Pakistan

Pakistan officially named “Islamic Republic of Pakistan” is a country located at

south Asia and is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of
almost 242 million.

Location:
Located in the north western part of the South Asian subcontinent, Pakistan
became a state as a result of the partition of British India on August 14, 1947.
Pakistan annexed Azad (Free) Kashmir after the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947-
48. Initially, Pakistan also included the northeastern sector of the subcontinent,
where Muslims are also in the majority. The East Wing and West Wing of
Pakistan were, however, separated by 1,600 kilometres of hostile Indian
territory. The country's East Wing, or East Pakistan, became the independent
state of Bangladesh in December 1971. Pakistan occupies a position of great
geostrategic importance, bordered by Iran on the west, Afghanistan on the
northwest, China on the northeast, India on the east, and the Arabian Sea on
the south. The total land area is estimated at 803,940 square kilometres.

National Flag:
The national flag was designed by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of
Pakistan, and was based on the original flag of the Muslim League. It was
adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 11 August 1947, just days before
Independence.
Its design is a white star and crescent (representing light and knowledge) on a
dark green field (representing the Muslim majority of Pakistan), with a vertical
white stripe at the hoist (representing religious minorities).

National Anthem:

2
The national anthem of Pakistan is named Qaumī Tarāna. Is played during any
event involving the hoisting of the flag. It was written by Jagan Nath Azad, a
Hindu writer, at 1948.

National Flower:
In Pakistan, Jasmine is a very common plant and one can find it in any garden.
Because of its attractive scent, the white jasmine symbolizes attachment and
represents amiability and modesty; therefore, Jasmine was named the national
flower of Pakistan.

State Emblem:

The State Emblem was adopted in 1954 and symbolizes Pakistan's ideological
foundation, the basis of its economy, its cultural heritage and its guiding
principles. The four components of the emblem are a crescent and star crest
above a shield, which is surrounded by a wreath, below which is a scroll.

Independence from British Empire.

Pakistan, originally was a part of India.

India gained independence in august 15th, 1947 after 200 years of British rule.

3
Pakistan came into existence as a result of the Pakistan Movement which
aimed for the creation of an independent Muslim state in the north-western of
British India via partition. The Movement was led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
The British Raj gave independence to the Dominion of Pakistan which
comprised West Pakistan (present-day Pakistan) and East Pakistan (now
Bangladesh).
Early in History.
Before British Colonization, The Indian subcontinent was divided into princely
states populated by Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Christians,
Parsis, and Jews. Each one had its own traditions, caste backgrounds and
leaderships.
In the 1500s European powers colonized India.
By the mid-18th century, the English East India Company emerged as the
primary colonial power in India.
The British ruled some provinces directly and the princely states indirectly.
In the 19th century, the British began to categorize Indians by religious identity.
They counted Hindus as "majorities" and the other religious communities as
district "minorities", creating more differences than already existed between the
communities.
In the 20th century Indians fought for independence from Britain. 
As we can see in Gandhi's movie, Indian political leaders had different views on
what an independent India should look like. In one hand we have to Mohandas
Gandhi, a remarkable man who led pacific protests around the country in order
to get India independence. He and his friend Jawaharlal Nehru represented the
Hindu majority and wanted one united India. Although, Muhammad Ali Jinnah,
who led the Muslim minority, thought the rifts created by colonization were too
deep for repair. He argued for a two-nation division where Muslims would have
a homeland called Pakistan. 

In June 1947, the British viceroy announced that India would gain
independence by august, and be partitioned into Hindu India and Muslim
Pakistan. The Boundary Committee established that the provinces of Bengal,
Punjab and Assam will be under direct British control. Hindus and Muslims
began moving to areas where they'd be part of the religious majority. This
cause many families were divided.

What followed was one of the largest and bloodiest forced migrations in history.
An estimated one million people lost their lives.

4
In a period of two years, millions of Hindus left to India, while Muslims living in
India fled village where their families have lived for centuries.

Punjab and Bengal became the geographically separated East and West
Pakistan. The rest become Hindu-majority India. 
In 1971, East Pakistan became the new country of Bangladesh.

Education, political and economic aspects:

Education:
Education in Pakistan is overseen by the Federal Ministry of Education and the
provincial governments.
Article 25 -A of Constitution of Pakistan obligates the state to provide free and
compulsory quality education to children of the age group 5 to 16 years.
The education system in Pakistan is generally divided into six levels:
● Preschool (for the age from 3 to 5 years). This segment consists of three
stages where little children start their educational development: play
group, nursery and kindergarten.
● Primary (grades one to five).
● Middle (grades six to eight).
● High (grades nine and ten, leading a Secondary School Certificate or
SSC)
● Intermediate (grades eleven and twelve, leading a Higher Secondary
School Certificate or HSSC).
● University programs related to undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Stages of formal education:

● Primary: the education system adopted from colonial authorities has

been described as one of the most underdeveloped in the world. Sadly,
just 60 % of Pakistani children complete grades 1 to 5 at primary school.
● Middle Education: middle school follows with grades 6 to 8. Single sex-
education is still preferred in rural areas. Subjects include Urdu, English,
arts, Islamic studies, mates, science, social studies and computer
science where equipment is available.

5
 ● Secondary education: senior school covers grade 9 to 12 with annual
examinations. On completion of grade 10, pupils may qualify for a
secondary school certificate. If they wish to, they may proceed further to
grade 12, following which they sit a final examination for their higher
secondary school certificate.
● Tertiary education: to get to this level, it is necessary to have a higher
secondary certificate that provides access to bachelor degrees in
disciplines such as architecture, engineering, dentistry, medicine,
pharmacy and nursing. A pass requires just 2 years of study, and an
honours degree 4.

Economy:
The economy, which was primarily agricultural at the time of independence, has
become considerably diversified:
● Currently, agriculture, forestry, and fishing provide employment for
the single largest proportion of the labour force and livelihood for
even a larger segment of the population.
● Agriculture contributes roughly one- fifth of GPD (gross domestic
products), while manufacturing provides about one- sixth.
● Roughly 5 percent of the country is forestry.
● Trade and services, which combined constitute the largest
component of the economy, have grown considerably.
● Cultivation and transportation of illicit narcotics (keep a large
sector of the informal economy). One is opium poppy (used for the
production of heroin) and the secondly most produced is cannabis
(in the form of hashish).
● The result of activities as agriculture and cultivation can be
determined for next products like:
○ Cotton production.
○ Rice (second major food staple and one of the country's
important export crops)
○ Sugarcane production
○ Variety of garden crops, including onions, peppers, and
potatoes.
● Animal husbandry is another technique farm, very usable, which
provides important and export products. Livestock activity includes
cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, camels and poultry. From these

6
 animals, it takes its meat, milk and dairy products for local
consumption.
Politics:
The politics in Pakistan takes place within the framework under which the
country is established by the constitution. Pakistan is an Islamic and federal
parliamentary republic with Islam being its state religion and is classified as a
nation-state in South Asia.
The amended constitution provides for a President as head of state-nation and
a Prime Minister as head of government; both must be Muslims. The Prime
Minister can lead his functions regardless of the state parliament. The President
acts on the advice of the Prime Minister, and also has a very important role as
part of the parliament: represents the unity of the nation-state.
Related to the structure of the parliament, it consists in a bicameral parliament
that is composed of two chambers - the Senate (upper house) and the National
Assembly (lower house).
The judiciary branch forms with the composition of the Supreme Court as an
apex court, alongside with the high courts and other inferior courts. The
judiciary's function is to interpret the constitution and federal laws and
regulations.
On the other hand, Pakistan is subdivided into 5 provinces and 1 capital
territory. Each province has a Provincial Assembly, a directly elected legislature.
Members are elected for five-years terms. Each Assembly elects a Chief
Minister, who then selects the ministers of his or her cabinet.

Cultural aspects: Language/s, traditions, costumes,

religion/s.

Language:
What languages are spoken in Pakistan?
Although Urdu is the only official language of Pakistan, English is the lingua
franca of the Pakistani elite and most of the government ministries, so it is not
uncommon for companies to use English as their internal business language. 
 Urdu is The National Language of Pakistan, the first language of about
70 million people and spoken by 100 million people, mostly in Pakistan or
India. It is a mixture of Turkish, Arabic and Persian languages.

7
  Punjabi is spoken as a first language by almost 39% of the people in
Pakistan and it is the 11th most spoken languages not only in Pakistan
but also in India.
 Sindhi.
 Pashto.
 Saraiki
 Hindko.
 Balochi.
 Pahari-Pothwari.
 Memoni.
 Gujrati.
 Khowar.

Traditions:
Cultural customs:
 Handshakes are appropriate amongst men; hugs are used for greeting
amongst women.
 Cross-gender greetings are not common.
 Maintain direct eye contact.
 Relationships are important to Pakistanis; they will prefer to work with
people they know and trust.
 Pakistanis do not normally maintain as much personal space as Western
culture; hence Westerners may feel as through their personal space is
being invaded; do not step away.
 It is best to as a Pakistani how they wish to be addressed; first names
are generally reserved for use amongst family and close friends.
 Greet elders and people of highest rank first.

Gender roles:
 Traditional gender roles in Pakistan are fairly marked in that women are
far more likely to stay in the home than go out to work.

8
  Although women have the right to work in any profession or to manage
their own businesses, the majority that do work are typically employed in
roles such as nursing or teaching.
 It is worth noting that women are very well represented in government as
demonstrated by the appointment of Benazir Bhutto to prime minister in
1988. Women are also represented as ministers and ambassadors and a
number of female judges preside within the high courts. Pakistani women
also have the same rights to vote and receive an education as men. 
 Unfortunately, crimes against women appear to be on the increase but
government interventions are being put in place to try and reverse this
issue.

Religion and Beliefs:

 Muslim 97% (Sunni 77%, Shi'a 20%), Christian, Hindu, and other (inc.
Sikh) 3%
 Islam is practised by the majority of Pakistanis and governs their
personal, political, economic and legal lives.
 Among certain obligations for Muslims are to pray five times a day - at
dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and evening.
 Friday is the Muslim holy day. Everything is closed.
 During the holy month of Ramadan all Muslims must fast from dawn to
dusk and are only permitted to work six hours per day. Fasting includes
no eating, drinking, cigarette smoking, or gum chewing.

Traditional Clothing:
The traditional dress of Pakistan is shalwar kameez. It is good for all men,
women and children. It wears and is equally popular in all provinces (Punjab,
Sindh, Balochistan, KPK), cities and villages of Pakistan.
Since 1982, all Government officials working in the Secretariat have required to
wear the national dress. Each province has its own style of wearing a shalwar
kameez famous for Sindhi shalwar kameez, Punjabi shalwar kameez, Balochi
shalwar kameez and Pashtun shalwar kameez.

9
Food
Although there are many staple dishes in Pakistan, cuisine can vary greatly
depending on geography. Meat is halal and has been slaughtered in line with
Islamic requirements.  Pork is forbidden in Islam.
Dinner is very much a family affair and it typically incorporates one or more of
the following dishes:
 Kofte – Meat kebab.
 Korma – Meat or vegetables, cooked in yoghurt and spices.
 Biryani – An aromatic rice dish cooked with vegetables or meat and
containing s little gravy.
 Pulao – Very similar to Biryani.  The differences between Biryani and
Pulao are often debated but it’s generally agreed that Pulao is slightly
blander with less cooking time and spice.
 Lentils – Lentils are a very important addition to Asian cooking and are
prepared in a number of different ways – usually with spices and a gravy
 Roti or Naan – Both roti and naan are flatbreads, but naan takes longer
to make and is often made with yeast and refined flour, while roti is made
with unrefined flour and far thinner and easier to digest.  The naan is
sometimes flavoured with spices, fruit or nuts.

Important dates:
Ramadan:
Ramzan as it is called in Pakistan, is meant to be a month of charity, worship
and abstinence. The ninth month of the Muslim calendar and the holy month
of fasting. It begins and ends with the appearance of the crescent moon.
Because the Muslim calendar year is shorter than the Gregorian calendar year.
Ramadan is celebrated in the ninth month of the 12-month Islamic calendar.

10
Ṣawm: It is most commonly understood as the obligation to fast during
Ramadan, it is more broadly interpreted as the obligation to refrain between
dawn and dusk from food, drink, sexual activity, and all forms
of immoral behavior, including impure or unkind thoughts.
Muharram:
Muharram is the beginning of a new year and the first month of the Islamic
Year. It is one of the most auspicious months and has a great significance
among Muslims. Muharram commemorates the death of the Prophet
Muhammad's grandson, Hussein Ibn Ali.
Pakistan flower show:
It is an annual event in Pakistan. The Horticulture Society of Pakistan
organizes the show every year. It has become a platform for amateur
horticulturists to showcase their talent and skill in exhibiting flowers, fruits,
vegetables, and handiworks.
Pakistan Flower shows are now held annually in major cities across Pakistan.
These events aim to promote concern for nature, artistry, and beauty and
encourage environmental awareness among people living in regional areas.
These shows are now hosted all over the country, with the city of Karachi
hosting them more often than any other city in Pakistan.

Conclusion:
Finally, we can say that Pakistan is a recently constituted country, with a
population density that exceeds our own by 5 times, being smaller than our
territory. Due to be a recent country, its economy is based on the primary
sector, agricultural production and as it is known worldwide for the production of
illicit substances such as opium and cannabis.
Education is quite poor, that much is the case that only 60% of children manage
to finish primary school.
In terms of cultural aspects, it is more common to see women staying at home
than working but they can work in the profession they want and have the same
rights as men.
The country retains the same political model as its colonizers.
Majority population are Muslims and religion governs all their personal lives.
It is a town that emerged from the struggle and nowadays is still in conflict with
its neighbours.
We can conclude, as a group, this research was a kind of instructive journey,
where we could discover and got to know little bit more about this country.

11
Bibliography:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Pakistan
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_symbols_of_Pakistan
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Day_(Pakistan)
YouTube: why was India split into two countries? Haimanti Roy:
https://youtu.be/DrcCTgwbsjc
https://www.britannica.com/place/Pakistan
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan
http://countrystudies.us/pakistan/23.htm
https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-languages-are-spoken-in-
pakistan.html
https://uwaterloo.ca/international/pakistani-cultural-customs
https://www.commisceo-global.com/resources/country-guides/pakistan-guide
https://citybook.pk/traditional-dresses-and-national-dress-of-pakistan/

12
13