Pakistan, Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi

Pakistan (i/ˈpækɨstæn/ or i/pɑːkiˈstɑːn/; Urdu: پاکِستان) (Urdu pronunciation: [paːkɪˈst̪aːn], or Islamic Republic of Pakistan (Urdu: اسلامی جمہوریۂ پاکِستان) the eastern neighbouring country to India after the partition. The region forming modern Pakistan was home to the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation and then, successively, recipient of ancient Vedic, Persian, Turco-Mongol, Indo-Greek and Islamic cultures. The area has witnessed invasions and/or settlement by the Aryans, Persians, Greeks, Arabs, Turks, Afghans, Mongols and the British. It was a part of India as a large mass and even during the British Raj from 1858 to 1947 up until the independence movement which resulted in the formation of India and Pakistan free from the British rule. The state of Pakistan, comprised the provinces of Sindh, North-West Frontier Province, West Punjab, Balochistan and East Bengal. Culturally, language-wise, physically and the appearance of the people are very much the same on either side of the Indo-Pak border. In fact, its hard to tell the difference. Politically there is a huge gulf in between.

PictoJournal posted at http://suchit.net/photo/pakistan_2005/index.htm