Pakistan, populous and multiethnic country of south Asia. Having a predominately lndo-Iranian speaking population, Pakistan has historically and culturally been associated with its neighbours Iran, Afghanistan, and India. since Pakistan and India achieved independence in 1947, Pakistan has been distinguished from its larger southeastern neighbour by its overwhelmingly Muslim population (as opposed to the predominance of Hindus in India ). Pakistan has struggled throughout its existence to attain political stability and sustained social development. Its capital is Islamabad, in the foothills of the Himalayas in the northern part of the country, and its largest city is Karachi, in the south on the coast of the Arabian sea.
Pakistan was brought into being at the time of the partition of British Indian, in response to the demands of Islamic nationalists: as articulated by the all India Muslim League under the leadership of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, India's Muslims would receive just representation only in their own country. From independence until 1971, Pakistan (both be facto in law) consisted of two regions__wast Pakistan, in the Indus River basin in the northwestern portion of the Indian subcontinent, and East Pakistan, located more then 1,000 miles (1,600 km) to the east in the vast delta of the Ganges-Brahmaputra river system. In response to grave internal political problem that erupted in civil war in 1971, East Pakistan was proclaimed the independence country of Bangladesh.
Pakistan encompasses a rich diversity of landscapes, starting in the northwest, from the soaring Pamirs and the Karakorum Range through a maze of mountain ranges, a complex of valleys, and inhospitable plateaus, down to the remarkably even surface of the fertile Indus River plain, which drains southward into the Arabian sea. It contains a section of the ancient Silk Road and the Khyber pass, the famous passageway that has brought outside influences into the otherwise isolated subcontinent. Lofty peaks such as K2 and Nanga Parbat, in the Pakistani administered region of Kashmir, present a challenging lure to the mountain climbers. Along the Indus River, the artery of the country, the ancient site of Mohenjo-daro marks one of the cradles of civilization.
Yet, politically and culturally, Pakistan has struggled to define itself. Established as a parliamentary democracy that espoused secular ideas, the country has experienced repeated military coups, religion__that is say, adherence to the value of Sunni Islam__has increasingly become a stranded by which political leaders are measured. In addition, norther Pakistan__particularly the Federally Administered tribal Areas__has become a haven for members of neighbouring Afghanistan's ousted Taliban regime and for members of numerous other Islamic extremist groups. In various part of the country, instances of ethnic, religious, and social conflict have flared up from time to time, often rendering those areas virtually ungovernable by the central authorities, and acts of violence against religious minorities have increased.
At the time of partition in 1947, as many as 10 million Muslim refugees fled their homes in India and sought refuge in Pakistan__about 8 million in wast Pakistan. virtually an equal number of Hindus and Sikhs were uprooted from their land and familiar surroundings in what become Pakistan,and they fled to India. Unlike the earlier migrations, which took centuries to unfold, these chaotic population transfers took hardly one year. The resulting impact on the life of the subcontinent reverberated ever since in the rivalries between the two countries, and each has continued to seek a lasting modus vivendi with the other. Pakistan and India have fought four wars, three of which (1948-49,1965 and 1999) were over Kashmir. Since 1998 both countries have also possessed nuclear weapons, further heightening tensions between them.
Pakistan was brought into being at the time of the partition of British Indian, in response to the demands of Islamic nationalists: as articulated by the all India Muslim League under the leadership of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, India's Muslims would receive just representation only in their own country. From independence until 1971, Pakistan (both be facto in law) consisted of two regions__wast Pakistan, in the Indus River basin in the northwestern portion of the Indian subcontinent, and East Pakistan, located more then 1,000 miles (1,600 km) to the east in the vast delta of the Ganges-Brahmaputra river system. In response to grave internal political problem that erupted in civil war in 1971, East Pakistan was proclaimed the independence country of Bangladesh.
Pakistan encompasses a rich diversity of landscapes, starting in the northwest, from the soaring Pamirs and the Karakorum Range through a maze of mountain ranges, a complex of valleys, and inhospitable plateaus, down to the remarkably even surface of the fertile Indus River plain, which drains southward into the Arabian sea. It contains a section of the ancient Silk Road and the Khyber pass, the famous passageway that has brought outside influences into the otherwise isolated subcontinent. Lofty peaks such as K2 and Nanga Parbat, in the Pakistani administered region of Kashmir, present a challenging lure to the mountain climbers. Along the Indus River, the artery of the country, the ancient site of Mohenjo-daro marks one of the cradles of civilization.
Yet, politically and culturally, Pakistan has struggled to define itself. Established as a parliamentary democracy that espoused secular ideas, the country has experienced repeated military coups, religion__that is say, adherence to the value of Sunni Islam__has increasingly become a stranded by which political leaders are measured. In addition, norther Pakistan__particularly the Federally Administered tribal Areas__has become a haven for members of neighbouring Afghanistan's ousted Taliban regime and for members of numerous other Islamic extremist groups. In various part of the country, instances of ethnic, religious, and social conflict have flared up from time to time, often rendering those areas virtually ungovernable by the central authorities, and acts of violence against religious minorities have increased.
At the time of partition in 1947, as many as 10 million Muslim refugees fled their homes in India and sought refuge in Pakistan__about 8 million in wast Pakistan. virtually an equal number of Hindus and Sikhs were uprooted from their land and familiar surroundings in what become Pakistan,and they fled to India. Unlike the earlier migrations, which took centuries to unfold, these chaotic population transfers took hardly one year. The resulting impact on the life of the subcontinent reverberated ever since in the rivalries between the two countries, and each has continued to seek a lasting modus vivendi with the other. Pakistan and India have fought four wars, three of which (1948-49,1965 and 1999) were over Kashmir. Since 1998 both countries have also possessed nuclear weapons, further heightening tensions between them.
Comments
Post a Comment