PAKISTAN: A LAND OF BEAUTY

    Situated in the heart of the South Asian sub-continent and linking South Asia with Central Asia, China and the Middle East, Pakistan is a country with fascinating history and cultural heritage. A country of 160 million people with diverse cultures, Pakistan is the site of the world’s earliest human settlements, the great prehistoric Indus Valley Civilization, the crucible of ancient empires, religions and cultures. Pakistan traces its history back to 2,500 years B.C. when its highly developed civilization flourished in the Indus Valley. Excavations at Harappa, Moenjodaro, Kot Diji and Mehr Garh have brought to light, the evidence of an advanced civilization existing even in ancient times.

    With the land area of 803,950 sq. km. the landscape of Pakistan ranges from lofty mountains in the North - the Karakoram, the Himalayas and Hindukush ranges through dissected plateaus to the rich alluvial plains of the Punjab and then follow the sparsely populated Balochistan and the hot dry deserts of Sindh blending into miles and miles of golden beaches of Mekran coast.

    Northern areas of Pakistan, spreading over 72,496 sq. Km. are as fascinating as its Southern region. Amidst towering snow-clad peaks with heights varying from 1000 m to over 8000 m, the valleys of Gilgit, Hunza and Skardu recall Shangri-La. The cultural patterns in this region are as interesting as its topography. The people with typical costumes, folk dances, music and sports like Polo and Buzkashi provide the traveler unforgettable experiences. Nowhere in the world there is such a great concentration of high mountains, peaks, glaciers and passes except Pakistan. There are at least 43 peaks that are over 7000 meters high and 6 peaks of more than 8000 meters high in this “mountains amphitheater” of the world. These include: K-2 (8611 m, world’s second highest), Broad Peak (8047m), Gasherbrum I (8068m) and Gasherbrum II (8035m) etc. The lower Himalayan valleys of Swat, Kaghan, Naran and Chitral in the Hindukush range equally share the beauty and diverse culture of the Northern Pakistan.

    The silk route which for centuries remained the main trading route between China, South Asia and the Central Asia, after the completion of the Karakoram Highway (KKH) in 1978, which links Pakistan with the Chinese Xinjiang region, has been fully revived. The KKH provides a great opportunity for international travelers to explore the un-spoilt natural beauty, unique culture and ancient traditions of Northern Pakistan together with other Silk Route countries like China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

    Pakistan’s geo-strategic location at the hub of South Asia, South-East Asia, China, Central Asia and the Middle East makes it ideally suitable for energy, transport and industrial corridor for the countries of these regions. The recent completion of Gwadar Port in Balochistan will play a major role to further achieve fast track development in making Pakistan a developed, industrialized and knowledge based economy in not too distant a future.