakistan was carved out of the erstwhile British India on the basic plea by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan that Hindus and Muslims are two separate entities and they cannot coexist under one roof for many reasons, religion and religion related dissimilarities being the major cause. While Hindus worshipped cow, Muslims, like all other religions, ate it as a blessing from the Almighty Allah. Hindus drink urine, while Muslims treated as impure thing to do. Hindus turned towards hand made idols for worship, while the Muslims bowed in humility towards the all powerful Creator of the mankind and the universe. Therefore Muslims of India decided to find a place for themselves where they could be free to practice their religion as per the aspirations and tenants of Islam. The popular slogan at that time was "Pakistan Ka Matlab Kia - La Illah ha Illilal La" (What is the meaning of Pakistan - There is no God but Allah").

The central belief in Islam is that there is only one God, Allah, and that the Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him) was his final messenger. Muhammad is held to be the "seal of the prophets." Islam is derived from the Judeo-Christian tradition and regards Abraham (Ibrahim) and Jesus (Isa) as prophets and recognizes the validity of the Old Testament and New Testament. The word Islam comes from aslama (to submit), and the one who submits- -a Muslim- is a believer who achieves peace, or salaam. God, the creator, is invisible and omnipresent; to represent God in any form is a sin.

The Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him) was born in A.D. 570 and became a merchant in the Arabian town of Mecca. At the age of forty, he began to receive a series of revelations from God revealed through the angel Gabriel. His monotheistic message, which disdained the idolatry that was popularly practiced at the Kaaba (now in the Great Mosque and venerated as a shrine of Muslim pilgrimage) in Mecca at that time, was ridiculed by the town's leaders. Muhammad and his followers were forced to emigrate in 622 to the nearby town of Yathrib, later known as Medina or "the city." This move, the hijra, marks the beginning of the Islamic era. In the ten years before his death in 632, the Prophet continued preaching and receiving revelations, ultimately consolidating both the temporal and the spiritual leadership of Arabia.

The Quran, the holy scripture of Islam, plays a pivotal role in Muslim social organization and values. The Quran, which literally means "reciting," is recognized by believers as truly the word of God, and as such it is eternal, absolute, and irrevocable. The fact that the Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him) was the last of the prophets and that no further additions to "the word" are allowed is significant; it closes the door to new revelations. That there can be no authorized translation of the Quran in any language other than the original, Arabic, is crucial to its unifying importance.

The Prophet's life is considered exemplary. His active engagement in worldly activities established precedents for Muslims to follow. These precedents, referred to as the hadith, include the statements, actions, and moods or feelings of the Prophet. The Quran and the hadith together form the sunna, a comprehensive guide to spiritual, ethical, and social living.

The five pillars of Islam consist of certain beliefs and acts to which a Muslim must adhere to affirm membership in the community. The first is the shahada (testimony), the affirmation of the faith, which succinctly states the central belief of Islam: "There is no god but God (Allah), and Muhammad is his Prophet." To become a Muslim, one needs only to recite this statement. Second is salat, the obligation for a Muslim to pray at five set times during the day. Muslims value prayers recited communally, especially the midday prayers on Friday, the Muslim sabbath. Mosques have emerged as important social and political centers as a by-product of this unifying value. The third pillar of Islam is zakat, the obligation to provide alms for the poor and disadvantaged. The fourth is saum, the obligation to fast from sunrise to sunset during the holy month of Ramadan, in commemoration of the beginning of the Prophet's revelations from Allah. The final pillar is the expectation that every adult Muslim physically and financially able to do so perform the hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca, at least once in his or her lifetime. The pilgrimage occurs during the last month of the Muslim lunar calendar, just over a month after the end of Ramadan. Its social importance as a unifier of the greater Muslim umma (community of believers) has led to the establishment of hajj committees for its regulation in every Muslim country. The pilgrimage of a Muslim to the sacred places at any other time of the year is referred to as umra (visitation).

The concept of predestination in Islam is different from that in Christianity. Islam posits the existence of an all-powerful force (Allah) who rules the universe and knows all things. Something will happen- inshaallah- if it is God's will. The concept is not purely fatalistic, for although people are responsible to God for their actions, these actions are not predestined. Instead, God has shown the world the right way to live as revealed through the Quran; then it is up to individual believers to choose how to live.

There are two major sects, the Sunnis and the Shia, in Islam. They are differentiated by Sunni acceptance of the temporal authority of the Khulfa-e-Rashudin - Caliphate (Abu Bakr, Omar, Usman, and Ali) after the death of the Prophet and the Shia acceptance solely of Ali, the Prophet's cousin and husband of his daughter, Fatima, and his descendants. Over time, the Sunni sect divided into four major schools of jurisprudence; of these, the Hanafi school is predominant in Pakistan. The Shia sect split over the matter of succession, resulting in two major groups: the majority Twelve Imam Shia believe that there are twelve rightful imams, Ali and his eleven direct descendants. A second Shia group, the numerically smaller Ismaili community, known also as Seveners, follows a line of imams that originally challenged the Seventh Imam and supported a younger brother, Ismail. The Ismaili line of leaders has been continuous down to the present day. The current leader, Prince Karim Agha Khan, who is active in international humanitarian efforts, is a direct descendant of Ali.

The mosques are place of worship of the Muslims and are revered in high religious esteem. Muslims take much love and care while constructing mosques to express their faithfulness and allegiance to Allah. The Muguls during their rule in India, constructed some of the most exotic and beautiful mosques in the world. Badshahi Mosque in Lahore stands as the symbol of Islam throughout the world of Islam. Some other beautiful mosques of Pakistan include the Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, Masjid Wazir Khan (Lahore), Masjid Mohabat Khan (Peshawar), Idgah Mosque (Multan), Bhong Mosque (Rahim Yar Khan) and the beautiful Shah Jahan Mosque of Thatta.

Other Religions in Pakistan

Christians are the largest religious minority community in Pakistan, numbering only around 1.6 million people, or 1% of Pakistan's entire population, according to the sources cited in the Demographics of Pakistan. Christians found their way to India through missionaries accompanied colonizing forces from Portugal, France and Great Britain, but in north western India, today's Pakistan, Christianity was mainly brought by the British rulers of India in the later 18th and 19th century. This is evidenced in cities established by the British, such as the port city of Karachi, where the St. Patrick's Cathedral, Pakistan's largest church stands, and the churches in the city of Rawalpindi, where the British established a major military cantonment. Christians have made immense contributions to the Pakistani national life. Pakistan's first non-Muslim and certainly most respected Chief Justice of Pakistan Supreme Court was Justice A R Cornelius. Pakistani Christians also distinguished themselves as great fighter pilots in the Pakistan Air Force. Notable amongst them are Cecil Chaudhry, Peter O'Reilly and Mervyn L Middlecoat. Christians have also contributed as educationists, doctors, lawyers and businessmen.

Sikhism in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan constitute a very small minority religion, but has many cultural, historical and political ties to the country, and to the historical region of Punjab. Pakistan has a significant place in Sikhism. Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism was born in present-day Pakistan, and it is said he received his message near Lahore. Therefore, the religion actually originated in Pakistan. Most of Sikhism's holy sites are located in Pakistan. Many other great Sikh leaders, including Ranjit Singh and several gurus, were born in Pakistan.

Prior to the Partition of India in 1947, which divided British India into its successor states of Pakistan and India, Sikhs were spread all across the region of Punjab and played an important role in its economy as businessmen and traders. Lahore, the capital of (now Pakistani) Punjab was then and still is today the location of many important religious and historical sites for Sikhs, including the Samadhi of Ranjit Singh. The nearby town of Nankana Sahib has nine gurdwaras, and is the birthplace of Sikhism's founder, Guru Nanak Dev. Each of Nankana Sahib's gurdwaras are associated with different events in Guru Nanak Dev's life. The town remains an important site of pilgrimage for Sikhs worldwide. The historical and holy sites of Sikhs are maintained by a Pakistani governmental body, the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, which is responsible for their upkeep and preservation.

The largest Sikh population in Pakistan is found in Peshawar, in the Northwest Frontier Province. Sikhs are also found in sizable communities in Waziristan and Swat of the Northwest Frontier Province. There are also pockets of Sikhs in Lahore, Nankana Sahib, and Hassan Abdal in Punjab, and Gwadar, Kalat, and Quetta districts of Balochistan. The (West) Punjab and Sindh provinces of Pakistan were mostly emptied of their Sikh and Hindu population during the process of partition. Today, very large segments of the populations of East Punjab and Haryana states and Delhi in India can trace their ancestry back to towns and villages now in Pakistan, including current Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Recently, due to open door policy, Pakistani Sikhs have been given commission into the Pakistan Army.

Gurudwara Dera Sahib Panjvin Patshahi - Shrine of Guru Arjan Dev (1563- 1606 A.D) Lahore : Gurudwara Dera Sahib is situated opposite Lahore Fort near Badshahi Mosque. This is the place where Sat Gur Arjun Dev Ji was martyred in the River Ravi facing the tortures inflicted by Chandu on 30th May 1606 AD. The Gurudwara was built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the memory of Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Sikh Guru who complied the Adi Granth, the principal part of Sikh scriptures. This shrine has a highly gilded attractive dome. The followers of Guru Arjan Singh assert that it is the same spot where Guru Arjan Dev miraculously disappeared in 1606 A.D. in the waters of river Ravi. The site where Guru Arjun Dev was martyred a Thara (platform) Sahib was built at by Guru Hargobind Ji in Samvat 1919 when he came to Lahore visiting Gur Asthans.

Hinduism was once the main religion of areas that are now included in Pakistan and dates back to Mehrgarh and Indus Valley Civilizations. It remained unchallenged religion of the Indian sub-continent till the first invasion of Arabs in 711 AD by Muhammad Bin Qasim. Thereafter, it endured many conquests and invasions, different rulers, and ultimately political separation from the Hindu-majority India. In August 1947, at the end of British Raj, the population percentage of Hindus in what is today Pakistan was perhaps as high as 30-35%, but would drop to its current total of less than 2 % in the years since partition. When Pakistan gained independence in August 1947, over 7 million Hindus and Sikhs from what was East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and Pakistan's Punjab and Sindh provinces left this new state for India, and a similar number of Muslims moved the other way. Many Hindus who attained great success in the public eye in India, like the film stars Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Raj Kapoor, and Sunil Dutt trace their birthplaces and ancestral homes to the towns of Pakistan. Independent India's first Test cricket captain, Lala Amarnath hailed from Lahore, and former home Minister Lal Krishna Advani was born in Karachi.

Others: Besides, a small faction of Parsis and Zoroastrians also practice their faith, most of whom generally reside in Karachi. Pakistan is also the birthplace of Mahayana Buddhism, the form of Buddhism that is practiced by most Buddhists today, including those in India, Japan, China, Korea, and Vietnam. The religion enjoyed prominence in the northwestern section of the country up until the Islamic conquest.