PAKISTAN TOURISM – Pakistan & Gulf Economist

ABOUT PAKISTAN

Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a South Asian country with 1,046km coastline along the Arabian Sea with Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by India to the east, Afghanistan to the west, Iran to the southwest, and China in the far northeast, respectively.

The territory that now constitutes Pakistan was the site of several ancient cultures, including the Mehrgarh of the Neolithic and the Bronze Age Indus Valley Civilisation, and was later home to kingdoms ruled by people of different faiths and cultures, including Hindus, Indo-Greeks, Muslims, Turco-Mongols, Afghans, and Sikhs. The area has been ruled by numerous empires and dynasties, including the Persian Achaemenid Empire, Alexander III of Macedon, the Indian Mauryan Empire, the Arab Umayyad Caliphate, the Delhi Sultanate, the Mongol Empire, the Mughal Empire, the Afghan Durrani Empire, the Sikh Empire (partially), and most recently, the British Empire.

Pakistan among Muslim countries is unique as it has been created in the name of Islam. Pakistan Movement and the struggled for the independence by Muhammad Ali Jinnah (The founder of Pakistan) and companions, created a separated homeland ‘Pakistan’ for Indian-Muslims in 1947. Pakistan adopted a constitution in 1956, becoming an Islamic republic.

Pakistan has the sixth-largest standing armed forces in the world and is also a nuclear power as well, being the second in South Asia and the only nation in the Muslim world to have that status.

Pakistan has a semi-industrialised economy with a well-integrated agriculture sector, and a growing services sector. It is ranked among the emerging and growth-leading economies of the world.

Pakistan is a paradise for tourists and with its diverse cultures and landscapes, Pakistan attract an estimated 500,000 foreign tourists annually. The main destinations of choice for these tourists are the Khyber Pass, Hunza, Kalash, Naran, Kaghan, Karachi, Lahore, Swat and Islamabad etc. Pakistan’s tourist attractions range from the mangroves in the south to the Himalayan hill stations in the north-east. The country’s tourist destinations range from the Buddhist ruins of Takht-i-Bahi and Taxila, to the 5,000-year-old cities of the Indus Valley Civilization such as Mohenjo-daro and Harappa. Pakistan is home to several mountain peaks over 7,000 metres. The northern part of Pakistan has many old fortresses, examples of ancient architecture. Mughal architecture such as the Badshahi Masjid, the Shalimar Gardens, the Tomb of Jahangir, and the Lahore Fort are the main archaeological places in Lahore, Pakistan.

More than sixty languages are spoken in Pakistan, including a number of regional languages. Urdu, being the national language understood by over 75% of Pakistanis. It is the main medium of communication in the country. Urdu and English are the official languages of Pakistan, with English primarily used in official business and government, and in legal contracts.

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ISLAMABAD – THE CAPITAL OF PAKISTAN