Festivals in Pakistan.

Shab-e-Barat :* Religious festival celebrated on 14th of Shaaban, the 8th Islamic month. Prayers, fire works, exchange of sweet dishes and visits.
Eid-ul-Fitr* : Religious festival celebrating end of fasting month on 1st of Shawwal, the 10th month of Islamic Calendar. Special prayer after sun-rise, exchange of sweet dishes, visits.
Sibi Festival: (Last week of February) At Sibi (Balochistan). Traditional sports, handicrafts exhibition, folk music and dances.
 Sindh Horse & Cattle Show: (Last week of February) At Jacobabad (Sindh). Similar activities as in Sibi Festival.
Jashan-e-Larkana: (Last week of February) At Larkana (Sindh). Traditional sports, exhibition of handicrafts, folk music and dances
Nauroze: (21-23 March) Celebrated only in Gilgit, Hunza, Skardu and Chitral. Polo, foot-ball, volley-ball and hockey matches, folk dances and music.
Pakistan Day *: (23 March) Commemorating the anniversary of Pakistan Resolution passed on March 23, 1940. Military parade at provincial capitals and Islamabad.
Mela Chiraghan (Festival of lamps): (Last week of March) Held for 01 week outside Shalimar Gardens, Lahore.
 Horse & Cattle Show: (End of March till 1st week of April). At Dera Ismail Khan. Local games, folk dances, music, cattle races and exhibition of local handicrafts.
Jashan-e-Shikarpur: (In April for 01 week) At Shikarpur, Sindh. Cultural activities, local sports and handicrafts exhibition.
Eid-ul-Azha * : Religious festival commemorating the great sacrifice offered by Prophet Abraham. Celebrated on 10 Zilhaj, 12th month of Islamic Calendar. Collective prayers after sun set, sacrifice of goats, sheep, cows or camels and distribution of meat among relatives, friends and poor.
Joshi or Chilimjusht: (14-15 May) Kalash festival of welcoming spring, held in Kalash Valleys near Chitral. Folk dances, music and exchange of dishes.
Shandur Polo Festival Traditional polo tournament between the teams of Chitral and Gilgit is being held on the highest polo ground of the world - The Shandur Pass (Chitral district). Allied activities include fold music, folk dances and other competitions. A tent village along Shandur Lake will be set up in cooperation with the local administration.
Utchal: (15-16 July) A harvest festival, celebrated by Kalash people in Kalash Valleys, Chitral.
Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi *: Birth Anniversary of Prophet Hazrat Mohammad (P.B.U.H). on 12th of Rabi-ul-Awwal - the 3rd month of Islamic Calendar.
Independence Day *: (14 August) Meeting, processions, rallies, decorations and illustrations all over the country.
Defense of Pakistan Day: (06 September) Parades and exhibitions of military equipment at Rawalpindi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta and Karachi. Visits to the war memorials. (No national holiday except Armed Forces)
Air force Day: (07 September) Display of latest aircraft of Pakistan Air force and air shows at Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta.
Phool: (20 - 25 September) Held in Kalash Valleys near Chitral. Reaping grapes and walnuts, dancing and singing.
Lok Mela: (1st week of October, for one week) Folk Festival held at Islamabad. Folk Music, songs, music contests, folk dances, craftsmen at work, exhibition and sale of handicrafts. The festival presents a unique opportunity to watch the culture and craft of the whole country at one place.
Chowmas: (18-21 October) Held in Kalash Valleys near Chitral. Welcoming of winter with first snow-fall. Activities restrict to indoor.
Birthday of Allama Muhammad Iqbal: .(09 November) National Poet * .

National Industrial Exhibition Islamabad: Exhibition and sale of Pakistan’s industrial products and handicraft items
National Industrial Exhibition Lahore: (3rd week of November for 15 days) Held at Fortress Stadium, Lahore. Exhibition and sale of industrial products and handicrafts of Pakistan.
National Horse & Cattle Show Lahore: (3rd week of November for 05 days ) Held at Fortress Stadium, Lahore. Cattle races, cattle dances, tent-pegging, tattoo show, folk music, dances, bands, cultural floats and folk games. The show has been described as an eloquent expression of Pakistan's heritage and an authentic account of its agricultural and industrial achievement's. It is held in Lahore Fortress stadium at the end of February or at First week of March. The fortress stadium, the venue of the show is thronged by active participants, foreign visitors and peoples who watch the festival with great enthusiasm, verve and aplomb. A large number of them are interested in watching and appreciating the best breeds of livestock. Many derive pleasure by watching other activities such as display parade of animals, dances by horses and camels, polo matches, tent pegging, dog shows and their races, vaudeville acts of stuntmen, mass display of military band, rhythmically physical exercise by the children. Tastefully decorated industrial floats and torch light tattoo shows are evident during this time. Additional attractions include a subtle interplay of lights to weave enticing patterns at night and breath-taking acts by foreign groups. The show began as a modest exhibition organized by the army to project the cattle wealth of the country in the early fifties. Today it is an international event to which come dignitaries from abroad and visitors and foreign tourists. The organizing committee comprises representatives of a number of agencies including army, rangers, LMC schools, the police, industrialists and the art councils.

$6.00 Welcome Survey After Free Registration and Get Paid $1.25 every time one of your friends signs up for free!

 
Share This:

Major Ethnic Groups in Pakistan

The major ethnic groups are: Punjabis (44.68% of the population), Pashtuns (15.42%), Sindhis (14.1%), Seraikis (8.38%), Muhajirs (7.57%), Balochis (3.57%) and others (6.08%). As of early 2007, about 2 million registered Afghan refugees remain in Pakistan as a result of the on going war and instability in Afghanistan.
Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. Punjabi is the largest indigenous language and is spoken by over 60 million people, but has no official recognition in the country. Other significant languages spoken in Pakistan include (in order of number of speakers): Pashto, Sindhi, Saraiki, and Balochi; English is mostly spoken by educated peoples.
Census data indicates that 97% of the population are Muslims, (nearly 70% are Sunni Muslims and 30% are Shi'a Muslims). Minority religions include Hinduism (1.85%), Christianity (1.6%), as well as much smaller numbers of Sikhs (Around 0.04%), Parsis, Ahmadis, Buddhists, Jews, Bahá'ís, and Animists (mainly the Kalasha of Chitral). Pakistan is the second most populous Muslim-majority country and also has the second largest Shi'a population in the world.
18

Demographics

Pakistan had an estimated population of 172,800,000 as of July 2008, making it the world's sixth largest population and placing it higher than Russia and lower than Brazil. Pakistan is expected to have a population of around 208 million by the year 2020 because of the high growth rate. Population projections for Pakistan are relatively difficult because of the apparent differences in the accuracy of each census and the inconsistencies between various surveys related to the fertility rate, but it is likely that the rate of growth peaked in the 1980s and has since declined significantly. The population was estimated at 162,400,000 on 1 July 2005, with a fertility rate of 34 per thousand, a death rate of 10 per thousand, and the rate of natural increase at 2.4%. Pakistan also has a high infant mortality rate of 70 per thousand births.

Economy

Pakistan is a rapidly developing country and a major emerging market, with an economic growth rate of 7 percent per annum for four consecutive years up to 2007. Despite being a very poor country in 1947, Pakistan's economic growth rate was better than the global average during the subsequent four decades, but imprudent policies led to a slowdown in the late 1990s. Recently, wide-ranging economic reforms have resulted in a stronger economic outlook and accelerated growth especially in the manufacturing and financial services sectors. There has been great improvement in the foreign exchange position and rapid growth in hard currency reserves in recent years. The 2005 estimate of foreign debt was close to US$40 billion. However, this has decreased in recent years with assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and significant debt-relief from the United States. Pakistan's gross domestic product, as measured by purchasing power parity (PPP), is estimated to be US $475.4 billion while its per capita income (PCI) stands at $2,942. The poverty rate in Pakistan is estimated to be between 23% and 28%. Pakistan's GDP growth rates have seen a steady increase over the last 5 years. However, inflationary pressures and a low savings rate, among other economic factors, could make it difficult to sustain a high growth rate.
The structure of the Pakistani economy has changed from a mainly agricultural base to a strong service base. Agriculture now only accounts for roughly 20% of the GDP, while the service sector accounts for 53% of the GDP with wholesale and retail trade forming 30% of this sector. In the past few years, the Karachi Stock Exchange has increased in value along with most of the world's emerging markets. Significant foreign investments have been made in several areas including telecommunications, real estate and energy. Other major industries include software, automotives, textiles, cement, fertilizer, steel, ship building, aerospace and arms manufacturing.
In November 2006 China and Pakistan signed a Free Trade Agreement hoping to triple bilateral trade from $4.2 billion (USD) to $15 billion (USD) within the next five years. Pakistan's exports in 2007 amounted to $20.58 billion (USD).