Pakistan traces its history back to at least 2,500 years before Christ, when a highly developed civilization flourished in the Indus valley area. Excavations at Harappa, Moenjodaro and Kot Diji have brought to light evidence of an advanced civilization existing even in most ancient times.

Around about 1500 B.C. the Aryans overwhelmed this region, and by and by, influenced the Hindu civilization, whose center moved to the Ganges valley, further east. Later the Persians occupied the northern regions in the 5th century B.C. and again and again upto the 2nd century A.D. The Greeks came in 327 B.C., under Alexander of Macedonia, and passed away like a meteor. In 712 A.D. the Arabs, led by Muhammad Bin Qasim, landed somewhere near modern Karachi, and ruled the lower half of Pakistan for two hundred years. During this time Islam took roots in the soil and influenced the life, culture and traditions of the people.

In the 10th century A.D. began the systematic conquest of Indo-Pakistan by the Muslims from Central Asia who ruled almost the whole subcontinent upto the 18th century A.D., when the British became masters of the land and ruled for nearly 200 years - for only 100 years over what is Pakistan now.

The Muslim revival in the subcontinent began towards the end of the 19th century A.D. when Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, renowned Muslim leader and educationist, launched a movement for intellectual renaissance of the Indian Muslims. In 1930, the well known poet-philosopher, Dr. Muhammad Iqbal, conceived the idea of a separate state for the Muslims of the subcontinent. In 1940, a resolution was adopted by the All-India Muslim League demanding a separate independent homeland for the Muslims under the brilliant leadership of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Pakistan emerged on the map of the world as a sovereign state on 14th August, 1947, when the British Indian Empire was partitioned into two independent states - India and Pakistan. At the time of independence, Pakistan consisted of two parts, East Pakistan and West Pakistan. In 1971 these parts became two independent states East Pakistan becoming Bangladesh and West Pakistan is what we now call PAKISTAN.

Although, 97% of the Pakistanis are Muslims there also exist some other religious groups. The other religious groups include the Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs and Parsees. All are of composite racial stock, although, the majority is of Aryan extraction.

While Urdu the national language, is spoken throughout Pakistan, English is extensively used in official and commercial circles and in the cities. Regional languages are no less than sixteen, Punjabi, Sindhi, Pushto and Baluchi being prominent among them.