Description
Pakistan,[c] officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,[d] is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country with a population exceeding 212.2 million, and has the world's second-largest Muslim population. Pakistan is the 33rd-largest country by area, spanning 881,913 square kilometres (340,509 square miles). It has a 1,046-kilometre (650-mile) coastline along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by India to the east, Afghanistan to the west, Iran to the southwest, and China to the northeast. It is separated narrowly from Tajikistan by Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor in the northwest, and also shares a maritime border with Oman.
Pakistan is the site of several ancient cultures, most notably the 8,500-year-old Neolithic site of Mehrgarh, the oldest in South Asia,[14] and the Bronze Age Indus Valley Civilisation, the most extensive of the civilisations of the Old World.[15][16] The region of Pakistan was the realm of empires and dynasties, including the Archaemenid; briefly that of Alexander the Great; the Seleucid, Maurya, Kushan, the Gupta;[17] the Umayyad Caliphate in its southern regions, the Ghaznavids, the Delhi Sultanate, the Mughals,[18] the Durrani Empire, the Sikh Empire (in the Punjab region), East India Company rule, and, most recently, the British Indian Empire from 1858 to 1947.
Spurred by the Pakistan Movement, which sought a homeland for the Muslims of British India, and election victories in 1946 by the Muslim League, Pakistan won independence in 1947 after the Partition of the British Indian Empire, which awarded separate statehood to its Muslim-majority regions and was accompanied by an unparalleled migration and loss of life.[19][20] Pakistan is an ethnically and linguistically diverse country, with similarly diverse geography and wildlife. Initially a dominion of the British Commonwealth, Pakistan adopted a constitution in 1956, becoming an Islamic republic. In 1971 East Pakistan seceded as the new country of Bangladesh after a civil war. During the following four decades, Pakistan was ruled by governments whose descriptions, although complex, commonly alternated between civilian and military, democratic and authoritarian, relatively secular and Islamicist.[21] Pakistan elected a civilian government 2008, and in 2010 adopted a parliamentary system with periodic elections.[22][23]
Pakistan has the sixth-largest standing armed forces in the world; it is a nuclear power and a declared nuclear-weapons state. It is ranked among the emerging and growth-leading economies,[24][25] and has a large and fast-growing middle class.[26][27] Pakistan's political history since independence has been characterized by periods of significant economic and military growth as well those of political and economic instability. The country faces challenges including poverty, illiteracy, and corruption.[28][29][30] Pakistan is a member of the UN, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the OIC, the Commonwealth of Nations, the SAARC, the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition, and is a major non-NATO ally.
Contents
1 Etymology
2 History
2.1 Early and medieval age
2.2 Islamic conquest
2.3 Colonial period
2.4 Pakistan Movement
2.5 Independence and modern Pakistan
3 Role of Islam
4 Geography, environment, and climate
4.1 Flora and fauna
5 Government and politics
5.1 Foreign relations
5.1.1 Relations with China
5.1.2 Emphasis on relations with Muslim world
5.2 Administrative divisions
5.3 Kashmir conflict
5.4 Law enforcement
5.5 Human rights
6 Military
6.1 Military history
7 Economy
7.1 Agriculture and primary sector
7.2 Industry
7.3 Services
7.4 Tourism
8 Infrastructure
8.1 Nuclear power and energy
8.2 Transport
8.2.1 Motorways
8.2.2 Highways
8.2.3 Railways
8.2.4 Airports
8.2.5 Seaports
8.2.6 Metro
8.2.6.1 Metro Train
8.2.6.2 Metro Bus and BRTs
8.2.6.3 Other Systems
8.2.7 Flyovers and underpasses
8.3 Science and technology
8.4 Education
9 Demographics
9.1 Languages
9.2 Immigration
9.3 Ethnic groups
9.4 Urbanisation
9.5 Religion
9.5.1 Islam
9.5.2 Hinduism
9.5.3 Christianity and other religions
10 Culture and society
10.1 Clothing, arts, and fashion
10.2 Media and entertainment
10.3 Diaspora
10.4 Literature and philosophy
10.5 Architecture
10.6 Food and drink
10.6.1 Traditional food
10.6.2 Fast food
10.7 Sports
11 See also
12 Notes
13 References
14 Bibliography
15 External links
15.1 Government
15.2 General information
Etymology
The name Pakistan means literally "a land abounding in the pure" or "a land in which the pure abound," in Urdu and Persian. It references the word پاک (pāk), meaning "pure" in Persian and Pashto.[31] The suffix ـستان (transliterated in English as stân after stem word ending in a vowel; estân or istân after a stem ending in a consonant) is from Persian, and means "a place abounding in" [32] or "a place where anything abounds".[33]
The name of the country was coined in 1933 by Choudhry Rahmat Ali, a Pakistan Movement activist, who published it in a pamphlet Now or Never,[34] using it as an acronym ("thirty million Muslim brethren who live in PAKISTAN"), and referring to the names of the five northern regions of the British Raj: Punjab, Afghania, Kashmir, Sindh, and Baluchistan.[34]
History
Main article: History of Pakistan
See also: Outline of South Asian history
Early and medieval age
Main articles: Indus Valley Civilization, Vedic Period, Mauryan Empire, Indo-Greek Kingdom, Gupta Empire, Pala Empire, Sikh Empire, and Mughal Empire
Indus Priest King Statue from Mohenjo-Daro.
Some of the earliest ancient human civilisations in South Asia originated from areas encompassing present-day Pakistan.[35] The earliest known inhabitants in the region were Soanian during the Lower Paleolithic, of whom stone tools have been found in the Soan Valley of Punjab.[36] The Indus region, which covers most of present day Pakistan, was the site of several successive ancient cultures including the Neolithic Mehrgarh[37] and the Bronze Age Indus Valley Civilisation[38][39][40][41][42] (2,800–1,800 BCE) at Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro.[43][44]
Standing Buddha from Gandhara, Greco-Buddhist art, 1st–2nd century AD.
The Vedic period (1500–500 BCE) was characterised by an Indo-Aryan culture; during this period the Vedas, the oldest scriptures associated with Hinduism, were composed, and this culture later became well established in the region.[45][46] Multan was an important Hindu pilgrimage centre.[47] The Vedic civilisation flourished in the ancient Gandhāran city of Takṣaśilā, now Taxila in the Punjab, which was founded around 1000 BCE.[48][37] Successive ancient empires and kingdoms ruled the region: the Persian Achaemenid Empire (around 519 BCE), Alexander the Great's empire in 326 BCE[49] and the Maurya Empire, founded by Chandragupta Maurya and extended by Ashoka the Great, until 185 BCE.[37] The Indo-Greek Kingdom founded by Demetrius of Bactria (180–165 BCE) included Gandhara and Punjab and reached its greatest extent under Menander (165–150 BCE), prospering the Greco-Buddhist culture in the region.[37][50] Taxila had one of the earliest universities and centres of higher education in the world, which was established during the late Vedic period in 6th century BCE.[51][52] The school consisted of several monasteries without large dormitories or lecture halls where the religious instruction was provided on an individualistic basis.[52] The ancient university was documented by the invading forces of Alexander the Great and was also recorded by Chinese pilgrims in the 4th or 5th century CE.[53][54][55][56]
At its zenith, the Rai Dynasty (489–632 CE) of Sindh ruled this region and the surrounding territories.[57] The Pala Dynasty was the last Buddhist empire, which, under Dharmapala and Devapala, stretched across South Asia from what is now Bangladesh through Northern India to Pakistan.
Islamic conquest
The Arab conqueror Muhammad bin Qasim conquered Sindh in 711 CE.[58][59][60][61][62] The Pakistan government's official chronology claims this as the time when the foundation of Pakistan was laid[58][63][64] but the concept of Pakistan came in 19th century. The Early Medieval period (642–1219 CE) witnessed the spread of Islam in the region. During this period, Sufi missionaries played a pivotal role in converting a majority of the regional Buddhist and Hindu population to Islam.[65] These developments set the stage for the rule of several successive Muslim empires in the region, including the Ghaznavid Empire (975–1187 CE), the Ghorid Kingdom, and the Delhi Sultanate (1206–1526 CE). The Lodi dynasty, the last of the Delhi Sultanate, was replaced by the Mughal Empire (1526–1857 CE).
Badshahi Mosque, Lahore
The Mughals introduced Persian literature and high culture, establishing the roots of Indo-Persian culture in the region.[66] From the region of modern-day Pakistan, key cities during the Mughal rule were Lahore and Thatta,[67] both of which were chosen as the site of impressive Mughal buildings.[68] In the early 16th century, the region remained under the Mughal Empire ruled by Muslim emperors.[69] By the early 18th century, increasing European influence contributed to the slow disintegration of the Mughal Empire as the lines between commercial and political dominance became increasingly blurred.[69]
During this time, the English East India Company had established coastal outposts.[69] Control over the seas, greater resources, technology, and British military protection led the Company to increasingly flex its military muscle, allowing the Company to gain control over the subcontinent by 1765 and sideline European competitors.[70] Expanding access beyond Bengal and the subsequent increased strength and size of its army enabled it to annex or subdue most of region by the 1820s.[69] Many historians see this as the start of the region's colonial period.[69] By this time, with its economic power severely curtailed by the British parliament and itself effectively made an arm of British administration, the Company began more deliberately to enter non-economic arenas such as education, social reform, and culture.[69] Such reforms included the enforcement of the English Education Act in 1835 and the introduction of the Indian Civil Service (ICS).[71] Traditional madrasahs—primary institutions of higher learning for Muslims in the subcontinent—were no longer supported by the English Crown, and nearly all of the madrasahs lost their financial endowment.[72]
Colonial period
Main articles: Colonial India, Aligarh movement, and British Raj
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan (1817–1898), whose vision (Two-nation theory) formed the basis of Pakistan
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan (1817–1898), whose vision formed the basis of Pakistan
Muhammad Ali Jinnah (1876–1948) served as Pakistan's first Governor-General and the leader of the Pakistan Movement
Muhammad Ali Jinnah (1876–1948) served as Pakistan's first Governor-General and the leader of the Pakistan Movement
The gradual decline of the Mughal Empire in the early 18th century enabled the Sikh Empire to control larger areas until the British East India Company gained ascendancy over South Asia.[73] A rebellion in 1857 called the Sepoy mutiny of Bengal was the region's major armed struggle against the British Empire and Queen Victoria.[74] Divergence in the relationship between Hinduism and Islam created a major rift in British India that led to motivated religious violence in British India.[75] The language controversy further escalated the tensions between Hindus and Muslims.[76] The Hindu renaissance witnessed an awakening of intellectualism in traditional Hinduism and saw the emergence of more assertive influence in the social and political spheres in British India.[77][78] A Muslim intellectual movement, founded by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan to counter the Hindu renaissance, envisioned, as well as advocated for the two-nation theory,[73] and led to the creation of the All-India Muslim League in 1906. In contrast to the Indian National Congress's anti-British efforts, the Muslim League was a pro-British movement whose political program inherited the British values that would shape Pakistan's future civil society.[79] In events during World War I, British Intelligence foiled an anti-English conspiracy involving the nexus of Congress and the German Empire.[citation needed] The largely non-violent independence struggle led by the Indian Congress engaged millions of protesters in mass campaigns of civil disobedience in the 1920s and 1930s against the British Empire.[80][81][82]
Clock Tower, Faisalabad built by British Government in 19th Century
The Muslim League slowly rose to mass popularity in the 1930s amid fears of under-representation and neglect of British Muslims in politics. In his presidential address of 29 December 1930, Allama Iqbal called for "the amalgamation of North-West Muslim-majority Indian states" consisting of Punjab, North-West Frontier Province, Sind, and Baluchistan.[83] The perceived neglect of Muslim interests by Congress led British provincial governments during the period of 1937–39 convinced Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan to espouse the two-nation theory and led the Muslim League to adopt the Lahore Resolution of 1940 presented by Sher-e-Bangla A.K. Fazlul Haque, popularly known as the Pakistan Resolution.[73] In World War II, Jinnah and British-educated founding fathers in the Muslim League supported the United Kingdom's war efforts, countering opposition against it whilst working towards Sir Syed's vision.[84]
Pakistan Movement
Main article: Pakistan Movement
Further information: History of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Indian independence movement, and Partition of British India
The 1946 elections resulted in the Muslim League winning 90 percent of the seats reserved for Muslims. Thus, the 1946 election was effectively a plebiscite in which the Indian Muslims were to vote on the creation of Pakistan, a plebiscite won by the Muslim League.[85] This victory was assisted by the support given to the Muslim League by the support of the landowners of Sindh and Punjab. The Congress, which initially denied the Muslim League's claim of being the sole representative of Indian Muslims, was now forced to recognise the fact.[85] The British had no alternative except to take Jinnah's views into account as he had emerged as the sole spokesperson of the entirety of British India's Muslims. However, the British did not want colonial India to be partitioned, and in one last effort to prevent it, they devised the Cabinet Mission plan.[86]
As the cabinet mission failed, the British government announced its intention to end the British Rule in 1946–47.[87] Nationalists in British India—including Jawaharlal Nehru and Abul Kalam Azad of Congress, Jinnah of the All-India Muslim League, and Master Tara Singh representing the Sikhs—agreed to the proposed terms of transfer of power and independence in June 1947 with the Viceroy of India, Lord Mountbatten of Burma.[88] As the United Kingdom agreed to the partitioning of India in 1947, the modern state of Pakistan was established on 14 August 1947 (27th of Ramadan in 1366 of the Islamic Calendar), amalgamating the Muslim-majority eastern and northwestern regions of British India.[82] It comprised the provinces of Balochistan, East Bengal, the North-West Frontier Province, West Punjab, and Sindh.[73][88]
In the riots that accompanied the partition in Punjab Province, it is believed that between 200,000 and 2,000,000[89][90][91][92][93][94] people were killed in what some have described as a retributive genocide between the religions[95][96] while 50,000 Muslim women were abducted and raped by Hindu and Sikh men and 33,000 Hindu and Sikh women also experienced the same fate at the hands of Muslims.[97][98][99][100] Around 6.5 million Muslims moved from India to West Pakistan and 4.7 million Hindus and Sikhs moved from West Pakistan to India.[101] It was the largest mass migration in human history.[102][103][104] A subsequent dispute over the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir eventually sparked the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948.[105][106]
Independence and modern Pakistan
Main articles: Dominion of Pakistan and History of Pakistan
File:Pakistan.ogv
The American CIA film on Pakistan made in 1950 examines the history and geography of Pakistan.
"You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place or worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed – that has nothing to do with the business of the State."
—Muhammad Ali Jinnah's first speech to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan[107]
After independence in 1947, Jinnah, the President of the Muslim League, became the nation's first Governor-General as well as the first President-Speaker of the Parliament,[citation needed] but he died of tuberculosis on 11 September 1948.[108] Meanwhile, Pakistan's founding fathers agreed to appoint Liaquat Ali Khan, the secretary-general of the party, the nation's first Prime Minister. With dominion status in the Commonwealth of Nations, independent Pakistan had two British monarchs before it became a republic.[citation needed]
The creation of Pakistan was never fully accepted by many British leaders, among them Lord Mountbatten.[109] Mountbatten clearly expressed his lack of support and faith in the Muslim League's idea of Pakistan.[110] Jinnah refused Mountbatten's offer to serve as Governor-General of Pakistan.[111] When Mountbatten was asked by Collins and Lapierre if he would have sabotaged Pakistan had he known that Jinnah was dying of tuberculosis, he replied 'most probably'.[112]
Maulana Shabbir Ahmad Usmani, a respected Deobandi alim (scholar) who occupied the position of Shaykh al-Islam in Pakistan in 1949, and Maulana Mawdudi of Jamaat-i-Islami played a pivotal role in the demand for an Islamic constitution. Mawdudi demanded that the Constituent Assembly make an explicit declaration affirming the "supreme sovereignty of God" and the supremacy of the shariah in Pakistan.[113]
A significant result of the efforts of the Jamaat-i-Islami and the ulama was the passage of the Objectives Resolution in March 1949. The Objectives Resolution, which Liaquat Ali Khan called the second most important step in Pakistan's history, declared that "sovereignty over the entire universe belongs to God Almighty alone and the authority which He has delegated to the State of Pakistan through its people for being exercised within the limits prescribed by Him is a sacred trust". The Objectives Resolution has been incorporated as a preamble to the constitutions of 1956, 1962, and 1973.[114]
Democracy was stalled by the martial law that had been enforced by President Iskander Mirza, who was replaced by the army chief, General Ayub Khan. After adopting a presidential system in 1962, the country experienced exceptional growth until a second war with India in 1965 that led to an economic downturn and wide-scale public disapproval in 1967.[115][116] Consolidating control from Ayub Khan in 1969, President Yahya Khan had to deal with a devastating cyclone that caused 500,000 deaths in East Pakistan.[117]
Signing of the Tashkent Declaration to end hostilities with India in 1965 in Tashkent, USSR, by President Ayub alongside Bhutto (centre) and Aziz Ahmed (left)
In 1970 Pakistan held its first democratic elections since independence, meant to mark a transition from military rule to democracy, but after the East Pakistani Awami League won against the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Yahya Khan and the military establishment refused to hand over power.[118][119] Operation Searchlight, a military crackdown on the Bengali nationalist movement, led to a declaration of independence and the waging of a war of liberation by the Bengali Mukti Bahini forces in East Pakistan,[119][120] which in West Pakistan was described as a civil war as opposed