ABOUT PAKISTAN: March 2009

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

About Karachi the Metro City of Pakistan

Basic Food .
Meat (mainly beef) plays a more dominant role in Karachi food, Curries, pulses like Lentils, called dal, are also very popular. Of all the meats, the most popular are: beef, goat, chicken and seafood. Barbecue food is also extremely popular. Dishes made with rice include pullao and biryani. Different kinds of breads like: Chapati, Naan, Tandoor bread, Paratha and Puri are very popular.

About Karachi the Metro City of Pakistan

Shopping .

Karachiites are avid shoppers, and, as such, Karachi boasts an incredible diversity in terms of shopping, accommodating anyone's preferences and budget. Products that shoppers can buy in Karachi come from a vast variety of sources, from one of the many local cottage industries to authentic brand wear by renowned international designers. The city has many modern, high-end shopping malls such as Park Towers, The Forum and Dolmen Mall, in addition to local mid-range bazaars and a gamut of streetside vendors.
However, due to increased modernization and awareness, the once-flourishing hawking business has recently seen somewhat of a slowdown in most areas of Karachi, especially in regards to street food vendors.
Karachi has a thriving textiles industry, which is one of, if not the largest in Pakistan. This industry alone covers a vast variety of businesses, from large-scale suppliers that cater international demand in developed countries, to locally hand-made goods by grassroots vendors.
Most vendors in Karachi are open to bargaining, which is a common sight at most bazaars and among hawkers. As a result, prices of products vary immensely among every vendor, with the exception of upscale high-end shopping malls, which usually have fixed prices. In Karachi, it is also general knowledge to be cautious when bargaining with vendors, especially in bazaars and with hawkers, as they often sell substandard goods at high prices to unaware shoppers. Apparent foreigners, in particular, are often ripped off.
A major contributor to Karachi's wealth in shopping is that most of its residents belong to the middle class and relatively well-off.

About Karachi the Metro City of Pakistan

Performing Art .

Karachi is home to some of Pakistan's important cultural institutions. The National Academy of Performing Arts, located in the newly renovated Hindu Gymkhana offers a two year diploma course in performing arts that include classical music and contemporary theatre. The All Pakistan Music Conference, linked to the 45-year old similar institution in Lahore, has been holding its Annual Music Festival since its inception in 2004. The festival is now a well-established feature of the city life of Karachi that is awaited anxiously and attended by more than 3000 citizens of Karachi as well as people from other cities.
Aside from regular performances by the nation's biggest musical stars, Karachi also boasts one of the biggest underground music scenes in the country, where traditional musical influences blend with modern, Western style to create a unique brand of fusion music. This style of music has been very popular all across Pakistan and is utilized by most of the nation's up-and-coming musical artists. Many of the nation's emerging musicians have based themselves in Karachi because of excellent employment opportunities in the burgeoning entertainment industry of Karachi. Many of the nation's fresh musical acts can be found in cafes, restaurants and concerts across Karachi, especially in the city's upper middle class and posh areas.
The National Arts Council (Koocha-e-Saqafat) also has musical performances and mushairas. Karachi has a few museums including the Mohatta Palace Museum and National Museum of Pakistan that regularly have exhibitions related to performance arts. Karachi is also home to the annual Kara Film Festival, which is one of the biggest film festivals in Pakistan and showcases independent Pakistani and international films and documentaries.

About Karachi the Metro City of Pakistan

Literature.

Poetry is deeply embedded in Pakistani culture and is considered a sign of artistic and intellectual commentary. Karachi boasts a large community of intellectuals who come together in designated open spaces to share their talent in poetry events known as mushairas in the local language. A large number of intellectuals and aspiring poets from all over the nation also flock to Karachi, hoping to find better work opportunities in the city. The theme and subject matter of the poetry can vary immensely, but most are socio-cultural commentaries, often infused with a biting sense of humor.

About Karachi the Metro City of Pakistan

Language.

Historically, Balochi and later Sindhi was spoken by the native population before the British conquest in 1834 by Charles James Napier. During British rule, many Gujrati and Parsi business families and Christian Goans bureaucracy migrated from Bombay Presidency to Karachi as it was being devolped as a major port. After independence of Pakistan in 1947, Muslim refugees (Muhajirs) migrated to Karachi. The vast majority of Muhajirs spoke Urdu. Today Karachi is predominantlry Urdu speaking city with many other languages also spoken in the city.
The current estimated linguistic distribution of the city is:

Urdu: 48.52%;
Sindhi: 7.34%;
Punjabi: 13.64%;
Pashto: 11.96%;
Balochi: 4.34%;
Saraiki: 2.11%;
others: 12.09%.

The others include Dari, Gujarati, Dawoodi Bohra, Memon, Marwari, Brahui, Makrani, Khowar, Burushaski, Arabic, Persian and Bengali.

About Karachi the Metro City of Pakistan

HISTORY

The Baloch tribes from Balochistan and Makran established a small settlement of fishing communities,[1] many of whom still inhabit sections of Sindh, and called it Kolachi. The modern port-city of Karachi, however, was developed by authorities of the British Raj in the 19th century. Upon the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the city was selected to become the national capital, and was settled by Muslim immigrants from India, which radically expanded the city's population and transformed the demographics and economy. Karachi has faced major infrastructural and socio-economic challenges, but modern industries and businesses have developed in the city.

Friday, March 13, 2009

International TV Channels of PAKISTAN

International
Cartoon Network
CNBC Pakistan
Fashion TV Pakistan - Part of ARY Digital Network
HBO - Part of ARY Digital Network
MTV Pakistan - Part of Indus Television Network
Nickelodeon - Part of ARY Digital Network
Ten Sports
VH1 - Part of ARY Digital Network

Pakistani TV Channels

Pakistan Television Network
Pakistan Television Network, also referred to as PTV, is Pakistan's state owned television network which operates on both terrestrial & satellite. Channels include in PTV's network :

PTV Home
PTV News
PTV Global - For UK/Europe & USA
PTV National - Regional Programming Channel
PTV Bolan - Balochi Language Channel
AJK TV - Kashmiri Language Channel
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Its All About Basic Foods Of Pakisatan

Pakistan Food

Basic Subsistence:
At its simplest, Pakistani cooking today consists of staple foods which are cheap and abundant. Wheat and other flour products are the mainstay of the diet, one familiar form being CHAPATI, an unleavened bread akin to a Mexican tortilla. This is made with dough prepared from whole wheat flour.

Another basic food is LASSI, milk from which curds and butterfat have been removed. Vegetables, usually seasonal, lentils are commonly used. Families with larger incomes eat more meat, eggs and fruits. And the more affluent cook with GHEE, which is clarified butter, instead of with vegetable oil.

From the earliest times, the imaginative - and sometimes heavy - use of spices, herbs, seeds, and flavorings and seasonings have helped cooks transform rather ordinary staple foods into an exotic cuisine.

Consider some of the most common of these in wide use in Pakistan today: chilli powder, turmeric, garlic, paprika, black pepper, red pepper, cumin seed, bay leaf, coriander, cardamom, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, saffron, mace, nutmeg, poppyseeds, aniseed, almonds, pistachios, and yogurt.

Their use in a wide range of pickles, chutneys, preserves, and sauces, together with curries of all descriptions and special treatment for meats, sea, food, vegetables and lentils, gives Pakistani cooking much of its distinctive character.

Cultural influences, whether religious precepts, practices, and ceremonies or local traditions, or even esthetic preferences, have made their contribution toward the evolution of Pakistani cuisine.

The Influence Of Islam:
The spread of Islam to what is now Pakistan, starting in the Eighth Century, has given a basic character to the food of the people. The Quranic injunctions against eating pork or drinking alcoholic beverages has channeled tastes and appetites in other directions. Lamb, beef, chicken and fish are basic foods, although their consumption by persons of low income is modest and often ceremonial.

Some of the Muslim feasts involve special dishes. Eid-ul-Adha, which commemorates the Prophet Ibrahim's readiness to obey God even tothe point of being willing to sacrifice his son, is observed by the sacrifice of a goat, a lamb, or a cow from which special dishes are made.

On Eid-ul-Fitr, which marks the end of RAMZAN, the month of fasting in the Islamic Calender, the serving of a special dessert of vermicelli cooked in milk is a must. Almond and pistachios are added as decorations as is the silver foil. The latter is so thin that it will disintegrate unless it is immediately transferred from the protective layers of paper onto the dish.

Food And The Moghul Emperors:
Another major influence in the development of Pakistani cookery was the establishment of the Moghul Empire starting in 1526. The opulent tastes exhibited by such Emperors as Humayun, Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb in art, architecture, music, dance, and jewelry was also extended to food.

A style of cookery called Moghlai' evolved at the Moghul court and even today it remains centered in Lahore. Some latter-day and widely known survivors of court cookery are, for example, chicken tandoori, a dish in which chicken is cooked at low temperatures in special ovens called TANDOORS, and murgh musallum' in which the whole chickens are roasted with special spices and ingredients. SHAHI TUKRA, a dessert of sliced bread, milk, cream, sugar and saffron, is another left-over from the days of the Moghuls.

Perhaps the ultimate Moghul cuisine was reached when the imperial chefs perfected the recipes for desserts made from ginger and garlic. Ginger and garlic puddings are still made in some homes for truly special occasions.

Fruit drinks, squeezed from pomegranates, apples, melons, and mangoes, and called SHARBAT, are an important part of the Moghlai cuisine and, indeed, the inspiration for American "sherberts."

Other Influences:
Cookery in Pakistan has always had a regional character, with each of the four provinces offering special dishes. In the Punjab, for example, the Moghlai' cuisine using tandoor ovens and elaborate preparations is important. In Baluchistan, cooks use the SAJJI method of barbecuing whole lambs and stick bread in a deep pit.

BUNDA PALA (fish) is a well known delicacy of Sind. The fish is cleaned and stuffed with a paste made from a variety of spices and herbs, including red pepper, garlic, ginger, and dried pomegranate seeds. It is then wrapped in cloth and is buried three feet deep in hot sand under the sun. There it stays baking for four to five hours from late morning to early afternoon. THANDAL, made from milk and a paste of fresh almonds, is a popular drink. Cooking in the Northwest Frontier Province is a great deal plainer and involves the heavy use of lamb.

Ceremonial occasions such as weddings have inspired a number of fancy dishes. A traditional dish at marriage feasts, for example, is chicken curry with either PILAU or BIRYANI. FIRINI, made from cream of rice and milk, is an equally traditional wedding dessert. It is served in clay saucers topped by silver foil. At Zoroastrian (Parsi) weddings, which are not frequent because so few followers of this ancient Iranian religion live in Pakistan, a special fish dish is served. This is PATRANI MACHCHI, consisting of sole, plaice, or a local fish called pomfret, wrapped in banana leaves, steamed or fried, and then baked slowly for half an hour

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

About My City Of Pakistan

Museums and libraries

Hyderabad is home to a few museums that store the cultural heritage of this land of religious and ethnic diversity. The Institute of Sindhology Museum and the Sindh Museum are a haven for Sindhi enthusiasts in ethnological contexts. Sindh Museum also hosts archæological treasures from Amri. Whilst there are a few libraries in the city, most of them are in a sad state. Allama Daudpota Library near Sindh Museum in Qasimabad stores literary work dating back to the earliest Sindhi text.

Economy

Hyderabad is an important commercial centre where industries include textiles, sugar, cement, manufacturing of glass, soap, ice, paper, pottery, plastics, tanneries, hosiery mills and film. There are hide tanneries and sawmills. Handicraft industries, including silver and gold work, lacquer ware, ornamented silks, and embroidered leather saddles, are also well established. Hyderabad produces almost all of the ornamental glass bangles in Pakistan. Hyderabad is a major commercial centre for the agricultural produce of the surrounding area, including millet, rice, wheat, cotton, and fruit. ^[6]

Suburbs

Suburban classification of towns in Hyderabad as: 1.Saddar (Cantt.), 2.Qasimabad, 3.Latifabad, 4.Hirabad and 5.Old Hyderabad City

The city of Hyderabad is divided into five sub-divided regions based on the ethnic diversity of people dwelling in it. The suburbs are mostly based upon areas of Sindhi and Muhajir majority. However the city is expanding by the day, the following map clearly divides the various parts of the city into an accurate geographical classification as of August 2007. Each suburb has its own talukha or an administration unit - that covers a larger area outside their borders and includes some rural towns as well.

Government

The current nazim for the Hyderabad district is Kanwar Naveed Jamil. Since his election as the official mayor, he had been successful in initiating major development projects throughout the city. The primary concerns that he had targeted as a result of these development efforts in 2007 were that of traffic congestion, supply of fresh drinking water, sewerage and garbage management, medical aid and schools for the poor.^[7]

Current development projects

In light of the above development criteria, the Hyderabad Government has constructed flyover in Latifabad Unit # 7 to relieve the traffic congestion on the GCD road. Due to the success of this project, five more flyover projects has been started.

Two filter plants to filter fresh water have been installed costing about Rs. 80,000,000. Their inclusion in the water system would ensure continuous supply of clean drinking water. The filter plants at the time of writing are 90% complete and would be functional by mid-2008.

] Electronic Governance

The Government of the city does not yet support fully functional e-Governance and has no website but the District Government of Hyderabad liberally uses the television as a mode of communication with the people of the city instructing them on public issues and awareness about projects underway.

Transport

The Hyderabad airport has now started functioning after 10 years of closure.

Serving as a socio-economic crossroad to the lesser developed cities and towns in Sindh and linking and networking them with the bigger towns and cities in the nation, Hyderabad holds importance as a vital transportation link via every service. It can be reached by every mean of transportation, be it air, land, water or rail.

Airways

The city has a modestly good airport. The operation was stopped for some years but the airport has started operating again from late 2008.

Road network

The new Hyderabad District Government's first major development plan was to build a flyover (shown here in its earlier stages) over the railway crossing at Latifabad Unit 7.

Hyderabad has a decent road network, but most of the roads are undergoing construction at the time of writing. Hyderabad is deemed the most important milestone on the National Highway which passes through the city. The highway divides into Route N5 going southwest and M9 going north while it forks into the KLP (Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar) Road and the Hala Road. Over the years, the M9 has had massive construction work to include six lanes across its 136km span being the most used highway in Pakistan while the N5 has two lanes to cater to its lesser traffic needs. the current roads inside Hyderabad city are in very poor state

For a list of highways and motorways across Pakistan, see National Highways of Pakistan & Motorways of Pakistan

There are seven big terminals inside the city area namely the Badin Bus Stop near SITE, Tando Bago Coach Stop near old sabzi mandi, Jacobabad-Larkana Bus Stop at Pathan Colony, Nawab Shah Bus Stand at Halla Nakka, Sanghar Coach Stop near Civil Hospital, Karachi Bus Stand near Qasim Chowk and Sammi Daewoo Bus Service To Karachi at Auto-Bhan Road and Latifabad U7.

Railways

Hyderabad has a rich rail history. From the starting days of the Scinde Railways to the purchase of the private railway company by the North-Western Railway now Pakistan Railways, Hyderabad has been a major junction on the rail-line, where railway lines proceed in at least three directions: northwards (up-country), southwards (down-country) and eastwards. The railway station is called the Hyderabad Junction and is located in the southern end of the Central City and the brink of the old.

For a list of railways in Pakistan, see Pakistan Railways

Waterways

With the city at the banks of the Indus River, the fishermen tend to use riverboats to fish and travel across the waters. Riverboats are not accessible to general public but local fishermen, in attempts of making money for their daily ration, sail people aboard their fishing ferries at Al-manzar, a restaurant at the banks of the Indus.

[ Demographics

The Pacco Qillo currently stands heavily encroached with shops and residential areas making it unfit for repair. Walls give way and fall rendering the nearby places dangerous for dwelling or commerce.

People and culture

Hyderabad is noteworthy in Sindh and Pakistan generally for its relative tolerance towards religious and ethnic affairs. During the partition 1947 a large number of Muslim refugees migrated to Hyderabad. Nowadays, native Sindhis and non-Sindhi speaking Sindhis live in harmony after a brief history of conflict. A large influx of Pakhtuns and Punjabis were attracted to Hyderabad after the Indus treaty settlement. Most Punjabis mixed with the local population however most Pakhtuns are distinct and separately living near the railway station and its vicinity.

While Christians constitute 2% of the total population, Hyderabad is the seat of a Diocese of the Church of Pakistan and has five churches and a cathedral.

Despite its strategic location and thrifty people the city is under the shadow of Karachi and yet to make its mark economically. One reason for this is the artificial factional and sectarian isolation imposed after the riots of late 1980s and early 1990s which cleft the urban population.

Media

Literature

As tradition goes, Sindh had always been a hub for Sufi poets. With a foothold on strong educational foundations, the city of Hyderabad was made into a refuge for thriving literary advocates. Of the few, Mirza Kalich Beg received education from the Government High School, Hyderabad and carried the banner of Sindhi literature across borders.^[8] Modern novelists, writers, columnists and researchers like Musharraf Ali Farooqi, Dr. Syed Mehboob and Ghulam Mustafa Khan also hail from Hyderabad.

Hyderabad has served many Sindhi literary campaigns throughout the history of Pakistan as is evident from the daily newspapers and periodicals that are published in the city. A few worth mention are the dailies Kawish,^[9] Ibrat,^[10] and Daily Sindh.^[11]

[Radio and television

With the inauguration of a new broadcasting house at Karachi in 1950, it was possible to lay the foundations for the Hyderabad radio station in 1951. The initial broadcast was made capable using 1 kW medium-wave transmitter. With the first successful transmissions on the FM 100 bandwidth in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad in October 1998, the Government decided on opening transmissions to other cities where Radio Pakistan had found success. This made available the FM 101 bandwidth transmissions to Hyderabad and other cities in Sindh.^[12]

A relief from the regular broadcasts in other cities, entertainment content on the Hyderabad radio gave birth to many a star whose names became an attribute to Hyderabad's richer media content. Among them were actor Shafi Mohammad, a young man who had recently finished his postgraduate degree from the University of Sindh.^[13] Such fresh and young talent became a trademark to entertainment in Hyderabad.

Whilst radio was gaining popularity, bulky television screens showed the broadcast of Neil Armstrong setting foot on the moon. Pakistan Television had only had half-a-decade broadcast success from 1963 to 1969 that people in the radio entertainment business felt destined to make a mark on the television circuits. Prominent radio personalities from the Hyderabad radio station like Shafi Muhammad Shah and Mohammad Ali left the airwaves to hone their acting skills on the television.^[14] Television shows and content enriched with the inclusion of Hyderabadi names however PTV never opened a broadcasting station in Hyderabad.

While the year 2005 saw new FM regular stations set up at Gawadar, Mianwali, Sargodha, Kohat, Bannu and Mithi, private radio channels began airing in and around Hyderabad. Of late, stations like Sachal FM 105 and some others have gained popularity. But the unavailability of an up-to-date news and current affairs platform renders the services of such stations of not much value to the masses but nonetheless appealing to youngsters.

As the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (abbreviated as PEMRA) gave licenses to private radio channels, so were television channels owned privately given a right to broadcast from the year 2002,^[15] and Daily Kawish,^[9] a prominent Sindhi newspaper published from Hyderabad opened a one-of-its-kind private Sindhi channel Kawish Television Network. Many followed in its path namely Sindh TV, Dhoom TV and Kashish TV premièring Sindhi content.

Noteworthy attractions

'Cubbas' (Tombs of the Mirs), now in Hirabad in Hyderabad, Sindh. These shrines are now in a desolate state.

Amri (Pre-Harappa) – an archaeological site dating back to 3600 BC, 110 km from the city, is the remains of a pre-Harrapan fortified town.

Al-manzar – a restaurant at the banks of the Indus river. Here like any other riverside restaurant Palla fish ( local delicacy) is served with spices and hundreds flock to share its taste and environ.

Rani Bagh – formerly a zoo named after the majestic elephant Rani, has been renovated and has become a very beautiful park.

Cubbas or the Mir tombs in Hirabad are of the former rulers of Sindh who were defeated by the British in the famous battle of Miani.

There are many low class and ultra cheap hotels called Musafirkhanas near Hyderabad Railway Station.

One good hotel near Railway Station is Hyderabad Hotel.

Another one on the other end of old city is Hotel City gate opposite Central

Sabzazar is a famous restaurant of Hyderabad but open only in the evenings. It now has a sister restaurant called Al Aliyo open during the day time owned by the same management.

Pacco Qilo and the Kachha Qila – forts, where kachha means weak.

Sindh Museum.

Institute of Sindhology Museum.

New Hyderabad City – a well known private development area in the outskirts of Hyderabad, best known for its famous 12-acre (49,000 m²) park, Lake View Park, which features a man made lake and beautiful gardens. The park has become a recreational spot for the local families, specially on national holidays.

Sports

Hyderabad has a cricket stadium called the Niaz Stadium, with a seating capacity of 25,000 known for the first ever hatrick taken by a bowler in a one-day match in 1982. Many cricket test matches were played at Niaz Stadium. Nowadays many visiting test playing countries refuse to play in Hyderabad because of lack of 5 star hotel. Hyderabad also has a hockey stadium. There is another stadium in Latifabad called Board Stadium mostly catering to school sports under the supervision of BISE (Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education) Hyderabad

Education

The city being a gateway between the rural Sindh and the Greater Sindh, attracts students from the lesser developed regions of Sindh. Hyderabad has a huge number of schools,
colleges and Universities.
A nerve center of Sindh nationalist and literary movements, the city now have better education facilities and new universities, colleges and school established. At one time a hub of economic, educational and cultural activities, a breeding ground of academicians, philanthropists, writers, lawyers, politicians, journalists, actors and actresses, Hyderabad also had its industrialists, trade unionists, political activists, bureaucrats, bankers and diplomats who made a significant contribution to sub-continental society. But this gracious city now seems to be slowly dying, although it still produces over a couple of dozen major and minor newspapers in both Sindhi and Urdu.

Universities and colleges

The University of Sindh is the dominant player in educational reforms since its inception in 1947. The University of Sindh,the second oldest university of the country, was constituted under the University of Sindh Act. No. XVII of 1947 passed by the Legislative Assembly of Sindh. It was founded in Karachi and relocated to Hyderabad in 1951, only because the city was re-enacted as the capital of the province of Sindh. It has 32 colleges affiliated with it. Other universities like the Mehran University of Engineering and Technology and Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences serve the interests of a wide range of other specialized subjects. Whilst people prefer to go to this technological and medical universities in the city, universities like the Sindh Agricultural University in Tando Jam focusing primarily on agriculture and horticulture, are highly preferred as well. Other universities in the private sector include University of East and Isra University.

Most of the colleges are affiliated with the universities above but some enjoy repute built of time like the oldest being the Government Degree College now renamed Government College of Technology with its high- and secondary-school affiliations with the Government High School who celebrate alumni like Mirza Kalich Beg.The biggest private institute of Hyderabad is HiAST - Hyderabad Institute of Arts, Science & Technology (http://hiast.edu.pk), it has been serving the educational sector in the field of IT and Business Administration since 2001.

HYDERABAD

Hyderabad

General Information

Country

Pakistan
Province
Sindh
Coordinates

25°22′45″N 68°22′06″E / 25.37917°N 68.36833°E
Elevation
13 m (43 ft) AMSL
Calling code
022
Time zone
PST (UTC+5)
No. of Towns
5
Estimate
1,447,275 ^[1] (2006)

Government

Nazim (Mayor)
Kanwar Naveed Jamil
No. of Union Councils
20

City Flag

Location

Hyderabad

Hyderabad (Pakistan)

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

HYDERABAD MY NATIVE CITY

Hyderabad (Urdu, Sindhi: حیدرآباد; pronounced [Haidarābād]) is located in the Sindh province of Pakistan. The city was founded in 1768 by Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro upon the ruins of a Mauryan fishing village along the bank of the Indus known as Neroon Kot (Sindhi: نيرُون ڪوٽ). Formerly the capital of Sindh, it serves as the headquarters of the district of Hyderabad. Before the creation of Pakistan, it was known as the Paris of India, for its roads used to be washed with perfumed rose-water every day and sandalwood incense would linger the air.[citation needed]

The political boundaries stage the city as a district and the region has seen major political turmoil. From the battles fought against the British occupation to the civilian unrest in the 1980s, the city has lost its glory of past and much of its cultural and architectural heritage lies in tattered ruins.

Hyderabad is a hot and humid city in the south of the nation and has been a staging point for literary campaigns particularly oriented towards the Sindhi language and a birthplace of a few influential poets and Sufi dervishes. Rich with culture and tradition, the city is the largest bangle producer in the world and serves as a transit between the rural and the urban Sindh.

Stationed close to important architectural digs like the pre-Harappan Amri at 110 km, the region holds extreme importance to palæontologists world over. The city is also known for its medical and educational institutions. This is a second largest city in sindh but there's no any educational university. Student mostly go for higher education to District Jamshoro in Sindh University

Hyderabad is a city built on three hillocks cascading over each other. Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro of the Kalhora Dynasty founded the city in 1768 over the ruins of Neroon Kot (meaning the place of Neroon) , a small fishing village on the banks of River Indus named after its ruler Neroon. A formal concept of the city was laid out by his son, Sarfraz Khan in 1782. When the foundations were laid, the city obtained the nickname Heart of the Mehran as the ruler Mian Ghulam Shah himself was said to have fallen in love with the city. In 1768 he ordered a fort to be built on one of the three hills of Hyderabad to house and defend his people. The fort was built using fire-baked bricks giving it the name Pacco Qillo (Sindhi: پڪو قلعو) meaning the strong fort.

After the death of the great Kalhoro, started the Talpur Rule. Mir Fateh Ali Khan Talpur left his capital Khudabad, the Land of God and made Hyderabad his capital in 1789. He made the Pacco Qillo his residence and also held his courts there. Mir Fateh Ali Khan Talpur along with his three other brothers were responsible for the affairs that persisted in the city of Hyderabad in the years of their rule. The four were called char yar, Sindhi for the four friends.

The Talpur rule lasted almost over 50 years and in 1843, Talpurs faced a greater threat. The British came face-to-face with the Talpurs at the Battle of Miani on 17 February 1843. The battle ended on 24 March 1843 when the Talpur emirs lost and the city came into the hands of the British.

At the time of partition in 1947, Hyderabad had a large community of Sindhi Hindus who were involved in trade and commerce. They contributed significantly to the economy of Sindh, in particular selling locally made goods overseas. Unlike Punjab and Bengal which were split, all of Sindh was alloted to Pakistan. When the partition occurred, Sindhi Hindus expected to remain in Sindh. However were forced to flee due to communal violence, leaving behind everything. Sindhi Hindus had expected to return to their motherland, once the violence settled but it was not possible. Popati Hiranandani,[2][3] born 1924, a writer native to Hyderabad tells of this ordeal in her autobiography and describes that the police were merely onlookers when the violence erupted and failed to protect the Hindu community.

The massive migration raised population levels of the city to extremes and the Government proposed the creation of two new suburban towns, Latifabad and Qasimabad. The 1980s saw a black period in the history of Hyderabad as riots erupted in the city between the Sindhis and the Muhajirs. Chaos led to bloodshed and as a result Sindhis retreated to settlements in Qasimabad and the Muhajirs settled down in Latifabad. The city being forever scarred thenceforth is ethnically divided to date.

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Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Friday, March 13, 2009

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Museums and libraries

] Electronic Governance

[ Demographics

[Radio and television

Tuesday, March 3, 2009