COLOMBO : Pakistan is a country which is an ultimate natural attraction for tourists. The main reason being its diverse landscape welcoming all kinds of tourists. Beautiful locations, mountains, landscapes, large cities and several historic places can be witnessed here. The historical places in Pakistan dominate the entire arena because of its rich history, housing one of the oldest civilizations of the world who lived where Pakistan stands today. Pakistan is the land of adventure and nature from the mighty stretches of the Karakoram in the North to the vast alluvial delta of the Indus River in the South. Trekking, mountaineering, white water rafting, wild boar hunting, mountain and desert jeep safaris, camel and yak safaris, trout fishing and bird watching are a few activities, which entice the adventure and nature lovers to Pakistan from all over the world. Pakistan is endowed with a rich and varied flora and fauna. The vast Indus plain merging into the great desert, the coast line and wetlands, all offer a remarkably rich variety of vegetation and associated wildlife including avifauna, both endemic and migratory. Ten of 18 mammalian orders are represented in Pakistan with species ranging from the world’s smallest surviving mammals, the Mediterranean Pigmy Shrew, to the largest mammal ever known; the blue whale. To mention a few worth visiting sites in Pakistan; Mohenjo-Daro is one of the most attractive historic places in the country which is famous throughout the world. It is located in the province of Sindh and it lies just at the bank of the mighty River Indus. The Great Badshahi Mosque is one of the oldest mosques of the region which was built in the Mughal Era by the Great Emperor Aurangzeb.
Takht-i-Bahi is a monastic complex, built atop a hill and also adjacent to a stream. Takht-I-Bahi was included in the UNESCO World Heritage list as the largest Buddhist remains in Gandhara. Most of the archaeological sites of Taxila (600 BC to 500 AD) are located around Taxila Museum. For over one thousand years, Taxila remained famous as a center of learning Gandhara art of sculpture, architecture, education and Buddhism in the days of Buddhist glory. Zar Dheri (Gold Mound), Hazara is another large monastic complex on the old Silk Route. It is located on a hillock which was in visual contact with other hill retreats in the area. The complex had a monastery and a stupa resembling Jaulian. It was a fortified place, with bastions and a protective wall made of diaper masonry. It was later used as a citadel. It yielded more than one hundred stone sculptures and architectural panels besides other artifacts. Mingora is the largest commercial city in Swat District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, yielding magnificent pieces of Buddhist sculpture and the ruins of great stupa. Other beauty spots worth visiting are Marghzar, Saidu Sharif, famous for its “Sufed Mahal” the white marble palace of the former Wali (ruler) of Swat. The Lush-green valley of Swat with its rushing torrents, icy-cold lakes, fruit-laden orchards and flower-decked slopes is ideal for holiday-makers intent on relaxation. “Udayana” (the “Garden”) of the ancient Hindu epics; “the land of enthralling beauty” where Alexander of Macedonia fought and won some of his major battles before crossing over to the plains of Pakistan. Thul Mir Rukan Stupa of Mir Rukan is one of the few surviving Buddhist monuments in Sindh. Thul Mir Rukan is a 22 m high cylindrical structure, or a tower, without any entrance. It is divided into five sections. The capitals of the pilasters in the circular casing are decorated with cut-brick work and moulded panels at the top.
One can find an assortment of unique Pakistani art and craftwork throughout the country. This art contributed by myriad nameless artisans from all over the country can be viewed as our nation’s pride. For example, Peshawar and Swat emerge as significant generators of Pakistani culture. Brass work is on top of all handicrafts of Peshawar, which is an art practiced in many regions around the country notably Lahore and parts of Sindh. Brass work involves the engraving of various shapes and patterns onto brass items using the traditional methods of naqqashi (sketching) and khudai (scraping). The end result is simply mind blowing. Swat is famous for its woven textiles and embroidered products. Pakistani stone craft also has ties with the north. Here, in cities such as Haripur, marble, sandstone and onyx are common materials worked upon to produce a wide range of stone crafted items. Statuettes and models of various aspects of Pakistani culture are a common sight in Lahore. Anarkali is a popular spot if one wishes to buy such heritage ornaments as small models of tongas, huqqas (smoking pipe), pankhas (fan) and many others. There is even a working model of a nalka (hand pump) in some stores which is truly an eye catcher. Multan will be our next stop, a city which can be considered as the chief handicrafts market of the country. One may start with the camel skin craft and ivory work done in Multan. Camel skin is cleaned, dried and mounted onto molds which can be of any shape desired. Stone craft has another center in Pakistan which is located at Taxila. Taxila has a history of stone craft which has been influenced by Buddhist culture. This is because it was a popular Buddhist centre in the Gandhara period. To date, stone ornaments are crafted and sold in Taxila which have religious importance among Buddhists. Balochistan produces embroidered textiles and leather crafts. Balochi karhai (embroidery) has a large demand all over Pakistan. The embroidered textiles are used to make shawls, topis (caps), vests and an assortment of dresses. Sindh shows off pretty much all of the crafts found in Pakistan, as it is a port city and the commercial capital of Pakistan. Different types of woven textiles are a common sight in the cities of Hyderabad, Khairpur, Halla and Thatta. The truck or rickshaw art is done in many cities notably Lahore, Rawalpindi, Karachi and Quetta, and it is observed that every city has its signature style which is different from that of the other cities. Vehicles decorated in Quetta and Peshawar get lots of wood trimming whereas those in Rawalpindi get lots of plastic decoration. Karachi excels in using reflective tapes, also called “Chamak Patti”
Nature has bestowed Pakistan with large treasures of Gemstones. Some of these make Pakistan prominent in the mineral world. World’s most desired colored gemstones, such as Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, Topaz, Aquamarine, and Tourmaline are found in Pakistan. Pakistan is blessed with some of the finest quality of precious & semi-precious gemstones. Additionally, Pakistan has a rich tradition of jewelry designing and craftsmanship with a unique blend of tradition and novelty. In recent years, Pakistani Gems & Jewelry exporters have successfully tapped markets of modern jewelry in West and Middle East by investing in latest production techniques. Gem Industry in Pakistan dates back to almost 5000 years during the time of Indus Valley Civilization and continues to date. The first gems to be found after formation of Pakistan were Emerald, Aquamarine, Ruby, and Corundum.
The history of Pakistan in sport industry dates back to 1883. Since then Pakistan has proved its mettle and image as a successful manufacturing hub across the globe. In 1918, Syed Sahib Muslim craftsman caught international attention when he reverse engineered a football brought to him for re-stitching. This won him the confidence for making sport accessories for the British forces. Resultantly in 1922 Syed Sahib was awarded the first export award from the British Empire in recognition of his craftsmanship and skill while supplying footballs to British troops stationed in Singapore. Since that time, there was no looking back in this industry and the sector grew leaps and bounds till today by establishing a strong football at the global market. The sports industry pivotal for Pakistan’s economic development and is causing a name and recognition globally. Skilled workforce using higher end material and application of modern techniques is what makes this possible. Sri Lanka has a great potential for sports with the active young population enthusiastic about sports. Football, cricket, hockey etc. are some of the active sports that are a very good way for the two countries to explore a mutual place for further people to people interaction and for the future generations to come further closer.
China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Engine of Growth
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a framework of regional connectivity. CPEC will not only benefit China and Pakistan but will have positive impact on Iran, Afghanistan, India, Central Asian Republic and the region. The enhancement of geographical linkages will help to improve road, rail and air transportation system with frequent and free exchanges of growth and people to people contact, enhance understanding through academic, cultural and regional knowledge and culture, activity of higher volume of flow of trade and businesses, producing and moving energy to have more optimal businesses and enhancement of co-operation by win-win model will result in well connected, integrated region of shared destiny, harmony and development.
China Pakistan Economic Corridor is journey towards economic regionalization in the globalized world. It founded peace, development, and win-win model for all of them. CPEC is not the name of a single route or alignment, rather it is a comprehensive package of cooperative initiatives and projects encompassing regional connectivity, information network infrastructure, energy cooperation, industries and industrial parks, agricultural development and poverty alleviation, tourism, financial cooperation as well as livelihood improvement including municipal infrastructure, education, public health and people-to people communication which will result in thousands of new ventures and millions of jobs in every part of country. The ultimate objective is peace, prosperity and well-being of the people of the two countries, the region and the world.
Pakistan has a vibrant Defence Industry which has not only strengthened the defence of motherland but has been helping the friendly countries in their security needs. Few of the leading indigenous defence products of Pakistan are JF-17, Al-Khalid MBT, APC Hamza, Ghouri, Shaheen, Nasr and Babar missiles which are capable of carrying conventional and nuclear warheads.
