TEXT: Pakistan is blessed with abundant natural resources which, besides ample virgin land, has copper fields, salt ranges, coal mines, cost line stretching over 1100 Km, gas reserves and the like and consequently has well established industrial base for textiles, cement, fertilizer, steel, sugar, engineering goods, leather and the list continues with industrial units providing value added goods. Pakistan has an extraordinary and magnificent variety of landscapes ranging from five of the highest mountain peaks in the world to some of the largest and unique plateaus in the west and finally, awe-inspiring flat Indus plains in the east. Pakistan is a kaleidoscope of some of the most diverse natural beauty in the world; it's a cradle of ancient civilizations and a 'melting pot' of religions and cultures.
With shining deserts and some of the world's highest peaks, the country has myriad attractions for sightseers, skiers, trekkers and mountaineers. From the precipitous peaks of the Karakoram range to the fertile Indus River plain, Pakistan is home to a diversity of stunning landscapes. While its rich cultural heritage, ancient Silk Road, and ruins of Mohenjo-Daro continue to enchant travelers, venture further afield and discover a lesser-known, wilder Pakistan. Situated in the broad Valley of Peshawar just east of the historic Khyber Pass, close to the border with Afghanistan, Peshawar's recorded history dates to at least 539 BC, making it the oldest city in Pakistan and one of the oldest cities in South Asia.
Located in South Asia with an area of over 800,000 km and with a coastline of 1100 km, Pakistan borders Iran, Afghanistan, China and India. It also provides the economic corridor to the newly created States of Central Asia which too is a market of nearly 70 million people. As such, doing business in Pakistan means having possible access to almost 270 Million. Major exports from Pakistan include cotton and textile goods, sea food, rice, leather, sporting and surgical goods, carpets, fruits and vegetables; the collective volume of which is in excess of U.S. $ 25 Billion annually and with a GDP in excess of $300 Billion with continuing positive growth growth and standing as an economy, at 25thth position in the world in terms of purchasing power parity. More than 500 Multinational Companies (MNC’s) are operating in Pakistan and include world icons such as Unilever, Nestle, Honda, GSK, Toyota, Standard Charter, Suzuki and the list again continues with fresh entrants like Samsung, Ajinomoto, TESCO and Morinaga.
Some of the facts about Pakistan not known to many are as follows:
-Khewra Salt Mine is the second largest in the world.
-Gwadar port is the largest deep seaport in the world
-Pakistan is the fourth largest cotton producer in the world
-Pakistan is world’s fourth largest milk producing country
-Globally over 50% of all footballs are manufactured in Pakistan
-Pakistan has the largest canal-based irrigation system in the world
-Pakistan is home to the world’s largest lignite coal reserves
-Pakistan is world’s sixth-most-populous country
-K-2 (Chagori) is the second highest mountain peak in the world
-Mehrgarh, (6000 B.C.) is amongst the oldest civilizations of the world
-Chitral is home to the world’s highest Polo ground at 3,700 meters
-Pakistan has the eleventh-largest armed force in the world
-Pakistan is the first Muslim country to be declared a nuclear power
-Seventh-largest collection of scientists and engineers is from Pakistan
-Tarbela Dam is the largest earth-filled dam in the world
-Shah Faisal Mosque can accommodate 100,000 worshipers at a time
-Pakistan is the land of oldest Civilization – Indus Valley and Mohenjo-Daro
-The Karakoram Highway is the highest paved international road in the world
-Edhi Foundation runs the world’s largest ambulance network
-NADRA is world’s largest database with relevant information of its populace
-The largest travel guidebook publisher labelled Pakistan, ‘The Next Big Thing’.
ABDUL MOIZ
Financial Manager
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Copyright Business Recorder, 2022