Key aspect of culture of Pakistan

Pakistan’s very foundation centers around Islam, and Pakistani culture is primarily based on the Islamic way of
life.

All other cultural aspects are inspired by Islam. Pakistani culture is highlighted by its grandeur, simplicity, firm
convictions and noble deeds and ideas.

1. Religious Uniformity

Pakistan came into existence to provide its people with a system based on Islam. The people, in spite of some
language differences, customs and traditions commonly follow one religion. Islam is practiced by all
Pakistanis.

2. Language

A number of languages are spoken in Pakistan. Some of them are Punjabi, Sindhi, Pushto and Baluchi.
But Urdu is spoken and understand in all parts of Pakistan. Being the official language, it is the media of
communication between all regions of Pakistan.

3. Literature and Poetry

Literature is an important aspect of our cultural life. Most of our poets reflect Islamic code and deliver the
message of love and brotherhood. A similarity of thought among poets and writers of all regions is an
important factor of our cultural life.

Sufi poets occupy an honored place. Sufis like Lal Shahbaz, Data Ganj Baksh, Shah Abdul Lateef, Sachal
Sarmast, Hazrat Sultan Bahu and Waris Shah rendered meritorious services for the spread of Islam in the
subcontinent.

4. Dress and Diet

Dress is an important manifestation of culture. Regional dresses of Pakistan have undergone changes due to
local traditions, economic conditions, and wealth. But in all provinces, people generally wear the traditional
dress by Salwar Kameez.

The food we consume and social etiquette confirms strictly with Islamic principles.

5. Mixed Culture

Pakistani culture is a mixed culture although majority of people are Muslims by birth and faith. However there
is great influence of Hindu and British culture on present Pakistani society.

6. Male Dominated Society

In Pakistani culture the male member of the family enjoys the key position. The family is headed by a male
member and in most cases, he is the sole source of income for other members of the family.

7. Arts and Architecture

The iconoclasm of Islam has given a characteristic form and pattern in the use of elegant designs, based on
geometric figures and floral forms borrowed from nature. The Shah Jahan Mosque, Shalimar Garden,
Badshahi Mosque, Shahi Qila and many such graceful buildings are a living proof of the splendid Mughal
architecture.
8. Handicrafts

Embroidery, leather works, glazed pottery, woodwork, carpet making, metal crafts, and ivory are the essential
parts of our culture. Pakistani craftsmen are considered the best in their craftsmanship. They are known for the
high quality works which is very popular in foreign countries.

9. Sports

Games like wrestling, hockey, cricket, football, squash etc are popular in every part of our country. These
games reflect our cultural identity.

10. Education

Pakistan’s educational system plays a vital role in the formation of culture, unity and solidarity of the nation.
Therefore, it is important that the entire curriculum from kindergarten to high school be placed in accordance
with the ideology of Pakistan.

11. Religious Festivals

Festivals play an important part of our culture. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are our two main religious festivals.
They are celebrated with great happiness throughout the country.

CULTURE AND ITS IMPORTANCE AND ITS PRACTICES

Culture has been defined in some ways, but most simply, as the learned and shared behavior of a
community of interacting human beings.

According to British anthropologist Edward Taylor, “Culture is that complex whole which
includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits
acquired by man as. a member of society”.

According to Phatak, Bhagat, and Kashlak, “Culture is a concept that has been used in several
social science disciplines to explain variations in human thought processes in different parts of
the world.”         ‘

According to J.P. Lederach, “Culture is the shared knowledge and schemes created by a set of
people for perceiving, interpreting, expressing, and responding to the social realities around
them.”

According to R. Linton, “A culture is a configuration of learned behaviors and results of

behavior whose component elements are shared and transmitted by the members of a particular
society.”
Importance of the Cultural Study.
Cultures revolve around the ideas and skills of a group or society. In Pakistan, the many cultures of
different tribes blend to form a unified nation. Pakistani cultures influence the lives of citizens and
tourists by providing memories they will cherish forever. Pakistani cultures originate from the past
of families and are carried on through tradition. Celebrating the accomplishments of their past,
Pakistani people remember what is important to them through their people, religion, and food.

Final Words
Culture is a comprehensive concept that includes almost everything around us and influences an
individual’s thought processes and behavior. It would be difficult for a marketer to succeed if he
overlooks culture’s importance as an indicator of behavior.

So, it is a must for marketing executives, business executives, entrepreneurs, decision-makers to

consider the importance of the cultural setting within which consumer behavior occurs.

Practice in Pakistan

Pakistani culture is very diverse

Thanks to its historical, geographical and ethnic diversity, Pakistan’s culture is a melting pot of
Indian, Persian, Afghan, Central Asian, South Asian and Western Asian influences. There are
over 15 major ethnic groups in Pakistan, which differ in physical features, historical bloodlines,
customs, dress, food and music. Some of these include Punjabis, Sindhis, Baloch, Pashtuns,
Kashmiris, Hazaras, Makranis and Baltis, coming from regions as close to home as the Indus
Valley or as far as Africa or Tibet. Other than ancient ethnic elements, the religious influence of
Islam has also strongly shaped Pakistani culture since it first came to the region in AD 700.

Many different languages are spoken in Pakistan

The official number of languages actively spoken in Pakistan is between 73 and 76. This means
that within hours as you travel between the country’s districts, there are languages that other
groups in different regions do not speak. The most popular languages, however, belong to the
largest ethnic groups with their own modern and ancient literature. Most languages in Pakistan
belong to the Indo-Iranian language group, including Urdu, the national language.
The people are friendly, but gender segregation still exists
Due to Islamic and tribal influences, non-urban regions of Pakistan have varying levels of gender
segregation, while big cities too have conservative expectations in terms of interactions between
men and women. Couples usually don’t hug or kiss in public in a non-platonic way. Regardless
of that, the people of Pakistan are helpful, friendly, approachable and humble.

Family bonds are strong in Pakistan

Family comes first in Pakistan due to religious, cultural, economic and societal values. Pakistani
society is not led by individualism but rather by collectivism, where family and other
relationships stand strong.

Pakistani culture includes excellent craftsmanship

Pakistani truck art is not the only world-famous example of craftsmanship. Passed down through
generations, Pakistani craft includes a plethora of styles, materials and aesthetics. Calligraphy in
Arabic is one of the most prominent skills found in many local buildings and sites and wall
hangings, like copper work, paintings and carved wood. Pottery, especially blue pottery, typical
of Sindh and Multan, is loved all over the world for its look. Naqashi, or the art-making of
camel-skin lamps, is another example of local craft, along with colourful tile work, which is a
Mughal legacy.

Pakistanis love chai a little too much

Chai is everywhere in Pakistan, probably in a similar sense to how beer is in alcohol-consuming
countries. In fact, Pakistan is the third-largest importer of tea, although some tea is grown locally
too. Pakistanis make their tea strong and sweet in either milk or diluted milk depending on their
preference. Sometimes cardamom and other spices are added to tea on special occasions. Black
tea was introduced to the country by the English during the colonial years, but green tea has been
a part of the local culture for thousands of years. Tea time is such an important time of day that
many people enjoy high tea in five-star hotels, which basically include a buffet of teas and all the
complimentary snacks that go with it.

Pakistanis are very hospitable

Guests, tourists and visitors, whether domestic or international, are always welcomed with open
arms. Even the poorest labourers go out of their way to help new visitors. Cultural and religious
beliefs encourage Pakistanis to show love and respect towards guests. In Islam especially, a guest
is a blessing from God, and it is taught that they must be given the best treatment possible.
Pakistanis love sports, especially cricket
Cricket may have been a sport that was introduced to Pakistan by the British, but today, the
country has not only made it its own but has also raised one of the world’s best cricket teams.
Other sports, like hockey, squash and badminton, are also widely played and appreciated. Polo
has a special place in northern Pakistan too, with one of the highest polo grounds in the world
situated here.

KEY ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN PAKISTAN

We basically live in an agricultural country where nearly 60% of the overall population lives in
rural areas with little to no access to clean water and proper sanitation facilities. Owing to the
growing population, expansion of the economic sector, urbanization, poor waste management and
a number of other factors, the environmental problems in Pakistan are getting worse with each
passing. 

These are some of the major environmental concerns in Pakistan that you should know about.

 Deforestation

 Air pollution

 Water pollution

 Land pollution

 Global Warming 

Explanation

Deforestation
To put it simply, deforestation occurs when humans destroy forests by cutting down trees and not
replanting then. This is most commonly done to obtain wood and fuel. However, urbanization,
growing population and expansion of cities are also leading cause of deforestation. 

Apart from destroying natural beauty, cutting down forests also has a huge impact on our
ecosystem as it affects wildlife habitat. Unfortunately, Pakistan has a high deforestation rate, as
more and more rural areas are converting into farms and urban centres. Due to lack of resources
and poverty, a lot of people also rely on wood from trees to keep them warm during the winter
months or build homes. Whatever the reason may be, you can’t argue against deforestation being
a huge threat to our environment. 

Air Pollution
if you’ve suffered through the winter smog in Lahore and other big cities, you would agree that
Pakistan is going through an air pollution crisis. 

Air pollution can be defined as the presence of toxic solid and liquid particles in the air along with
certain gases that are harmful to the environment. This type of pollution is mainly caused by the
burning of fossil fuel for transportation and production of electricity. The black smoke that you
see coming out of vehicles on the road along and out of factories in the industrial areas are all
leading causes of air pollution in Pakistan.

Lack of rainfall and low wind speed have also exacerbated the issue in some parts of the country.

Water pollution
Water pollution is caused when toxic substances such as chemicals, waste and certain
microorganisms contaminate a body of water, rendering it harmful for human use or consumption.
Drinking from polluted streams, rivers, lakes and ponds, or using its water to bathe or cook, can
be extremely harmful to one’s health. 

The reasons behind water pollution could be a poor sewage system, throwing chemical wastage
from factories into the ocean and increase in litter, especially plastic. Given that Pakistan is an
agricultural country with an arid climate, water pollution is also harming our crops and land. This
is also one of the main reasons why a large chunk of population in the country does not have
access to clean drinking water.

Land Pollution
Like most developing countries, land pollution is a serious environmental issue in Pakistan.

Annually, the country generates approximately 48.5 million tons of solid waste with a 2%
increase each year. Since we don’t have a proper waste disposal system, most of it is either
burned, causing air pollution or buried on vacant land, causing soil erosion. The rest of this waste
is just dumped on empty lots, damaging the environment and leading to land pollution.

Urbanization and use of harmful chemicals and pesticides are also some of the major causes of
land pollution in Pakistan.
Global Warming
Before we discuss global warming in Pakistan, let’s first establish that the terms global warming
and climate change are not interchangeable. However, it’s a common mistake that most people
make.

To further clarify, global warming refers to the long-term warming of the planet due to pollution,
whereas climate change is broad phenomena referring to abnormal variations to the Earth’s
climate. To put it simply, one can say that global warming is a symptom of climate change.

Now, unfortunately, Pakistan is one of the biggest victims of global warming in the world. The
heatwaves and cold snaps that we have been suffering through for the past several years are all
due to the increased global warming. The main reason behind this is the emission of fossil fuel;
however, it is definitely not the only culprit.