NATIONAL MAP OF PAKISTAN

NATIONAL MAP OF PAKISTAN

Area	Total 796,095 Sq. km. Punjab 205,344 Sq. km. Sindh 140,914  Sq. km. Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa 74,521 Sq. km. Balochistan 347,190 Sq. km. Federally Administered Tribal Areas 27,220 Sq. km. Islamabad (Capital) 906 Sq. km.
Population	165 million (estimated)-132 million (1998 census) (Seehttp://www.statpak.gov.pk/)
	Pakistan is divided into four provinces viz., Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa, Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan. The tribal belt adjoining Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa is managed by the Federal Government and is named FATA i.e., Federally Administered Tribal Areas. Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas have their own respective political and administrative machinery, yet certain of their subjects are taken care of by the Federal Government through the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas. Provinces of Pakistan are further divided into Districts

Geography

Pakistan

Location:

Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north

Geographic coordinates:

30 00 N, 70 00 E

Map references:

Asia

Area:

total: 803,940 sq km land: 778,720 sq km water: 25,220 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly less than twice the size of California

Land boundaries:

total: 6,774 km border countries: Afghanistan 2,430 km, China 523 km, India 2,912 km, Iran 909 km

Coastline:

1,046 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate:

mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north

Terrain:

flat Indus plain in east; mountains in north and northwest; Balochistan plateau in west

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: K2 (Mt. Godwin-Austen) 8,611 m

Natural resources:

land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited petroleum, poor quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone

Land use:

arable land: 27.87% permanent crops: 0.87% other: 71.26% (2001)

Irrigated land:

180,000 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:

frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August)

Environment - current issues:

water pollution from raw sewage, industrial wastes, and agricultural runoff; limited natural fresh water resources; a majority of the population does not have access to potable water; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note:

controls Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, traditional invasion routes between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent

NATIONAL MOTTO OF PAKISTAN

Pakistan's Motto: Ittehad, Tanzim and Yaqeen-e-Mukham

ON DECEMBER 29th, 1930, Allama Iqbal’s presidential address in a Muslim League convention called for an autonomous “state in northwestern India for Indian Muslims, within the body politic of India.”

In the year 1934 Chaudhri Rehmat Ali published a pamphlet, “Now or Never” in which he coined the name “Pakistan” for the proposed autonomous state for Muslims. Muhammad Ali Jinnah put forth the Two Nation Theory and led the Muslim League to adopt the Lahore Resolution of 1940 (popularly known as the Pakistan Resolution).

Under the pressure of “Direct Action” of Jinnah and “Indirect Actions” of the British, Pakistan was born on 14 Aug. 1947. India was partitioned on communal basis.


In 712 AD, the Arab general Muhammad bin Qasim conquered Sindh and Multan in southern Punjab. The Pakistan’s history of the country states that “foundation of Pakistan was laid” as a result of this invasion. This statement from their official history very appropriately sums up the typical mentality of Pakistan perceiving itself as a reaction to the Indian state.

This perception has pitted Pakistan time and again against India as a competitor and rival. When India conducted nuclear tests in 1974. the then Prime minister of Pakistan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto said, “If India acquires nuclear power Pakistan will put every effort possible to acquire the same at any cost. Even if the entire country has to feed on grass we will go for it.”


Pakistan became Islamic Jamhuriyah Pakistan (Islamic Republic of Pakistan) on 23 March 1956 with Islam as its official religion and with a motto of “Ittehad, Tanzim, Yaqeen­e-Muhkam”. Literally these words mean unity, discipline and faith respectively. The objective of this essay is to analyze to what extent Pakistan has been able to do justice to its State motto.


lttehad (Unity)

Pakistan was founded as a sanctuary for Indian Muslims. Yet it failed to fully absorb and accept the Muslims that migrated from India. The discrimination against Mohajirs (as the Indian Muslims that migrated to Pakistan are called) is still prevalent. Migrated Muslims are still struggling to get equal status under the aegis of Mohajir Quami Movement (it has rechristened itself as a political party with the name of Muttahida Qaumi Movement).

It is not uncommon to notice wall graffities in the Sindh region of Pakistan, where the Mohajir movement was strongest, reading Na Khape Pakistan (Pakistan is not Acceptable). Except the Punjab region all provinces of Pakistan see themselves as colonies of Punjab, exploited by the ruling class, majority of which comes from the Punjab region.


Tanzim (Discipline)

Volumes can be written on how undisci­plined every organ of the state machinery of Pakistan is. Even the President and the Chief Justice of the country has publicly shown their displeasure with each other on several occasions. Looking at the history of “independent” Pakistan it can be very easily concluded that the civilian authority of Pakistan has always been at the mercy of the Army.

Many of the misadventures, some of which had even led to war with India, were planed and executed by the Pakistani Army keeping the civilian authority under complete dark. Such a disciplined army of a State having Tanzim as part of their official motto!


Yeqeen-e-Muhkam (Faith)

By building the State of Pakistan on the Two Nation Theory Jinnah gave birth to a Satan that was well nourished by the succeeding rulers of Pakistan as it was quite useful for them. But after 9/11 the Satan, which was at the service of the Pakistani establishment, got out of their hold and has turned its ruinous gaze towards its earlier masters.

The driving potential of this Satan is certainly not ‘faith’ in Islam but it is a ‘fanaticism’ as followed by Qasim and other invaders. The word ‘Pakistan’ meant the ‘Land of Pure’ in Urdu or Persian, but it proved to be a ‘Land of Pure Fanaticism’n.


The awaam of Pakistan have lost faith in the State of Pakistan and may be even in the very reason of its formation. The silent majority is made to pay for the sins of fanatics. It is never too late to correct certain historical follies committed by the “founding fathers” of our country that gave birth to Pakistan.

National Airline of Pakistan

Pakistan International Airlines, or PIA, is the national air carrier of Pakistan. The airline maintains a hub at Quaid-e-Azam International Airport in Karachi and offers service to Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America. For two months during the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, PIA runs a special service carrying pilgrims to and from Saudi Arabia.

Routes

1. As of June 2010, PIA offered service to about two dozen cities within Pakistan and about 40 cities in 26 foreign countries. It had three North American destinations: New York, Chicago and Toronto. Most flights to North America originate in Karachi and include a stop in Lahore. New York-bound flights also stop in Manchester, England, while Chicago-bound flights stop in Barcelona, Spain.

Fleet

2. The airline maintains a fleet of about 40 to 50 aircraft. According to the company's website, it flies Boeing 777s on routes to Europe and North America. It uses Airbus A310s on domestic and regional routes, as well as routes to East Asia. It flies Boeing 737s on domestic routes. And for service to smaller cities within Pakistan, it uses ATR42 turboprops. The airline uses Boeing 747s mostly for cargo flights and its highest-density passenger routes, carrying pilgrims to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Booking

3. You can book flights on PIA at the airline's website, or by calling its North American toll free number: 1-800-578-6786. PIA flights are designated by the International Air Transport Association code PK, and the airline maintains "code-sharing agreements"--deals in which airlines sell tickets on one another's flights as if they were their own--with four other airlines: Thai Airways, China Southern Airlines, Turkish Airlines and AeroSvit, a Ukrainian carrier. As of mid-2010, PIA is not part of a global alliance with any American carrier.

History

4. PIA traces its history to 1946, the year before Pakistan gained independence from Britain. At the time, the land that would become Pakistan consisted of two territories--West Pakistan and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh)--separated by hundreds of miles. Orient Airways was founded as a private carrier to serve as a bridge between them. The airline had trouble turning a profit and was taken over in 1955 by the government, which folded it into the newly formed, state-owned Pakistan International Airlines.

Safety

5. Citing safety and maintenance concerns, the European Union banned most of PIA's aircraft from EU airspace in 2007. Only the relatively new 777s were exempt from the ban. The EU lifted the ban that November after a review of PIA facilities and procedures.

Mother of Nation - Fatima Jinnah

Fatima Jinnah (Urdu: فاطمہ جناح; July 30, 1893 — July 8, 1967) was the younger sister of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan and an active political figure in the movement for independence from the British Raj. She is commonly known in Pakistan as Khātūn-e Pākistān (Urdu: — "Lady of Pakistan") and Māder-e Millat ("Mother of the Nation.") She was born in Karachi, (in the Sindh province of British India that later became part of Pakistan). She was an instrumental figure in the Pakistan movement and the primary organiser of the All India Muslim Women Students Federation. After the formation of Pakistan and the death of her brother, she remained an active member of the nation's politics. She continued to work for the welfare of the Pakistani people until she died in Karachi on July 8, 1967

Quaid's companion

M.A. Jinnah with Fatima Jinnah (left) and daughter Dina (right)

Jinnah lived with her brother until 1918, when he married Rattanbai Petit. Upon Rattanbai's death in February 1929, Jinnah closed her clinic, moved into her brother Muhammad Ali Jinnah's bungalow, and took charge of his house. This began the life-long companionship that lasted until her brother's death on September 11, 1948.

Paying tribute to his sister, Ali Jinnah once said, "My sister was like a bright ray of light and hope whenever I came back home and met her. Anxieties would have been much greater and my health much worse, but for the restraint imposed by her".

Presidential election 1965

Main article: Pakistani presidential election, 1965

Fatima Jinnah, popularly acclaimed as the Madar-i-Millat, or "Mother of the Nation" for her role in the Freedom Movement, contested the 1965 elections at the age of 71. Except for her brief tour to East Pakistan in 1954, she had not participated in politics since Independence. After the imposition of Martial Law by Ayub Khan, she once wished the regime well. But after the Martial Law was lifted, she sympathized with the opposition as she was strongly in favor of democratic ideals. Being the Quaid's sister, she was held in high esteem, and came to symbolize the democratic aspirations of the people. The electoral landscape changed when Fatima Jinnah decided to contest the elections for the President's office in 1965. She was challenging the incumbent President Ayub Khan in the indirect election, which Ayub Khan had himself instituted. Presidential candidates for the elections of 1965 were announced before commencement of the Basic Democracy elections, which was to constitute the Electoral College for the Presidential and Assembly elections. There were two major parties contesting the election. The Convention Muslim League and the Combined Opposition Parties. The Combined Opposition Parties consisted of five major opposition parties. It had a nine-point program, which included restoration of direct elections, adult franchise and democratization of the 1962 Constitution. The opposition parties of Combined Opposition Parties were not united and did not possess any unity of thought and action. They were unable to select presidential candidates from amongst themselves; therefore they selected Fatima Jinnah as their candidate.

Elections were held on January 2, 1965. There were four candidates; Ayub Khan, Fatima Jinnah and two obscure persons with no party affiliation. There was a short campaigning period of one month, which was further restricted to nine projection meetings that were organized by the Election Commission and were attended only by the members of the Electoral College and members of the press. The public was barred from attending the projection meetings, which would have enhanced Fatima Jinnah's image.

Ayub Khan had a great advantage over the rest of the candidates. The Second Amendment of the Constitution confirmed him as President till the election of his successor. Armed with the wide-ranging constitutional powers of a President, he exercised complete control over all governmental machinery during elections. He utilized the state facilities as head of state, not as the President of the Convention Muslim League or a presidential candidate, and didn't even hesitate to legislate on electoral maters. Bureaucracy and business, the two beneficiaries of the Ayub Khan regime, helped him in his election campaign. Being a political opportunist, he brought all the discontented elements together to support him; students were assured the revision of the University Ordinance and journalists the scrutiny of the Press Laws. Ayub Khan also gathered the support of the ulema who were of the view that Islam does not permit a woman to be the head of an Islamic state.

Fatima Jinnah's greatest advantage was that she was the sister of the Founder of Pakistan. She had detached herself from the political conflicts that had plagued Pakistan after the Founder's death. The sight of this dynamic lady moving in the streets of big cities, and even in the rural areas of a Muslim country, was both moving and unique. She proclaimed Ayub Khan to be a dictator. Jinnah's line of attack was that by coming to terms with the Republic of India on the Indus Water dispute, Ayub had surrendered control of the rivers over to India. Her campaign generated tremendous public enthusiasm. She drew enormous crowds in all cities of East and West Pakistan. The campaign however suffered from a number of drawbacks. An unfair and unequal election campaign, poor finances, and indirect elections through the Basic Democracy System were some of the basic problems she faced.

Fatima Jinnah lost the election of 1965 and Ayub Khan was elected as the President of Pakistan. It is believed that had the elections been held via direct ballot, Fatima Jinnah would have won. The Electoral College consisted of only 80,000 Basic Democrats, who were easily manipulated. The importance of this election lay in the fact that a woman was contesting the highest political office of the country. The orthodox religious political parties, including the Jamaat-i-Islami led by Maulana Maududi, which had repeatedly declared that a woman could not hold the highest office of a Muslim country, modified their stance and supported the candidature of Fatima Jinnah. The election showed that the people had no prejudice against women holding high offices, and they could be key players in politics of the country.

During a lawsuit, Matloobul Hassan Syed deposed that during Fatima Jinnah's election campaign against General Ayub Khan, when some local Shia leaders told her that they would vote for Ayub, she contended that she could represent them better as she was a Shia.^[1] According to Liaquat H. Merchant, "the Court was inclined to repose more trust in the avowed non-sectarian public stance of the Quaid and his sister".^[1] Both the Quaid and his sister "carefully avoided a sectarian label".^[1]

NATIONAL MONUMENT OF PAKISTAN

Bab-e-Pakistan

The Bab-e-Pakistan (Urdu: Gateway of Pakistan is a national monument in Lahore, Pakistan which is being built on the site of one of the major refugee camps which operated in the aftermath of Partition of India.^[1] The memorial was proposed in 1985, by the late military Governor of Punjab, Lieutenant General Ghulam Jillani and was approved immediately by the military president, General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. The monument is designed by a Lahore based architect Amjad Mukhtar, who is a graduate from National College of Arts, Lahore. The project experienced some difficulty in getting started because of the unstable political situation following the death of Zia in 1988. A second attempt was made in 1991 with the support of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif but again the project was stalled.^[1] The third attempt has been during the administration of President Pervez Musharraf.^[2] Construction work has now started and is due to be completed by August 2009.^[3]

NAME: BAB-E-PAKISTAN
TYPE: Monument
CONSTRUCTION START: March 23, 2005
CONSTRUCTION END: September, 2007
LOCATION: Near Walton Road, Lahore
COST: Rs 400 million


The design of Bab-e-Pakistan would be reflective of national identity, Islamic history and the epic struggle of Muslims of the Sub-continent for the achievement of independence. The monument is being constructed at the place where the first refugee camp was set up at Walton in Lahore on August 14, 1947. Bab-e-Pakistan project would help us remember the sacrifice made by Muslims during Independence. the monument would be a masterpiece of Islamic architecture.


 

The concept of a national library is fairly understood, even though national libraries differ in size and scope from country to country. Speaking broadly national library is the library, which has the prime duty of collecting and preserving for posterity the written production of the country. It serves not only the top most information but a coordinating Force for all libraries. National library of Pakistan was inaugurated in August 24, 1993 by the caretaker prime minister of Pakistan Mr.Moin Ahmad Qureshi. The National library exchanges Government documents with USA; Pakistan National Bibliography with other national libraries of the world; serves as depository for Asian Development Bank publications;and provides information and photocopy service. The National library is a member of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA).

Five Pakistani students selected for Intel ISEF 

Islamabad:As many as five brilliant students from all over Pakistan were declared winners of the Intel National Science Fair, held earlier, at a lively event organised at the National Library of Pakistan here on Thursday.

The National Science Fair is affiliated with the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF), which is one of the World’s largest pre-college science competitions. The National Fair had showcased 117 science projects, submitted by young scientists from all across the country, who qualified for a place in the Fair after rigorous competitions at district and provincial levels. The award winning students included Sheraz Munir of Pak-Turk International School & College, Khairpur for his project titled ‘Usage of Lolium sp. and Paspalum sp. to Decrease Lead Content Against Air Pollution’, Zain Shami of Headstart School, A-Level Branch, Islamabad for his project titled ‘Preparation of Black Ink from Fruit Arils of Pomegranate’ and a group comprising Amir Shahzad, Mohammad Sohail and Asad Shaheen from DA Degree College, Karachi for their project titled ‘Dyeing of Wool and Polyamide Substrates with Extracts of Natural Sources’.

The projects displayed at the National Science Fair were assessed by a panel of renowned judges for further selection in the upcoming Intel ISEF 2010 to be held in Reno in Nevada, USA.

Intel ISEF enables more than 1,500 young scientists from all across the globe to gather at a single platform to exchange ideas and knowledge, showcase cutting edge science, and compete for over US$4 million in awards and scholarships.

Minister of State for Education Ghulam Farid Kathia said the government is determined to improve the quality of education by promoting initiatives in areas of science and technology, and encourage easy access to computers by our youth in collaboration with leading organisations such as Intel Pakistan. “Every year, students are selected from Pakistan to participate in the Intel ISEF, which is held in the US, where hundreds of students from across the globe compete for scholarships and awards,” he said. The news

 

National Library of Pakistan

The National Library of Pakistan, is located at Constitution Avenue, Islamabad, Pakistan.

National library of Pakistan was inaugurated in August 24, 1993 by the caretaker prime minister of Pakistan Mr.Moin Ahmad Qureshi. The National library exchanges Government documents with USA, Pakistan National Bibliography with other national libraries of the world, serves as depository for Asian Development Bank publications and provides information and photocopy service. The National library is a member of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA). The library serves not only the top most information but a coordinating force for all libraries. Over a short span of few years the library has acquired numerous collections through purchases, copyright deposits, gifts, exchanges, and donations.

• Books: 130,000 volumes.
• Manuscripts: 555 titles
• Microfilms: 45 Reels
• Microfiches: 48000 Cards
• Magazines: 845 titles
• Newspapers: 135 titles

These collections include 40100 Pakistani publications received under the provisions of the Copyright Law. Special collections include rare handwritten manuscripts in Persian language relating to History of Kashmir and first copy of Kulyat-e-Meer published in 1811 and microfilms/microfiches of all British India Census Reports for 1911, 1921, 1931 and 1941. The Library has also acquired copies of about 30 Ph.D. dissertations written in American universities on Pakistan.

The building was constructed at a plot measuring 500x 112ft,the National library building has a covered area of 168,800 sq.ft. On four floors. It is a centrally air conditioned/heated building with a capacity to accommodate one million volumes, 500 general readers seats, work area for staff, Auditorium and other services.

The National Library of Pakistan serves as cultural center of the capital. Library is intended to be a reference library for all purposes, a working place for scholars, Postgraduate students of social sciences and humanities and repository of national published literature for future historians.

 

NATIONAL JUICE OF PAKISTAN

National Juice - Sugar cane

Sugarcane juice is the national juice of Pakistan. It is called ‘raw’ locally. Pakistan grows quite a quantity of sugarcane and has a sugar industry as well. One can frequently see vendors selling ‘raw’ juice by road side or bus stops. 

 Sugar cane juice is the juice extracted from pressed sugarcane. It is consumed as a beverage worldwide, and especially in regions where sugarcane is commercially grown such as Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Latin America.

Evaporated cane juice is a loosely defined term which can include combinations of sugars including fructose, glucose and white sugar (sucrose). It is perceived to be less processed than white sugar, leading some to claim it is healthier.^[1] However, nutritional benefits are minimal; evaporated cane juice can contain trace amounts of vitamins and minerals but has the same amount of calories as table sugar^[2] and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration defines evaporated cane juice as any sweetener derived from sugar cane syrup,^[3] and therefore it might be heavily processed. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends that "evaporated cane juice" not be listed as an ingredient on food labels because it is not a commonly used name and does not meet the USDA definition of "juice".^[3]