I am writing this blog to promote the brighter side of Pakistan. Over here, I will be sharing Pakistan's legends, events, culture, cities, tourist spots and souvenirs.
Today when I was surfing on the internet, I found a survey: What do young Americans think of Pakistan. The answers were negative. Related it with terrorism, terrorists and some with US ex-president Bush's war on terror. I also checked many yahoo answers, blogs and surveys and unfortunately most of the answers and results were negative. Therefore I have decided that now, try to share as much of Pakistan's good side as we can. Let's shower out music, people, culture, beliefs, myths, traditions, food and our lifestyle. Lets show the world that we Pakistanis are not just terrorism and extremism. Let us show that we know how to celebrate life to its fullest. Readers, for this I need your help. I request you to share anything you want to sow, or just simply share this blog. :)
To all the foreign readers, I have a question;
What comes to your mid when you hear the word Pakistan or Pakistani? Please write what you feel and do not hesitate. I would love your experience even if it is negative.
Lolz Studios (https://www.facebook.com/LolzStudios?fref=ts) is a studio run in Islamabad to spread awareness in the country. They have very beautifully portrayed the capital city, Islamabad in the video above.
Islamabad is one of the most cosmopolitan and urbanized city of Pakistan, located in the Potwar Plateau. The city covers an area of 906 square kilometers and is home to 1.15 million Pakistanis. Due to the lush green scenery, mountains and mostly suburban areas Islamabad is also famous as a calm, clean and green city. Islamabad is also the home to The Pakistan Monument, which is one of the two national monuments. The city is a twin city of Rawalpindi, and also provides routes to the northern areas of the country which are a source of both domestic and international tourism.
Unfortunately, since I am not a resident of Islamabad myself, I do not know much about the city. However I have got photos that might completely describe the awesomeness of the city ^_^.
Photo Courtesy: Lolz Studios
Faysal Mosque, which is the largest mosque (place of worship for Muslims) is also located in Islamabad. Completed in 1986, the mosque was designed by a Turkish architect, Vedat Dalokay. The mosque is also said to be the national mosque of the country. The architecture lacks traditional touches, such as arcs numerous large doors due to which it's design is unique and modern.
Faysal Mosque at night. source: Google
The Pakistan Monument in Islamabad. it represents the nation's four provinces and three territories. It is designed by Arif Masood.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan and the Aiwan-e-Sadr (Palace of the President) are also located Islamabad.
Pakistan is a country with a very vivid and lively culture. The country has it's own very unique and diverse variety of accessories, out of which, most are handmade. One of the examples of these accessories are the Pakistani footwear which do not only reflect eastern fashion but also the talent that lives among the people of Pakistan.
This cultural footwear is known as Khussa.
The Pakistani women take great pride in wearing these beautifully designed khussas. The artistic colour combinations, neat stitches and obviously their unique style that can not be found anywhere else in the world make one so attracted to them that one simply is unable to resist buying them. These shoes are also cultural souvenirs that foreign tourists can show off to their friends, family or simply the people of their countries since they are very rare over there.
Another style of khussas which are a specialty of Multan.
The kolhapuri chappals are anther major footwear that reflect the Pakistani-Balochi culture of Pakistan. The ones for women are usually colourful and light in weight while the ones for men are heavy and dull in colour. Kohlapuris are handmade and require a special kind of talent. They were first worn as early as the thirteenth century. They are still a very important footwear that is used by Pakistani women and men. However, they are nowadays more common in women than men.
a khussa designed for men.
Khussas are handcrafted, covered footwear that are available in different colours for both men and women. Their different colours, royal designes, and golden or silver thread or decorations, all represent the rich culture of South Asia. They are also common in India and represent the Mughal Dynasty of the region.
Karachi is the largest and most populated metropolitan city of Pakistan, with a population of 23.5 million people, and the main seaport and financial centre of Pakistan as well as the capital of Sindh province. It is the 3rd largest city in the world in means of population in city limits, 11th largest urban agglomeration. It is Pakistan's centre of banking, trading and industrial work.
This is the map of Karachi which is showing its major areas as well.
The beach of Karachi. Captured by: Danish Ayub
Being at the bank of the Arabian sea, Karachi is a city with various beaches. They are not only hangout points for the people of Karachi but also have a diverse variety of marine species. The Arabian sea does is not only a home to marine turtles but also contains blue whales.
A starfish at the beach of Karachi. Captured by: Hira Khatri
A research at the University of Karachi, done by the collective efforts World Wide Fund For Nature- Pakistan (WWF-Pak), and the University Marine Biological Station Millport (UMBSM) under the leadership of British Dr. Mauvis Gore, shows: the seas of Pakistan have a moderate number of Bottlenose dolphin, Humpback dolphin, Spinner dolphin, Risso's dolphin and the Killer Whale (categorized as a dolphin). A number of whales, including Bryde's whale, Cuvier's Beaked whale, the fin whale, the sperm whale and the Hump-backed whales were also recorded.
Mausoleum of Jinnah. source: google
Karachi is also known as the City of Quaid because of the presence of the Mausoleum of the founder of Pakistan i.e. Mohammed Ali Jinnah. Designed by Yahya Merchant, the mausoleum is constructed using white marble. The interior of the grave complex has three graves in a row and one to the north. The northern one belongs to Miss Fatima Jinnah ( Jinnah's Sister). Out of the three graves, one belongs to Mr. Liaquat Ali Khan (Pakistan's first prime minister), Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar, and Nurul Amin. All of the graves are made up of Italian white marble. All of the graves a plain except for the grave of Miss Fatima Jinnah which has floral designs at it's base.
Ocean Tower: 28 floors. source: Google
Apart from this, the tallest building of Pakistan, the Ocean Towers is also situated in this city. Other tall buildings of the city include MCB Tower, Dolmen City Mall and various others. Karachi is also equipped with cinemas and malls since it has a big population and is an industrial and metropolitan city. Various underpasses, flyovers and parks have also contributed to the city's beauty.
Building of Dolmen City Mall, view from the beach
The Empress Market
Karachi also consists of ancient architecture that was build during the British Monarchy in Pakistan. The Empress Market, situated in Saddar (which was the downtown during British Raj) is probably the busiest and largest market in the city. It is also one of the few historical spots of Karachi. The market was made between the years 1884 and 1889 and was named after Queen Victoria, the Empress of India. The foundation stone of Empress Market was laid by the governor of Bombay, James Ferguson. It was designed by James Strachan, the foundations were completed by the English firm, A.J. Attifield, while the construction was done by the local firm 'Mahoomed Nwan and Dulloo Khejoo'.
Frere Hall. Captured by: Iqbal Khatri
Another remnant building from the British colonial era is the Frere Hall. It was built in honor of Sir Henry Bartle Edward Frere, who was known for spreading economic development during his office. This building and its gardens stretch from Abdullah Haroon Road till the Fatima Jinnah Road. It was used as a town hall during the British Raj. After the partition it was turned into a library and a book bazaar. However, after an attack at the U.S consulate, which was located opposite to the Frere Hall, the public was not allowed to go to the hall. In 2011, it was open to public again as the U.S consulate was relocated. There are two gardens around the Hall, which were originally known as the "King's Lawn" and the "Queen's Lawn", they were renamed to 'Bagh-e-Jinnah' after the independence of Pakistan.
Before 1947, Pakistan was a part of the Indian Subcontinent, combined with India and Bengal (Bangladesh today). The subcontinent was ruled by the British government who took over rule from the East India Company which had been disturbing the Mughal Dynasty (House of Taimur) in ruling the area. Due to a series of events and as the Indian population got to know more about politics (with the help pf the Indian National Congress and All-India Muslim League. On August 14 1947, Pakistan came into being. The separation had caused the relations between India and Pakistan to move towards worse and have still not been reestablished. At that time Pakistan consisted of two regions, West Pakistan (Pakistan today) and East Pakistan (known as Bangladesh today).
This photo signifies the location of Pakistan and some prominent cities of the country. The black outline divides the country from neighbors
Parčam-e Sitārah o-Hilāl (The flag of star and moon) i.e.the flag of Pakistan was designed by Amiruddin Kidwai. The green portion signifies Islam and the majority Muslims of Pakistan while the white portion represents the religious minorities and minority religions in the country. The crescent and star n the center of the green portion signifies the symbol of Islam as well as progress and light respectively. The flag symbolizes commitment with Islam and support for minority religions.
The national anthem of Pakistan is written by Hafiz Jalandri and is an evidence of the beautiful arts in the country. Indeed it is one of the best national songs that the people of Pakistan enjoy and take pride in.
The country consists of four provinces: Baluchistan, Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK). FATA is a federally administered area while Jammu and Kashmir is a separate state which has its own prime minister, but falls under the territory of Pakistan. Azad Kashmir is a disputed territory between India and Pakistan. The capital of Pakistan is Islamabad, which is geographically situated in the most highly populated province, Punjab.
Pakistan has the 7th largest standing army in the world and is also a nuclear state as well as a declared nuclear weapons state, being the only in the Muslim world and the 2nd in South Asia. The economy of Pakistan is semi-industrial and it 27th largest in the world in terms of purchasing power and 47th largest in terms of nominal GDP. The country is a member of the United Nations (UNO), the Commonwealth of Nations, the Next Eleven Economies, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO), D8 countries, G20 developing nations.
Hello everyone! I am Asad Zaidi, a proud Pakistani, and I am aiming to show the world how awesome my country is. In this blog I am going to share with you the places, activities, culture, traditions and events of Pakistan to present an entirely different side of my motherland. Most of the people out there believe that Pakistanis are illiterate, violent, culture-less, extremist, sexist people who are unlike from all the other people in this world. Due to the frequent terrorism in the country, the perspective of people regarding this beautiful land has changed entirely. Therefore I have decided to take an initiative to highlight the positive events, people and places. I hope you like what I post regarding things I love about Pakistan. :)
