The Londoner

By Sikander Hayat There has been a feeling of mistrust between the countries of Afghanistan & Pakistan from the day of Pakistani independence from British rule. Afghanistan tried to stop Pakistan from becoming the member of United Nations as a recognised state. For the record, Iran was the first country to recognise Pakistan as an independent state on the map of the world. Afghanistan is a country where Pakhtuns have always dominated the corridors of power and their percentage in the ethnic composition of the country is 40% with Tajiks, Hazara, Uzbek and other ethnic group making rest of the 60%. Although there is a large number of non Pakhtun nationals of Afghanistan but still the ruling class of this country look at it as a Pakhtun nation and thereby give itself a responsibility to save the Pakhtuns living in neighbouring Pakistan. Here I am looking at the issue through the Afghan perspective which has the mindset that somehow people living in the tribal agencies of Pakistan need

By Sikander Hayat At the moment Punjab has 60% of the population of Pakistan. Other Pakistanis think that Punjab is the usurper of their resources while at the same time people of Punjab are suffering the same prejudices as everyone else in the federation, like any Baloch, Sindhi, Pakhtun, Kashmiri, Balti & Hazara. Saying that, I must add that sometimes perceptions are as powerful as truth and there is a need to allay those fears. Many scholars in Pakistan have studied and commented upon case-histories such as Switzerland, Belgium, India and Nigeria, populated like Pakistan by diverse people having different languages and cultures. Switzerland has German, French, Italian and Romanch as languages and culture. Like the Punjab (60%) in Pakistan, Switzerland is dominated by the Germans (70%) but the country is divided into 26 cantons. At the time of independence in 1947, India had 7 provinces and a few Union-administered territories despite 24 distinct languages. Why then Pakistan ca

Khuzdar or Khozdar (Urdu: خضدار ) is a town located in Khuzdar District in Balochistan, Pakistan. Khuzdar is the capital of Khuzdar District, which was created on 1 March 1974. Previously, Khuzdar was part of Kalat District. Khuzdar was the capital of the Brahui kingdom of Makran. In the early 17th Century it was part of the Jhalawan kingdom, but it soon fell under the Kingdom of Kalat, where it remained until a series of revolts during the reign of Khudadad Khan (1857-1893). By 1896, after Khudadad's death, the authority of Kalat was restored. Under it treaty with Kalat, the British appointed a political agent at Khuzdar in 1903. British assistance continued until 1947, after which the area joined Pakistan, and became part of the Baluchistan States Union. When the Baluchistan States Union became Kalat Division, Khuzdar was established as the divisional headquarters. The divisional administration of Pakistan ended in 2000. The Divisional administration again established as the Divi

Kaghan Valley (Urdu: وادی کاغان) is a valley in the north-east of Mansehra District of the Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It attracts many tourists from around the country. The inhabitants were affected by the earthquake disaster on 8 October 2005. The Kaghan valley is named after the town of Kaghan rather than for the Kunhar River which flows through the length of the valley. The valley extends 155 km, rising from an elevation of 2,134 feet (650 m) to its highest point, the Babusar Pass, at 13,690 feet (4,170 m). Popular languages are Hindko and Gojri, while Urdu, Pakistan's national language is also familiar among the locals. The region is Alpine in geography and climate, with forests and meadows dominating the landscape below peaks that reach over 17,000 feet. Its mountains, dales, lakes, water-falls, streams and glaciers are still in a pristine state. Kaghan is at its best during summer (from May to September). In May the temperature ranges between a maximum of 11 °C (52 °F)

Hub (Urdu: حب) (also known as Hub Chowki) is the capital city of the Hub Tehsil, located in the Lasbela District of the Balochistan province in Pakistan. Hub is economically one of the largest industrial cities in Balochistan. In terms of demographics, the ethnicity of the residents is mainly composed by the Brahvi and Baluch although Punjabis, Sindhis and Pukhtoons also reside here. By religion, the majority of the population is Muslim while consistent concentrations of Hindus are also present. Geographically, Hub is situated near the edge of Balochistan and is close to the border with Sindh. It is approximately 25 kilometres away from Karachi. The postal code of the city is 90250.Geographically Name is (Hab Chauki). The main market of Hub is located on the both sides of E.C.O (R.C.D) Road. With thanks to Wikipedia.

Gilgit-Baltistan (Urdu: گلگت بلتستان, Gilgit Baltistān) is an autonomous region in northern Pakistan. It is the northernmost political entity within the Pakistan. It borders Afghanistan to the north, China to the northeast, the Pakistani state of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) to the south, and the Indian-administered state of Jammu and Kashmir to the southeast. The area became a single administrative unit in 1970 under the name "Northern Areas", formed from the amalgamation of the Gilgit Agency, the Baltistan District of the Ladakh Wazarat, and the states of Hunza and Nagar. With its administrative center at the town of Gilgit, Gilgit Baltistan covers an area of 72,971 km² (28,174 mi²) and has an estimated population approaching 1,000,000. This area is part of the larger disputed territory of Kashmir between India, Pakistan and China. Before the independence of Pakistan in1947, Maharaja Hari Singh extended his rule to Gilgit and Baltistan. After the Pakistani independen

Beijing, China—Former President of Pakistan, Gen. (R) Pervez Musharraf continued his international lecture tour with several engagements in key Chinese cities. [If pictures don’t appear, click Pic1, Pic2, Pic3] For this tour in China, the former President was invited by the government of China, through the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA). His first lecture was in Beijing to CPIFA, attended by many Chinese Ambassadors, experts on South Asia, and graduate students. The former President’s lecture focused on the deep relationship between Pakistan and China, and an in-depth analysis of regional issues including Afghanistan, India, terrorism and extremism. The former President stressed the need for closer global cooperation to defeat terrorism and extremism, and a more proactive role for China. His next lecture was in Shanghai, with the prestigious Shanghai Institute for International Studies. The President addressed Chinese experts on South Asia, Asia Pacific, and the

By Sikander Hayat A few weeks back, I wrote an article about the necessity for more provinces in Pakistan and in response to that I received a lot of emails from you that it is not the issue of more provinces that will resolve the problems of Pakistan but making Pakistan a true federation will cure the ills of our country. I see this as a viable alternative solution and lately I have heard many notable politicians especially from Pakistan Muslim League (N) like Shahbaz Sharif and Khwaja Asif talking about the need for a new social contract in Pakistan where all six federal components namely Punjab, Sindh, Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Azad Kashmir & Northern Areas be given equal representation in Parliament and Senate and each provincial assembly have sweeping powers in terms of tax collection, spending and other issues. Federal government must only have its jurisdiction in Defence, Foreign affairs, Currency and Communications ( air, sea and land ports should be under federal jurisdict

Pasni (Balochi: پسنی ) is a medium-sized town and a fishing port in Balochistan, Pakistan. It is located on the Makran coast on Arabian Sea about 300 km from Karachi. Administratively, Pasni is the headquarters of the Pasni sub-division of Gwadar district that includes Pasni and Ormara Tehsils as well as Astola Island which lies 40km ESE of Pasni, in the Arabian Sea. The city of Pasni is itself administratively subdivided into two Union Councils. The topography of the area is marked by low jagged hills of the Makran Coastal Range, while flat land is more common towards the coast. Jabal Zarain is a small hill astride a promontory (Cape or Ras Jaddi) south of Pasni and marks the highest point (416' ASL) in the area. The unspoilt and pristine beaches of Pasni offer some of the most enchanting sceneries along the Arabian Sea. Shadi Kaur (river) fed by adjoining rain water streams, drains into the Arabian Sea just north of the town. Vegetation is sparse and consists mostly of hardy

Balochistan, or Baluchistan, (Balochi, Brahui, Sindhi, Pashto, Urdu: بلوچستان) is a province in Pakistan, the largest in the country by geographical area. It contains most of the historical region of Balochistan and is named after the Baloch. Its neighbouring regions are Iranian Balochistan to the west, Afghanistan and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas to the north and Punjab and Sindh to the east. To the south is the Arabian Sea. The principal languages in the province are Baluchi, Brahui,Sindhi and Pashto. The capital and largest city is Quetta. Balochistan is believed to be rich in mineral resources. It is the second major, after Sindh, supplier of natural gas to the country. Balochistan is located at the eastern edge of the Iranian plateau and in the border region between Southwest, Central, and South Asia. It is geographically the largest of the four provinces at 347,190 km² or (134,051 square miles) of Pakistani territory; and composes 48% of the total land area of Pakistan

Ziarat is the capital of Ziarat District, Pakistan. It is a famous holiday resort of Balochistan and nearly every trip from Karachi to Quetta stops at Ziarat. Ziarat, literally [an Islamic] shrine, was the summer residence of the chief commissioner of Baluchistan, and sanatorium for the European troops at Quetta: 8850 ft. above the sea and 33 m. by cart-road from the railway. There is a good water supply, and the hills around are well-wooded and picturesque. Ziarat is also very famous for its juniper trees. The juniper forest in Ziarat is the world's second largest. The junipers are considered to be the real treasure of Ziarat. There are trees in the valley which are more than 7000 years old. In Ziarat a herb called Ephedra sinica is found in abundance from which a chemical called ephedrine is extracted, an important constituent of various medicines, especially cough syrups. When the snow falls in Ziarat's winter the juniper valley is at its most beautiful. In the winter season

Azad Kashmir Regiment, one of the six infantry regiments of Pakistan Army. Its Regimental Center is located at Mansar, Attock District, Punjab. The Azad Kashmir Regular Forces was not raised by any decision or order by any government, the regiment "raised itself" when World War II veterans in the valley of Kashmir and the Northern regions of Pakistan took up arms to defend their land from the Indian Army's invasion and occupation of Kashmir of 1948. Bands of armed veterans formed themselves into ad hoc platoons, companies and battalions led by retired officers and NCOs. They gave their units names such as "Bagh Battalion" (the battalion from the town of Bagh) and fought valiantly in the 1948 conflict. After cease-fire was declared, these battalions joined together to form the Azad Kashmir Regular Forces (AKRF). The AKRF had its own intake and training structure, separate from the Pakistan Army. It was the military element of the Azad Kashmir Government. Uniforms

Baltistan (Urdu: بلتستان) , also known as بلتیول (Baltiyul) in the Balti language, is a region in northern Pakistan, Kashmir, bordering Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China. It is situated in the Karakoram mountains just to the south of K2, the world's second highest mountain. It is an extremely mountainous region, with an average altitude of over 3,350 m (11,000 ft). It is inhabited principally by Balti Muslims of Tibetan descent who converted from Tibetan Buddhism prior to the 16th century. Baltistan was an independent state but was occupied by the Raja (King) of Kashmir in the nineteenth century. Karakorum Highway and IndusBaltistan is often called "little Tibet". The adjoining territory of Baltistan forms the west extremity of Tibet, whose natural limits here are the Indus from its abrupt southward bend in 74 45 E., and the mountains to the north and west, separating a comparatively peaceful Tibetan population from the fiercer Aryan tribes beyond. Muslim writers about

Physically scythe-shaped, the territory of Azad Kashmir is dotted with a vast chain of scenic and natural beauty spots amidst flowing streams, gushing out springs and flowering plants. The mountain tops over the valley look like circular and rectangular caps. The panorama is really enchanting. The valley rivals those of Kaghan and Swat in beauty and boasts of remarkable alpine scenery. It is bounded to the east by the line of control or (ceasefire line) with Indian held Kashmir and travel to foreigners is rather restricted. Azad Kashmir extends from the plains of Mirpur at the northern edge of the Punjab through the outlying foothills of the Himalayas, to the mountains in the north at 6,000 meters above sea level. It is drained by three major rivers, the Jhelum, the Neelam and the Poonch whose valleys are very beautiful. There are four districts of Azad Kashmir namely Muzaffarabad, Poonch, Kotli and Mirpur. These districts abound in natural beauty and rivers and streams flow throughout