Pakistan Almanac

12/12/2024

Sialkot city is the birthplace of Muhammad Iqbal (Pakistan's National Poet), who is considered to be one of the leading Islamic thought [Khudi and the modern self] leaders and Islamic revivalists. for this reason Silakot is also called the City of Allama Iqbal.

During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, the Lahore-Sialkot region was attacked by the Indian Army which, despite overwhelming numerical supremacy, could only capture some outlying areas in the sector. The armored battles in the Sialkot sector, especially the Battle at Chawainda, were the most intense since the Second World War. In 1966, Government of Pakistan awarded a special flag of Hilal-e-Istaqlal to the citizens of Sialkot, Lahore and Sargodha for for their courage and bravery during the 1965 war between India and Pakistan. Again, during the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971, the region witnessed bitter battles, the most important being the Battle of Basantar in the Sialkot-Shakargarh area.

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11/12/2024

Kharan was an autonomous Princely State in a subsidiary alliance with British India until August 1947. It was a quasi-independent tribal area of Kalat State, ruled by the Nawab of Kharan (who belonged to the Nausherwani tribe). It remained autonomous until March 1948, when its ruler signed an Instrument of Accession to Pakistan, but still retained the State’s internal self-government structure. In 1955,[1] Kharan was incorporated into Pakistan. Strategically, Kharan district is very important since it dominates the Moola (Mula) Pass.
The ancient name of Kharan was Karan or Qaran. According to the historian Istakhari, its name was Qaran after the name of the Qaran or Barfen mountains. The Koh-i-Kharan is also mentioned in Kitab-i-Masalik-o-Mumalik

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10/12/2024

Jamshoro district is located near the Kirthar Range, which forms a part of the border between Sindh and Balochistan.

Ranikot or Rannikot fort is a 19th Century Talpur era fort near Sann in Jamshoro district. The ramparts of the fort are compared to the Great Wall of China and thus are known as the Great Wall of Sindh.
The fortification wall of the gigantic fort of Rani Kot is 35 kms in length and connects barren hills. The fort was built in the first quarter of the l9th century. The fortification wall, which follows the natural contours of the hilly area, has solid semi-circular bastions at intervals. A small fortress, about 5-6 miles inside the main gate, appears to have been the royal residence for the ruling family of Mirs. The double door gate lies on the south of the fortress. Inside the gate two nitches are decorated with floral designs and carved stones. The whole architecture of the fort is restricted to stone and lime.
The site of the fort was entered by the Pakistan National Commission for UNESCO to be declared as world heritage site, and has since been on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

For more On Jamshoro district please visit https://pakistanalmanac.com/sindh-jamshoro/

10/12/2024

09/12/2024

Fort Abbas Tehsil, formerly called Phulra: A historic fort on the banks of old River Hakra near the border of India, it is said to have been built by Sikh Raja Phool Singh Thakur. The ruins can still be seen. A mosque, said to have been built by Sultan Mahmood Ghaznavi, is located on the southwestern corner of this fort. Nawab Muhammad Mubarak Khan III renovated it in 1852 and renamed it Fort Abbas after his son Muhammad Abbas.

For more on Bahawalnagar district please visit https://pakistanalmanac.com/punjab-bahawalnagar/ #1633497051713-71377123-3014

07/12/2024

Geological and archeological evidence suggests that the Karachi district region was fairly humid and bore tropical forests around 500 BC. As a result of geographical changes, however, the zone is now an arid one and the dominant vegetation within the Karachi city district is comprised of open communities of deciduous, xerophytic trees and shrubs.
Natural vegetation of the Karachi District is restricted all over the urban area to depression areas where moisture would be available for a greater part of the year and longer periods of time. The native vegetation is of the desert scrub type, comprising a wide variety of bushes and shrubs, including karir (Capris aphylia), babul (Acacia nilotica), khor or gum Arabic (Acacia senegal), khabar or vann/peelu (Salvadora oleoides), kandi or jand (Prosopis cineraria), kikar or babul (Acacia Arabica or nilotica), lai or jhau Indian tamarisk (Tamarix gallica), bhahan or tamarisk (Tamarix aphylla), desert poplar (Populus euphratica), boi kalan (Aerua javanica), desert maerua or hemkand (Maerua arenaria), peeli booti (Abutilon sp.), chulari (Amaranthus viridis), gondi (Cordia gharaf), sihar (Rhazya stricta), karil (Capparis aphyila), siris (Acacia), wild siris (Acacia lebbek), pipal (Ficus religiosa) and tamarind (Tamarindus indica).

For more on the environment of Karachi district please visit https://pakistanalmanac.com/sindh-karachi/ #1633239600220-9092c31d-7002

06/12/2024

South Waziristan (SW) TD takes its name from the Waziri tribe that inhabits it. The TD is located between 31° 49Ꞌ to 32° 48Ꞌ north latitudes and 69° 15Ꞌ to 70° 28Ꞌ east longitudes.
The highland area of North and South Waziristan together takes the shape of a somewhat irregular parallelogram which is 258 km (160 miles) long and 97 km (60 miles) wide. The elevation rises gradually moving westward, until peaks of 3,048 m (10,000 feet) are found at the Afghan border. The elevation continues to rise in a westerly direction until the watershed dividing the Indus Basin and the Helmand Basin is reached. There are no regular mountain alignments, and hills appear to zig-zag in every direction. These hills give way, in some places, to allow the appearance of valleys. North and South Waziristan are separated by a mountain range which terminates in the Ghalimighar Mountains.

For more on South/North Waziristan please visit https://pakistanalmanac.com/kp-swatd/ #1633497087354-b3c63ef2-64a3

05/12/2024

The Potowar Plateau of the Punjab province typically consists of dry, sparsely vegetated plains intersected by streams and rivers that cut valleys and gorges into the sandstone, siltstone, and shale. Low rainfall, the clearing of vegetation for fuel wood, and the development of agricultural land contribute to the parched nature of the landscape due to depletion of resources.

The lower slopes of the hilly areas (Punjab province) are covered with forests that supply valuable timber. The hilly areas provide natural pasture lands that provide fodder for cattle.

The Greater Cholistan desert is a wind-resorted sandy desert, characterized by large sand dunes with flat inter-dunal areas. It is a hot, hyper-arid sandy desert, with the mean annual rainfall varying from less than 100 mm in the west to 200 mm in the east, chiefly occurring during the Monsoon (July through September). The vegetation of the Cholistan desert is typical of arid regions, and comprises of xerophytic species, adapted to extreme seasonal temperature variation, moisture fluctuation, and a wide variety of edaphic conditions. Vegetation cover is comparatively better in the eastern region than the hyper-arid southern region.

For more on Punjab province please visit https://pakistanalmanac.com/punjab-environment-biodiversity/

04/12/2024

The last ruler of the Talpur dynasty (rulers of Hyderabad from 1789 to 1830) was Mir Muhammad Naseer Khan Talpur, who was among the Talpur leaders who surrendered to the British and was subsequently deported to Calcutta, India. Many of those Talpur Mirs died in Calcutta during their years of confinement. Their bodies were brought back to Hyderabad, once the British allowed their return to Sindh. These Mirs were buried in the tombs located at the Northern edge of the Ganjo Hill where Hyderabad city was founded.

The British demolished most of the buildings in Hyderabad to accommodate their troops and to house military equipment, destroying the city’s beauty and its infrastructure. In 1857, when the First War of Indian Independence raged across the subcontinent, the British held most of their regiments and ammunition in this city, making it a British stronghold against the “Indian Mutiny”.
During the Independence movement of the early 20th century, Hyderabad city’s predominantly Muslim population supported the Muslim League and the Pakistan Movement. After the Independence of Pakistan in 1947, the minority Hindus and Sikhs who were mainly involved in trade and commerce migrated to India while the Muslim refugees from India settled in Hyderabad district and were awarded lands previously owned by Hindus and Sikhs and other Sindhi residents (who had migrated to India during the exodus of 1947) by the Pakistani government in lieu of land they had left in India, mostly in the town of Hirabad. The population of Hyderabad city also grew with the arrival of Muslim refugees. To deal with the influx, the Government of Pakistan created two more suburbs—Latifabad (in honor of the famous Sindhi poet, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai) and Qasimabad (in honor of the famous Muslim General Muhammad bin Qasim) for their settlement.

Hyderabad city was made the capital of Sindh from 1947 to 1955, before the dissolution of all provinces under the One Unit policy (implemented in 1955) which dissolved the provincial structure completely. When provinces were restored in 1970 by the order of President General Yahya Khan, Karachi was made the province’s capital, instead of Hyderabad.

For more on Hyderabad district please visit https://pakistanalmanac.com/sindh-hyderabad/ #1633497051713-71377123-3014

03/12/2024

The name Kurram for the TD is derived from the River Kurram which flows along the valley. In the north it is surrounded by snow-covered or “white” mountains, the Sufaid Koh range, locally known as Spin Ghar, which also forms the natural border with Afghanistan. River Kurram is mentioned in the Rig Veda (one of the four sacred texts of Hinduism) as Krumu, one of the tributaries that join the Indus on its right bank.
Parachinar, the headquarters of Kurram TD, is a beautiful and scenic valley. It contains the biggest and the one of the oldest Imam Bargahs of Pakistan, the Shrine of Saint Iranay Agha. The name, Parachinar, is attributed to an ancient Chinar tree, under the canopy of jirgah-type gatherings took place, and important decisions were taken. Parachinar has a Militia Fort which is now under the control of Pakistan Army.
For more on Kurram tribal district please visit https://pakistanalmanac.com/kp-kurram/ #1633497051713-71377123-3014

02/12/2024

Bannu district is located between 32° 56′ to 33° 16′ north latitudes, and 70° 22′ to 70° 57′ east longitudes.
The Sanskrit grammarian, Panini, describes Bannu as Wano, the historical city of Varnu or Verəna. The Avesta [holy book of the Zoroastrians (fire worshippers)] mentions Verəna or Bannu as well. According to the Avesta, Varəna is one of the 16 perfect lands created by Ahura Mazda (supreme god and creator of the universe in Zoroastrianism religion).

Akra Mounds near Village Bhart in Bannu district dates back to the 6th century BC. Relics recovered included broken pieces of pottery and coins of the Greek period.

Akra covers some 80 hectares, thus it is the largest archaeological site in the Bannu area. The site was first occupied around 2000 BC, and may have continued to be inhabited until the 11th century AD.

For more on Bannu district please visit https://pakistanalmanac.com/kp-bannu/ #1633497051713-71377123-3014

29/11/2024

The Chowkandi graveyard and Baloch Tombs are located near Memon Goth of Malir near Karachi. The Chowkandi graveyard is a protected monument of the 17th and 18th centuries AD. Both exhibit monumental structures of stone-carved graves.
The graveyard is situated 29 km (18 mi) east of Karachi, Sindh province of Pakistan. The tombs are similar in style to the elaborate tombs at the Makli Necropolis near Thatta, and are built in the funerary architectural style typical of lower Sindh.

For more information on Karachi district please visit https://pakistanalmanac.com/sindh-karachi/ #1633239471838-51e57f07-4ef4

28/11/2024

Karachi is locally referred to as the “City of Lights” and “The Bride of the Cities” for its dynamic vitality and its metropolitan energy, especially at night. It is also referred to as the “City of the Quaid”, since the Quaid-e-Azam, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, was born in the city and then also buried in Karachi. He made the city his home after Pakistan’s Independence from the British in 1947.

It is well-known that the land on which the current metropolis stands has been home to various civilizations. Evidence of Paleolithic and Mesolithic hunter-gatherers, in fact, has been found in 1979 by a Karachi University team led by A. Rauf Khan, on the Mulri Hills, South of Karachi University Campus. This find constitutes one of the most important archeological discoveries made in Sindh. The team concluded that the last hunter-gatherers, who left abundant traces of their passage, repeatedly inhabited the hills. Some 20 different locations of flint tools were discovered during the surface surveys.
For more on the history of Karachi please visit https://pakistanalmanac.com/sindh-karachi/ #1633239471838-51e57f07-4ef4

27/11/2024

Karachi is the capital of Sindh, the largest city, main seaport, and the financial capital of Pakistan. With a city population of 17.1 million[2017 census)], Karachi is the 8th largest city of the world in terms of population, 13th largest urban agglomeration (2006), the 4th largest metropolitan area in the world, and the 2nd largest city within the organization of the Islamic Conference.
Karachi has a vast number of heritage buildings and archaeological sites as well as places where family and friends can spend a relaxing and fun day together. One of such places is the Port Grand Karachi.
Port Grand Food and Drink and Entertainment Complex is a recreational area and is located along the waterfront of the 19th century Native Jetty Bridge that connects the Karachi Port Trust to Keamari and spans the western end of Chinna Creek to the Harbour. Port Grand stretches along 1,000 ft of Karachi's ancient 19th century Native Jetty Bridge and spreads over an area of 200,000 sq. ft. The one kilometer Native Jetty bridge has been transformed into an entertainment and food enclave housing numerous eateries. There is speed boating as swell which takes the riders to the mangrove but actually into them.

For more information on Karachi tourist spots please visit https://pakistanalmanac.com/sindh-karachi/ #1633239600220-9092c31d-7002

25/11/2024

Kamber – Shahdadkot district was part of Larkana district till December 2004, when, due to administrative reasons, Larkana district was divided into two parts, with Larkana, Dokri, Ratodero and Baqarani allocated as part of Larkana District and Shahdakot, Kamber, Warah and Miro Khan as part of Shahdadkot District. The residents of Kamber Taluka wanted the name of the District as Kamber and petitioned for this right, leading to clashes and rioting, which in turn resulted in the deaths of four people. A compromise proposed the name as Kamber – Shahdadkot District.
Shahdadkot town was founded around 1713, by Shahdad Khan Khuhawar during the Kalhora reign, as a walled town[1]. It was a major town on the trade route between Larkana and Gandawah, Balochistan.
There are a number of lakes namely the Lungh Lake, Drigh Lake, Hamal Kutchri Lake, which are both wildlife sanctuaries and ideal picnic spots. Chachhangi Lake and Changro Lake provide good picnic spots as well. These lakes are all located in Kamber-Shahdadkot district.

For more on Kamber-Shahdadkot district please visit https://pakistanalmanac.com/sindh-shahdadkot/ #1633497051713-71377123-3014

22/11/2024

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province is spread over a large area, and consists of mountains, valleys, and piedmont plains. The flora of the mountains differs considerably from that of the plains and valleys. The following types of forests are found in the province:

The coniferous forests occur at an altitude of 1,000 to 4,000 m above mean sea level. Chitral, Swat, Upper Dir, Lower Dir, Malakand, Mansehra and Abbottabad districts of KP and Azad Kashmir, and Islamabad districts of Punjab are the main areas covered with coniferous forests. Silver fir (Abies alba), spruce (Picea smithiana), deodar (Cedrus deodara), blue pine (Pinus wallichiana), and chir pine (Pinus roxburghii) are the most common varieties
Subtropical broad-leaved evergreen forests are located in the Mansehra, Abbottabad, Mardan, Peshawar, and Kohat districts of KP. These forests are found on the hills, up to a height of 1,000 m. Dominant tree species are phulai (Acacia modesta), kau (Olea cuspidata) and hopbush (Dodonaea viscosa)

The province is home to a large number of medicinal plants, Some of which are exported. Export oriented plants include dakwar guchhi (morchella elata fr.), and sumbal/parsiaushah (adiantum capillus-veneris). etc

for more on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province please visit https://pakistanalmanac.com/khyberpakhtunkhwa-flora-and-fauna/

21/11/2024

Bahawalpur district derives its name from its headquarter town, Bahawalpur, which was founded by Nawab Bahawal Khan in 1748 AD.
Bahawalpur is one of the largest districts in terms of area in Punjab, covering an area of 24,830 km2. The district is situated almost in the center of Pakistan, at an elevation of 152 m above mean sea levels (MSL). The district is located south of the Sutlej River and nearly two-thirds of the district is located in Cholistan Desert.
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18/11/2024

Pakistan’s railway network is maintained and managed by the state-owned Railway Company of Pakistan. Pakistan Railways provides access to the furthermost corners of Pakistan, making them accessible for business, sightseeing, pilgrimages, and educational travel. The important railway lines of Pakistan are the Karachi–Peshawar Line, Rohri-Quetta Line, Khanewal-Faisalabad Line, Lahore-Faisalabad Line, and Lahore-Sialkot via Khanewal Line.

Important international links of Pakistan Railways are to India, Iran and Turkey (mainly operating container services). Pakistan has proposed help to set up a railway access to Afghanistan, from Chaman (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) to Kandahar (Afghanistan) and Torkhum, (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) to Jalalabad (Afghanistan).

For more information on Pakistan please visit https://pakistanalmanac.com/economic-infrastructure/