5 things you may not have known about Pakistan
India and Pakistan have been neighbours for a little more than 70 years. The two nations share much history, both pre- and post-independence. But how much does an average Indian know about Pakistan? Barring sporadic mentions of the country in the news, perhaps, related to Kashmir or terrorism, there is much about Pakistan that is fascinating.
Here’s a look at five things about our neighbour that you may not have known:
1) Queen Elizabeth was Pakistan’s queen till 1956!
Surprising as it may sound, Elizabeth II was the queen of Pakistan for four years. In fact, between Elizabeth and her father George VI, the Commonwealth’s rule over Pakistan remained for a total of nine years. After the independence of India and Pakistan, George VI became the king of both nations, and remained so for India till 1950, when it turned into a republic.
Following his death in 1952, Elizabeth inherited the crown of Pakistan. Her role as a ruler, however, was not much and she chose not to interfere with the governance of the nation or any political matters at all.
2) Pakistan’s national beverage is sugarcane juice
Indian elections (at least the by-polls in Kairana) may have pitted ganna (sugarcane) against Jinnah (the founding patriarch of Pakistan), but our neighbours would have a hard time making that choice. Sugarcane juice, a popular drink in many states in India as well, is the national beverage of Pakistan. Even former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is a fan of the cool summer drink.
3) Pakistan is home to the oldest known civilisation
While the mention of “the oldest civilisation,” at least in Asia, may trigger mentions of the Indus Valley Civilisation, also known as the Harappan civilisation, chunks of which do exist in Pakistan, the country is home to another ancient settlement that is considered a precursor to the Indus Valley Civilisation.
In Mehrgarh, Pakistan, lies a large Neolithic and Chalcolithic site located at the foot of the Bolan pass on the Kachi plain of Balochistan, is believed to have been occupied between about 7000-2600 BC. It is the earliest known Neolithic site in the northwest Indian subcontinent, with early evidence of farming (wheat and barley), herding (cattle, sheep, and goats) and metallurgy.
4) One city in Pakistan manufactures more than half of the world’s hand-sewn footballs!
There’s a reason why the footballs used in the FIFA World Cup found themselves made in Sialkot, Pakistan for two consecutive tournaments — the city, astonishingly, manufactures more than half of all footballs across the globe. Manufacturing more than 60 million balls per year, the city, according to The Atlantic, has been a hub of soccer ball-production since British colonial times.
5) Pakistan is home to both, the highest Polo grounds, and the highest paved international road
Shandur Top, situated in Gilgit, is called the “Roof of the world”. At an elevation of 12,200 feet (more than 3,700 meters), it has been hosting free-style Polo since 1936.
The Karakorum Highway, that connects China and Pakistan 800 miles across the Karakorum mountain range, through the Khunjerab Pass, lies at an elevation of 15,397 feet (4,693 metres) above the sea level.