LAND AND PEOPLE

OF
PAKISTAN
 SEQUENCE

Land of Pakistan: Area & Population

Location / Geo-strategic Position
The Importance of Location:
- Neighbouring Countries
The Pakistani Society:
- Social Structure & Culture
Common Characteristics of Culture
Some Features of Pakistani Culture
 LAND OF PAKISTAN

 Pakistan ‘the land of pure’; is strategically placed at all the

crossroads of Asia.

 The official name of the state is Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

The capital of Pakistan is Islamabad, previously Karachi used
to be its first capital.

 President of Pakistan General Muhammad Ayub Khan shifted

the capital from Karachi to Islamabad in 1959-60
 Cont…

 LOCATION
Pakistan is located between the latitudes of 24.5 and 36.75
degrees North and between the longitudes of 61 and 75.5
degrees East.
 Geo-Strategic Position:
Pakistan is surrounded by various countries:
East…………………….. India
West & North West…. .. Afghanistan
South West …..….....……Iran
North…………………….China
South…………………….Arabian Sea
 Cont…
 AREA OF PAKISTAN
Pakistan has got an area of 796096 square kilometers.
The area of Pakistan is four times as larger as UK and
one fourth of the size of India.
58% area of Pakistan consists of mountains and plateaus
42% area consists of plains and deserts.
 POPULATION
According to the census of 1998 population of Pakistan was
156 Millions. Current population is more than 200 Million.
97% of the total population is Muslim, while 3%
Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis and Qadyanis also live in
this country. The density of population in Pakistan is almost
200 persons per sq km.
IMPORTANCE OF LOCATION
1. PAKISTAN AND CHINA

The Socialist Republic of China is situated in the north of Pakistan.

Length of common border between Pakistan and China is 600 km. Silk
route connects these two countries.
Both the countries have warm relations, and their friendship is stronger
than Himalayas. China has always helped Pakistan in development of
many projects including the defense projects.

2. PAKISTAN AND IRAN

Iran is in the West of Pakistan. Common border between Pakistan and Iran
is 900 km long. Pakistan and Iran have very close brotherly relations.
Both the countries are united together bonds of Islam for the last 14
centuries and have always been cooperating with each other in the fields of
diplomacy., culture and education.
 Cont…
3. PAKISTAN AND INDIA

In the East of Pakistan is India, which is demographically second to China in the

world. Length of common border between Pakistan and India is about1600 km.
Cease fire line between the both is not included in it.

India has emerged as an agricultural, industrial and military power in the region.
Since independence, India and Pakistan have never felt them- selves at ease with
each other and up till now; four wars have been fought between them; as a result, no
progress could be made in the region.

Both the countries have been spending the major part of their budget on their
defense. The both have gone far away in the race of nuclear weapons and missile
technology.

Kashmir Issue: The dispute of Kashmir between the two is still pending in the
UNO. Pakistan has always tried to resolve it peacefully. But, Indians have always
declined to cooperate in this regard. The earlier the peaceful solution is found the
better is for them.
 Cont…
4. IMPORTANCE FOR AFGHANISTAN AND
THE CENTRAL ASIAN STATES

Afghanistan lies in the West of Pakistan. Common border between

Pakistan and Afghanistan is called Durand Line, which is 2552 km long
which was marked in 1893.

Afghanistan and Central Asian Countries are far away from coastal
areas as being the land locked countries.

These countries have to go through the land of Pakistan to reach the

sea. They are famous for their oil and gas fields.

They are included among the agriculturally high productive countries.

Thus they are important in regard to our future needs.
 Cont…

Total population of Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan,

Turkmenistan & Kyrgyzstan is even less than Pakistan, though they are six
times larger in area.

If we join these countries with a motor way, it will definitely open the door
of fortune for them as well as for Pakistan.

5. RELIGIOUS, CULTURAL AND TRADE IMPORTANCE OF

PAKISTAN

In the North West of Pakistan, there is a narrow strip of Wakhan valley (9 –

14 km wide) that separates it from the Central Asian Islamic Countries.

These Central Asian Countries are land locked but rich in the natural
resources. Pakistan has religious, cultural and economic relations with these
countries.
 Cont…

6. IMPORTANCE OF COASTAL AREA OF PAKISTAN

The industrial progress of most of the Western countries depends on the oil
of Gulf countries.

Geographically, Pakistan is located in the South Asia. Persian gulf is

located in the South West of Pakistan.

Persian gulf has a geographic importance and countries like Iran, Kuwait,
Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, United Arab Emirates etc are
located along it.

These Muslims countries do possess the wealth of oil, which has enhanced
their importance. Pakistan has cordial relations with all these countries.
 Cont…
7. TRADE ROUTE BETWEEN EAST AND WEST

On the Southern side of Pakistan lies the Arabian Sea, which is part of
the Indian Ocean.

Pakistan links the East with the West. Most of trade between East and West
is through the Indian Ocean.
Hence, Pakistan lies on an important trade route.

Pakistan through the Arabian Sea is linked with the Muslim

countries of Persian Gulf. All of them are rich in oil.

Persian Gulf has always been center of the big power’s politics.
Karachi, Bin Qasim and Gawader are the important Sea Ports of
Pakistan.
 Cont…
8. RELATIONS WITH THE ISLAMIC COUNTRIES

Pakistan has good relations with the Islamic countries through

the Indian Ocean.

In this respect, South-East Asian Muslim countries, Indonesia,

Malaysia and Buruni Dar us Slaam; and South Asian Muslim
countries, Bangladesh and Maldives, are very important.

So, Pakistan has got a very important strategic position in the

whole Islamic World.
 Cont…
9. IMP OF PAKISTAN FROM DEFENCE POINT OF VIEW

Pakistan is situated in the region of great political, economic and military

importance.

Among its neighboring countries, People’s Republic of China and Russia

are recognized as super powers of the world’s politics.

India is another atomic power, which is also a neighbouring country of

Pakistan.

10. CENTER OF THE MUSLIM WORLD

Pakistan is situated in the center of the Muslim World.

To the west of Pakistan starting from Afghanistan and Iran, stretches a long
chain of Muslims countries.
 Cont…
11. PAKISTAN’S POSITION IN THE THIRLD WORLD

Pakistan is a great supporter of the unity of the Third World Countries. The
organization of the Non-Aligned Countries provides great importance for its
useful role in the third world.

12. ECONOMIC COOPERATION ORGANIZATION

In1964 Regional Cooperation Development (RCD) was signed among Pakistan,

Iran & Turkey. While in 1984 it was renamed as ECO.
Later on number of members was also increased from 3 to 10.

Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan,

Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are the members of this organization.

The main object of the ECO is to promote trade among Pakistan, Iran, Turkey and
other members countries.
 Cont…

13. PAKISTAN: THE FORTRESS OF ISLAM

Pakistan is an ideological country which was obtained on the

basis of Islamic ideology, where the roots of Islam are very
strong.

Many Islamic countries follow Pakistan and many Islamic

leaders call Pakistan “The Fortress of Islam”.

14. PAKISTAN: AN ATOMIC POWER

Pakistan became an atomic power in 1998 when Pakistan conducted the

atomic blasts at Chaghi, Baluchistan.

Pakistan is also the first Islamic power in the region being situated with
India, China and Russia, all the atomic powers.
 PAKISTANI SOCIETY
Pakistan has a multicultural, multiethnic and multi-sect society.
All societies are made up of different types of backgrounds of
people who have interacted to form a whole.

The process of fusion has been very slow in Pakistan, though the ideas
may be there but the will to improve conditions is not present.

In a truly well amalgamated society, the people live by the same rules
and under same laws. They identify themselves not by the regions but
by their country.

Religious identification is more supreme in an Islamic country like

Pakistan but the sectarian divisions have greatly harmed the people, the
country and the image of Islam as a religion in the eyes of the world.
 Cont…
The greatest moral quality of tolerance is not available, which leads to
endless tension over the regionalism, provincialism, ethnicity and
sectarianism.

The terrible malaise of disunity is further fuelled by the skillful exploitation

of the people by political and religious leaders. This combined with
corruption has fractured Pakistani society.

Quaid-e-Azam stressed after the independence that the people must forget
their ethnic identity and should proudly acclaim themselves as Pakistanis
alone.

Unfortunately, such foresight has yet to be exhibited by the other leaders.

This trend has resulted into various undesirable slogans like: Sindhu
Desh, Pakhtoonistan and Jaag Punjabi Jaag etc.
 SOCIAL STRUCTURE
Pakistani society is ethnically diverse yet, overwhelmingly Muslim.
Islam is the factor that binds all strata of the society, but we have
failed to make it a focal point for the development of our national
identity.

Pashtoons, Baloch, Sindhis, Muhajirs and Kashmiris all are Muslims

but are representatives of diverse cultural traditions and speak
different languages.

Loyalties, even after 73 years of independence, are measured in

terms of ethnicity, regional connections, caste, braadari and the
family obligations. National loyalties have yet to evolve on a scale
where people become united in all measures.
 Cont…
One of the binding sources for its society is its language.:
Uniformity of a spoken language is an important aspect of cultural
unity.

Pakistan, for which movement of independence started with the

issue of language did not have one language.
Just 24 years after the independence in 1971, issue of national
language resulted in the secession of the East Pakistan.

Language has remained an issue that evoked much public and

private outcry frequently.

Urdu began as ‘lingua franca’ linking the Turkish and Persian

speaking elite and the people of northern India during the period
between the11th and the13th centuries.
 Cont…
Urdu language was earlier known as Rekhta or Shahjahaani.
It was referred to in derogatory terms as ‘Lashkari’ (that was
spoken or understood in military camps).

The language was finally named ‘Urdu’ derived from the

Turkish word ‘Orda’ meaning ‘military camp’.

The basic syntax and verbal forms are indigenous - to the

northern area of Sub-Continent.
 CULTURE

Definitions of Culture:

1. “Culture is a vast term and it is applied to the positive or the

negative characteristics on the basis of which a community or
nation is identified & distinguished from other human groups”.

2. “A sum total of the higher achievement of group life, which

a community or nation has acquired through its historical
experience in different fields like the physical sciences, social
sciences, arts, crafts, religion, ethics, and social behaviour; is
called its culture”.
 Cont…
3. “Culture denotes the living patterns of the people living
in a particular area or region. It is reflected through their arts,
customs, habits, religion and many other things like this”.
. (T. S.
Eliot)

Human communities inhabiting different areas of the world

have distinct characteristics which differentiate them from
each other. These characteristics hear the imprint of the
historical process they have passed through; and the land,
climate and environment they live in.
 COMMON CHARACTERISTICS OF PAKISTANI
CULTURE

 RELIGIOUS UNITY:

More than 97 % of the people in Pakistan are Muslims. They have

got deep love for their faith and are ready to render any sacrifice
in the name of religion.

This love and devotion for Islam served as the basic motive force behind their
struggle for a free homeland ‘Pakistan’.

Only Islam is the basis of our survival. But, living patterns of the people of
Pakistan do not strictly conform to the standards set by
the Islam.

Our social habits and the rituals bear the important of un-Islamic influences
which we have acquired through our social interaction with other communities.
 Cont…
 HETEROGENOUS CHARACTER:

Pakistan is not inhabited by a single ethnic group. The area

which now forms Pakistan attracted people from different
parts of the world; these people came here and made this land
their permanent homeland.

The social system which is not identified as Pakistani Culture

has emerged as a synthesis of Arab, Iranian, Greek, British
and number of other cultural impacts.
 Features of Pakistani Culture
Following are the notable features of the culture of Pakistan:
The joint family system is preferred and practiced.

 Young members of the family pay due respect to elders.

 Head of the family is generally an elderly male.

 Women are very much respected and honoured.

 In the rituals and customs, regarding marriage and mourning

some un-Islamic local traditions dominate.
 Cont…
 Common people do live on simple primitive patterns.

 Women are eligible to get their share from father’s and

husband’s inheritance.

 Majority of the women is chaste and observe ‘Hijaab’.

Such needs/requirements are taken care of in designing
of houses.

 Honour and dignity are the values rated so high that people
like to live and die for them.
 Cont…
 Men and women wear simple and graceful dress in daily life.
Men wear Sherwani and Cap on formal occasions / Eid days.
Shlawaar Qamees is the common female attire with Dupatta
and Chaadar worn on head.

 Western dress is also used in some offices and educational

institutions especially, by men.

 Routine diet of people is simple. Festive food is also prepared

for special occasions.
 Cont…
 Marriage is taken as a sacred vow that binds two individuals
for the whole of life. Bride and bridegroom start their new life
with religious ceremony of Nikaah.

 Display of the dowry, mehndi, firework, extravagant lighting,

singing and dancing are some un-Islamic practices which have
now become part of the marriage ceremonies.

 Family system in Pakistan is very sound and stable; incidence

of divorce is extremely low when compared with the western
society.
 Cont…
 Azaan is called in the ears of the new born just after his or her
birth. Sweets are distributed amongst friends, neighbours and
gifts are given to the new born.

 Neighbours, friends and relatives gather together to console the

bereaved family on the incident of death.

 Full helping hand is given in the fitting out of the corpse.

Carrying of the body to the grave yard and the interment/ burial).

 The bereaved family is given food by the relatives for 3 days.