The Islamic Republic of Pakistan, a country in South Asia that has a population of almost 169 million living in an area of 803,940 km, lies at the crossroads between South and Central Asia and the Middle East. It has a coastline of just over a thousand km along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south. Afghanistan lies to its north and Iran to the west, with potential enemy India to the east and its major ally China in the far northeast.
Pakistan was part of British India till independence, which it celebrates on 14 August every year. The Muslim population of India was allowed to move either East or West, to create West and East Pakistan. The North-West Frontier Province, Balochistan, West Punjab and Sindh comprised West Pakistan; East Bengal became East Pakistan. The splitting of Punjab and Bengal caused bloody riots across India and Pakistan - millions of Muslims moved to Pakistan and millions of Hindus and Sikhs to India, with close to a million casualties during the changeover.
Since independence, Pakistan has seen mainly military rule, with sporadic bits of civilian rule, which have invariably been toppled by the Military citing mass corruption. Pakistan has fought three wars with India, in 1948 over control of Kashmir, in 1965 over military cross-border tension and in 1971, when it had to permit East Pakistan to become an independent country, Bangladesh. It very nearly fought a fourth war in 1987, again over tense border relations, but it did fight a war by proxy in 1999 in snowbound Kargil, where its forces were decimated by the Indian Air Force that was inducted as late as 22 days after skirmishes began.
Pakistan is the second largest Muslim nation in the world, with 95% (80% Sunni & 20% Shia) of its population Muslim. At this point in time, it is embroiled in an internecine conflict with a jihadist monster it helped create-the Taliban. The political situation is fragile, with the US and Pakistani forces out on a search and destroy mission. The upper reaches of the country are virtually closed to visitors. The fact that Pakistan is avowedly nuclear and under pressure to store their weapons out of American sight has kept the Indian subcontinent on tenterhooks.
Under normal circumstances, Pakistan is a popular tourist country, with well over half a million visitors two years ago. The top five sites to visit are Taxila, Lahore, the Karakoram Highway, Karimabad and Lake Saiful Muluk. The city of Islamabad, the political capital is cocooned by mountains which provide a cool summer retreat. Over forty hill stations beckon the traveller. Other places worth visiting are the Faiz Mahal (Faiz Palace) built in 1798 by the Talpur family in Khairpur, Sindh; the Pakistan National Monument in Islamabad; Ba'ab-ul-Islam Sindh; Faisal Mosque in Islamabad; Minar-e-Pakistan (Tower of Pakistan) and Badshahi Masjid (Emperor's Mosque), Lahore; Skardu; Takht Bhai, a Buddhist Monastic Complex; Mardan; the Ancient cities of Taxila,Harappa and Mohenjo-daro, K2, the world’s second tallest mountain; Nanga Parbat, one of the tallest and most difficult mountains in the world to climb and a host of other places. Pakistan has a very rich culture, which its internal enemies are keen on destroying.
Pakistan has five international airports, at Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta and the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, the largest. Travel across Pakistan is not the most comfortable, though National Highways are well maintained. Rail services need some attention too. Air travel within the country is satisfactory, with over a hundred smaller airstrips. Hotel accommodation is plentiful, and can suit every pocket. Pakistani cuisine is delicious, with a bias towards meat dishes. Caution must be exercised before dining out or eating in bazaars, and only bottled water used for drinking. Its time is at UTC + 5 hours. Pakistan also uses the Rupee as its currency (PKR). The exchange rate is 1US$= 86 PKR. Visas are a must for countries that demand Pakistani citizens to procure visas before entering their country.
