Pakmetro Blog

The Teen Talwar in Karachi get a touch of Sindhi flavour.

2014-02-21T13:06:00.001+05:00

This impressive monument can be found in the area of Clifton.
Karachi has many landmarks, but the Teen Talwar really stands-out. The three white marble swords symbolize (and are inscribed with the dogma of Pakistan's founder, Mohammad Ali Jinnah) Unity, Faith and Discipline. ("ittehad, yaqeen-e-muhkam, tanzeem.") This lovely tribute was commissioned by the former President & Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (Quaid-e-Awam). The abundance of white, good-quality marble in the city's vicinity has apparently encouraged its wide use for the creation of many monuments, lending a symbolic nature of grandeur & purity.

Stockholm’s Immaculate Public Library

2014-02-13T11:19:00.001+05:00

Stockholm’s Immaculate Public Library

Housing over four million volumes of text and media, Stockholm’s nearly century-old public library is a must-see for traveling logophiles. For the internationally minded, their abundant supply of Spanish, Persian, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese and Russian texts is hard to beat.

Anara Tower

2014-02-01T16:59:00.001+05:00

Anara Tower was a proposed super tall skyscraper located in Dubai. It would have been 600m tall with 135 floors. It was designed to look like a massive wind turbine. The building was cancelled in 2009.

MUCH TO CHEER IN PAKISTAN

2012-06-06T23:40:00.001+05:00

Some facts for the faint hearted Pakistanis

The Gallup 2012 Well Being survey reports that 20% of Pakistanis say they are "thriving". Even with the high levels of corruption and security situations facing the country, Pakistan still ranks better than their neighbours in Bangladesh (16%) and India (11%).

Pakistan's Stock Markets are booming, hitting new 4-year highs. Share prices are driven by healthy profits and foreign buying, making the KSE-100 the third fastest growing index in the world.

Pakistan’s bustling IT Industry is now worth $2.8 billion and growing. Pakistan also leads the world in biometric IT services with the world’s biggest biometric database.

Today, Pakistan's economy is the 27th largest in the world. As Part of "the Next 11" group of nations, it is one of the top 15 emerging economies (BRIC + Next11). Pakistan will be among the top 20 largest economies in the world by 2020.

Preliminary official estimates are indicating that Pakistan's nominal per capita income has increased by 9% to $1372 in 2011-12 from $1258 in 2010-11.

Pakistan is still a country with significant population of poor people. However, its recent levels of poverty are among the lowest in South Asia. Life expectancy in Pakistan has jumped from 32 years in 1947 to 67 years in 2009. Preliminary estimates are also showing that the poverty rate in Pakistan has declined from 17.2% in 2008 to 12% in 2011.

Literacy is also a very important indicator of progress. Though the literacy in Pakistan has increased from about 10% in 1947 to about 60% today, it remains dismally low relative to many other nations. However, a closer examination of literacy data by age groups shows that the literacy rates are rising by every generation.
Age +55 = 30%
Ages 15 to 25 = 70% (Male 80%, Female 60% - UNICEF)

Enabling virtual education is the high-speed broadband expansion led by PTCL which has propelled Pakistan to become the fourth fastest growing broadband market in the world and the second fastest in Asia, according to a recent industry report. Serbia leads all countries surveyed with a 68% annual growth rate from 2010 to 2011. Thailand (67%), Belarus (50%), Pakistan (46%), and Jordan (44%) all follow Serbia.

Based on hunger data collected from 2003 to 2008, The International Food Policy Research (IFPRI) has reported that Pakistan's hunger index score improved over the last three consecutive years reported since 2008 from 21.7 (2008) to 21.0 (2009) to 19.1 (2010) and its ranking rose from 61 to 59.

The Gallup survey confirms that only 28% of Pakistanis have confidence in their national government which stems from the obvious failure of the state in delivering basic services such as rule-of-law, security and electricity to the people. The best way to improve the well-being of the people is to improve governance, reduce corruption and persuade people to pay taxes to give the state more resources.

While the worst 5% of the Pakistan story gets all the headlines, the reality of Pakistan today as vibrant society and a strong nation gets ignored by the mainstream media. The real story of Pakistan is the resilience of its 180 million citizens who continue to strive to make it better and stronger.

DESTINATION PAKISTAN..........Ski Resorts of Pakistan.

2012-01-04T21:43:00.000+05:00

The two major Skiing resorts in Pakistan are in Malam Jabba (Swat Valley) and Naltar Valley (near Gilgit). The Malam Jabba Resort was much more developed with a great hotel and all skiing facilitiies but all are destroyed by terrorist and rehabilitation work is underway. However, Naltar requires some work but still is a very beautiful area and lots of snowfall in the winter. There are also 2 ski lifts here and Ski competition is organized regularly by PAF.

Malam Jabba

Malam Jabba is a Hill Station in the Karakoram mountain range nearly 40 km from Saidu Sharif in Swat Valley. Malam Jabba is the most famous ski resort in Pakistan. The area also contains two Buddhist stupas and six monasteries that are scattered around the resort. The presence of the monuments at such a height indicates that the area has been inhabited for over 2000 years.

The Malam Jabba Ski Resort owned by the Pakistani Tourism Development Corporation, had a ski slope of about 800 m with the highest point of the slope 2804 m (9200 ft) above sea level. Malam Jabba Ski Resort was the joint effort of the Pakistan government with its Austrian counterpart. The resort was equipped with modern facilities including roller/ice-skating rinks, chair lifts, skiing platforms, telephones and snow clearing equipment.

In late June 2008, the Malam Jabba Ski Resort was set on fire and destroyed after being closed for more than a year. A large portion of the resort had been reduced to ashes and the militants also damaged chairlifts and a tower belonging to the meteorological department. In May 2009 however the army started an offensive against the Taliban and retook the town. The ski hill at the resort has now been rebuilt and is fully operational. The hotel has undergone reconstruction and rehabilitation.

Malam Jabba is at almost 1 ½ hours drive from Mangora Town in Swat valley. In winters one can easily reach there through jeeps from Mangora

Naltar Valley

Naltar is a valley near Gilgit and Hunza in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan. Naltar is 40 km from Gilgit and can be reached by jeeps. Naltar is a forested village known for its wildlife and magnificent mountain scenery. Now the communication is available by the efforts of Pakistan army signal corps. There are ski lifts under the 'Ski Federation of Pakistan'. Transport is available from Gilgit to Naltar.

After Terrorists attack on Malam Jabba, Naltar is rightly called the Home of Skiing in Pakistan. Naltar is the oldest Ski resort of Pakistan at an altitude of 10500 feet. Naltar has Ski slope of almost 600 meters. There is a base camp of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) at Naltar. Ski Competitions are held at Naltar regularly under the supervision of PAF. Pakistan Skiing Federation has installed two lifts at the skiing sites and is also planning to install another one there.

DESTINATION PAKISTAN........Trekker's Paradise

2011-12-11T02:20:00.000+05:00

The mountain ranges of Pakistan offer breathtaking, action-packed trekking routes. Pakistan hosts Hindukush, Pamirs, Himalayas and Karakoram, they contain the world's densest concentration of high peaks (five out of 14 highest). There are limitless possibilities for trekking, mountaineering, skiing, and river rafting. Within this alluring arena, the Baltistan region, occupy the central place, with special points of interest for the trekker.

In almost every part of Pakistan, there is a variety of trekking adventure options awaiting the trekker, some soft, others not so. In this vast wonderland, trekking itineraries from one to four weeks or more provide endless opportunities for discovery for the trekker.

In Pakistan Trekking enthusiast can also explore the rugged beauty of the lofty mountains romancing the sparkling waterfalls. One can experience the thrill of sheer adventure on countless trekking tracks in Pakistan.

The Northern Areas of Pakistan are called Roof of the World . Nowhere in the world is such a great concentration of high mountains, peaks, glaciers, and passes except in Pakistan. Of the 14 over 8,000 meters high peaks on our earth planet, four occupy an amphitheatre at the head of Baltoro Glacier in the Karakoram Range: K-2 (8,611 meters, originally called Chogo-ri which in Balti language means 'king of the mountains,' of all the world's mountains second only to Mount Everest), Gashabrum-I (8,068 meters), Broad Peak (8,047 meters) and Gashabrum-II (8,035 meters).

There is yet another, which is equally great, Nanga Parbat (8,126 meters), located at the western most corner of the Himalayas. There are 42 other peaks which are higher than all the highest peaks of the other continents. In addition to that, there are 160 peaks over 7,000 meters and 700 others over 6,000 meters.

The Northern Pakistan is also home to some of the longest glaciers outside Polar region; Siachen (72 kilometers), Hispar (61 kilometers), Biafo (60 kilometers), Baltoro (60 kilometers) and Batura (64 kilometers). Besides the high mountains, Northern Areas' longest glaciers including the Godwin Austin, Abruzzin and Baltoro which meet at Concordia forms the largest glacial lake at a height of 4720 meters.

The enchanting valleys of Hunza, Shigar, Khaplu, Ishkuman, Naltar, Gilgit, Skardu, Chitral, Dir and the glacial lakes like Kachura, Satpara, Lalusar, and Saiful Muluk add unmatched grandeur to the beauty of the rugged mountains. The Northern Areas with its flora and fauna; the wildlife which can be seen in the form of snow leopards, ibexes and urials; and the variety of people who live in these areas with their diverse cultural heritage and millennia-old civilizations form a paradise for the tourists, trekkers, and mountaineers from all around the world.

The mountaineering & trekking season in Pakistan roughly runs between April and November, but some routes are only open for a couple of months, each year.

Trekking in Pakistan is an unforgettable experience as it not only let you to experience the unexplored trails made by nature, but also bring the visitor directly in touch with the country and its people and helps you to appreciate the mountain environment.

Pakistani Media- Forth Pillar, Fifth Column

2011-12-07T18:36:00.001+05:00

Here you go people, another great short film by some very talented Pakistani Youngsters, I am loving the facts that our youth has realized many things (our mainstream media has been ignoring) and are expressing it through any mean possible, hats off to the team for the idea and the execution.

NATO Agression on Pakistani Posts

2011-11-27T23:58:00.001+05:00

On the night of 25/26 November NATO helicopters and fighter aircraft carried out unprovoked firing on two Pakistani Army border posts in Mahmand Agency as a result of which 24 troops embraced shahadat and 13 were injured. There is absolutely no justification for this open and blatant murder, Pakistan has given complete list of all BOP's to NATO, all posts are clearly marked with Pakistani flag. NATO described the killings as a “tragic unintended incident” and said an investigation was underway. A Western official and an Afghan security official said NATO troops were responding to fire from across the border. What a stupid justification!!!! Self-defense against whom? Sleeping soldiers in their barracks? It is a clear massacre.

Rage grips Pakistan over the attack, Thousands gathered outside the American consulate in the city of Karachi to protest against the NATO attack. “America is attacking our borders. The government should immediately break ties with it,” said Naseema Baluch, a housewife attending the demonstration. “America wants to occupy our country but we will not let it do that.”

Pakistan in return conveyed its 'rage' to the United States over this cross-border NATO air strikes, as it ordered a full-scale review of its frosty alliance with the US and NATO. The United States, which depends on Pakistan as a vital life-line to supply 130,000 foreign troops fighting in landlocked Afghanistan, on Sunday scrambled to salvage the alliance, backing a full inquiry and expressing condolences. The Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC) in its emergency meeting chaired by Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Saturday evening reiterated the resolve of the Pakistani people and Armed Forces to safeguard the country’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity at all costs.the DCC decided to close with immediate effect the NATO/ISAF logistics supply lines. The DCC also decided to ask the United States (US) to vacate the Shamsi Airbase within 15 days.

People of Pakistan want strong actions against such incidents, halting the NATO supply is a good move but lets see will it last long. It is also important that whether Pakistan Government has the guts to kick Americans out of Shamsi Base.

Saeed Ajmal - Best ODI Bowler of the World- ICC Cricket Ratings Update

2011-11-24T13:46:00.004+05:00

Saeed Ajmal - Best ODI Bowler of the World
ICC Cricket Ratings Update after the Pakistan VS Srilanka Series 2011
Well, well, well.... What a Series it was... I am sure most of the Pakistanis must have loved it... A Series win against the No. 2 Best ODI team of the world, when Pakistan was sitting at No. 6 that too with a huge margin. Great work boys... I know most of the Pakistanis must be praising Shahid Afridi for his heroics, but one must not forget that it was due to a team effort plus Misbah's captaincy. Umar Akmal, Saeed Ajmal, Imran Farhat, Younus Khan, Sohail Tanveer, Aizaz Cheema, Umar Gul, all performed well. Misbah though wasn't inform until the final match of the series but his captaincy was flawless. So now the Good NEWS... Pakistan is now ranked No. 5 in the ICC Cricket ratings for ODI teams, trailing by just 4 rating points from 4th ranked Srilanka. Pakistan may have been enjoying the 4th spot if they hadn't lost the only match of the series. ICC ratings for the ODI teams are as follows

Reliance ICC ODI Ranking

	Team	Matches	Points	Rating
1	Australia	33	4291	130
2	India	39	4603	118
3	South Africa	22	2537	115
4	Sri Lanka	33	3693	112
5	Pakistan	34	3664	108
6	England	35	3706	106
7	New Zealand	25	2174	87
8	West Indies	22	1711	78
9	Bangladesh	29	1836	63
10	Zimbabwe	30	1402	47
11	Ireland	12	492	41
12	Netherlands	9	137	15
13	Kenya	7	0	0
Developed by David Kendix			Last Updated: Thu, Nov 24, 2011

Pakistan's next major series is against England early next year, and if the always-in-doubt series against India goes as anticipated in March 2012, Pakistan will have a great chance to improve their ratings as India is current enjoying 2nd spot in the ICC cricket ratings for ODIs. Interestingly Pakistan has the most wins and best Win/loss ratio in 2011 amongst all the test playing Nations. Please see the list below.

Result summary ODI 2011*
Team	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	NR	%
Afghanistan	2	2	0	0	0	100.00
Australia	25	18	6	0	1	75.00
Bangladesh	17	6	11	0	0	35.29
Canada	10	1	9	0	0	10.00
England	30	11	16	2	1	41.37
India	29	17	9	2	1	64.28
Ireland	12	4	8	0	0	33.33
Kenya	8	0	8	0	0	0.00
Netherlands	10	2	8	0	0	20.00
New Zealand	17	9	7	0	1	56.25
Pakistan	29	21	7	0	1	75.00
Scotland	4	3	1	0	0	75.00
South Africa	15	9	6	0	0	60.00
Sri Lanka	28	14	12	0	2	53.84
West Indies	23	9	13	0	1	40.90
Zimbabwe	17	6	11	0	0	35.29

The result percentage excludes no results and counts ties as half a win. *As of 24th November 2011

Saeed Ajmal Best ODI Bowler of the World

Well as for the players, Saeed Ajmal is enjoying the prime form of his career. After the recent series against Sri-lanka he is now World's No 1 bowler in the ICC cricket Ratings for ODI bowlers, also Shahid Afridi and Muhammad Hafeez are now in Top 10 Bowlers of the world. Afridi is at No. 7 followed by very talented Muhammad Hafeez at No. 8. Which makes three of the Pakistani spinners in the Top 10 Bowlers. Now this is a phenomena which Pakistanis are not used to of.. I mean three bowlers in Top 10 is not an issue but three spin bowlers??? since when spin bowling has become Pakistan's strength, and this is not because Pakistan's faster bowlers didn't perform well, they threatened the Srilankan top order and gave Pakistan early breakthroughs but the spinners didn't give them chance to take anymore wickets at the end of the innings. Umar Gul, Aizaz Cheema, Sohail Tanveer were all good but they took only 12 wickets collectively, add Abdul Razzaq's 2 and Junaid Khan's 1 and the total No. of wickets taken by seamers become 15. Where as Afridi, Ajmal and Hafeez took, 13, 12 and 5 wickets respectively making it 30 wickets total, double the No of wickets 5 seamers got collectively. Below is the Reliance ICC ranking for ODI after the Pakistan Srilanka Series 2011

	Rat.	Name	Career Best Rating
1	693	Saeed Ajmal	693 v Sri Lanka, 23/11/2011
2	691	D.L. Vettori	789 v England, 23/02/2008
3	689	G.P. Swann	735 v India, 14/10/2011
4	688	M.G. Johnson	729 v Bangladesh, 03/09/2008
5	678	M. Morkel	704 v India, 23/01/2011
6	660	D.E. Bollinger	676 v England, 21/01/2011
7	655	Shahid Afridi	667 v Sri Lanka, 20/11/2011
8	645	Mohammad Hafeez	645 v Sri Lanka, 23/11/2011
9	644	D.W. Steyn	668 v India, 12/03/2011
10	639	Shakib Al Hasan	717 v Zimbabwe, 05/11/2009
11	637	S.L. Malinga	679 v Bangladesh, 23/07/2007

I have included Lasith Malinga in the list at No. 11. He has taken most wickets in 2011 (48 wickets) followed by Shahid Afridi (40 wickets), whereas Saeed Ajmal is at No. 8 in this list with todal 30 wickets and Muhammad Hafeez at No. 11 with 26 wickets. Below is the list of Bowlers with most wickets in 2011. You can see Wahab Riaz and Umar Gul at No. 16 and17 with 23 wickets each.

**Bowlers with Most wickets in 2011**
Player	Mat	Inns	Overs	Mdns	Runs	Wkts	BBI	Ave	Econ	SR	4	5
SL Malinga (SL)	24	23	192.1	12	924	48	6/38	19.25	4.80	24.0	0	3
Shahid Afridi (Pak)	24	23	206.3	9	838	40	5/16	20.95	4.05	30.9	2	3
MG Johnson (Aus)	22	22	184.1	10	817	39	6/31	20.94	4.43	28.3	2	1
B Lee (Aus)	19	19	156.1	10	717	33	4/15	21.72	4.59	28.3	3	0
MM Patel (India)	21	20	163.3	8	879	32	4/29	27.46	5.37	30.6	2	0
TT Bresnan (Eng)	24	24	210.2	10	1136	32	5/48	35.50	5.40	39.4	0	1
GP Swann (Eng)	21	21	192.0	11	853	31	3/18	27.51	4.44	37.1	0	0
Saeed Ajmal (Pak)	17	17	143.4	10	529	30	4/35	17.63	3.68	28.7	1	0
Z Khan (India)	14	14	127.5	6	620	30	3/20	20.66	4.85	25.5	0	0
M Morkel (SA)	14	14	102.5	4	459	26	4/22	17.65	4.46	23.7	2	0
Mohammad Hafeez (Pak)	29	26	204.0	9	762	26	2/16	29.30	3.73	47.0	0	0
DW Steyn (SA)	14	14	110.3	6	483	25	5/50	19.32	4.37	26.5	0	1
TG Southee (NZ)	13	13	111.5	9	529	25	5/33	21.16	4.73	26.8	0	1
JM Anderson (Eng)	18	18	156.2	8	873	25	4/18	34.92	5.58	37.5	1	0
JDP Oram (NZ)	12	12	99.0	6	455	23	4/39	19.78	4.59	25.8	1	0
Wahab Riaz (Pak)	13	12	91.4	2	480	23	5/46	20.86	5.23	23.9	0	1
Umar Gul (Pak)	20	19	142.2	11	675	23	3/30	29.34	4.74	37.1	0	0

These have been all the good news for bowlers, as for Batsmen, Pakistan has no batsmen in the Top 10 of the ICC ranking for ODI Batsmen, with 2 fifties in the series and a Man of the match in the final game Umar Akmal is at No. 11. The Next Pakistani Batsman to appear in the Top 100 list is Misbah-ul-Haq at No. 32 followed by Muhammad Hafeez and Younus Khan at No. 38 and 39 respectively, where as Shahid Afridi sits at No. 44. This is not a good news at all. At least 1 of our batsmen must be in the Top 10 and another 2 in the top 30. Batsmen of Younus Khan and Misbah's class must be in the Top 20 atleast if not Top 10. With almost the best bowling attack, if Pakistan can strengthen their batting as well, they can eye the No. 1 spot in the Reliance ICC ODI Rankings.

	Rat.	Name	Nat.	Career Best Rating

1	845	H.M. Amla		890 v India, 23/01/2011
2	792	A.B. de Villiers		823 v Pakistan, 29/10/2010
3	778	M.S. Dhoni		837 v Australia, 31/10/2009
3	778	I.J.L. Trott		786 v India, 23/10/2011
5	759	S.R. Watson		776 v Sri Lanka, 14/08/2011
5	759	V. Kohli		804 v Bangladesh, 19/02/2011
7	752	K.C. Sangakkara		758 v Australia, 16/08/2011
8	741	M.E.K. Hussey		865 v New Zealand, 28/01/2007
9	717	M.J. Clarke		751 v Sri Lanka, 22/02/2008
10	701	J.H. Kallis		818 v West Indies, 04/02/2004
11	680	Umar Akmal		688 v Sri Lanka, 14/11/2011
12	679	G. Gambhir		723 v New Zealand, 04/12/2010
13	675	T.M. Dilshan		766 v New Zealand, 29/03/2011
13	675	R.T. Ponting		831 v New Zealand, 20/12/2007
15	669	D.P.M.D. Jayawardena		742 v West Indies, 19/12/2001
16	668	R.L. Taylor		698 v Australia, 10/02/2009
17	660	S.R. Tendulkar		887 v Zimbabwe, 13/11/1998
18	656	B.R.M. Taylor		656 v New Zealand, 25/10/2011
19	653	R.N. ten Doeschate	NED	666 v Ireland, 18/03/2011
20	651	V. Sehwag		787 v New Zealand, 11/01/2003
21	650	J.P. Duminy		673 v Netherlands, 03/03/2011
22	649	P.R. Stirling		662 v Scotland, 12/07/2011
22	649	Shakib Al Hasan		660 v Zimbabwe, 06/12/2010
24	643	G.C. Smith		785 v India, 25/11/2005
25	631	C.H. Gayle		808 v Zimbabwe, 30/11/2003
26	624	S. Raina		661 v Sri Lanka, 30/05/2010
27	623	M.J. Guptill		626 v Zimbabwe, 22/10/2011
28	617	E.J.G. Morgan		687 v Australia, 30/06/2010
28	617	Yuvraj Singh		787 v West Indies, 26/06/2009
30	614	L.M.P. Simmons		617 v Bangladesh, 15/10/2011
31	609	S. Chanderpaul		777 v England, 22/03/2009
32	606	Misbah-ul-Haq		624 v West Indies, 28/04/2011
33	605	B.B. McCullum		666 v Pakistan, 09/11/2009
34	601	Tamim Iqbal		632 v England, 28/02/2010
35	584	R.R. Sarwan		784 v India, 23/05/2006
35	584	A.N. Cook		587 v India, 14/10/2011
37	580	A.D. Mathews		607 v Australia, 14/08/2011
38	576	Mohammad Hafeez		583 v Sri Lanka, 18/11/2011
39	574	Younus Khan		661 v West Indies, 16/11/2008
40	572	J.D. Ryder		572 v Zimbabwe, 25/10/2011
41	571	H.H. Gibbs		752 v Sri Lanka, 03/03/2003
42	567	W.U. Tharanga		673 v New Zealand, 28/12/2006
43	565	S.B. Styris		665 v England, 28/06/2008
44	564	Shahid Afridi		668 v India, 02/10/1997
45	558	C.L. White		652 v India, 20/10/2010

Good news for the all rounders though. Shahid Afridi and Muhammad Hafeez are in the Top 5 Allrounders list for the ODIs. Surprisingly Muhammad Hafeez is a step ahead of Afridi with just three rating points difference. Here is the Top 10 Allrounders list for the ODIs.

ID	Rat.	Name	Nat.	Career Best Rating

1	415	Shakib Al Hasan		453 v Zimbabwe, 05/11/2009
2	405	S.R. Watson		429 v Sri Lanka, 10/08/2011
3	372	Mohammad Hafeez		372 v Sri Lanka, 23/11/2011
4	369	Shahid Afridi		382 v Bangladesh, 21/06/2010
5	352	J.H. Kallis		506 v West Indies, 09/05/2001
6	301	R.N. ten Doeschate	NED	322 v England, 22/02/2011
7	299	Yuvraj Singh		358 v Bangladesh, 11/01/2010
8	298	D.L. Vettori		355 v Australia, 06/03/2010
9	295	J.D.P. Oram		383 v Bangladesh, 14/10/2008
10	270	A.D. Mathews		279 v England, 09/07/2011

English is a very PHUNNY Language...

2011-10-29T15:04:00.000+05:00

Destination Metropolis Pakistan......

2011-08-20T21:41:00.000+05:00

Pakistan
Pakistan is a land of rich cultures and amazing diversity. From the mountainous areas of northern Pakistan to the southern seaports of Karachi, every destination along the way is a chance to discover another chapter of history.

Karachi

Karachi was founded as ‘Kolachi’, a fishing settlement established when a Baloch fisherwoman called Mai Kolachi took up residence and started a family. The bustling metropolis that later developed out of this settlement is known as Karachi.

The year 1947 heralded the creation of Pakistan and Karachi became the capital city. In the following years, the population increased rapidly due to influx of refugees and immigrants from nearby regions. Despite the rise in population, the city managed to maintain its cultural diversity, and continued to experience tremendous economic and cultural growth.

Being the main seaport of the country, Karachi boasts two of the region’s largest and busiest ports. It is Pakistan’s premiere centre of Banking and trade, as well as home to the country’s largest industries including textile, shipping, automotives and medical research.

Hyderabad
Hyderabad, the city of three hillocks, was founded in 1768 by Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro upon the ruins of Mauryan fishing village along the banks of River Indus.

It is regarded as the cultural capital of Sindh and is home to some of the province’s most talented artists who specialize in designing Ajraks. One of the most widely recognized symbols of honor in Sindhi tradition, the Ajrak is block printed fabric presented to guests on special occasions.

Hyderabad prides itself on being one of the largest bangle producers in the world and also boasts the longest bazaar in Asia, the Shahi Bazar. It is also home to the renowned Bombay Bakery, whose cakes and sweets recipes are a tightly kept family secret.

Sukkur
The city of Sukkur is affectionately called Darya Dino (gift of the River), as without the River Indus, the city would be a desert. The name itself originates from the Sindhi word Sakharu, which means ‘superior’. This fertile piece of land claim 80% of the variety of dates grown in Pakistan.

Sukkur is also home to one of the largest irrigation system in the world. The Sukkur Barrage, formally called Lloyd Barrage, was built under the British Raj on the River Indus and can water nearly 10 million acres of farmland through its seven large canals.

Larkana
Larkana is the fourth largest city in the north-western part of Sindh Province. Larkana is surrounded by fertile land in which all kind of fruits and vegetables are cultivated, including potatoes, melons, olives, oranges, peas, carrots, cucumber, mangoes and guava. Some 10 km from the city, sugarcane is cultivated and processed at the sugar mill established in 1990 in Nau Dero village, the birthplace of the former prime minister of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and where Benazir Bhutto was raised.

One of the world's oldest archaeological sites, Mohen-jo-daro lies 28 km away from the Larkana City. As a major archaeological site, it has its own airport, which is shared by Larkana. In Larkana District there are other archaeological sites, such as Jhoker Jo Daro.

Quetta
The name Quetta is derived from the Pashto word Kuatta, meaning fort, as the city is surrounded by three towering hills. It is an important trade and communication centre between Pakistan and Afghanistan, as well as a vital strategic location for the Pakistan Armed Forces.

Due to its horticultural diversity, Quetta is known as the “Fruit Garden of Pakistan” and is home to a variety of delicious fruits including plums, apples, peaches, apricots and guavas.

When in Quetta, one must try the Balochi specialty of “Sajji”, which is meat roasted to a delightful degree of tenderness and seasoned with mild spices.

Bahawalpur
Once known as the “City of Nawabs”, Bahawalpur today remains dotted with Palaces and Forts. Apart from its stately architecture, the city is an important trading centre for the surrounding and is located on the crossroads between Peshawar, Lahore, Quetta and Karachi. Due to its central location, one can easily journey into Cholistan, a sandy wasteland dotted with nomadic communities and lonely forts, or the Lal Suhanra National Park, an important wildlife reserve.

The areas surrounding Bahawalpur are fertile, which allow for agricultural exports to many parts of the world. The city also boasts a large market town known for its oranges, dates, wheat, sugarcane and cotton.

Multan
Known for its bazaars, mosques, shrines and ornate tombs, Multan is one of the oldest cities in the Asian sub-continent. It has traditionally been a melting pot of several distinct ethnic groups due to its location at the intersection of all four of Pakistan’s provinces. As a result, Multan today consists of Saraiki, Haryanvi, Punjabi, Baloch, Pashtun, Sindhi and Urdu-Speaking settlers who arrived at the time of independence in 1947.

The city has grown to become an influential political and economic hub for the country, with a dry port and excellent transport links. Multan is also famous for its handicrafts, cottage industries and most importantly livestock, which has led to development of dairy, meat and poultry processing as well as leather manufacturing industries.

Faisalabad
The original name of Faisalabad was Chenab Colony, followed by Sandalbar. It later came to be known as Lyallpur, in honour of its founder, Sir Charles James Lyall. In 1977, the name of the city was changed to Faisalabad, in honour of the late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, who was held in high regard in Pakistan.

In 1880, the city was redesigned based on the Union Jack, with eight roads radiating from a centrally located grand clock tower or ghanta ghar. Each of these roads lead to a different bazaar. Faisalabad also has a strong industrial base including textile, jewellery, home furniture and pharmaceuticals, assisted by the expanding transport network which includes newly built motorways to Lahore and Rawalpindi. In fact, the textile industry of Faisalabad contributes more than 20% of the textile export market of Pakistan.

Lahore
Once known as the ‘Paris of East’, Lahore is a hub of cultural activities, fashion and post-modern art. A trip to this memorable city is an experience involving rich history, vibrant culture and delicious food.

Lahore is divided into two parts, Old Lahore and New Lahore. Old Lahore is the historical part where the Lahore Fort and Badshahi Mosque are situated. The lanes around these monuments are dotted with ancient havelis, or traditional mansions.

New Lahore is outlaying sub-urban area, which is home to politicians, actors, models, artists and socialities. It is a sparkling contrast to Old Lahore, with broad avenues, trendy boutiques and chic restaurants.

Gujranwala
The city of Gujranwala was named after the ancient tribe of Gujjars that settled in the area centuries ago. Located on the historical Grand Trunk Road, the city plays a vital role in the trade and industrial sectors of Pakistan.

Known for its wrestlers and bodybuilders, Gujranwala has produced some of the finest champions in sub-continent, which has led to its Punjabi nickname ‘Pehlwana da Shehar’ or city of wrestlers. Beside hosting a number of bodybuilding tournaments, Gujranwala also produces a large variety of agricultural goods, including rice, wheat, cotton, potatoes, barley, grains, melons and sugarcane. The city is also known for its manufacturing of ceramics, iron safes, metal utensils, textile, sanitary and tannery production.

Islamabad
In 1960, President Ayub Khan moved the capital of Pakistan from Karachi to the more central and logistically viable location of Islamabad. The city became a hub for all government activities, while its twin city Rawalpindi became the centre of all industrial, commercial and military activities.

Islamabad has also seen an expansion in information and communication technology with the addition of two software technology parks that house several national and foreign technological and IT companies.
Apart from being a net contributor to Pakistan’s economy, Islamabad is known for its stately architecture, which is a combination of modernity and old Islamic traditions such as Pakistan Monument and Faisal Mosque.

Peshawar
Capital of the Khyber-Pkahtunkhwa province and the administrative centre for the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas of Pakistan, Peshawar originally belonged to Gandhara and the Eastern Iranian Tribe of Scythian origin.

Pakistan is a condervative Islamic city with a rich history. The old city of Peshawar was once a heavy guarded citadel with high walls. Today, not much remains of the walls, but the houses are havelis still bear a vivid resemblance to an era gone by. Most of the houses are made of unbaked bricks, beautifully carved wooden doors are latticed wooden balconies.

The city boasts a wide array of goods ranging from gold and silver jewellery to traditional carpets, pottery and clothing. Artworks in wood, brass or semi-precious stones are also widely appreciated.

Patriotic Poetry by Sehba Akhter

2011-08-08T17:49:00.001+05:00

NO COMMENTS
The Powerful Poetry of Sehba Akhter is the expression itself.

A Conversation between two Pakistani Youngsters 2

2011-06-14T18:40:00.002+05:00

So People after the great success of "A Conversation between two Pakistani Youngsters", Pakmetro Blog presents "A Conversation between two Pakistani Youngsters 2"
Youngster 1: (On a bike, getting directions from another youngster) Assalam Alaikum Bhai.. Yaar yeh Kiran Hospital Kis taraf hai?
Youngster 2: Yaar Apko jaana kahan hai?
Youngster 1: Yaar Kiran hospital se thora aagay, phuppo rehti hain meri.
Younsfter 2: Bhai Mahajiron ke ilaqe mein ya Sindhion ke ilaqe main?
Youngster 1: Yaar pata nahin, flats hain wahan.
Youngster 2: Flaton per to pathanon ka qabza hai, aap kaun ho?
Youngster 1: Bhai mein to mahajir hoon.
Youngster 2: To Bhai is taraf se mut jao, Gulshan se nikal lo.
Youngster 1: Woh to Lamba par jayega.
Youngster 2: Yahan se jaonge to tum lambe par jaogay, mobile waghera bhi hoga?
Youngtser 1: Nahin wo, pichhli chowrangi pe chhin gaya. 125 per aaye thay 2 bande.
Youngster 2: Chalo yeh bhi achha hai, aik tension to kum hui. Paise waise to nahin ziada?
Youngster 1: Wallet bhi unhon ne hi lay liya, back pocket mein 50 rupe thay, wo Police walon ne lay liye, Mozon mein 40 rupe hain, uska petrol dalwana hai. Petrol Pump kahan hai?
Youngster 2: Agli chowrangi se pehley hai, lekin woh shayad kal ki Strike mein jala diya hai. Wapis laylo, waise Phuppo ke yahan ja kyun rahe thay?
Youngster 1: Yaar unke yahan beta hua hai, ammi ne mithai bhijwai thi, aur kuchh tasveerein bhi laani hai uski.
Youngster 2: To Skype per wish kardena, Ammi dekh bhi laingi bachchay ko, Warna Ghanta package per baat karwadena aur MMS ya Facebook per tasveerin mangwa lena, Mithai Courier se bhej dena... Sentiment waghera....
Youngster 1: Yeh baat Allah kare ammi ko samajh aajaye.... Khair Thanks yaar... waise hua kia tha yahan... strike kis baat ki thi???
Youngster 2: Pata nahin yaar... yahan to yehi hai, kal shayad Maulvion ki Strike hai, Abhi 2 petrol pump hain is ilaqe mein.
Moral of the story 1: Areas are now identified by ethnic divisions rather than their original names.
Moral of the story 2: Technology and life are very cheap in Pakistan.
Moral of the story 3: Moral of the story 1 & 2 are not a matter of worry for Pakistani youngsters.

Rangers Killed a Youth in Karachi....Highly graphic and extremely violent! Viewer discretion is advised.

2011-06-10T15:52:00.001+05:00

Rangers killed an "innocent-until-proven-guilty" boy in Karachi... Interestingly the first statement came off Rangers was it was a "typical encounter". Alhamdulillah this country now have the independent media and mobile phones with cameras and anyone's crimes will not be forgotten. Justice must be served! Criminals must be hanged, responsible must resign and this should happen ASAP!

Responsible should be hanged, they misuse their powers, they r here to protect us if forces start doing this who will guard us. The crying mother of the 20 year old Sarfaraz Shah was begging for the justice in a recent interview! Are we so dumb and deaf to wait until this happens with our sons and brothers?

Get up and raise your voices against these type of incidents...before (God Forbid) it happens to you or any of your friend.

Video Courtesy: Aawaz News.

Kharootabad Incident.......Brutality by Our Forces!!!!!!!!!!

2011-05-27T20:33:00.001+05:00

I am shocked by seeing these Images. We all are responsible for this incident and all other incidents to come. No solid protest...No voices were heard against this incident, we all are sleeping as always. Its time for us to wake up otherwise it will be too late for our nation and for our country. Wake up and do justice to your vote, make these Politicians, these security forces accountable. We have given them the vote and we are equally responsible for their ill doings "Aik mazloom ka Qatl poori insaniyat ka Qatl hay". 6 innocent people are killed in this incident yet no one is dismissed or suspended from his service, neither the policemen nor the persons from FC, what a shame.

Date Fixers.....

2011-04-09T00:36:00.000+05:00

Just watch this video and enjoy...... Hilarious.

Great editing and Camera Work.

The World Cup is over

2011-04-05T00:51:00.004+05:00

Hello Hello Hello...

April 1st 2011, Nation waiting for their Captain

I am back... after a huge gape of World Cup... was some how exciting loved the fact that Pakistan was out of the tournament just 2 days before the tournament ended, would have been more exciting if we had had lost in the final... Lolz. Why am I thinking of loosing?? we might have won the WC if we had reached the final... anyways we lost and not due to the fact that we played badly but that India played better... I had received many messages through out the India Pakistan Semi Final (which I had anticipated) but the one's I enjoyed the most were the one's received after our defeat.... I would like to share some with you...

Messag 1: Ya Allah Kal Pakistan ke liye jo kuchh Parha gaya, aur jitni duain maangi gaeen uska sawab meri dadi ko Pohanche...(Hilarious) I salute the person's approach, not only did he accepted the fact that we are out of the tournament but he had that courage to laugh at our foolishness to pray for a Cricket Match which is only a game of professionalism.

Message 2: Misbah abhi tak pitch per khara hai aur poochh raha hai k doosri innings kub shru hogi?? Lolz... Please some one tell Misbah that it was an ODI and not a Test Match.

PAK VS INDIA: The match we lost, but celebrated the most.

Message 3: (Received after India won the World Cup). "Allah Kare World Cup Toot Jaaye" I enjoyed the 1st one and this one the most... what an innocent curse... since our team and any team else couldn't do anything to stop the Indian march towards the World Cup, the prayer asks the Lord to break the trophy into pieces since he cannot bear the sight of Indians holding the trophy... I really enjoyed the Pakistani spirit to digest our defeat, rather India's success in the tournament. Almost all of us appreciated our teams efforts to reach the Semi Final stage. I didn't anticipated this sensible approach from our nation. I can say this with such confidence because I was there at the Karachi airport on the 1st of April when Afridi had to arrive from India... 4 AM in the morning and such a huge crowd for a captain who has lost a World Cup Semi Final that too against INDIA.... I spent almost 2 hours there at the airport... (No I was not there for Afridi, Afridi's arrival was a co incidence for me, I was there to welcome my would be father-in-law and Afridi's arrival was a bonus for me) there were hundreds of youngsters yelling "BOOM BOOM AFRIDI" wearing green T Shirts with their names on the back. They were there to welcome their captain, they were there to see just a glimpse of him, and they were there just to let him know that they support him, for all his wins and all his DEFEATS... I enjoyed the moment... The realization of the fact that my nation is sensible enough to accept the defeats (and that too the hardest ones) was phenomenal. I really loved those youngsters. This Wold Cup has taught us the lesson which we couldn't have learnt with out the defeat and that was "IN ORDER TO WIN, YOU MUST LEARN TO ACCEPT YOUR DEFEATS "

Rare footage of Old Karachi

2011-02-26T02:01:00.000+05:00

Karachi as seen by a British soldier sometime between 1942 and 1947: lively street scenes, animals, buildings, life in the Karachi Cantonment, followed by the journey back towards Britain on a troop ship through the Suez Canal. The author of the film obviously developed a liking of Karachi and its people.

Truly instructional. The soldier has done Karachites a big favor in recording a part of history.

Destination PAKISTAN......Northern Areas.

2011-02-15T22:06:00.000+05:00

The Northern Area is the most spectacular and fascinating region of Pakistan. It is here that the world's three famous mountain ranges meet - the Himalayas, the Karakorams and the Hindukush. The whole Northern Pakistan has come to be known as a paradise for mountaineers, climbers, trekkers, hikers and the most famous “Trout fish”.

GILGIT

At an elevation of 1,454 metres lies the Gilgit Valley. The quaint little town of Gilgit has spectacular scenic beauty. The peak tourist season is from April to October though you can visit the valley round the year. The maximum temperature in May is 33 C and the minimum 16 C and in September, maximum 28 C and minimum 11 C.

PLACES TO VISIT

Gilgit Bridge:
The bridge over the fast flowing Gilgit River, at the end of its traditional bazaar, is the largest suspension bridge in Asia (182 metres long and 2 metres wide) permitting enough room for one jeep at a time to cross.

Kargah Buddha:
Located on a rock near Kargah Nullah (ravine), 10 km. from Gilgit town is a beautiful rock engraving of Buddha from 7th century A.D.
Monument of Taj Mughal:
A victory monument of Taj Mughal, built 700 years ago, is 30 km. jeep drive from Gilgit town.
Sher Qilla:
It is 38 km. from Gilgit - Trekking route links with Naltar valley. Trout fishing can be enjoyed in Sher Qilla Nullah and a small lake.
Singal:
About 61 km from Gilgit - Trekking route links with Chilas and Kohistan valley.
Gahkuch:
Headquarter of Ghizer District - Ideal place for trekking, good fishing sports and duck shooting in season. It is the gateway to Iskoman Valley. Government rest house and private hotels are available (73 km from Gilgit). Archaeological sites in village and a near by village Hatoon.
Naltar Valley:
Two hours jeep drive from Gilgit link rod. Government Rest house, Private hotels and a Ski slope, lush green Alpine forest with small lakes and glaciers, trout fishing in lake. Trekking routes link with Iskoman, Chalt and Punial valley.

SKARDU

Skardu, is 2,438 metres above sea level in the backdrop of the great peaks of the Karakorams. Balti people are a mixture of Tibetan and Caucasian stock and speak Balti, an ancient form of Tibetan. Due to the similarity of its culture, lifestyle and architecture with Tibet, Baltistan is also known as the "Tibet-e-Khurd" (Little Tibet). It borders on the Chinese province of Xinjiang and Indian-occupied Kashmir. The tourist season is from April to October. The maximum temperature is 27 C and minimum (October) 8 C. Apart from its incomparable cluster of mountain peaks and glaciers Baltistan's five valleys - Shigar, Skardu, Khaplu, Rondu and Kharmang are noted for their peaches, apricots, apples and pears.

Skardu is linked to the Islamabad by PIA, which operates one flight daily. The air journey is full of thrills and would itself be regarded as the highlight of the visit. After following the same air route, which connects Gilgit to Islamabad/Rawalpindi, the plane turns right and flies over the gorge of the Indus River. Enormous rock faces rise on either side or at times it seems as if the wing tips of the plane would almost scrape against them. They never do. Baltistan is known as the "Tibet-e-Khurd", or Little Tibet since its life-style reflects that of the Roof of the World and the Land of Lamas.

HUNZA

The visitors to Hunza are overwhelmed by the rugged charm, the fragrant breeze singing through graceful Poplar trees and the velvet-like green carpet of wheat fields, set against the background of snow-covered mountains. Situated at an elevation of 2,438 metres, Hunza Valley's tourist season is from April to October. The temperature in May is maximum 27 C and minimum 14 C. The October temperature are: maximum 10 C and minimum 0 C. However, one can visit Hunza round the year.

Most of the people of Hunza are Ismaili Muslims, followers of His Highness the Aga Khan. The local language is Brushuski. Urdu and English are also understood by most of people. Karimabad, the capital of Hunza, offers an awe-inspiring view of Rakaposhi 7,788 metres. The snows of Rakaposhi glitter in the moonlight, producing an atmosphere at once ethereal and sublime.

The fairy-tale like castle of Baltit, above Karimabad, is a Hunza landmark built about 600 years ago. Stilted on massive legs, its wooden bay windows look out over the valley. Originally, it was used as the residence of the Mirs (the title of the former rulers) of Hunza.

Mountaineering And Hiking
Hunza is ideal for mountaineering, trekking and hiking. Most of the treks in Hunza area are in open zone, for which tourists do not need any permit. However special permits are required from the Ministry of Tourism, Islamabad for mountaineering, trekking in restricted zone & climbing peaks over 6000 metres.

CHITRAL

This 322 km.(200-mile) long mountain hideout, nesting high in the Hindu Kush range, is a place of fascinating scenic beauty and grandeur. Chitral’s collection of rugged mountains, sulphur springs, rivers teeming with trout, orchard-dotted slopes, friendly people and annual festivals are enchanting beyond description. For the modern day traveler this scenic region offers an exciting experience. It is easily accessible by air from historic city of Peshawar. Alexander of Greece marched through this valley in 327 B.C, and left behind traces of Greek heritage, which can still be seen.

Chitral District is bounded on the north, south and the west by Afghanistan and is separated from the Soviet Union by a narrow strip of Wakhan, a province of Afghanistan and from China by Hunza area. It lies between latitude 35 51 N and longitude 71 47’E.

Area And Elevation
Area: 14504 square meters (5,600 square miles).
Elevation: 1278-7700 meters (3700-25264 feet).
Climate
Summers are generally pleasant but the winters are extremely cold. Chitral has unpredictable during spring with frequent rains and snowfall. Autumn is pleasant with mild temperatures.
Tourist Season
Ideal time for visiting Chitral is from June to September.
Population
1,59,230
Majority of the people are Muslims. The only non-Muslim ethnic minority in the Chitral valley are the Kafir Kalash. Numbering about 2,500 to 3,000 they inhabit Birir, Bumburet and Rambur valleys in the south of Chitral. Their life style is characterized by their own ancient and religion.
Languages
The local dialect is ‘Khowar’ (Chitrali). Urdu is understood by a large number of people while Pushto is spoken and understood in Chitral and Drosh.
Costumes
The women wear ‘shalwar-kameez’ (long shirts with baggy trousers) and ‘dupattas’ (flimsy scarves draped round the Shoulders).
In winter the man wear ‘shuqa’, loose ,long woolen gowns with long sleeves. The popular headdress is ‘pakol’ which is also of woolen material.
Chitral is famous for its polo tournaments, held from April to July and September to October.

KALASH

Elevation: 1670-2309 meters (5,476-7,576 feet).

Distance: 32-36km. (20-22 miles) south of Chitral.
By jeep: 2 ½ hours

These are a group of three small valleys: Brir, Bumburet and Rambur. Brir lies at the southern most tip of Chitral at a distance of 34 km (21 miles) and is easily accessible by jeep-able road via Ayun. It is especially ideal for those not used to trekking. Bumburet, the largest and the most picturesque valley of the Kafir Kalash, is 36 km.(22 miles) from Chitral and is connected by a jeep-able road.

Rambur is 32 km (20 miles) from Chitral, the road is jeep-able. Foreign tourists require permits for visiting the Kalash valleys. Permits are issued free of cost by the Deputy Commissioner, Chitral, Tel: 1. Foreign visitors have to pay a toll tax of Rs.10 per person while Re. 1.00 per person is charged from domestic tourists.

These valleys have an alpine climate. The people inhabiting these valleys are the primitive pagan tribes of Pakistan, who are known as Kafir Kalash, which means the wearers of the black robes. Their origin is cloaked in controversy. A legend says that soldiers from the legions of the Macedonian conqueror, Alexander, settled in Chitral and are the progenitors of the Kalash.

They live in small villages built on the hillsides near the banks of streams. Their houses are constructed of rough-hewn logs and are double storeyed because of the steepness of the slopes. Kalash are very lively people and are famous for their lively religious festivals namely: Chilimjusht (spring), Phool (September) and Chowas (from 21st December for a week). The Kalash love music and their instruments are drums and flutes. Their colorful dances impart a feeling of peace, joy and contentment. If you join them in their dance, they interpret it as a sign friendship and will open their hearts to you and reveal some of their mysteries, their joys and sorrows. You depart with a sense of poignancy and nostalgia for these beautiful children of nature and nagging fear that all the sweetness and innocence may soon be swept away forever by the power and intolerance that often hide themselves under the banner of progress.

GARAM CHASHMA

Elevation: 1859 meters (6,100) feet).
Distance:45 km, (28 miles) north-west of Chitral. By jeep: hours.

This un-spoilt enchanting valley of orchards, verdant fields and snow clad peaks is renowned for its boiling sulphur springs which are famous for healing effect on skin diseases, gout, rheumatism and chronic headaches. For the convenience of tourists “humans” (baths) have been constructed near the springs. Foreign tourists are requested to pay a toll tax of Rs.5.00 per person.

The confession

2011-01-22T18:59:00.000+05:00

Send us more such ideas at pakmetroblog@gmail.com

2010 of Pakistan Cricket Team

2011-01-08T21:36:00.008+05:00

2010: What a year that was… Pakistan cricket touched its heights… or may be depths… worst year so far in Pakistan cricket history since 1992 world Cup… We witnessed very poor performance in

all types of games and the cherry of the Cake…. The spot fixing controversy…. Hats off to Mohammad Asif… This was the hat trick after positive dope test and probable drug carrying at Dubai airport…. and if this all was not enough, we had Zulqarnain Haider another Pakistani ruining our image to get political asylum in England… I mean National pride is the last thing they are worried about… and we, the so called in tolerate nation tolerated this all with a smile… Mohammad Asif, Aamir and Salman Butt are still enjoying some support. And If you have forgot this all, Pakistan Cricket was surrounded by some political moves in the dressing room. Shoaib Malik in or out? Younus replaces Yousuf.. Shoaib Akhter to be allowed to bowl in T20s only, Imran Farhat’s mysterious selection, inclusion of another Akmal brother.. I mean what are we targeting??? Is this how we aim to bring home the World Cup. This all could have been put aside if we could

have performed well in the field but our infield performance has been even worse. We played 10 test matches and won only 2 while losing 6 of them, which makes the win loss ratio = 33%. When some of us say that Test is not our format, we are more of a One day and T20 team, let’s see how we performed in the shorter versions of the game. We played 18 ODI and won only 5 losing 13… yes 13... which makes the win loss ratio (28%) even worse than what we had in Test. And finally the T20 internationals, we played total 18 matches and won only 6 of them losing double of the wins i.e. 12 making the win-loss ratio of 33%. So considering the phenomenal record we had in 2010 one can easily determines the pattern we are following… We might be the worst prepared cricket team for upcoming World Cup 2011. But still our nation is waiting for a miracle that is because miracles have happened in the past but those miracles were from the players who played for the nation. Their only goal was the pride of Nation and not the wealth… The team selected for world cup speaks for itself.
World Cup 2011 preliminary squad:

1) Mohammad Hafeez

2) Taufeeq Umar

3) Ahmed Shahzad

4) Nasir Jamshed

5) Younis Khan

6) Mohammad Yousuf

7) Misbah ul Haq

8) Umar Akmal

9) Azhar Ali

10) Naveed Yasin

11) Asad Shafiq

12) Shahid Afridi

13) Abdul Razzaq

14) Yasir Arafat

15) Rana Naveed

16) Salman Ahmed

17) Sarfaraz Ahmed

18) Abdur Rehman

19) Saeed Ajmal

20) Yasir Shah

21) Zulfiqar Babar

22) Shoaib Akhter

23) Umer Gul

24) Wahab Riaz

25) Sohail Tanveer

26) Tanvir Ahmed

27) Junaid Khan

28) Aizaz Cheema

29) Asad Ali

Please send us the final Playing Eleven for the world cup… Although we all know who will be in the playing 11.

Ahtisham Baber
Pakmetro Blog

How to support a corrupt government: For beginners

2011-01-04T23:19:00.011+05:00

Well people, here we will discuss easy steps to learn how to support a corrupt government. This tutorial is for beginners as some youngsters are finding it difficult to support the current corrupt government in Pakistan. In order to support a corrupt government you must have…

a) A corrupt government

(you can find it easily in any third world country)

b) Illiterate population
(in Pakistan’s case, you can consider the literate ones also)

c) Patience (or ignorance)

Once you have all three elements above you are ready to support a corrupt government. Please follow these simple steps below.

Step 1: No matter how corrupt your political party is, always support the party representing your cast, religion or ethnicity. Never listen to this patriotism bullshit.

Step 2: Defend your political party for all the wrong deeds, if any journalist/ media person criticizes your corrupt leader, make it a national issue, burn buses and flags, block roads, stage rallies. Hence harm the public property and mean no harm to the leader or the journalist.

Step 3: Have your own definition of Corruption, never accept that bribing a Policeman, taking prints from an office printer or using office phone for personal calls, are types of corruption. Avail corruption opportunities wherever available and blame government for endorsing corruption on a higher level (Since you cant avail it)

Step 4: When electricity or petrol prices go high or a new tax is implemented, and you feel tensed while watching news anchors condemning the government move, switch to any Indian channel, watch Star Parivar Awards or any senseless comedy movie like Dabangg and laugh out louder to relax.

Step 5: When you are agitated by the additional taxes and hence overall inflation never think of a demonstration or to condemn the government move at any level, just think “I am not the only one paying these taxes. Why doesn’t anyone else oppose this?? I am just a common man, what can I do?? etc.”

We believe following these steps will make it easier for you to support the current or any corrupt government. Please contact us at pakmetroblog@gmail.com for any complains and do let us know if you have other ways of supporting the corrupt government. We will keep posting more “HOW TOs” like this.

Muhammad Khawar
Pakmetro Blog

The Culprit Nation

2011-01-04T18:14:00.007+05:00

The other day I visited my aunt and what I saw there was (may be) something of routine but I just......just felt ashamed of being what I am....I AM PAKISTANI...

I remember I read in my class 6th that Natural Gas reservoir at SUI are enough to fulfill our requirement for next 50 years....... Those 50 years turned out not even more than a decade..... The so called GREAT GAS RESERVOIR country is facing acute shortage of it.. That day my aunt's neighbor came to ask her for "wood" so that she could cook something.. now people do not ask for sugar or cup of milk from neighbors.... because we have progress so much that even in the capital of our country, people are cooking food on stoves with wood.....I have found that my village is even better than capital because there is no load shedding of gas (since there is no gas) and wood is easily accessible........"Shahpur Ubbah" turned out to be more prosperous than "Islamabad".......

The embarrassment did not finish there it even did not last when I paid 80 rupees/liter for petrol as a gift of new year, which was a testimony to the fact that we shall PROGRESS more in this year as well, and even not when I searched "pics of poor Pakistan" on Google......and there were thousands of them....

Where does the fault lie???????????

Is it Us or we should blame the government???? or both?????

I think BOTH.......rather its us.....we want democracy...bcoz we deserve them

Are we real a democratic country ????or its monarchy of so called THE PAKISTAN PEOPLE'S PARTY......

When a father dies his daughter takes over.....she is replaced by her husband and her son is next for this throne...........our fate is in their hand

The 18 year boy who does not know how to write Pakistan in its national language will decide faith of this country and its masses..........
he is our leader.... our fate lies in hands of most scandalous boy of Oxford University
we all know it but still he is our leader...

we are at fault.....not the government..... WE ARE THE CULPRIT...

Destination Pakistan....Kaghan Valley.

2011-01-01T00:40:00.000+05:00

Kaghan is the most beautiful and scenic Valley in Pakistan. It is 160 km long valley embraced by lower Himalaya hills covered with forests of huge Himalayan Pines. The 4173 meters high Babusar Pass at its head was the only link to Northern Areas from rest of Pakistan until the Karakoram Highway was built.

In winter season most of the area of Kaghan Valley remain close due to heavy snowfall. Tourist season in Kaghan Valley begins in mid May and close in mid October. One can reach Mansehra from Islamabad through Public Transport or Daewoo Service. From Mansehra you can hire a jeep to Kaghan Valley or direct van service to Balakot, Kaghan and Naran.

Balakot

Balakot is the gateway to the Kaghan Valley. It take less then an hour to reach Balakot from Mansehra. Balakot is a beautiful town with scenic beauty.

Shogran

Shogran is 34 kms from Balakot, Shogran is at an Altitude of 7747 feet, Shogran is a very quite and calm hilltop. A wonderful excursion from Shogran is a visit to Sari and Paya. Sari is a small lake on the way to Paya. Paya is a lush green meadow with spectacular view of Malika Parbat. One can also find alpine flowers on the grassy slopes of Paya.

Naran

The Main attraction of Kaghan Valley Naran. This town is situated on the bank of river Kunhar at an altitude of 2498 meters.

Lake Saif-ul-Malook

Lake Saif-ul-Malook is 10 kms from Naran at an altitude of 3500 meters. The lake provides an excellent view of Malika Parbat (5290 meters). Lake is surrounded by impressive snow clad mountains.

Lalazar

Lalazar is an extremely picturesque place at an altitude of 3200 meters. It is 21 kms from Naran. Lalazar is a scenic spot with the thick forests of pine.

Lake Dudupatsar

Almost 60 kms from Naran is the small town of Besal, from Besal one can deviate 15 km east to Lake Dudupatsar. Lake Dudupatsar is famous for its lush green surroundings and good trout fishing.

Lake Lulusar

Lake Lulusar is the main source of Kunhar River, this lake is a pleasant picnic spot just 3 kms away from the town of Besal. Lulusar is a deep blue lake and is the biggest lake of Kaghan Valley, Lulusar is surrounded by colors by many varieties of wild flowers.

Visiting Kaghan Valley is a remarkable experience.

Rare Photos of Quaid-e-Azam(including Passport)

2010-12-31T15:13:00.000+05:00

These are very rare photos of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Share this album as much as you can as well.... Long live Pakistan! May Allah bless Jinnah! May Allah bless Pakistan! Pakistan Zindabad!!!
He used this passport to kick the Britishers out of India
This is a press conference... look at everyone taking notes and minutes
Not only a great leader but a style icon too.