Vodič za PAKISTAN | Stereotipi i predrasude (Šta je istina, a šta ne?)
When someone mentions Pakistan to you, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? For most people, but also the media in the world, the word Pakistan is usually associated with terms such as terrorists, uneducated and poor people, lack of women’s rights and some other, usually negative things. Many also consider it one of the most dangerous places in the world, and on the websites of most foreign embassies, you will often see warnings against traveling to this country. But what is true and what is not, and whether Pakistan is really as dangerous as it seems, we will find out now.
I am currently in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, which, at first glance, represents the opposite of what the media shows us in Pakistan. It's clean. Green. Calm down. Somehow calm. People are happy and smiling. I really can't wait to get to know this city better and see what it looks like. But before we embark on the tour, to get to know the country better, here are some interesting pieces of information about Pakistan. Named Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the name of this country in Persian and Urdu, means "pure land". With a population of almost 210,000,000 inhabitants, this is also the sixth largest country in the world, when it comes to the number of inhabitants, slightly behind Brazil, and just ahead of Nigeria.
This is also after Indonesia, the second largest Islamic country in the world and a place where you will see some of the most beautiful mosques ever created. The currency in the country is the Pakistan Rupee, where at the time of shooting this video, for one euro you get 187 rupees, and the official languages are Urdu and English, due to the fact that Pakistan was an English colony until 1947. The capital of the country and the place we visit in this video is Islamabad, which took this title in 1960 from Karachi, today the largest city in the entire country. What is interesting is that about 8000 years ago this place was the Mehrgar civilization, one of the oldest and most developed civilizations in our world, which represented one of the first places in all of Southeast Asia, where people cultivated land and raised livestock.
Whether any of those early entrepreneurial genes remain to this day is not certain, but according to research done by the European Business Administration, Pakistanis are the fourth most intelligent people on the planet, with a large number of highly educated people working in high positions around the world. The fact that Pakistan is ranked seventh in the world in terms of the number of scientists and engineers, and that the youngest certified Microsoft expert ever, a Pakistani boy only five years old, shows how much the country is focused on science and education. Along with India, this country is one of the world's largest IT centers, and according to some estimates, as many as 1.15 million people in the country are engaged in some freelance work, such as graphic design, social networking, SEO optimization and the like. The reason for such growth of the IT industry in Pakistan lies mostly in good expertise, cheap cost of work of locals compared to Western countries and excellent knowledge of English, making the local workforce a real paradise for large information centers around the world.
However, it is not only IT companies that invest here, but also global brands such as Nike and Adidas. If you love football, it is very likely that the ball you are playing with was made right here in Pakistan, because more than 40% of all soccer balls on the planet are made in the city of Sialkot, and later exported to the world. This is also a country that has gifted two very special women. Benazir Bhutto, the first wife of the prime minister of a Muslim country
and the youngest Nobel Prize winner in history, Malala Yousafzai, a human rights activist, who published her story about the assassination attempt on her by the Taliban in 2012 in the famous book "I I'm Malala " However, perhaps the best proof of how developed Pakistan is is that the third part of Rambo that is happening here, they managed to hit it, which no one has ever managed before. I know. I myself was very surprised to learn some of these things. Although, I think we have now managed to break down one of the first stereotypes related to this country, and that is that the people here are uneducated and poor. Pakistanis are far from that, and they are essentially a very educated and hardworking people.
But there is also a lot of talk about that security or insecurity of the country. Whether it is dangerous or not, which places you can go to which one cannot, what is allowed and what is not. And to answer these questions, I am going to meet my friend Jaser who was born and lives here, and who will tell us first hand how to really live here. Stereotype number two has been broken. Pakistan isn’t that scary and insecure after all, is it?
But now that we know that a trip to Pakistan is really ok and safe, the question is what to see here and have something to see. Well, let me take you on a tour through Islamabad and show you some of its most interesting places. Believe me, the best is yet to come. As one of the symbols of the city, the incredible Faisal Mosque stands out, very important in the Muslim community of Pakistan because of its ties with Saudi Arabia. Construction of the mosque began in 1976 after $ 28 million in aid from Saudi King Faisal, whose name the mosque bears today. In its main hall and courtyard, the mosque can accommodate more than 100,000 worshipers, and in addition to its religious significance, it is also known for its architecture, which is a departure from traditional domes and arches.
The mosque is made in the shape of a desert tent, and is located between four minarets reminiscent of writing pens. At the time it was built, it was the largest mosque in the world, while today it is the fifth largest and is the largest mosque in South Asia. Very interesting is the monument of Pakistan, which is a national monument and museum, built to represent the unity of the Pakistani people. Due to its height, the monument is visible from almost every point in the city, and it is special because of its unusual shape of the lotus flower. This lotus you see consists of four main and three smaller petals.
These larger ones represent the cultures of Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the three smaller ones represent Azad Yama and Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan and the tribal areas of the country. In addition, Islamabad is a real shopping paradise with a large number of shopping malls, markets, bazaars and places where at very cheap prices, you can buy many from us, I would say overpriced things. There is a particularly interesting Lok Virsa, where you can find literally everything - from top quality fabrics, clothing, food and spices, as well as unusual souvenirs, such as these items made of Himalayan salt, which is otherwise produced right here in Pakistan. And if you are bored of shopping or simply decide to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, then my recommendation is colorful Saidpur.
This almost 500-year-old village is a kind of open-air museum, through whose history many nations and cultures have passed over the years. The place is known as a resort for locals, and it also houses a 16th-century temple dedicated to the Hindu god Rama, whom Hindus believe lived in the area with his family. But if you ask me what is the best place in town for me personally, then my recommendation goes to the Daman e Koh view point. Not only can you see without a doubt the best view in the city, here you can meet the locals, socialize with them, and experience the true spirit of this city. Just one tip, keep your stuff while you’re here. There are some little thieves who can take them from you. Although it is a relatively new city, Islamabad really offers a lot to anyone who visits it, and it seems to me that we have just scratched beneath its surface.
The city is also a great base for touring other amazing places in Pakistan such as the cultural capital of Lahore, the beautiful nature of the surrounding region or hiking on some of the highest mountains on our planet. It may just be me, but I have some feeling that Pakistan could be the next big destination. I think it has all the prerequisites for that. Stereotype number 3 has been broken.
Pakistan is truly an amazing tourist destination with so many variations and with many things you can rarely see in any other place in the world. There is only one question left for the end. What are the prices here and how expensive is it? Here's what you can buy in Pakistan for 10 euros. One ticket, 100 rupee. Fresh sugarcane juice 100 rupee or 50 cents. It tastes very good. Souvenir for Milan and friends from Banja Luka - 1 euro 25 cents One ice cream - 100 rupee. It is very cheap and very good.
Small shoes - 1 euro or 200 rupee Four bags of snacks, 200 rupee or 1 euro. As perhaps the best proof of how cheap Pakistan is, the fact that with 15 to 20 euros a day, you can live here without any problems speaks for itself. An overnight stay in private accommodation and smaller hotels usually costs between 5 and 10 euros per person, food in a local restaurant around 2 to 3 euros, as well as a taxi that will charge you this price after about 10 kilometers of driving. All other things, such as water, juices, local sweets, museum tickets, etc., will usually not cost you more than five euros a day.
The wardrobe is also very cheap, so most women here will find themselves in serious trouble, struggling to buy just one of the beautiful dresses, which can be found here for only a few euros. Cashmere scarves are especially cheap, which if you have a good price, you can buy them for only 4 or 5 euros. Pakistan is truly a destination for everyone's pocket. And what to say at the end of this journey through Islamabad, which without a doubt changed my view not only of Pakistan, but of the world as well. We came here with a lot of questions and doubts about what everything will look like. They told us that this is a closed, undeveloped and at times insecure environment in which there is nothing to see. But what we discovered is one amazing and hardworking people, full of warm stories, who delighted us in so many ways.
Pakistanis are cordial and pleasant, and they are immensely glad to see tourists. It is not unusual for them to just approach you on the street, stop you and ask how they can help you, and invite you to their house. Yes, such is Pakistan, warm and honest, like few places on this planet. If the country does not have an already conceived slogan, maybe it should be a country of good people, because they eat it. Kind and wonderful souls who will do everything in their power to make you feel nice.
The only thing is that sometimes they are carried away by too much desire to take pictures with you. To book a flight to Pakistan, please visit www.turkishairlines.com
2021-01-03 03:10
