Hafeezur Rahman Malik
Mr. Hafeezur Rahman is a retired Development Banking Specialist now whiling away his time teaching and travelling. His email contact is: hafeez@khi.comsats.net.pk
About the size of Ohio and Texas combined, Pakistan has an area of 804,000 km. It has a population of 120 million. It is located in South Asia, neighbouring India, China, Afghanistan and Iran. Though mostly agrarian, it has well developed industries in the fields of cotton, sugar, cement and light engineering. Its main imports are machinery, oil and chemicals. Exports are cotton yarn, fabrics, rice and carpet.
Running through the country are five mighty rivers. Eventually, they all join and enter the sea forming a gigantic delta. The upper reaches of these rivers are in Kashmir, which is an apple of discord between India and Pakistan. Were it not for these rivers, whose water is used to irrigate the land, Pakistan would be a vast desert. But as a result of the largest system of irrigation canal in the world, Pakistan has become one of richest wheat and cotton growing areas in the whole of Asia.
Northern Pakistan can be called as the "California of Asia" because it is on the same latitude, enjoys a similar climate, and produces a large variety of fruit. Its peaches are famous and grapes are so plentiful that when in season they sell very cheaply. Just as in California, one can see snow capped peaks, deserts and orange groves all the same time.
The south eastern area is a rugged land of barren, sunburned mountains, deserts and stony plains. Rolling sand dunes run in an almost uniform direction alternating with hallows of fairly good soil. There are many intermittent green ribboned valleys which produce rich crops and many kinds of delicious fruit. This vast area is hot and scarcely populated by nomads. They chase short-lived greenery followed by odd showers of rain. They are tough due to rough geo-physical conditions. Isolated in their inhospitable land, they cling desperately to a tribal way of life. One could see their tents and huts. They look like big beetles in the oasis. These are made of twigs, grass, reeds or straw. They graze cattle, goats, sheep, camels, donkey and horses.
There are some historic cities like Multan. Great Saints and Sufis have lived there. No where else is there such a cluster of shrines and tombs. The domes are visible miles away. They are decorated with glazed tiles. They bring hallucinatory effects to the passer by. The city abounds in mystic preachers and poets. Love for God is brought nearer via sublime words and verses. A good singer can hold his listeners spellbound with poetry and tune.
Men in the south wear embroidered caps with tiny mirrors. A red cloth is slung over their shoulders. It is hand-printed from vegetable dyes and cow dung. Women are equally colourful and bewitched the onlookers with their charm. They wear richly patched and stitched dresses. Some are behind veils with different pattern identifying their roots.
Ninety five percent are Muslim. They are informal and friendly and follow Islamic teaching in their daily life. They are made up of people who, at various times and for various reasons, migrated to this land on the bank of Indus. They include Arabs, Turks and Moguls and Afghan. Urdu is the national language but English is widely spoken.
Islamabad is the capital while the main cities are Karachi and Lahore. The local currency is the rupee, presently Rs.50 per US $. The staple food is wheat. Meat is consumed in good quantities especially on Eid Celebration when a goat or cow is sacrificed and meat is distributed to friends and poor. The other festival is Eidul Fiter when sweetmeats are eaten. Besides this, there is Pakistan Day and some other national holidays. There is also a season of kite flying, especially in Lahore, which has become an international event.
AREA: 804,000 sq. km, excluding Kashmir which is disputed territory.
POPULATION: 120 million
CAPITAL: Islamabad
OTHER MAJOR CITIES: Karachi (largest city and port), Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan and Peshawar.
PHYSICAL: Fertile plains, five rivers, Himalayan mountains in the north.
LANGUAGE: Urdu, (English is commonly spoken).
ECONOMY: Exports - cotton textiles, rice, leather and carpet. Imports - petrol, machinery, medicines, tea, etc.
RELIGION: Islam, mostly Sunni Muslim, minority only 5% mainly Hindu
UNIT OF CURRENCY: 1 rupee = 100 paisas. Notes 5, 10, 50, 100, 500 & 100. Coins 10, 50, 100 and 200 paisas.
EXCHANGE RATES: Rs. 100 = 2 dollars, 0.88 British Pound and 3.5 Deutsche Marks.
BANKS: Main banks are National Bank, Habib Bank and United Bank; main foreign banks are Bank of America, Citibank, American Express and Grindlays. Travelers checks can be cashed at all banks, leading hotels and big shopping centres.
CREDIT CARDS: American Express, Visa, Mastercard
TELEPHONES: All telephone operators speak English. Public call offices are operated by tokens and telecards which are obtainable at most shops.
WEIGHT & MEASURE: Metric
ENTRY & EXIT: Passport & visa required by all. Entry prohibited to holders of Israeli passports. Requirement of 15 days transit visa waived for all foreigners transiting through Pakistan (other than nationals of India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Germany and South Africa) provided their onward journey is assured. Certificate of vaccination against yellow fever and cholera required if coming from an infected area. Vaccination against hepatitis, polio and typhoid advised.
AVERAGE PRICES: In a good, modern, air-conditioned restaurant, lunch or dinner for two may cost Rs. 300 or around $ 6. Budget meals cost less than one dollar and budget rooms are around $ 4-5. By staying in hostels and eating like a local, one can get by on as little as $10 a day
HEALTH: There are excellent medical services, with air-conditioned hospital rooms and qualified foreign specialists are available in all major cities.
TRANSPORT: Major cities and places of tourist interest are connected by air, fast trains with air-conditioned sleeping accommodation and taxis. There is also a tourist fare on trains. Roads are reasonably good. Tourist centres and hotels provide full information about air and rail schedules. Prices and other information for airlines, railways or tourist center numbers can be obtained by dialing 17.
DISTANCES FROM ISLAMABAD: Rawalpindi 16 km, Peshawar 160 km, Lahore 275 km, Karachi 1440 km
ETIQUETTE: People are informal and friendly. Do not enter mosques and shrines wearing shorts, revealing dresses or shoes. Do not photograph women without prior permission. Kissing and hugging opposite sex in public is taboo. Drinking alcohol in public is prohibited by law. Women don't shake hands with males.
WHAT TO SEE AND DO: Karachi is Pakistan's largest city and only national seaport. For year round swimming there are sandy beaches. Year round yachting and boating facilities are available. Karachi is also the take-off point, by air, to get to the oldest Indus Valley civilization ruins at Moenjodaro (same day return). Fly to Lahore (1 hour and 30 minutes) to see the Royal Fort, fascinating mausoleums, Moghul era Shalimar Gardens, and "Kim's Gun", made famous by Kipling. Take a Boeing to exotic Peshawar for a visit to the world famous Khyber Pass where Churchill battled the ferocious Pathans. One can fly directly to Islamabad, the ultramodern and scenic capital of Pakistan. From there two hours driving takes you to the lush green mountain resorts of Murree and Niathiagali, cool in summer and snowy in winter or you can take a Fokker flight to Korakurm mountains.
NEWSPAPERS: Dawn, Nation, The Muslim, Daily News. British and Gulf papers are also available.
Hafeezur Rahman
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