Pakistan: Facts & Stats

CULTURE

Traditions:

Pakistanis have a distinct culture, traditions and customs. Shalwar kamiz is the dress commonly worn, both by men and women in Pakistan. Pakistani food is rich in meat (including beef), whereas wheat is the main staple. Pashto, Punjabi, Balochi, Sindhi, Kashmiri, etc. music and dances are distinctly unique with their own melodies, instruments, patterns and styles. Pakistani arts in metal work, tiles, furniture, rugs, designs/paintings, literature, calligraphy, etc. are distinct and diverse. Pakistani architecture is unique with its Islamic styles.

The manners and lifestyles are guided by a blend of Islam and local traditions. In comparison both Pakistanis and the Indians definitely have distinct cultures of their own. Some Indian women wear Shalwar kameez, but that was introduced by the ancestors of Pakistanis in which itself was introduced by the which then was introduced by the Turkish. Many Pakistani food dishes are absent in Indian cuisine and vice versa, and if some dishes are shared, they were also introduced by the ancestors of Pakistanis (like naan, tikka, kebab, biryani/pulao, etc.).

There is barely any Hindu architectural influence in Pakistan (Gandhara is Graeco-Buddhist and Harappan is distinct), but significant influences by the ancestors of Pakistanis can be found in Jammu and Kashmir and North India. The lives of most Pakistanis are shaped by Islam, whereas the lives of most Indians are shaped by Hanadic-Hinduism.

Celebrations:

There are many festivals celebrated annually in Pakistan - which may or may not be observed as national public holidays - e.g. Pakistan Day (23 March), Independence Day (14 August), Defence of Pakistan Day (6 September), Pakistan Air Force Day (7 September), the anniversaries of the birth (25 December, a national holiday) and death (11 September) of Quaid-e-Azam, birth of Allama Iqbal (9 November) and the birth (30 July) and death (8 July) of Madar-e-Millat.

Labour Day, (also known as May Day), is also observed in Pakistan on 1 May and is a public holiday. Several important religious festivals are celebrated by Pakistani Muslims during the year; the celeberation days depend on the lunar Islamic calendar. Ramadan, the ninth month of the calendar, is characterised by daytime fasting for 29 or 30 days and is followed by the festival of Eid ul-Fitr. In a second festival, Eid ul-Adha, an animal is sacrificed in remembrance of the actions of Prophet Abraham (Arabic: Ibrahim) and the meat is shared with friends, family, and the less fortunate.

Both Eid festivals are public holidays, serving as opportunities for people to visit family and friends, and for children to receive new clothes, presents, and sweets. Muslims also celebrate Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi - the birthday of the prophet Muhammad - in the third month of the calendar (Rabi' al-Awwal) and mark the Day of Ashurah on the 9th and 10th days of the first month (Muharram) to commemorate the martyrdom of Husayn bin Ali.

Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, and Christians in Pakistan also celebrate their own festivals and holidays. Sikhs come from across the world to visit several holy sites in Punjab, including the shrine of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, at Hasan Abdal in Attock District, and his birthplace, at Nankana Sahib. There are also several regional and local festivals, such as the Punjabi festival of Basant, which marks the start of spring and is celebrated by kite flying.

Alcohol:

Consumption of alcoholic beverages by Muslims is officially illegal in Pakistan. Only non-Muslim Pakistanis and non-Muslim foreigners are allowed to consume alcoholic beverages (receiving government issued license).

However, State and Christian/Parsi owned breweries operate in Pakistan, such as the Murree Brewery and Quetta Brewery, which produce all sorts of alcoholic beverages and earn considerable revenue for the government.

Despite all the restrictions, there are reports that underground alcoholic activities exist and have thrived ever since the law banning Alcohol consumption was passed in the late 70's.

The legal drinking age in Pakistan in 21.

Sports and Hobbies:

The national sport of Pakistan is field hockey, although cricket is the most popular game across the country. The national cricket team has won the Cricket World Cup once (in 1992), were runners-up once (in 1999), and co-hosted the games twice (in 1987 and 1996). Pakistan were runners-up in the inaugural 2007 ICC World Twenty held in South Africa and are the champions of 2009 ICC World Twenty held in England. Squash is another sport that Pakistanis have excelled in. Successful world-class squash players such as Jahangir Khan and Jansher Khan won the World Open several times during their careers.

At an international level, Pakistan has competed many times at the Summer Olympics in field hockey, boxing, athletics, swimming, and shooting. Pakistan's medal tally remains at 10 medals (3 gold, 3 silver and 4 bronze) while at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games it stands at 61 medals and 182 medals respectively.

Hockey is the sport in which Pakistan has been most successful at the Olympics, with three gold medals in (1960, 1968, and 1984). Pakistan has also won the Hockey World Cup a record four times (1971, 1978, 1982, 1994).

The Motorsport Association of Pakistan is a member of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. In Caving adventure sports Pakistan is member country to UIS (Union of International Speleology) The Freedom Rally is a yearly off-road race which takes place during the Independence celebrations. Pakistan also qualified for the Golf World Cup for the first time in 2009.

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