wonderful pakistan

Wagah Border Lahore

2011-03-30T22:21:00.000-07:00

Wagah ( Urdu: واہگہ, Punjabi: ਵਾਘਾ) is the only road border crossing between Pakistan and India and lies on the Grand Trunk Road between the cities of Lahore and Amritsar (in India).

The evening flag lowering ceremony at the India-Pakistan International Border near Wagah.

The Wagah border, often called the "Berlin wall of Asia", is a ceremonial border on the India–Pakistan Border where each evening there is a retreat ceremony called 'lowering of the flags', which has been held since 1959. At that time there is an energetic parade by the Border Security Force (B.S.F) of India and the Pakistan Rangers soldiers. It may appear slightly aggressive and even hostile to foreigners but in fact the paraders are imitating the pride and anger of a Cockerel. Troops of each country put on a show in their uniforms with their colorful turbans. Border officials from the two countries sometimes walk over to the offices on the other side for day to day affairs. The happenings at this border post have been a barometer of the India-Pakistan relations over the years.

Samjhauta Express, the train service between Lahore and Delhi, plies twice a week fromAttari railway station, 5 km from Wagah. The National Highway of India starts from Wagah Border, and is the transit point for the Delhi–Lahore Bus service operating within the Punjabbetween Amritsar and Lahore, which was started in 2004 as relations between the two countries improved.

Pakistani soldiers at the border in 2004

History:-

During British rule the village was part of the Lahore Division of British Punjab. In 1947 the division, like the village, was split between India and Pakistan.

Since independence in 1947, porters have been carrying goods across the Wagah border.This was the only road link between the two nations between the closure of the border crossing at Ganda Singh Wala / Hussainiwala in the 1970s and the opening of Aman Setu in Kashmir for the start of theSrinagar–Muzaffarabad Bus in 1999.

On August 14–15, 2001, the respective Independence days of Pakistan and India, the candle-lighting ceremony at the Wagah border, in which 40,000 Pakistani citizens and 15,000 Indian citizens took part, was seen as a reflection of the changing public mood over India-Pakistan reconciliation; such candlelight vigils and the yearly 'Midnight Peace Festivals' were also reported in subsequent years.

There have been many calls for the opening up of Wagah border to promote Indo-Pak trade through increased transport between India and Pakistan.^[15] In March 2005, a delegation of the Indian Border Security Force met the Pakistan Rangers at the Wagah border to discuss the border issue after three years since the 2001–2002 India–Pakistan standoff.

In May 2005, Pakistan allowed the import of five specified food items, free of tax via Wagah border to tide over shortages in the domestic market; eventually, in an unprecedented move, on 1 October 2006, trucks carrying goods crossed the Wagah border for the first time since the independence of Pakistan and India over 60 years ago. The 1,400 Pakistani and 1,300 Indian porters employed till then were employed in unloading lorries and trucks, with this the bi-lateral arrangement which accounted for $1.3 billion (£650 million) a year in trade in 2007 and was expected to exceed $10 billion by 2010.^[19] The trade has further improved since then through the Wagah post, despite the ups and downs of Indo-Pakistani relations.

As the relations between the two nations improved, the joint talks to tone down the sunset ceremony were held between BSF and Pakistan rangers, and the two later started "reorienting" their personnel involved in the ceremony, effects of which were seen by November 2006, when the evening ceremony at the border was considerably less aggressive than in previous decades on both sides. With over 8000 people visiting the border on an average day just on the Indian side, governments have started developing Wagah as a tourist destination, improving tourist and custom facilities.^[22] The Indian government plans to develop a global tourist complex at the Wagah-Attari border, which lies 30 km away from Amritsar.

In July 2010, as part of a move initiated by India, both countries agreed to tone down the aggressiveness exhibited by soldiers during the gate closing ceremony because the soldiers hurt their feet and knees performing the goose-stepping every day.

Welcome to India - Signboard in Wagha, Attari

Porters carrying goods across Wagah border

Audience at the evening ceremony, Wagah border (November 2008).

Babul Azad-Entry gate on the Pakistan side of Wagha Border

Shalimar Gardens (Lahore)

2011-03-30T22:09:00.000-07:00

The Shalimar Gardens (Punjabi, Urdu: شالیمار باغ), sometimes written Shalamar Gardens, is a Persian garden and it was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan inLahore, modern day Pakistan. Construction began in 1641 CE (1051 AH) and was completed the following year. The project management was carried out under the superintendence of Khalilullah Khan, a noble of Shah Jahan's court, in cooperation with Ali Mardan Khan and Mulla Alaul Maulk Tuni. The Shalimar Gardens are located near Baghbanpura along the Grand Trunk Road some 5 kilometers northeast of the main Lahore city. There are five geographical sources of inspiration for Shalimar Gardens: Central Asia, Kashmir, West Punjab, Persia, and the Delhi Sultanate.They are not to be confused with the Shalimar Gardens (Jammu and Kashmir)

Architecture:-
The Shalimar Gardens are laid out in the form of an oblong parallelogram, surrounded by a high brick wall, which is famous for its intricate fretwork. This garden was made on the concept of Char Bhagh. The gardens measure 658 meters north to south and 258 meters east to west. In 1981, Shalimar Gardens was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the Lahore Fort, under the UNESCO Convention concerning the protection of the world's cultural and natural heritage sites in 1972.

The three level terraces of the Gardens

The Gardens have been laid out from south to north in three descending terraces, which are elevated by 4–5 metres (13-15 feet) above one another. The three terraces have names in Urdu as follows:

The upper terrace named Farah Baksh meaning Bestower of Pleasure.

The middle terrace named Faiz Baksh meaning Bestower of Goodness.

The lower terrace named Hayat Baksh meaning Bestower of life.

Shah Nahar : Irrigation of the Gardens

An example of a Mughal garden

Blueprint of Shalimar Bagh, Lahore

To irrigate the Gardens, a canal named Shah Nahar meaning Royal canal, later also known as Hansti nahar, meaning Laughing canal was brought from Rajpot (present day Madhpur in India), a distance of over 161 kilometers. The canal intersected the Gardens and discharged into a large marble basin in the middle terrace.

410 fountains

From this basin, and from the canal, rise 410 fountains, which discharge into wide marble pools. The surrounding area is rendered cooler by the flowing of the fountains, which is a particular relief for visitors during Lahore's blistering summers, with temperature sometimes exceeding 120 degrees fahrenheit. The distribution of the fountains is as follows:

The upper level terrace has 105 fountains.

The middle level terrace has 152 fountains.

The lower level terrace has 153 fountains.

All combined, the Gardens therefore have 410 fountains.

The Gardens have 5 water cascades including the great marble cascade and Sawan Bhadoon.

Buildings of the Gardens

The buildings of the Gardens include:

Sawan Bhadumpavilions
Naqar Khana and its buildings
Khwabgah or Sleeping chambers
Hammam or Royal bath
The Aiwan or Grand hall

Aramgah or Resting place
Khawabgah of Begum Sahib or Dream place of the emperor's wife
Baradaries or summer pavilions to enjoy the coolness created by the Gardens' fountains
Diwan-e-Khas-o-Aam or Hall of special & ordinary audience with the emperor
Two gateways and minarets in the corners of the Gardens

Trees of the Gardens

Some of the varieties of trees that were planted included:

Almond Apple Apricot Cherry Gokcha Mango Mulberry	Peach Plum Poplar Quince Seedless Sapling of Cypress Shrubs Sour & sweet oranges
Numerous other varieties of odoriferous (fragrant) and non odoriferous and fruit giving plants

Site History:-

The site of the Shalimar Gardens originally belonged to one of the noble Zaildar families in the region, well known as Mian Family Baghbanpura. The family was also given the Royal title of 'Mian' by the Mughal Emperor, for its services to the Empire. Mian Muhammad Yusuf, then the head of the Mian family, donated the site of Ishaq Pura to the Emperor Shah Jahan, after pressure was placed on the family by the royal engineers who wished to build on the site due to its good position and soil. In return, Shah Jahan granted the Mian family governance of the Shalimar Gardens. The Shalimar Gardens remained under the custodianship of this family for more than 350 years.
In 1962, the Shalimar Gardens were nationalised by General Ayub Khan because leadingMian family members had opposed his imposition of martial law in Pakistan.
The Mela Chiraghan festival used to take place in the Gardens, until President Ayub Khanordered against it in 1958.
The Shalimar Gardens in Lahore

Lahore Most Beautiful City of Pakistan

2011-03-30T22:05:00.000-07:00

Lahore (Punjabi: لہور, Urdu: لاہور; pronounced [laːˈɦɔːr] ) is the capital of thePakistan province of Punjab and the second largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi. The city lies along the Ravi River, situated approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) from Wagah border crossing and is 32 kilometres (20 mi) from the Indian city of Amritsar.

Historically, Lahore has been a center of cultural heritage for many civilizations. It successively served as regional capital of the empires of the Shahi kingdoms in the 11th century, the Ghaznavids in the 12th century, the Ghurid State in the 12th and 13th century, the Mughal Empire in the 16th century, the Sikh Empire in the early 19th century, and it was the capital of the Punjab region under the British Raj in the mid 19th and early 20th century. The traditional capital of Punjab for a thousand years, Lahore was the cultural center of Northern India extending from Peshawar to New Delhi.^[16] Mughal structures such as theBadshahi Mosque, the Lahore Fort, Shalimar Gardens, and the mausolea of Jehangir andNur Jehan are popular tourist attractions for the city. Lahore is also home to many Britishcolonial structures built in the Mughal-Gothic style, such as the Lahore High Court, theGeneral Post Office, Lahore Museum and many older universities including the University of the Punjab. The Lahore Zoo, world's third oldest zoo, is also situated here. Lahore is also referred to as the cultural heart of Pakistan as it hosts most of the arts, cuisine, festivals, film making, music, gardening and intelligentsia of the country. Lahore is also known for its affiliation with poets and artists; it has the largest number of educational institutions in the country and some of the finest gardens in the continent. It is also an important religious center as it is a home to many temples, mosques and shrines like Data Durbar Complex.

According to the 1998 census, Lahore's population was 6,318,745. A mid-2006 government estimate now puts the population at approximately 10 million. It is ranked 40 in the most populated urban areas in the world and the 8th largest city within the Organization of the Islamic Conference. In 2008, Lahore was ranked as a city with High Sufficiency to become a Gamma world city. In 2010 it was ranked by The Guardian as the 2nd Best Tourist Destination in Pakistan.

Some Beautiful Collection of Pictures from Lahore:

The Sinclair Hall roundabout (Forman Christian College) covered in hail due to a hailstorm occurred on 26th February 2011.

The Ravi River flows on the north-western side of Lahore.

Head office of the PIA in Lahore

The Liberty Roundabout or Al-Falah Square is an important economic center of Lahore.

Aerial view of a roundabout at Sukh Chayn Gardens Housing Estate in Lahore

The Lahore Ring Road

The M-2: the Lahore-Islamabad motorway

The Wagah Border on the Grand Trunk Road near Lahore and Amritsar. The road was historically the main route of travel from Lahore to Delhi Today, it is one of the few trade routes between India and Pakistan

Korean-owned Daewoo City Bus Service operates four routes within Lahore.

An aerial view of the Walled City of Lahore.

Sacred Heart Cathedral.

Minaret of Badshahi Mosque in background, viewed from the roof of Cooco's Den

Cooco's cafe, a famous restaurant in the Old city of Lahore

The tomb of Allama Iqbal.

An artificial waterfall at Jilani Park.

Sukh Chayn, a joint venture between the governments of Pakistan and China

Shalamar Gardens is a Persian garden built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan

Quaid-e-Azam Library, Lahore

Cricket is the most popular sport in Lahore.

History of Lahore

2011-03-30T20:57:00.000-07:00

Origins

Etymology of Lahore, Origins of Lahore, and Hindu Raj in Lahore

A legend based on oral traditions holds that Lahore, known in ancient times as Lavapuri("City of Lava" in Sanskrit), was founded by Prince Lava or Loh, the son of Rama, the Hindu deity, while Kasur was founded by his twin brother Prince Kusha. To this day,Lahore Fort has a vacant temple dedicated to Lava (also pronounced Loh, hence Loh-awar or "The Fort of Loh").

Ptolemy, the celebrated 2nd-century Egyptian astronomer and geographer, mentions in hisGeographia a city called Labokla situated on the route between the Indus River and Palibothra, or Pataliputra (Patna) mostly, in a tract of country called Kasperia (Kashmir). It was described as extending along the rivers Bidastes or Vitasta (Jhelum), Sandabal orChandra Bhaga (Chenab), and Adris or Iravati (Ravi). This city may have been ancient Lahore.

The oldest authentic document about Lahore was written anonymously in 982. It is calledHudud-i-Alam (The Regions of the World). In 1927 it was translated into English byVladimir Fedorovich Minorsky and published in Lahore. In this document, Lahore is mentioned as a shehr or town inhabited by infidels "impressive temples, large markets and huge orchards." It refers to "two major markets around which dwellings exist," and it also mentions "the mud walls that enclose these two dwellings to make it one." The original document is currently held in the British Museum. Lahore was called by different names throughout history. To date there is no conclusive evidence as to when it was founded. Some historians trace the history of the city as far back as 4000 years ago. However, historically, it has been proved that Lahore is at least 2,000 years old. Hieun-tsang, the famous Chinese pilgrim has given a vivid description of Lahore which he visited in the early parts of the 7th century AD. Lying on the main trade and invasion routes to South Asia, Lahore has been ruled and plundered by a number of dynasties and hordes.

Ghaznavid Empire to Delhi Sultanate

Early Muhammadan period in Lahore

An 11th-century house in the Walled City

Data Durbar shrine, during urs at night

Lahore appears as the capital of the Punjab for the first time underAnandapala- the Hindu Shahi king who is referred to as the ruler of (hakim i lahur)-after leaving the earlier capital of Waihind

Few references to Lahore remain from before its capture by Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni in the eleventh century. The sultan took Lahore after a long siege and battle in which the city was torched and depopulated. In 1021, Sultan Mahmud appointed Malik Ayaz to the throne and made Lahore the capital of the Ghaznavid Empire of India. As the first Muslim governor of Lahore, Ayaz rebuilt and repopulated the city. He added many important features, such as city gates and a masonry fort, built in 1037–1040 on the ruins of the previous one, which had been demolished in the fighting (as recorded by Munshi Sujan Rae Bhandari, author of the Khulasatut Tawarikh in 1695–96). The present Lahore Fort stands on the same location. Under Ayaz's rule, the city became a cultural and academic center, renowned for poetry. The tomb of Malik Ayaz can still be seen in the Rang Mahal commercial area of town.

After the fall of the Ghaznavid Empire, Lahore was ruled by various Turk dynasties known as the Delhi Sultanate, including the Khiljis,Tughlaqs, Sayyid, Lodhis and Suris. When Sultan Qutb-ud-din Aibak was crowned here in 1206, he became the first Muslim sultan in South Asia. It was not until 1524 that Lahore became part of India's Mughal Empire. During the reign of Qutbuddin Aibak, Lahore was known as the 'Ghazni of India'. Scholars and poets from as far away as Kashghar, Bukhara, Samarkand, Iraq, Khorasan and Herat, gathered in Lahore and made it a city of learning. Under Aibak, Lahore had more poets of Persia than any other Islamic city.

Mughal Era in Lahore

The entrance to the Badshahi Mosquebuilt by the Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb

Lahore reached the zenith of its glory during the Mughal rule from 1524 to 1752. The Mughals, who were famous as builders, gave Lahore some of its finest architectural monuments, many of which are extant today.

Wazir Khan Mosque

Mughal Emperor Jehangir's mausoleum in Shahdara, Lahore

From 1524 to 1752, Lahore was part of the Mughal Empire. Lahore grew under emperor Babur; from 1584 to 1598, under the emperors Akbar the Great andJahangir, the city served as the empire's capital. Lahore reached the peak of its architectural glory during the rule of the Mughals, many of whose buildings and gardens have survived the ravages of time. Lahore's reputation for beauty fascinated the English poet John Milton, who wrote "Agra and Lahore, the Seat of the Great Mughal" in 1670. During this time, the massive Lahore Fort was built. A few buildings within the fort were added by Akbar's son, Mughal emperor Jahangir, who is buried in the city. Jahangir's son, Shahjahan Burki, was born in Lahore. He, like his father, extended the Lahore Fort and built many other structures in the city, including the Shalimar Gardens. The last of the great Mughals, Aurangzeb, who ruled from 1658 to 1707, built the city's most famous monuments, theBadshahi Masjid and the Alamgiri Gate next to the Lahore Fort.

During the 17th century, as Mughal power dwindled, Lahore was often invaded, and government authority was lacking. The great Punjabi poet Baba Waris Shah said of the situation, "khada peeta wahy da, baqi Ahmad Shahy da" — "we have nothing with us except what we eat and wear, all other things are for Ahmad Shah". Ahmad Shah Durrani captured remnants of the Mughal Empire and had consolidated control over the Punjab and Kashmir regions by 1761.

The 1740s were years of chaos, and the city had nine different governors between 1745 and 1756. Invasions and chaos in local government allowed bands of warring Sikhs to gain control in some areas. The Sikhs were gaining momentum at an enormous rate. In 1801, the twelve Sikh mislsjoined into one to form a new empire and sovereign Sikh state ruled by Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

Sikh reign

Sikh Rule in Lahore

Samadhi of Ranjit Singh

During the late 18th century, frequent invasions by Ahmad Shah Abdali and the Durrani Empire led to a lack of governance in the Punjab region. The Sikh Misls began to gain territory and eventually the Bhangi Misl captured Lahore. When Zaman Shah invaded Punjab again in 1799 Ranjit Singhwas able to make gains in the chaos. He defeated Zaman in a battle between Lahore andAmritsar. The citizens of Lahore, encouraged by Sada Kaur, offered him the city and he was able to take control of it in a series of battles with the Bhangi Misl and their allies. Lahore served as the capital city of the Sikh Empire. While much of Lahore's Mughal era fabric lay in ruins by the end of eighteenth century, rebuilding efforts under the Sikhs were shaped by and indebted to Mughal practice. Ranjit Singh moved into the Mughal palace in Lahore's citadel. By 1812 he had mostly refurbished the city's defenses by adding a second circuit of outer walls that followed the outline of Akbar's original walls and were separated from them by a moat. The maharaja also partially restored Shah Jahan's decaying gardens at Shalimar [disambiguation needed], and British maps of the area surrounding Lahore dating from the mid-nineteenth century show that walled private gardens - many of them bearing the names of prominent Sikh nobles - continued in the Mughal pattern under Sikh rule. The Sikh court continued to endow religious architecture in the city, including a number of Sikh gurdwaras, Hindu temples, and mosques. In short, the decaying structures and architecture of Lahore was restored by the emperor. The Empire of the Sikhs was most exceptional in that it allowed men from religions other than their own to rise to commanding positions of authority. Besides the Sikh, Muslim and the Hindu feature as prominent administrators. The Christians formed a part of the militia of the Sikhs.

British Raj

Map of Lahore drawn up during the rule of the British, 1893

Maharajah Ranjit Singh made Lahore his capital and was able to expand the kingdom to theKhyber Pass and also included Jammu and Kashmir, while keeping the British from expanding across the River Sutlej for more than 40 years. After his death in 1839 the internecine fighting between the Sikhs and several rapid forfeitures of territory by his sons, along with the intrigues of the Dogras and two Anglo-Sikh wars, eventually led to British control of the Lahore Darbar ten years later. For the British, Punjab was a frontier province, because Lahore had boundaries withAfghanistan and Persia. Therefore, the Punjabis, unlike the Bengalis and the Sindhis, were not allowed to use their mother tongue as an official language. The British first introduced Urdu as an official language in Punjab,^[42]^[43] including Lahore, allegedly due to a fear of Punjabi nationalism. Under British rule (1849–1947), colonial architecture in Lahore combined Mughal, Gothic andVictorian styles. Under British rule, Sir Ganga Ram (sometimes referred to as the father of modern Lahore) designed and built the General Post Office, Lahore Museum, Aitchison College, Mayo School of Arts (now the NCA), Ganga Ram Hospital, Lady Mclagan Girls High School, the chemistry department of the Government College University, the Albert Victor wing of Mayo Hospital, Sir Ganga Ram High School (now Lahore College for Women) the Hailey College of Commerce, Ravi Road House for the Disabled, the Ganga Ram Trust Building on Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam, and the Lady Maynard Industrial School.^[44] He also constructed Model Town, a suburb that has recently developed into a cultural center for Lahore's growing socioeconomic elite.

The GPO and YMCA buildings in Lahore commemorated the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria, an event marked by the construction of clock towers and monuments all over British India. Other important British buildings included the High Court, the Government College University,the museums, the National College of Arts, Montgomery Hall, Tollinton Market, the University of the Punjab (Old Campus) and the Provincial Assembly. Even today, Mall Road retains a variety of Gothic and Victorian style buildings built during the British Raj. At one end of The Mallstands the university, one of the most prestigious in Pakistan. The British also launched the city's first horse-racing club in 1924, starting a tradition that continues today at the Lahore Race Club.

Partition of India

Lahore played a special role in the independence movements of India. The 1929 Indian National Congress session was held at Lahore. In this Congress, the Declaration of the Independence of India was moved by Pandit Nehru and passed unanimously at midnight on 31 December 1929. On this occasion, the contemporary tricolour of India (with a chakra at its centre) was hoisted for the first time as a national flag, and thousands of people saluted it.

Lahore's prison was used by the British to detain revolutionary freedom fighters. Noted freedom fighter Jatin Das died in Lahore's prison after fasting for 63 days in protest of British treatment of political prisoners. One of the greatest martyrs in the history of Indian independence,Shaheed Sardar Bhagat Singh, was hanged here.

The most important session of the All India Muslim League (later the Pakistan Muslim League), demanding the creation of Pakistan, was held in Lahore in 1940. Muslims under the leadership of Quaid-e-Azam (Muhammad Ali Jinnah) demanded a separate homeland for Muslims of India in a document known as the Pakistan Resolution or the Lahore Resolution. It was during this session that Jinnah, the leader of the league, publicly proposed the Two-Nation Theory for the first time.

After the partition of British India, the Indian state of Punjab required a new capital city to replace Lahore, which had become part of Pakistan. After several plans to make additions to existing cities were found impractical for various reasons, it was decided to create a new city,Chandigarh.

Post-independence

Upon the creation of Pakistan, Lahore was made capital of the Punjab province in the new state of Pakistan. Almost immediately, large scale riots broke out among Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus, causing many deaths as well as damage to historic monuments—including the Lahore Fort, Badshahi mosque and other colonial buildings. With United Nations assistance, the government was able to rebuild Lahore, and most scars of the communal violence of independence were erased. Less than 20 years later, however, Lahore once again became a battleground in the War of 1965. The battlefield and trenches can still be observed today close to the Wahga border area.

After independence, Lahore lost much of its glory, but in the 1990s, Lahore once again gained its significance as an economic and cultural powerhouse through government reforms. The second Islamic Summit Conference was held in the city. In 1996 the International Cricket Council Cricket World Cup final match was held at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

The Walled City of Lahore known locally as the "Un-droone Shehr" is the oldest and most historic part of Lahore. The Punjab government embarked on a major project in 2009 to restore the Royal Trail (Shahi Guzar Gah) from Akbari Gate to the Lahore Fort with the help of theWorld Bank under the Sustainable Development of the Walled City of Lahore (SDWCL) project. The project aims at the Walled City development, at exploring and highlighting economic potential of the Walled City as a cultural heritage, exploring and highlighting the benefits of the SWDCL project for the residents, and at soliciting suggestions regarding maintenance of development and conservation of the Walled City.

Indus River

2010-12-30T19:59:00.000-08:00

The Indus River (Sanskrit: Sindhu; Urdu: سندھ; Sindhi: سنڌو Sindhu; Punjabi: سندھ Sindh;Hindko: سندھ Sindh; Tamil: சிந்து நதி Sindhu nadhi; Avestan: Harahuti; Pashto: اباسينAbāsin "Water of Sindh"; Arabic Al-Sind; Wylie:Sênggê Zangbo "Lion River"; pinyin: Sēngé Zàngbù/Shīquán Hé/Yìndù Hé; Greek: Ινδός Indós; Turki: Nilab) is a major river which flows through the full length of Pakistan.

Originating in the Tibetan plateau of western China in the vicinity of Lake Mansarovar inTibet Autonomous Region, the river runs a course through the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir and then enters Pakistan via the Northern Areas (Gilgit-Baltistan), flowing through the North in a southerly direction along the entire length of Pakistan, to merge into the Arabian Sea near the port city of Karachi in Sindh. The total length of the river is 3,180 kilometers (1,976 miles) and it is Pakistan's longest river.

The river has a total drainage area exceeding 1,165,000 square kilometers (450,000 square miles). The river's estimated annual flow stands at around 207 cubic kilometers, making it the twenty-first largest river in the world in terms of annual flow. Beginning at the heights of the world with glaciers, the river feeds the ecosystem of temperate forests, plains and arid countryside. Together with the rivers Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi,Sutlej, Beas and two tributaries from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Afghanistan, the Indus forms the Sapta Sindhu (Seven Rivers) delta of Pakistan.

Description:

The Indus provides the key water resources for the economy of Pakistan - especially the Breadbasket of Punjab province, which accounts for most of the nation's agricultural production, and Sindh. The word Punjab is a \ word panj meaning Five, and āb meaning Water, giving the literal meaning of the Land of the Five Rivers. The Five rivers after which Punjab is named are the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and the Sutlej. The river also supports many heavy industries and provides the main supply of potable water in Pakistan.

The ultimate source of the Indus is in Tibet; it begins at the confluence of the Sengge and Gar rivers that drain the Nganglong Kangri and Gangdise Shan mountain ranges. The Indus then flows northwest through Ladakh and Baltistan into Gilgit, just south of the Karakoram range. The Shyok River, Shigar and Gilgit streams carry glacial waters into the main river. It gradually bends to the south, coming out of the hills between Peshawar and Rawalpindi. The Indus passes gigantic gorges 4,500-5,200 meters (15,000-17,000 feet) deep near the Nanga Parbat massif. It flows swiftly across Hazara, and is dammed at the Tarbela Reservoir. The Kabul River joins it near Attock. The remainder of its route to the sea is in plains of the Punjab and Sindh, and the river becomes slow-flowing and highly braided. It is joined by Panjnad River at Mithankot. Beyond this confluence, the river, at one time, was named Satnad River (Sat = seven, Nadi = river), as the river was now carrying the waters of the Kabul River, the Indus River and the five Punjab rivers. Passing by Jamshoro, it ends in a large delta to the east of Thatta.

The Indus is one of the few rivers in the world that exhibit a tidal bore. The Indus system is largely fed by the snows and glaciers of the Himalayas, Karakoram and the Hindu Kush ranges of Tibet, the state of Jammu and Kashmir and the Northern Areas of Pakistan respectively. The flow of the river is also determined by the seasons - it diminishes greatly in the winter, while flooding its banks in the monsoon months from July to September. There is also evidence of a steady shift in the course of the river since prehistoric times - it deviated westwards from flowing into the Rann of Kutch and adjoining Banni grasslands after the 1816 earthquake.

Effects of climate change on the river

The Tibetan Plateau contains the world's third-largest store of ice. Qin Dahe, the former head of the China Meteorological Administration, said the recent fast pace of melting and warmer temperatures will be good for agriculture and tourism in the short term, but issued a strong warning:

"Temperatures are rising four times faster than elsewhere in China, and the Tibetan glaciers are retreating at a higher speed than in any other part of the world.... In the short term, this will cause lakes to expand and bring floods and mudflows. . . . In the long run, the glaciers are vital lifelines of the Indus River. Once they vanish, water supplies in Pakistan will be in peril."

“There is [sic] insufficient data to say what will happen to the Indus,” says David Grey, the World Bank’s senior water advisor in South Asia. “But we all have very nasty fears that the flows of the Indus could be severely, severely affected by glacier melt as a consequence of climate change,” and reduced by perhaps as much as 50 percent. “Now what does that mean to a population that lives in a desert [where], without the river, there would be no life? I don’t know the answer to that question,” he says. “But we need to be concerned about that. Deeply, deeply concerned.

History:

Paleolithic sites have been discovered in Pothohar near Pakistan's capital Islamabad, with the stone tools of the Soan Culture. In ancient Gandhara, near Islamabad, evidence of cave dwellers dated 15,000 years ago has been discovered at Mardan.

The major cities of the Indus Valley Civilization, such as Harappa and Mohenjo-daro, date back to around 3300 BC, and represent some of the largest human habitations of the ancient world. The Indus Valley Civilization extended from across Pakistan, with an upward reach from east of Jhelum River to Ropar on the upper Sutlej. The coastal settlements extended from Sutkagan Dor at the Pakistan, Iran border to kutch in easternmost Pakistan. There is an Indus site on the Amu Darya at Shortughai in northern Afghanistan, and the Indus site Alamgirpur at the Hindon River is located only 28 km from Delhi. To date, over 1,052 cities and settlements have been found, mainly in the general region of the Ghaggar-Hakra River and its tributaries. Among the settlements were the major urban centers of Harappa and Mohenjo-daro, as well as Lothal, Dholavira, Ganeriwala, and Rakhigarhi. Only 90-96 of the over-800 known Indus Valley sites have been discovered on the Indus and its tributaries. The Sutlej, now a tributary of the Indus, in Harappan times flowed into the Ghaggar-Hakra River, in the watershed of which were more Harappan sites than along the Indus.

Most scholars believe that settlements of Gandhara grave culture of the early Indo-Aryans flourished in Gandhara from 1700 BC to 600 BC, when Mohenjo-daro and Harappa had already been abandoned.

The name Indus is used in Arrian's Indica for the mighty river crossed by Alexander, based on Nearchus's contemporaneous account. "Indus" is a Hellenic derivative of the Iranian Hindu, in turn derived from Sindhu, the name of the Indus in the Rigveda. The Sanskrit Sindhu generically means river, stream, ocean, probably from a root sidh meaning to keep off; Sindhu is attested 176 times in the Rigveda, 95 times in the plural, more often used in the generic meaning. Already in the Rigveda, notably in the later hymns, the meaning of the word is narrowed to refer to the Indus river in particular, for example in the list of rivers of the Nadistuti sukta. This resulted in the anomaly of a river with masculine gender: all other Rigvedic rivers are female, not just grammatically, being imagined as goddesses and compared to cows and mares yielding milk and butter.

The Indus has formed a natural boundary between the Indian Subcontinent and its frontier with the Iranian Plateau, a region which includes Pakistan's Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well as Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Iran. It has been crossed by the armies of Alexander the Great - His Macedonian forces retreated along the southern course of the river at the end of the Asian campaign after conquering what is now Pakistan and joining it to the Hellenic Empire. The Indus plains have also been under the domination of the Persian empire and the Kushan empire. The Muslim armies of Muhammad bin Qasim, Mahmud of Ghazni, Mohammed Ghori, Tamerlane and Babur also crossed the river to strike into the inner regions of Punjab and further south east.

The word "India" is derived from the Indus River. In ancient times, "India" initially referred to the region of Pakistan along the eastern banks of the Indus river, but by 300 BC, Greek writers like Megasthenes applied the term to the subcontinent which extends further eastward.

The traditional source of the river is the Senge Khabab or 'Lion's Mouth', a perennial spring, not far from the sacred Mount Kailash, and is marked by a long low line of Tibetan chortens. There are several other tributaries nearby which may possibly form a longer stream than Senge Khabab, but unlike the Senger Khabab, are all dependent on snowmelt. The Zanskar River which flows into the Indus in Ladakh has a greater volume of water than the Indus itself before that point.

"That night in the tent [next to Senge Khabab] I ask Sonmatering which of the Indus tributaries which we crossed this morning is the longest. All of them, he says, start at least a day's walk away from here. The Bukhar begins near the village of Yagra. The Lamolasay's source is in a holy place: there is a monastery there. The Dorjungla is a very difficult and long walk, three days perhaps, and there are many sharp rocks; but it its water is clear and blue, hence the tributary's other name, Zom-chu, which Karma Lama translates as 'Blue Water'. The Rakmajang rises from a dark lake called the Black Sea.

One of the longest tributaries — and thus a candidate for the river's technical source — is the Kla-chu, the river we crossed yesterday by bridge. Also known as the Lungdep Chu, it flows into the Indus from the south-east, and rises a day's walk from Darchen. But Sonamtering insists that the Dorjungla is the longest of the 'three types of water' that fall into the Seng Tsanplo ['Lion River' or Indus]."

Indus River in Pictures:

Satellite image of the Indus River basin in Southern Pakistan.

Thal Canal from the Indus river, Pakistan

Confluence of Indus River. The Indus is the lower river in this picture.

Bridge on the Indus River in Pakistan

The Indus River near Skardu, Gilgit Baltistan

Indus river from karakouram highway

Indus River, Northern Pakistan

Indus River,Ladakh Jiten Mehra

Indus River, Jammu and Kashmir

Beautiful Indus River

Indus River, Sukkur, Province of Sind, Pakistan

Indus River Skardu, Beautiful Baltistan

Distribution of Indus River water: Punjab and Sindh at loggerheads

Indus River Near Leh., Leh Ladhak., India

Indus river - Ladakh (India)

Beautiful view of Indus River Pakistan

Zanskar Indus river Sangam.

Rivers of Pakistan

2010-12-30T19:36:00.000-08:00

This is a list of rivers wholly or partly in Pakistan, organised geographically by river basin, from west to east. Tributaries are listed from the mouth to the source.
The longest and the largest river in Pakistan is the Indus River. Around two-thirds of water supplied for irrigation and in homes come from the Indus and its associated rivers.

Please Click on Image to view it in large

Flowing into the Arabian Sea:

Dasht River (Urdu: دریائے دشت)
- Kech River
Basol River
Hingol River (Urdu: دریائے ہنگول)
- Nal River
Porali River
Hub River (Urdu: دریائے حب)
Orangi Nala
Malir River (Urdu:دریائے ملير )
Lyari River (Urdu:لیاری ندی)
Gujjar Nala

Indus River Basin
- Indus River
  - Panjnad River (Urdu: پنجند)
    - Chenab River
      - Ravi River
        Ojh Nadi River
      - Jehlum River or Jhelum River
        Poonch River
        
        Kunhar River
        
        Neelum River or Kishanganga
      - Tawi River
      - Manawar Tavi River
    - Sutlej River
  - Gomal River
    - Kundar River
    - Zhob River
  - Kurrum River or Karam River (Urdu: دریائے کرم )
    - Tochi River, sometimes referred to as the Gambila River
  - Soan River (Urdu: دریائے سون)
    - Ling stream
  - Haro River
  - Kabul River
    - Swat River
      - River Jindi
      - Panjkora River
    - Bara River
    - Kunar River (Kunar Rud)
      - Lutkho River
  - Siran River
  - Tangir River
  - Astore River
    - Rupal River, rising from the melt water of the Rupal Glacier
  - Gilgit River
    - Hunza River
      - Naltar River
      - Hispar River
      - Shimshal River
      - Chapursan River
      - Misgar River
      - Khunjerab River
    - Ishkuman River
    - Yasin River
  - Shigar River (Urdu: دریائے شگر ), formed from the melting water of the Baltoro Glacier and Biafo Glacier.
    - Braldu River
  - Shyok River
    - Saltoro River
    - Nubra River, rising from the meltwater of the Siachen Glacier
  - Suru River
    - Dras River
    - Shingo River

Peshawar City Of Pakistan

2010-12-12T21:17:00.000-08:00

Peshāwar ( Pashto: پېښور Pekhawar/Peshawar, Hindko: پِشور Pishor, Urdu:پشاور), is the capital of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative centre (but not the capital) for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. The Kushan kingKanishka, moved the capital from Pushkalavati (now called Charsadda in the Peshawar valley) to Purushapura in the 2nd century CE. The current name "Peshawar" may derive from the Sanskrit Purushapura (meaning "city of men") and is known as Pekhawar orPeshawar in Pashto and Pishor in Hindko. The area originally belonged to Gandhara and the eastern Iranian tribes of Scythian origin and later became part of the Kushan Empire. It gave its name to the Peshwari naan bread, one of the diverse genres of naan common in the curry houses of Great Britain. This naan bread contains coconut and sultanas and is delicious with a cold Cobra. Beer that is, not snake. Briefly it also witnessed some Greek influence after which it saw the Arab conquest and rise of Islam. Today it is one of the prime cities of Pakistan west of the river Indus.

History of Peshawar:

Peshawar is now officially recognised as being one of the Oldest Living Cities in Asia. Its history and culture has continued uninterrupted since several centuries. This fact was confirmed by the discovery of silver punch-marked coins from the Government House in 1906–07 and the ongoing excavation at Gor Khatri which is the deepest and widest in the world. Being among the most ancient cities of the region between Central, South, and West Asia, Peshawar has for centuries been a centre of trade between Afghanistan, South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. As an ancient centre of learning, the 2nd century BCE. Bakhshali Manuscript used in the Bakhshali approximation was found nearby.

Peshawar was a major centre of Buddhist learning until the 10th century. As an indication of its importance, Peshawar was also the site of Kanishka's Great Stupa which housed relics of Gautama Buddha, and was widely considered to be the tallest building in the world at the time of its construction. Ancient Chinese manuscripts tell of Buddhist pilgrims such asFaxian, Sung Yun, and Xuanzang reporting that the 7th century stupa, which was rediscovered in the south east of the city at a site called Shahji-ki-Dheri in 1907–08, had a height of 591–689 feet.

Peshawar emerged as a centre of both Hindko and Pashtun intellectuals. Its dominant culture for much of British rule was that of the Hindko speakers, also referred to as "Khaarian" ('city dwellers' in Pashto). Its unique culture, distinct from the surrounding Pashtun areas, led to the city being romanticised by Pashto singers, with songs like larsha Pekhwar tha (let us go to Peshawar) and more recently Pekhawar kho pekhawar dhay kana. This unique culture has gradually disappeared with the massive influx of Afghan refugees and the increasing migration of Pashtuns into the city. The demographics has changed quite dramatically and Pashto is now the dominant language of the city.

Vedic mythology refers to an ancient settlement called Pushkalavati in the area, after Pushkal, the son of King Bharata in the epic Ramayana., but this settlement's existence remains speculative and unverifiable. In recorded history, the earliest major city established in the general area of Peshawar was called Purushapura (Sanskrit for City of Men) and was founded by the Kushans, a Central Asian tribe of Tocharian origin, over 2,000 years ago.^[18] Prior to this period the region was affiliated with Gandhara, an ancient Indo-Iranian kingdom, and was annexed first by the Persian Achaemenid empire and then by the Hellenic empire of Alexander the Great. The city passed into the rule of Alexander's successor, Seleucus I Nicator who ceded it to Chandragupta Maurya, the founder of the Maurya Empire in 305 BCE. Buddhism was introduced into the region at this time and may have claimed the majority of Peshawar's inhabitants before the coming of Islam.

Peshawar is located in an area that was dominated by various tribes of Indo-Iranian origin. The region was affiliated with the ancient kingdom of Gandhara and had links to the Harappancivilization of the Indus River Valley and to Bactria and other ancient kingdoms based inAfghanistan. According to the historian Tertius Chandler, Peshawar had a population of 120,000 in the year 100 BCE, making it the seventh most populous city in the world.

Indo-Greek Peshawar

The area that Peshawar occupies was then seized by the Greco-Bactrian king, Eucratides(170 – 159 BCE), and was controlled by a series of Greco-Bactrian and later Indo-Greekkings who ruled an empire that spanned from present day Pakistan to North India. Later, the city came under the rule of several Parthian and Indo-Parthian kings, another group of Iranicinvaders from Central Asia, the most famous of whom, Gondophares, ruled the city and its environs starting in circa 46 CE, and was briefly followed by two or three of his descendants before they were displaced by the first of the "Great Kushans", Kujula Kadphises, around the middle of the 1st century CE.

Gandharan Peshawar

Peshawar formed the eastern capital of the empire of Gandhara under the Kushan kingKanishka, who reigned from at least 127 CE. Peshawar became a great centre of Buddhistlearning. Kanishka built what may have been the tallest building in the world at the time, a giant stupa, to house the Buddha's relics, just outside the Ganj Gate of the old city of Peshawar.

Sometime in the 1st millennium BCE, the group that now dominates Peshawar began to arrive from the Suleiman Mountains of southern Afghanistan to the southwest, the Pashtuns. Over the centuries the Pashtuns would come to dominate the region and Peshawar has emerged as an important centre of Pashtun culture along with Kandahar and Kabul as well as Quetta in more recent times. Muslim Arab and Turkic arrived and annexed the region before the beginning of the 2nd millennium.

The Kanishka stupa was said to be an imposing structure as one travelled down from the mountains of Afghanistan onto the Gandharan plains. The earliest account of the famous building is by the Chinese Buddhist pilgrim monk, Faxian, who visited it in 400 and described it as being over 40 chang in height (probably about 120 m or 394 ft) and adorned "with all precious substances". "Of all the stûpas and temples seen by the travellers, none can compare with this for beauty of form and strength." It was destroyed by lightning and repaired several times. It was still in existence at the time of Xuanzang's visit in 634. From the ruined base of this giant stupa there existed a jewelled casket containing relics of the Buddha, and an inscription identifying Kanishka as the donor, and was excavated from a chamber under the very centre of the stupa's base, by a team under Dr. D.B. Spooner in 1909. The stupa was roughly cruciform in shape with a diameter of 286 feet (87 m) and heavily decorated around the sides with stucco scenes.

Arrival of Islam

The Pashtuns began to convert to Islam following early annexation by the Arab Empire fromKhurasan (in what is today western Afghanistan and northeastern Iran).

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Sebuktagin dying in 997 was succeeded as governor of Khorasan by his sonMahmud, who throwing off all dependence on the Samani princes, assumed the title of Sultan in 999. In the early reign of this celebrated invader the plains of Peshawar were again the scene of some great battles, the first of which was fought on the maira between Nowshera and the Indus, in the year 1001. Mahmudwas opposed by Jaipal, who had been constantly endevouring to recover the country wrested from him by Sebuktagin, still aided by some Pathans whose allegiance to the Muslim governor of Peshawar was not of long continuance.

The battle took place on November 27.Jaipal himself being taken prisoner, who upon his subsequent release resigned the crown to his son Anandpal. On this occasion Mahmud punished the Pathans who had sided with the enemy, and as they were now converted entirely to the Islam, they stayed true to their new allegiance.

”

Peshawar was taken by Turkic Muslims in 988 and was incorporated into the larger Mughal domains by the 16th century. The founder of the Mughul dynasty that would conquer South Asia,Babur, who hailed from current Uzbekistan, came to Peshawar and founded a city called Bagram where he rebuilt the fort in 1530. His grandson, Akbar, formally named the city Peshawar, meaning "The Place at the Frontier" in Persian and expanded the bazaars and fortifications. The Muslim technocrat, bureaucrats, soldiers, traders, scientists, architects, teachers, theologians and Sufis flocked from the rest of the Muslim world to Islamic Sultanate in South Asia and many settled in the Peshawar region.

The Pashtun conqueror Sher Shah Suri, turned Peshawar's renaissance into a boom when he ran his Delhi-to-Kabul Shahi Road through the Khyber Pass and Peshawar. Thus the Mughals turned Peshawar into a "City of Flowers" by planting trees and laying out gardens similar to those found to the west in Iran. Khushal Khan Khattak, the Pashtun/Afghan warrior poet, was born near Peshawar and his life was intimately tied to the city. Khattak was an early Pashtun nationalist, who agitated for an independent Afghanistan including Peshawar. As such, he was an implacable foe of the Mughal rulers, especially Aurangzeb.

Reigns of the Pashtun Kings

After the decline of the Mughal Empire, by the 18th century the city came under Persian control during the reign of Nadir Shah. In 1747, following a loya jirga, Peshawar would join the Afghan/Pashtun empire of Ahmad Shah Durrani as a Pakthun region. Pashtuns from Peshawar took part in the incursions of South Asia during the rule of Ahmad Shah Durrani and his successors.

Peshawar under British Rule

In 1812, Peshawar was a suzerainty of Afghanistan, but contested by the Sikh Empire. The arrival of a party led by British explorer and former agent of the East India Company, William Moorcroft was seen as an advantage, both in dealings with Kabul and in protection against the Sikhs of Lahore. He was even offered the governorship of Peshawar and invited to offer the area's allegiance to the East India Company, which he declined. Moorcroft continued to Kabul in the company of Peshwari forces and thence to the Hindu Kush.

The mountainous areas outside of the city were mapped out in 1893 by Sir Mortimer Durand, then foreign secretary of the British Indian government, who demarcated the boundary of his colony with the Afghan ruler at the time, Abdur Rahman Khan. It is now known as the Durand Line. The Kabul government has argued that the pact expired when British colonialists left the region – although claims to the region have not been a part of official Afghan policy.

In 1818 Peshawar was captured by Maharaja Ranjit Singh and paid a nominal tribute until it was finally annexed in 1834 by the Sikh Empire. An 1835 attempt to retake the city by Dost Mohammad Khan failed when his army declined battle with the Dal Khalsa. His son, Mohammad Akbar Khan, almost retook the city in the Battle of Jamrud in 1837, but was forced to retreat due to logistics problems. With the confusion following the collapse of the Sikh Empire due to the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the Sikh Empire's defeat in the Second Anglo-Sikh War, theBritish occupied Peshawar in 1849.

Durand Line

In 1893, Mortimer Durand negotiated with Abdur Rahman Khan the Amir of Afghanistan the frontier between Afghanistan, the FATA, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan Provinces of Pakistan, the successor state of British India, and Afghanistan.

This line, the Durand Line, is named after Sir Mortimer Durand and remains the international boundary between Afghanistan and modern-day Pakistan, officially recognized by most nations but an ongoing point of contention between the two countries.

In 1893, Sir Mortimer Durand was deputed to Kabul by the government of British India for this purpose of settling an exchange of territory required by the demarcation of the boundary between northeastern Afghanistan and the Russian possessions, and in order to discuss with the Amir Abdur Rahman Khan other pending questions. The Amir showed his ability in diplomatic argument, is tenacity where his own views or claims were in debate, with a sure underlying insight into the real situation.

The territorial exchanges were amicably agreed upon; the relations between the British Indian and Afghan governments, as previously arranged, were confirmed; and an understanding was reached upon the important and difficult subject of the border line of Afghanistan on the east, towards India.

In 1893 during rule of Amir Abdur Rahman Khan of Afghanistan a "Royal Commission for setting up of Boundary" the Durand Line betweenAfghanistan and the British-governed India was set up, to negotiate terms with the British, for the Agreeing to the Durand line , and the two parties camped at Parachinar, now part of FATA Pakistan, which is near Khost Afghanistan.

From the British side the camp was attended by Sir Mortimer Durand and Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum, Political Agent Khyber.

The Afghanistan side was represented by Sahibzada Abdul Latif and the Governor KhostSardar Shireendil Khan representing the Amir.

Independence and instability

Until the mid-1950s, Peshawar was enclosed within a city wall and sixteen gates. Of the old city gates, the most famous was the Kabuli Gate but only the name remains to this date. Peshawar has not grown as much in size or capacity as the population has. As a result it has become a polluted and overcrowded city.

In 1947, Peshawar became part of the newly independent state of Pakistan after politicians from the Frontier approved merger into the state that had just been carved from British India. While a large majority of people approved of this action, others believed in the unity of India, such as Abdul Ghaffar Khan. Still others believed that the province should have ascended to Afghanistan – a position which later evolved into a call for a state independent of both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

During the 1980s Soviet war in Afghanistan, Peshawar served as a political centre for the Inter-Services Intelligence-trained mujahideengroups, and housed Afghan refugees at the Jalozai refugee camp. There were a total of about 100,000 Afghan refugees reported in Peshawar during the 1988 election when Benazir Bhutto was running for Prime Minister of Pakistan. Peshawar managed to assimilate many of the ethnic Pashtun Afghans with relative ease and many of them still remain in Pakistan.

Peshawar continues to be a city that links Pakistan with Afghanistan as well as Central Asia, and has emerged as an important regional city in Pakistan. It remains a focal point for Pashtun culture. Today, like the surrounding region, it is at the crossroads of the struggle between the extremist Taliban and moderates, liberals and Pashtun nationalists. As a demonstration of their determination to destroy Pashtun icons, the Taliban bombed the shrine of the most beloved Pashtun poet, Rahman Baba, in 2009.

Peshawar in Pictures:

Islamia College

Sunehri Mosque

Peshawar Museum

Lady Reading Hospital

Government Higher Secondary School

Interior of the Mahabat Khan Mosque. Although Islam is the majority religion in the city, it has a significant Sikh and Hindu population.

Western gateway of the Gor Khatri caravanserai

Old Peshawar

Islamia College at the University of Peshawar

Clock Tower of Peshawar city known as "Ghanta Ghar (Clock Home)" in Urdu

Razi Institute of Medical Sciences, Peshawar; one of the leading paramedical institutes of the Province

Flower work inside Mohabbat Khan Mosque

Peshawar is known for its dry fruits.This is one of the vendors in Namak Mandi

Peshawar International Airport

Peshawar Chuba Chok carpet market

Peshawar‑Bala-e-Hisar

Man preparing carpet

carpets of Peshawar

PRSP (PIPOS Rehabilitation Services Project)

Sargodha City of Pakistan

2010-11-23T19:49:00.000-08:00

Sargodha (Urdu: سرگودھا) is a city in the Sargodha District of Punjab province, Pakistan.

Sargodha is located in the northeast of Pakistan. It is the eleventh largest city of Pakistan and also known as Pakistan's best citrus-producing area. It is an agricultural trade centre with various industries. Sargodha is one of the few planned cities in Pakistan, the other four being Gwadar, Jauharabad, Faisalabad and Islamabad.

Pakistan's largest airbase, PAF Base Mushaf (formerly PAF Base Sargodha), is situated in Sarghoda and hosts the headquarters of the Pakistan Air Force's Central Air Command. The airbase is also home to the Combat Commanders School (CCS), formerly the Fighter Leader's School, an elite training facility for training Pakistan Air Force pilots in fighter tactics and weapons.

History:

The term Sargodha has its origins in the words Sar, meaning pond, and Godha, meaning sadhu.

Sargodha was a small town at the beginning of the British Empire but, due to its geographical location, the British Royal Air Force built an airport there. It took on greater importance after the Independence of Pakistan for the Pakistan Air Force. Shahpur, which is now a tehsil of Sargodha District, was the district at that time. Most parts of the tehsil Sillanwali and Kirana Hillsregion were part of Jhang district and were included later during the British Raj in the Sargodha district. Many writers have come from Sargodha, including Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi, Wazir Ali Agha, Anwar Sadid, Wasi Shah, Moeen Nizami, Abdulqadir Hassan, Zaheer Ud Din Zaheer, Dr. Prince Sajjad (London, UK),Dr. Muhammad Nawaz (Sweden/Norway), and Haroon-ur-Rashid. Singers who hail from Sargodha District include Maloko, Muratab Ali, and Ali Arshad. Sargodha division has also shown talent in sports. The cricket legends Imran Khan, Misbahulhaq, Samiullah Niazi (all from Mianwali), Muhammad Hafeez, Naved Latif (from Sargodha), Shafqat and Muhammad Shabbir, Olympians from hockey, are from Sargodha division.

The 1965 war with India on September 6, 1965 meant the city was a prime target for India, due to the city's close proximity to the neighbouring rival. The citizens of Sargodha supported the Pakistan Army against the advancing of the Indian Army into Pakistan. In 1966, recognising this bravery, the Government of Pakistan awarded the city of Sargodha as well as Sialkot and Lahore with the award of Hilal-E-Istaqlal. The city also has a Pakistan Air Force base within its city. The PAF Base Sargodha now known as PAF Base Mushaf, named after the late Air Chief Marshal Mushaf Ali Mir, a former Chief of Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force. The strategic location of the base has allowed the Air Force to carry out experimental work within the city. Sial Shareef is the most famous and blessed place of Sargogha. People all over the country and world come to Sial Shareef to gain spiritual education and for religious education. Khawja Muhammad Qamar Ud Din Sialvi was a the greatest saint, religious scholar of Sial Shareef (Sargodha). He took an active part in the Muslim League movement to gain Pakistan. He was entitled Sheikh Ul Islam by the Government of Pakistan.

The city of Sargodha was awarded with the name of "city of eagles".

Economy:

Sargodha is largely an agricultural and industrial city. The vast fields in the city have allowed the farmers to develop a range of crops and animal breeding programs. Some of the main crops include citrus, wheat, rice, and sugar cane, which are exported to the other cities as well as internationally. Citrus fruits such as oranges (locally known as kinnows), guavas and mangoes are the main fruits grown in the district. Jaman, pears, dates, pomegranates, phalsa and almonds are also grown in minor quantities. Turnips, onions, cauliflower, potatoes and tomatoes are the main vegetables grown in the district. The main livestock for the city include goats, sheep, buffaloes and cattle.

Even with agricultural goods being the major income generator for the city as well as the district, the economy and industry has been diversifying itself to generate more demand for other goods which can be manufactured and produced in the city. Other industrial markets include: beverages, manufacture of diesel engines, foundry products, glass products, leather footwear, oil mills, pesticides, insecticides, poultry feed, plastics, readymade garments, tanning and textiles.

A Quick Visit to Sargodha:

Sargodha is commonly known as City of Eagles

Sargodha Road

Pakistan Air Force Collage

PAF Public School

Sargodha University

University of Sargodha

Punjab Collage Sargodha

Sargodha National Public Senior Secondary School, Jail Road.

Sargodha Remount Depot

Sargodha Medical Collage

Sargodha Railway Station

Sargodha Mandi

Orange Famous Fruit of Sargodha

Field of Rice

Field of Wheat

Wheat Product Ready

Mangoes

Sugarcane

Multan City of Pakistan

2010-11-19T21:14:00.001-08:00

Multan (Punjabi/Urdu: ملتان, from ancient Sanskrit: Moolasthan) is a city in thePunjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province. Multan District has a population of over 4.5 million— It is situated on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about 562 km (349 mi) from Islamabad, 356 km (221 mi) from Lahore. & 966 km (600 mi) from Karachi.
Multan is known as the City of Sufis or City of Saints due to the large number of shrines and Sufi saints from the city. The city is full of bazaars, mosques, shrines and ornate tombs. It is located in a bend created by five rivers of the Punjab province. The Sutlej Riverseparates it from Bahawalpur and the Chenab River from Muzaffar Garh. The city has grown to become an influential political and economical center for the country, with a dry port and excellent transport links. Multan is famous for its crops: wheat, cotton and sugar cane as well as mangoes, citrus, guavas and pomegranates.

Culture:

Multan is locally known as the 'City of Saints, Sufis and Beggars'. It is one of the main cities in the Southern Punjab province of Pakistan. The city has been a focal point for many religions, in particular becoming a central abode for Sufism, the mystical side of Islam. The city has attracted Sufi saints from far places of the globe. Today, Multan is known as the 'City of Sufis'. It is one of the oldest cities in South Asia, with many tombs, shrines, temples, cathedrals and mausoleums, as well as a historical fort. Today Multan is a combination of old and the new Pakistan culture. There is a big hustle bustle in the old city and comfort of a five star hotel and fine dining in the new. The old city has a various bazaars selling mystical artifacts, perfumes to arts and crafts. There are also elaborately decorated shrines of the Sufi saints, tombs of various travellers and important people within the old city of Multan.

The prime attractions of Multan are its mausoleums of Sufi saints. The Mausoleum of Sheikh Baha-ud-Din Zakariya, as well as the Mausoleum of Shah Rukn-e-Alam are the prime attractions of the city. Their lofty domes of are visible, from miles and dominate the skyline of Multan. Another popular shrine is the Mausoleum of Shams-ud-Din, commonly known as Shah Shamsuddin Sabzwari is located about half a mile to the east of the Multan Fort, on the high bank of the old bed of the Ravi River.

Another famous and beautiful mausoleum of a warrior sufi saint and poet Hazrat Hafiz Muhammad Jamal Multani (1747-1811 AD) is situated near Aam Khas garden outside Daulat Gate, Multan.

There are also a number of other mausoleums located within the city which gather a great deal of attention. The Nuagaza tombs are shrines to martyrs and warriors who fought in wars centuries ago some dating back 1,300 years ago. The Multan Museum located within the city has a vast collection of coins, medals, postage stamps of the former State of Bahawalpur, manuscripts, documented inscriptions, wood carvings, camel-skin paintings, historical models and stone carvings of the Islamic and Pre-Islamic periods.

Multan also has a number of old mosques which were once considered as the jewels of the city. Some have been dated back to a few thousand years and have been recognized as some of the oldest mosques within South East Asia. The legend goes that the first mosque ever built in Multan was the Jamia Mosque which was constructed on the orders of General Mohammed Qasim, who conquered Multan in 712AD. Ruins of this mosque were visible till 1954 at Qasim Bella however due to repeated floods, the structure was lost. Sawi Mosque is supposed to be the oldest mosque which still exists today though in deteriorating state, there are glazed blue tiles from the era in which it was built which dates the mosque to several centuries ago. The second oldest mosque within Multan is Mohammad Khan Wali Mosque. It is an excellent condition, situated in the busiest Chowck Bazar of the city. It was built by Nawab Ali Mohammad Khan Khakwani, in 1757 when he was the governor of Multan in the time of Alamgir II. The mosque is provided with a reservoir for the ablutions, baths, and a large hall for prayers.

Multan is another Pakistani city that loves cricket. The city government inaugurated a new multi-purpose stadium replacing Ibn-e-Qasim Bagh Stadium which was the lone stadium used for football and cricket matches. The inauguration of the new stadium has allowed the city to offer Test day/night matches as well as other national sports such as hockey, badminton and football. The stadium is home to the Multan Cricket Association. Other sports grounds include Divisional Sports Ground and the Pakistan Cricket Board owned Government College Cricket Ground.

A visit to Multan:

The Shahi Eid Ghah Mosque, Islam is the major religion in Multan

Kalma Chock Multan

Mangos form a large portion of Multan's agricultural export market.

A local copppersmith displays his wares at the central market in Multan, Pakistan.

The Multan Municipal Corporation Clock Tower, built during the rule of the British Empire

A fruit vendor in a fruit market in the heart of Multan

Mausoleum of Shah Rukn-e-Alam

Aerial view of the Multan Cricket Stadium

A newly built fly-over at a busy section in Multan

Mazar Bahauddin Zakriya Multani

University Mosque Multan

Gate of Multan

Mosque In Multan

Building of State Bank in Multan

Multan Arts Council

Girls Degree Collage Multan

Nishtar Medical Collage Multan

Dehli Gate Multan

Fertilizer Factory Multan

Ghanta Ghar Multan

Great Pakistan Army

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really hitting on heart

2010-11-15T21:25:00.001-08:00

ham zinda qoum hay

2010-11-15T21:23:00.001-08:00

Must think

2010-11-15T21:18:00.001-08:00

where we are going?

Udru Speech

2010-11-15T21:17:00.001-08:00

wonderful style

True Pakistan

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children growth and environment
beautiful speech by a small children

funny speech

2010-11-15T20:45:00.001-08:00

Pakistani politics

talented Pakistani student

2010-11-15T20:43:00.001-08:00

23 A-levels

Freedom of Expression and our Children

2010-11-15T20:42:00.001-08:00

English speech

Creation of a Proud Pakistani Hand Assembled Lemozine Car

2010-11-15T20:41:00.001-08:00

Creation of a Proud Pakistani Hand Assembled Lemozine Car

12 year talented

2010-11-15T20:40:00.000-08:00

Pakistani Boy -

The World Youngest MicroSoft Certified Professional (MCP)

Babar Iqbal

Pakistani Great Talent, Abbas Farid

2010-11-15T20:38:00.001-08:00

wonderful performance

great Pakistani talent

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must see how talented we are?

wonderful BABA

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This is hidden talent of Pakistan

great speech Saanu saadey wadday maar gaye

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wonderful punjabi speech

PART-1

PART-2

Sialkot (City of Iqbal)

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Sialkot (Punjabi, Urdu: سیالکوٹ) is a city situated in the north-east of the Punjab province inPakistan at the foothills of the snow-covered peaks of Kashmir near the Chenab river. It is the capital of Sialkot District and, formerly, it has been the winter-capital of the State of Kashmir. The city is about 125 km (78 mi) north-west of Lahore and only a few kilometres from Indian-controlled Jammu. The recorded history of Sialkot covers thousands of years. Sialkot has, since its foundation, changed hands from Hindu, Buddhist, Persian, Greek, Afghan, Turk,Sikh and British rule to that of present-day Pakistan.

clock tower Sialkot

History:

There are various sources tracing the origins of the city of Sialkot but the authenticity of many of these sources varies. Excavations throughout the area have revealed large amounts ofGreek coins, ancient Zoroastrian temples and several Buddhist stupas. The antiquities of Sialkot have also been discussed by Sir Alexander Cunningham in his Archaeological Survey Reports, II, 21, 22, and XIV, 44 to 47.

According to Hindu mythological scriptures, Siálkot is believed to have been founded by Raja Sul or (Shalya), emperor of Madradesa and brother of Madri, second wife of emperor Panduand mother to Nakul and Sahadeva. He was the uncle of the Pandavas, whose heroic deeds are recorded in the epic Mahabharata. During the Mahabharata period ^[1], Siálkot's name was Sakala or Sagala. After the death of Raja Sul, some 5000 years ago, there is a tradition that the dynasty continued for some 1500 years. The seasonal stream, known as the Aik Nala, that still flows through the city, has been mentioned in the Upanishads. In the late Vedic period (c. 1500 - c. 200 B.C.), Sákala (Siálkot) was the capital of the Madras (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad). Sákaladvipa (island of Sákala) was the name of the doáb (land lying between two rivers) between Chandrabhága (Chenab) and Irávati (Ravi). In those early days, Sákala was studded with thick forests and inhabited by a pastoral race called Yahars or Yirs.

According to the Greek historical texts, which bring mention of the city of Sialkot dating back to before 327 BC when the city was known as Sagala, it represented the eastern-most outpost and expansion of the Hellenic Empire created by Alexander the Great which has been cross-correlated to ancient Greek maps of the era and several monuments found in the Sialkot District. The Greek historians state that the city was one of the most productive Silk regions of the Achaemenid Empire. Punjab had earned a reputation of being one of the richest satrapy (province), beside Gandhara, of the then Persian Empire. Sákala or Sagala was the capital, or one of the capitals, of the Indo-Greek Kingdom which broke-away from the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom during the Euthydemid Dynasty, and the residence of Menander I (Milinda) during his reign between 160 and 135 BC. Shun and Dall were two of the most powerful tribes in Sialkot.

Menandros Coin

Sialkot became a part of the Muslim Sultanate of Delhi when the Afghan noble Sultan Shahab-ud-Din Muhammad Ghauri conquered Punjab in 1185. He was unable to conquer Lahore but left a garrison in Sialkot. Later, Sultan Khusro Malik tried to capture the city but failed to do so. Sialkot then became a part of the Muslim Mughal Empire which was of Central Asian origin. The Mughal commander, Usman Ghani Raza, advanced towards Delhi by way of Sialkot which capitulated to his armies.

In 'Babur Nama', Zaheer-ud-Din Muhammad Babur records:

29th December: We dismounted at Sialkot. If one goes into Hindustan, the Jats andGujars always pour down in countless hordes from hill and plain for loot in bullock and buffalo. These ill-omened peoples are sensless oppressors! Previously, their deeds did not concern us because the territory was an enemy's. But they did the same sensless deeds after we had captured it. When we reached Sialkot, they swooped on the poor and needy folk who were coming out of the town to our camp, and stripped them bare. I had the witless brigands apprehended, and ordered a few of them to be cut to pieces.

Economy and Industry
Sialkot is the third largest economic hub in Punjab after Lahore and Faisalabad. It is commercially linked with the Lahore Stock Exchange through its Sialkot branch, known as the Sialkot Trading Floor(STF). The State Bank of Pakistan and the Export Promotion Bureau of Pakistan have branch offices in Sialkot. After Karachi, Sialkot is Pakistan's second largest source of foreign exchange earnings through its exports and remittances from the overseas manpower. For the past several decades, the manufacturers and exporters of the city have been awarded the annual National Exports Award by theFederation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Sialkot has an Industrial Estate and anExport Processing Zone. Another Export Processing Zone is planned along the Sialkot Lahore Motorway. The per capita income of Sialkot is ranked among the highest in Pakistan.
The history of industrialisation of Sialkot is very old. The Damascene craftsmen of Sialkot (koftgars or koftars) were famous during the Mughal era for their fine swords and daggers^{[citation needed]}. Papermaking in Sialkot dates back to the time of the Mughal Emperor Akbar which was famous all over the world. Brick making was another historic skill of the people of the Sialkot and those bricks were known as the "Sialkoti Bricks" throughout South Asia. Most of the states in the South Asian region relied on the slender but strong Sialkoti brickslanateer for the erection of forts, castles, monuments, public buildings, infrastructure construction, etc.^{[citation needed]}.
Nowadays, Sialkot is famous all over the world because of its Sports Equipment and Surgical Instruments manufacturing industry. According to a legend, the sport goods industry got its start in Sialkot when a British man broke his tennis racquet and, since an immediate replacement was not possible, he asked a local craftsman to repair it. The man did a perfect job and the sports goods manufacturing industry took root in Sialkot. The recorded history of the industry goes back to 1895 when the city started becoming famous for its tennis racquets. By 1903, cricket bats were being crafted from imported English willow and exported to different parts of South Asia and beyond. In 1922, a local manufacturer was awarded the British Empire Export Award for supplying footballs to the British Army. Over the years the industry grew to include a variety of wood and leather-based sports equipment, and diversified into related industries such as cricket balls, volleyballs, field hockey sticks, polo sticks, recreational fishing equipment, sports apparel and horse riding equipment and even the Scottish bagpipes. The most successful sports manufacturing firms now have international collaborations with the well-known sports brands like Adidas (Germany), Puma (Germany),Nexo Sports (Canada),Nike (USA), Dita (UK), Mikasa Sports (Japan) and Slazenger (UK). In the recent past, however, lack of modernisation and allegations of child labour usage have resulted in a loss of market share to the new entrants in the business like Thailand, Korea and China. The Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry has now almost controlled the incidents of child labour usage within the industry with the collaboration of the United Nations (ILO). Most of the companies have adopted the ISO standards.
As with the industrial clusters elsewhere in the world, the birth of Sialkot’s surgical industry can partly be explained by what U.S. economist Paul Krugman calls an "historic accident." In 1905, some broken surgical equipment at the American Mission Hospital in Sialkot afforded a chance for Sialkot craftsmen to adopt their skills. Encouraged by the hospital staff, they gradually started manufacturing replicas of originals. Orders were received from other mission hospitals in British India. By 1920, Sialkot was exporting to all parts of the British empire includingAfghanistan and Egypt and was later selected for supplying surgical instruments for the Allied forces in World War II. The Metal Industries Development Centre (MIDC) was established in 1942 to act as a supply and inspection agency for the Allied forces. Although the surgical instruments manufacturing factories were mostly owned by Hindus, the craftsmen were mostly Muslim and the industry was not affected by the partition of British India. At present, the surgical instruments manufacturing industry in Sialkot is one of the world's largest surgical instruments manufacturing industrial clusters second only to Tuttlingen, Germany. However, the quality of workmanship and raw materials are the issues that have been hindering the progress of this niche industry which is also likely to face increasing pressures from the rapid advances in the field of surgery. During last three decades, manufacture and export of veterinary instruments has also emerged very prominently here. During the colonial era British India's first bagpipe works opened in the city, today there are 20 pipe bands in the city and the businesses of bagpipe makers is flourishing.^[7] Other important industries in Sialkot include Leather Tanneries, Leather Garments,Musical Instruments, Sportswear including Martial arts wear , Gloves, Badges, Seat and Walking Sticks, Cutlery, Hunting Knives, Air Gunsand Shotguns. These are all export-oriented businesses and earn billions of dollars every year in foreign exchange. There are several other allied industries which are working day and night as vendors for the automobile industry of Pakistan. Sialkot has also a rich tradition of producing wooden and steel furniture, rubber products, cooking utensils, bicycles, their tyres and tubes and shoes^{[citation needed]}.
foot ball manufacturing
Surgical Instrument made in Sialkot
Iqbal house (place of birth of Iqbal)

Sialkot Fort

Marala Headworks

Sialkot Airport

Daewoo bus station

Murray collage Sialkot

Jinnah cricket Stadium

Mosque of Sialkot

Seerat study center

Rauf tower Sialkot

War Monument
Beautiful Village of Sialkot

wonderful pakistan

Wagah Border Lahore

Shalimar Gardens (Lahore)

The three level terraces of the Gardens

Shah Nahar : Irrigation of the Gardens

410 fountains

Buildings of the Gardens

Trees of the Gardens

Lahore Most Beautiful City of Pakistan

History of Lahore

Origins

Ghaznavid Empire to Delhi Sultanate

Sikh reign

British Raj

Partition of India

Post-independence

Indus River

Rivers of Pakistan

Indus River Basin

Peshawar City Of Pakistan

Indo-Greek Peshawar

Gandharan Peshawar

Arrival of Islam

Peshawar under British Rule

Durand Line

Independence and instability

Sargodha City of Pakistan

Multan City of Pakistan

Mazar Bahauddin Zakriya Multani

Mazar Bahauddin Zakriya Multani

Great Pakistan Army

really hitting on heart

ham zinda qoum hay

Must think

Udru Speech

True Pakistan

funny speech

talented Pakistani student

Freedom of Expression and our Children

Creation of a Proud Pakistani Hand Assembled Lemozine Car

Creation of a Proud Pakistani Hand Assembled Lemozine Car

12 year talented

Pakistani Boy -

The World Youngest MicroSoft Certified Professional (MCP)

Babar Iqbal

Pakistani Great Talent, Abbas Farid

great Pakistani talent

wonderful BABA

great speech Saanu saadey wadday maar gaye

Sialkot (City of Iqbal)

Economy and Industry