Template:Wikiportal:Pakistan Selected article

The national Flag of Pakistan was designed by Syed Amir-uddin Kedwaii and was based on the original flag of the Muslim League. It was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on August 11, 1947, just days before independence. The flag is referred to in the national anthem as Parcham-e-Sitāra-o-Hilāl in Urdu (lit. Flag of the Crescent and Star). The flag comprises a dark green field, representing the Muslim majority of Pakistan, with a vertical white stripe in the hoist, representing religious minorities. In the centre is a white crescent moon, representing progress, and a white five-pointed star, representing light and knowledge. The flag symbolizes Pakistan's commitment to Islam, the Islamic world and the rights of religious minorities. The flag is flown on several important days of the year including Republic Day and Independence Day.

Ghauri (Urdu: غوری) is a medium-range ballistic missile developed by Kahuta Research Laboratories (KRL) of Pakistan. The designation of Hatf-V is also used for Ghauri. The Ghauri-I has an optimum range of 1,500 km and can carry both a conventional and non-conventional payload. It is powered by a liquid propellant engine. Pakistan successfully carried out the test of the surface-to-surface Ghauri-I Missile with a range of 1500 km and a payload of 700 kg on April 6, 1998. This test represented a step forward in Pakistan's indigenous missile and satellite launch programme. Ghauri-II is a longer ranged variant of the Ghauri-I missile. It was developed by increasing the length of the motor assembly and using improved propellants. The Ghauri-II missile has a range of 2,300 km (1,429 miles). Ghauri-III with a range of 3500 km - 4000 km is under development. Ghauri-I was test launched on April 6, 1998 from Malute, near the city of Jhelum, about 76 miles south of the Capital Islamabad. It climbed to a height of 350 km before hitting its designated target in the desert of Balochistan. The reports state that the missile was flight tested to a distance of 1,100 km/682 miles. The test flight was carried out completely overland. No advance notice of the actual flight test was given by Pakistani authorities. Pakistani sources also report that the flight test lasted 9 minutes and 58 seconds. Ghauri-I missile weighes 16 tons and consists of 13 tons of fuel, 700 kg warhead and the remaining weight is of the casing and equipment. The missile can carry a nuclear, chemical, or anti-tank warhead. The Ghauri missile was test fired from a mobile launcher.

The Walled City of Lahore, also known as the "Old City", or "Anderoon Shehr (اندرون شهر)", is the section of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan that was fortified by a city wall during the Mughal era. It covers an area of 256 ha with a population of 200,000. The city walls were destroyed shortly after the British annexed the Punjab in 1849 and were replaced with gardens, some of which exist today. The Circular Road links the old city to the urban network. Access to the Walled City is still gained through the 13 ancient gates, or their emplacements. The convoluted and picturesque streets of the inner city remain almost intact but the rapid demolition and frequently illegal rebuilding, which is taking place throughout the city, is causing the historic fabric to be eroded and replaced by inferior constructions. Walled City of Lahore had 13 gates which included ; Akbari Gate, Bhati Gate, Delhi Gate, Kashmiri Gate, Lohari Gate, Masti Gate, Mochi Gate, Mori Gate, Roshnai Gate, Shahalmi Gate, Shairanwala Gate, Taxali Gate, and Yakki Gate. All of these gates survived till 19th Century when the British, to derfortify the city, demolished almost all of the gates except Roshnai Gate. After that some were rebuilt except for Delhi Gate and Lohari Gate in simple structures. Shahalmi Gate was burnt to ground during the riots of 1947 while Akbari Gate was also demolished for repairs but was never built again . Today out of 13 only 6 gates survives which are ; Bhati Gate, Delhi Gate, Kashmiri Gate, Lohari Gate, Roshnai Gate and Shairanwala Gate.

The Markhor (Capra falconeri) is a goat-antelope found in sparse woodland in the Western Himalayas. The Markhor is officially the National animal of Pakistan. The word "Markhor" is Persian for "Snake Eater". The animal is largely found in the Northern Areas of Pakistan especialy in Chitral, Ghizar and Hunza regions. Markhor stand 65 to 115 centimetres at the shoulder and weigh from 40 to 110 kilograms. Females are tan in colour with a white underbelly and a pattern of black and white on the legs. Males have a lighter tan colour with the same white underbelly and pattern on the legs, as well as a black face and a large amount of long shaggy white fur on their neck and chest which can grow to knee-length. Both sexes have corkscrew-shaped horns which can grow up to 160 cm / 64 inches long in males, and up to 25 cm / 10 inches in females. About 2000 - 4000 exists in wild.

The transport system of Pakistan is extensive and varied, with considerable investment in the transportation infrastructure in recent years. Since the 1990’s onward, the National Highway Authority has been developing a network of modern motorways that connects nearly every major city in Pakistan. These improvements have contributed to an acceleration of economic growth. Pakistan Railways has been acquiring new locomotives from China. The ports have also been developing to deal with the growing demand for imports and exports. In urban areas there are several means of transport available, catering to a wide range of budgets, including motorbikes, rickshaws, and buses. Motorbikes and scooters are popular vehicles used by many people to move around cities. They are easy to travel on and less stressful compared to cars and buses. The law requires motorbike or scooter riders to wear a helmet. Over the last few years, the number of brands and varieties of motorbikes and scooters has substantially increased to suit all budgets and sizes.

Abdul Sattar Edhi, Nishan-e-Imtiaz, (Urdu: عبد الستار ایدھی), or Edhi, as he is often known, is one of the most active philanthropists in Pakistan. He is head of the Edhi Foundation in Pakistan. Edhi foundation branches are spread all over world. His wife Begum Bilquis Edhi, heads the Bilquis Edhi Foundation. They both received 1986 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service. He is also the recipient of the Lenin Peace Prize. Maulana Edhi, as he is often referred to, is of the Memon community. According to the Guinness World Records, Edhi Foundation has the largest private ambulance service network in the world. Edhi was born in 1928 in Bantva in the Gujarat state of present day India. His father was a textile trader and earned a modest income for his family. He was a natural born leader and would encourage his friends to hold tiny circuses and perform gymnastics for the locals. Edhi is to Karachi what Mother Teresa was to the poor of Calcutta.

The Port of Karachi (Urdu: بندر گاہ كراچى ) is Pakistan's largest and busiest seaport, handling about 60% of the nation's cargo (25 million tons per annum). The port is located at 24°50′00″N, 66°58′30″E between the Karachi towns of Kiamari and Saddar, close to the heart of old Karachi. The port is located close to the main business district of Karachi and several industrial areas. The geographic position of Karachi places the port in close proximity to major shipping routes such as the Straits of Hormuz. The administration of the port is carried out by the Karachi Port Trust which was established in the nineteenth century.The port comprises a deep natural harbour with an 11 km long approach channel which provides safe navigation for vessels up to 75,000 DWT. The main areas of port activity are two wharves; East Wharf with seventeen vessel berths and West Wharf with thirteen vessel berths. The maximum depth alongside the berths is currently 11.3 metres.

Ramadan (Arabic: رمضان, Ramaḍān) is an Islamic religious observance that takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, when the Qur'an was revealed. The name "Ramadan" is taken from the name of this month; the word itself derived from an Arabic word for intense heat, scorched ground, and shortness of rations. It is considered the most venerated and blessed month of the Islamic year. Prayers, sawm (fasting), charity, and self-accountability are especially stressed at this time; religious observances associated with Ramadan are kept throughout the month. Ramadan is divided into three ten-day parts, or ashra (Arabic for ten). They are named Rahmah (mercy of God), Maghfirah (forgiveness of God), and Najah (salvation), respectively. Laylat al-Qadr, which falls during the last third, commemorates the revelation of the first verses of the Qur'an and is considered the most holy night of the year. Ramadan ends with the holiday Eid ul-Fitr, on which feasts are held. During the month following Ramadan, called Shawaal, Muslims are encouraged to fast for a further six days.

The Pakistan national cricket team is an international cricket team representing Pakistan. It is administrated by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Pakistan is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status. Before the independence of Pakistan, cricket was played well before the first Pakistan national team was granted to play test match cricket. Documentation and archives show that during the 18th century, cricket was played on the western side of India and many successful Indians cricketers played for the English cricket team. It was not until July 28, 1952, Pakistan was granted to play test match cricket. Their first match took place in Delhi against India on October of the same year. Their first international tour was to England during 1954. Over the half century, Pakistan has become of the most challenging and unpredictable teams in the world, the team won the 1992 Cricket World Cup and runners up in the 1999 Cup. The country has produced several world-class bowlers such as Fazal Mahmood, Sarfaraz Nawaz, Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, and Shoaib Akhtar.

Urdu اردو, is an Indo-Aryan language of the Indo-Iranian branch, belonging to Indo-European family of languages. It developed under Persian and Arabic, to some lesser degree also under Turkic influence on apabhramshas in South Asia during the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire (1526–1858 AD). In Pakistan, Urdu is spoken and understood by a majority of urban dwellers in such cities as Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi/Islamabad, Abbottabad, Faisalabad, Hyderabad, Multan, Peshawar, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Sukkur and Sargodha. Urdu is used as the official language in all provinces of Pakistan. It is also taught as a compulsory language up to high school in both the English and Urdu medium school systems.

Over 98% of 166 million peoples of Pakistan are Muslims and Islam is the State Religion of Pakistan. The majority of Muslims in Pakistan are Sunnis and the Shi'a Muslim population is the second largest in the world after Iran. Islam arrived in the area now known as Pakistan in 711 CE, when the Umayyad dynasty sent an Muslim Arab army led by Muhammad bin Qasim against the ruler of Sindh, Raja Dahir, whose pirates attacked Arab ships. The army conquered the northwestern part of ancient India from Kashmir to the Arabian Sea. The arrival of the Arab Muslims to the provinces of Sindh and Punjab, along with subsequent Muslim dynasties, set the stage for the religious boundaries of India that would lead to the development of the modern state of Pakistan as well as forming the foundation for Islamic rule which quickly spread across much of India.

Rohtas Fort (Urdu: قلعہ روہتاس Qila Rohtas) is a garrison fort built by the great Afghan king Sher Shah Suri. This fort is about 4 km in circumference and the first example of the successful amalgamation of Pukhtun and Hindu architecture in the sub-continent. Sher Shah constructed Qila Rohtas to block Emperor Humayun's return to India after defeating him in the Battle of Kanauj. This fort lies on the old GT road between the North (Afghanistan) to the Plains of Punjab. It blocked the way from Peshawar to Lahore. The other reason was to suppress the local tribes of this region Potohar called Gakhars who were allies of Humayun and refused their allegiance to Sher Shah Suri. The Gakhars made a feeble retort by building some fortifications near the village of Sultanpur, which still remain today.

Gwadar is located on the southwestern coast of Pakistan, close to the Strait of Hormuz on the Persian Gulf. More than 13 million bbl/d of oil passes through the Strait. It is strategically located between three increasingly important regions: the oil-rich Middle East, heavily populated South Asia and the economically emerging and resource-laden Central Asia. The Gwadar Port is expected to generate billions of dollars in revenues and create at least two million jobs.^[1] In the year 2007, the government of Pakistan has handed port operations over to PSA Singapore for 25 years giving it the port the status of Tax Free Port for following 40 years.

Jinnah International Airport previously Quaid-e-Azam International Airport (IATA: KHI, ICAO: OPKC) is Pakistan's largest international and domestic airport. It is located in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan, and is also commonly known as the Jinnah Terminal. The airport is named after Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who was also known as Quaid-e-Azam ("Great Leader"). The existing capacity allows the airport to handle up to 30 aircraft at one time. The facility can handle up to 12 million passengers per year. The airport also provides primary hub for the flag carrier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) as well as other smaller airlines. The airport is equipped with aircraft engineering and overhauling facilities with Ispahani Hangar for wide-body aircraft.

Mohenjo-daro (Urdu: موئن جودڑو, Sindhi: موئن جو دڙو, English: Mound of the dead) was a city of the Indus Valley Civilization built around 2600 BC and is located in the Sindh Province of Pakistan. This ancient five thousand year old city is the largest of Indus Valley and is widely recognized as one of the most important early cities of South Asia and the Indus Valley Civilization. Mohenjo Daro was one of the world’s first cities and contemporaneous with ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations. It is sometimes referred to as "An Ancient Indus Valley Metropolis".

Karachi (help·info) (Urdu: كراچى, Sindhi: ڪراچي) is the capital of the province of Sindh, and the largest city in Pakistan. Located on the coast of the Arabian Sea, north-west of the Indus River Delta, the megacity is the largest city, original capital and cultural, economical, philantropic, educational, and political hub, as well as the largest port, of the country. The metropolitan area along with its suburbs comprises the world's second most populated city, spread over 3,530 square kilometres. The city credits its growth to the mixed populations of economic and political migrants and refugees from different national, provincial, linguistic and religious origins who have largely come to settle here permanently. It is locally termed as the City of Lights (روشنیوں کا شہر) for its liveliness and the City of The Quaid (شہرِ قائد), for not only being both the birth and death place of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah the founder of Pakistan but also his home after 1947. Residents and those born in the city are called "Karachiites".

Lahore (help·info) (Urdu: لاہور, Punjabi: لہور, pronounced [la.hor]) is the capital of the province of Punjab, and is the second most densely populated city in Pakistan. It is also known as the Gardens of the Mughals or City of Gardens, because of the significant rich heritage of the Mughal Empire. In popular culture, Lahore is known as the Heart of Pakistan. It is located near Ravi River and Wagah close to the Pakistan-India border. As evidence of Lahore's rich history, much of the Mughal and colonial architecture has been preserved in all its splendour. Mughal architecture such as the Badshahi Mosque, Lahore Fort, Shalimar Gardens and the mausoleums of Jehangir and Nur Jehan are very popular tourist spots in the city. Various colonial buildings originally built by the British, such as the Lahore High Court, General Post Office (GPO) and many of the older universities, still retain their Mughal-Gothic style.