Pakistan in pictures

Flag of Pakistan

Map of Pakistan

Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah: The Founder of Pakistan

Dr. Allama Mohammad Iqbal: National Poet, Philosopher,Thinker

National Anthem of Pakistan

National Anthem of Pakistan ( in Urdu )

National Anthem of Pakistan in English

Pakistan's National Monument was built in the Shakarparian Hills, at the west viewpoint overlooking the capital city Islamabad, Pakistan. Built with expensive red granite marble the shape is that of a blossoming flower, with petals. The four main petals of the monument represent the four provinces of Pakistan: Balochistan, North West Frontier Province, Punjab, and Sindh. In the large view you can see some murals of famous monuments which are located in the respective provinces. And the three smaller petals represent the Northern areas, Kashmir and the country’s tribal areas.

Minar-e-Pakistan is a tall minaret in Iqbal Park Lahore, built in commemoration of the Pakistan Resolution. The minaret reflects a blend of Mughal and modern architecture, and is constructed on the site where on March 23, 1940, seven years before the formation of Pakistan, the Muslim League passed the Pakistan Resolution (Qarardad-e-Pakistan), demanding the creation of Pakistan. This was the first official declaration to establish a separate homeland for the Muslims living in the South Asia. Pakistan now celebrates this day as a national holiday each year.

Mazar-e-Quaid (Urdu: مزار قائد) or the National Mausoleum refers to the tomb of the founder of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah. It is an iconic symbol of Karachi throughout the world. The mausoleum completed in the 1960s, is situated at the heart of the city.

Khyber gate: Entrance to Khyber pass and Torkham border of Afghanistan from Peshawar, North Western Pakistan.

Ziarat, Balochistan, Pakistan

Jasmine: National flower

Cedrus deodara: National tree

Peregrine Falcon is the state bird of the country recognized as "Shaheen" and officially the military iconic symbol of the PAF

Chukar: National bird (official)

Asiatic Lion: National animal (unofficial)

Markhor: National animal

Indus Dolphin: National Mammal; is only found in the Indus River in Pakistan

National Game: Field hockey; Pakistan is 4-time world champion (1971, 1978, 1982, 1994 )and 3-time Olympics champion (1960, 1968, 1984) while Pakistan also won Champions Trophy for 3 time ( 1978 , 1980, 1994 ).

Cricket: Pakistan 1992 World Champion

Pakistan: ICC T20 World Cup 2009 winner

Shahid Khan Afridi: currently holds the highest career strike rate in the history of international cricket and the world record of Fastest Century

Wasim Akram: a former Pakistani Cricketr. Widely regarded as one of the finest fast bowlers ever, Akram holds world records for the most wickets taken in both ODIs and Test matches. Recently Wasim has been inducted in ICC Hall of Fame.

Shoaib Akhtar: Fastest bowler in the world. He set a world record by clocking 100mph

Jahangir Khan: is a former World No. 1 professional Squash player from Pakistan, who is considered by many to be the greatest player in the history of the game. During his career he won the World Open six times and the British Open a record ten times. Between 1981 and 1986, he was unbeaten in competitive play for five years. During that time he won 555 matches consecutively. This was not only the longest winning streak in squash history, but also one of the longest unbeaten runs by any athlete in top-level professional sports.

Jan sher Khan: is a former World No. 1 professional Squash player from Pakistan, who is widely considered to be one of the greatest squash players of all time. During his career he won the World Open a record eight times, and the British Open six times.

Minar-e-Pakistan

Badshahi Mosque - Lahore

Food street - Lahore

National Stadium - Karachi

Baltoro glacier - Pakistan

The Karakoram Highway (KKH) (Urdu: شاہراہ قراقرم, Chinese: 喀喇昆仑公路) is the highest paved international road in the world. It connects China and Pakistan across the Karakoram mountain range, through the Khunjerab Pass, at an altitude of 4,693 m/15,397 ft as confirmed by both SRTM and multiple GPS readings. It connects China's Xinjiang region with Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan and also serves as a popular tourist attraction. Due to its high elevation and the difficult conditions in which it was constructed, it is also referred to as the "8th Wonder of the World."

The Karakoram Highway

Beautifully painted Pakistani trucks along the Karakoram Highway, Pakistan. The Karakoram Highway connects northern Pakistan with far north-western China via the Khunjerab Pass (4693m) and is the highest international road in the world.

Bualtar Glacier, Hoper, Pakistan

Hunza Valley - Pakistan

The Faisal Mosque in Islamabad is the largest mosque in Pakistan and South Asia and one of the largest mosques in the world. It was the largest mosque in the world from 1986 to 1993 when overtaken in size by the completion of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco. Subsequent expansions of the Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) of Mecca and the Al-Masjid al-Nabawi (Prophet's Mosque) in Medina, Saudi Arabia during the 1990s relegated Faisal Mosque to fourth place in terms of size. It is conceived as the National Mosque of Pakistan.The Faisal Mosque is named after the late King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia, who supported and financed the project.

The Badshahi Mosque (Urdu: بادشاھی مسجد) or the 'King's Mosque' in Lahore, commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1671 and completed in 1673, is the second largest mosque in Pakistan and South Asia and the fifth largest mosque in the world. Epitomising the beauty, passion and grandeur of the Mughal era, it is Lahore's most famous landmark and a major tourist attraction.

It is capable of accommodating 5,000 worshippers in its main prayer hall and a further 95,000 in its courtyard and porticoes, it remained the largest mosque in the world from 1673 to 1986 (a period of 313 years), when overtaken in size by the completion of the Faisal Mosque in Islamabad. Today, it remains the second largest mosque in Pakistan and South Asia and the fifth largest mosque in the world after the Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) of Mecca, the Al-Masjid al-Nabawi (Prophet's Mosque) in Medina, the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca and the Faisal Mosque in Islamabad.

The mausoleum of Sheikh Rukn-i-Alam. Multan, Pakistan

Hanna Lake (Urdu: حانا جھيل) is a lake near Quetta city in Pakistan and is one of the main attractions in the city. The lake is located a little short of the place where the Urak Valley begins and 10 km from Quetta. Golden fish in the lake comes swimming right up to the edge of the lake.

Lake Saif-ul-Malook, Nothern areas, Pakistan

Shandur Polo festival, Pakistan

Mahodand Lake, Kalam, Pakistan

Karachi, Pakistan

Karachi, Pakistan

Pakistan’s M2 motorway: For sheer spotlessness, efficiency and emptiness there is nothing like the M2 in the rest of South Asia

Motorway connecting Islamabad and Lahore, Pakistan

M2 Motorway from Lahore to Islamabad, Pakistan

M1 Motorway from Islamabad to Peshawar, Pakistan

Gwadar, Pakistan

Shangrila Lake, Pakistan

Neelum Valley, Pakistan

Typical Neelum Valley village, Pakistan

Pakistani Girls In Traditional Dress: Pakistani girls representing the four provinces of Pakistan seen here in traditional garb. Such costumes are often seen on the 14th of August or the 23rd of March on Independence Day celebrations in Pakistan. The application of face paint indicates that they are dressed up as either Pakhtun or Baluchi women, while the girl on the left is from the eastern Indus Valley region of Sindh or Punjab. (From left to right: Sindhi dress, Pakhtun and Baluchi dress)

Kalash People of Pakistan

Kalash Valley, Pakistan

Sunflower fields in Khanewal, Punjab, Pakistan

Tent pegging, A passion of Punjabi and a thrilling game, very famous in central Punjab, Pakistan.

Murree, Pakistan

Murree (Pakistan) in winter. Road blockade due to land sliding

Glowing Fountain and Oyster Rocks in arabian sea, Karachi, Pakistan

Karachi: An aerial view of Pakistan's port city of Karachi, the city of lights. Copyright Mohsin Hassan

Karachi - The City of Lights, Pakistan

Miani Horr, Balochistan, Pakistan

Shogran in the Kaghan Valley, NWFP, Pakistan

Islamabad, Pakistan

Islamabad, Pakistan - sunset at Blue Area

7th Avenue Islamabad- Bird's eye view, as seen from Daman-e-Koh (Margallah Hills), Islamabad - Pakistan

Rawal Lake located in the outskirts of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, is considered to be a paradise on earth that one must not be miss. Rawal Lake is an artificial reservoir in Pakistan that fullfills the water demands for the cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. This artificial lake covers an area of 8.8 km². Rawal Lake is located within an isolated section of the Margalla Hills National Park.

Heavenly View at Khanpur Lake...Some 50 kilometers north-west of Islamabad, on the road from Taxila to Haripur. One can indulge at this place away from city life.

Tarbela Dam- The world's largest earth-filled dam on one of the world's most important rivers - the Indus - is 103 km from Rawalpindi. The dam was completed in 1976 at a cost of Rs.18.5 billion. Over 15,000 Pakistani and 800 foreign workers and engineers worked during its construction. It is the biggest hydel power station in Pakistan having a capacity of generating 3,478 MW of electricity. Its reservoir is 97 km long with a depth of 137 meters while total area of the lake is 260 sq.km.

Mangla Dam- World's third largest earth-filled dam is only 115 km south-east of Rawalpindi.

Mangla Dam Water FLow

Kallar Kahar Lake, Pakistan

Rama Lake- Near Astore, Northern Pakistan

Satpara Lake, Sakardu, Pakistan: One of the largest fresh water lakes of the country.

Banjosa village is around 3 and a half hours drive from Islamabad and a 30 min drive from Rawalakot, district headquarter of Poonch District, in Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Pakistan

Banjosa , Azad Khasmir, Pakistan

Toli Peer Meadow, Northern Pakistan

Shyokh Valley near Kaphalu, Karakoram Range, Pakistan

Walking upwards through the Gasherbrum II Icefall, Karakoram Range, Pakistan

Shandur Valley - Vertorama, Pakistan

Sword Dance: The Pashtuns are known for dancing with their guns and/or swords. Also known as Khyber sword dance.

A popular Sindhi folk dance usually done when somebody returns home victorious

Balochi Folk Dance: Baloch people give a great importance to the occasion of birth. The occasion is celebrated by music, singing and dancing.

Bhangra: folk dance of Punjab is the bhangra which is described as being like rock and roll and which is always done at the beginning of the harvest season.

Wakhi Dance: Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

Wakhi children dance at Wakhi Cultural Festival at Lok Virsa, Islamabad, Pakistan.

Kalash Dance from Kalash Valley, Pakistan