Punjab

Punjab (the land of five rivers – Jehlum, Chenab, Ravi, Satlej, and Indus) is the most populous and prosperous province of Pakistan. The province is enormously rich in cultural beauty and diverse geographically. Punjab houses innumerable tourist attractions including historic monuments, archaeological sites, cultural heritage and recreational hotspots in all its districts stretching from snowy hills of Murree to the southern burning deserts.

Second largest by size, encompassing a total area of 205,344km2 (79,284 sq. mi), and largest by population, housing some 56% of the country’s total residents, geographically, Punjab province situated to the mid-east of the country surrounded by Sindh province to the south, Baluchistan to the south-west, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the northwest, and the capital city of Islamabad and Azad Kashmir to the north. The entire eastern side of Punjab is bordered with the Indian states of Punjab, Rajasthan, and the Indian-administered territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Punjabi and Saraiki are major languages besides several dialects; Urdu is the national language understood widely while English is the official language. Lahore is the capital city and a major economic and cosmopolitan hub housing all the historic and modern attractions.

Punjab’s fertile land is the backbone of country meeting the food requirements of the entire populace of Pakistan. The province is enormously rich in all types of tourist attractions from human accomplishments to scenic natural beauty. Famous for the imposing monuments commissioned by the local Nawabs in Bahawalpur boasting their gigantic size and featuring architectural dexterity and magnificent artwork; splendid Islamic heritage in Multan; ancient ruins at Harappa; Mughal period glorious buildings, Sikh era glittering monuments, and British style Gothic buildings in Lahore; wonders of the Salt Range, Gandhara Heritage in Taxila, Mughal Sarai in Wah; UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and lush green hills in Murree – making Punjab a destination of choice.

The Punjab province of Pakistan has an alluring history. It was known to the ancient Greeks as Pentapotamia; the Sanskrit name was Panchanada, as mentioned in the Ramayana and Mahabharata; and the Persians, after the Muslim conquests, named it as “Punjab”. Punjab has traditionally been crossroads of Mughal Highway, the Grand Trunk (GT) Road, from Central Asia to the Indian Subcontinent. Historically Punjab has been home to various civilizations and dynasties including the Indus Valley Civilization, Aryans, Kushans, Scythians, Greeks, Persians, Arabs, Turks, Ghaznavids, Timurids, Afghans, Mughals, Sikhs, and the British just before the creation of Pakistan.

The entire province is well connected by major highways, has three international airports – Allama Iqbal International airport in Lahore, Multan International airport and Sialkot international airport, beside connected by Pakistan Railways Service. Wagah Border border in the outskirts of Lahore is the international border crossing with India while Kartarpur in Sialkot is accessible for Sikh pilgrims from India to perform religious rituals.
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