The valleys and mountains of Pakistan are among the oldest inhabited places on earth. The earliest settlements in what is now Pakistan date to 7000 B.C.E. (before common era)—of them, the ancient village of Mehrgarh was one of the world’s first farming communities. People there grew wheat and barley, and raised cattle in the fertile Indus River Valley, paving the way for some of the larger and more familiar ancient cities such as Harappa, Moenjo-daro, and Taxila which arose in the region. These cities formed the core of what is now called the Indus Valley Civilization, which flourished for a thousand years from 2500 to 1500 B.C.E.

 

The cities of this civilization had many “modern” features—food was grown in irrigated fields, and wide streets were laid out in a grid pattern, like many major cities today. The Indus Valley Civilization is also credited for being the first people on earth to grow cotton, and they had large kilns to produce pottery and standard-sized bricks to make their buildings.

Today, Pakistan is a country of vibrant urban centers and rural mountain villages.

Urdu, the primary language in Pakistan, dates to the 11th century when Islam spread into South Asia. Today, Pakistanis speak Urdu; the regional language native to their particular province (Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto, Balochi) and some also speak English, a holdover from British colonization.

There are four main ethnic groups in modern Pakistan: Punjabi; Sindhi; Pashtun; and Balochi.  The tie that binds them together is their Islamic religion.

The Punjabis are the largest ethnic group, and they live along the eastern border with India. When Pakistan was created, the border ran through Punjab, placing about 60% of Punjabi people in Pakistan, and 40% in India. Before 1947, the part of Punjab in what is now Pakistan included non-Muslims as well as Muslims. Today, most non-Muslim Punjabis live in India. This Land of Five Rivers (“panj” means “five” and “ab” means “water”) is blessed with fertile green plains. Today, Punjab is industrial with modern cities, and Punjabis work in many fields including farming, textiles, and sporting goods.

The Sindhi people were the first to adopt the Islamic faith in 711 A.D., but before partition in 1947, the region was also home to many Hindus. Their economy is based on agriculture, which is not surprising as part of Sindh benefits from the bounty of water and fertile soil found on the banks of the Indus. Sindhis are also known for their elaborate crafts, particularly textiles with many small mirrors stitched into the cloth.

The Pashtuns live in the Northwest Frontier Province and are related to the Afghan people. In fact Pashtuns are one of the major ethnic groups in Afghanistan. Through Pakistan’s long history, Pashtuns had the least contact with outside groups and remain the world’s largest tribal people. They have a deeply-held social code called Pashtunwali; focused on the men of the Pashtun, it requires hospitality, bravery, revenge, and honor.

The Balochi people of Balochistan are the second most numerous tribal people in Pakistan and are widely considered to be the best horsemen and herdsmen. Balochi tribes are also spread throughout eastern Iran and southern Afghanistan. A Balochi tradition called hal requires that when two Balochi meet again after a long time, they must tell each other everything that has happened since their last meeting. This can take hours, but it promotes harmony within the tribe.

Many Pakistani’s–both men and women—wear the shalwar-qamiz, the traditional dress worn by many people across South Asia. The kameez is a long shirt or tunic with open seams below the waist, for freedom of movement; it is paired with the loose-fitting, pajama-like pant called the shalwar.

Depending on variables from the climate and occasion to the preferences or status of the wearer, the fabric can range from very light cotton to heavily embroidered and embellished silk. Women, particularly in urban areas, also wear a long scarf, or dupatta, worn over the head or on the arms and shoulders.

A few Muslim women follow a tradition called purdah, which means “veil”. To live in purdah means that a woman cannot be seen by any man who is not a relative; to limit how they are seen, some women still wear a burqa, a long-sleeve cloak that covers everything but their hands.  Netting over their faces allows them to see, and some women remove the eye-veil altogether.

You can often tell what part of Pakistan a man comes from by his headgear. In Sindh, men wear embroidered caps with mirror work that can take months to make. In northern Pakistan, men wear woolen caps with rolled brims. Other Pakistani men wear turbans. In the city, many Pakistani men wear no headgear at all.