Today’s Enlightening Entertainment will be presented in Urdu and English, with subtitles in Arabic, Aulacese (Vietnamese), Chinese, English, French, German, Hungarian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai and Urdu.

Blessed be the sacred land Happy be the bounteous realm Symbol of high resolve Land of Pakistan! Blessed be thou, citadel of faith

Welcome to Enlightening Entertainment on Supreme Master Television. You have just heard an excerpt of Pakistan’s National Anthem titled, “Qaumī Tarāna.” The song conveys the pride and love Pakistanis have for their homeland. Today on our show, we are honored to explore this beautiful country, her people and ancient heritage with His Excellency Mr. Syed Ibne Abbas, Consul General of Pakistan, in the Los Angeles, California, USA.

Consul General Abbas holds master degrees in both political science and international relations. He served as Director General in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Islamabad, Pakistan from 2004 to 2006. He has held diplomatic positions for Pakistan since 1983 and has worked in Berne, Geneva, Canberra, and New Delhi. His Excellency was a Pakistan delegate for the 1997 and 2006 UN General Assembly sessions and Conference on Disarmament.

In Urdu, Pakistan means “pure land,” symbolizing spiritual purity. With the Arabian Sea to the south, Pakistan is located in South Asia, neighboring Iran and Afghanistan to the west, and India and China to the east.

Pakistan straddle across three very critical regions of the world. We ourselves are located in the South Asia, then we are also in Southwest Asia and also on the tip of Central Asia.

The Silk Road, it connects China with Pakistan and now we call it Curriculum Highway. So this is about 800 miles plus, the road which connects Pakistan and China, and about 25,000 Chinese and 15,000 Pakistanis work for about 20 years to construct this road.

The famous Silk Road of antiquity provided opportunities for cultural exchange and trade between Ancient China, Ancient India, Persia and Mediterranean countries, further developing these great civilizations. It was of great importance and relevance for almost 3,000 years.

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a nation with a long and rich history.

As early as 7000 BCE, the ancient Mehrgarh society inhabited the region of the current Balochistan province in western Pakistan.

Archeological sites of the ancient Indus Valley and Gandhara civilizations have demonstrated that millennia ago, agricultural communities flourished.

Contemporary with ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians, the Indus Valley civilization is characterized by writing, well-organized cities, advanced sanitation systems, and waterways connecting major urban centers. Famous archeological sites include Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, and Ganeriwala. Jewelry, statues, and pottery excavated from these locations were found to have been created with sophisticated craftsmanship.

If I take you back in history, we are the successors of the ancient civilizations like Gandhara, Buddhist, and Sikh religion and some of the very famous Buddhist relics are also found in Pakistan. (Yes) So we can claim to be one of oldest civilizations.

Since 2000 BCE, the valley of Indus was home to successive Vedic (Hindu), Buddhist, and Muslim empires for almost 4000 years. Numerous ancient cities and historical monuments have been discovered attesting to significant advancements during each of these eras, including Taxila, the Vedic city of learning, the Takht-i-Bhai Buddhist monastery, and Mughal era architectural marvels in historical cities such as Lahore. The Indus River Plain is also the birth place of Sikhism, a religion that teaches constant remembrance of God, honest living, and sharing with those in need.

Up to 97% of the population in Pakistan is Muslim, with a mixture of ethnic groups. The indigenous community of the Hunza Valley is known for the longevity of its residents. People here routinely lead a vibrant life to an age of beyond 90 years. Their diet consists of fresh and natural mostly plant-based food. In addition, their simple, happy and peaceful existence is a key factor for their long, healthy life.

We have a population of about 170 million and there are several cultural, religious entities which make Pakistan today. Predominately, the population is Muslim, but we have other religious groups as well like Christians, like Hindus, Sikhs.

What is the language that is spoken in Pakistan?

Our national language is Urdu. We also have English as an official language. All the other provinces have their own provincial languages as well. But the national language spoken and understood all over the country is Urdu.

As the national language of Pakistan, Urdu was used for a large body of Islamic writings, including the original translation of the Qur’an. Famous Urdu poets include Mir Taqi Mir, Khwaja Mir Dard, Mirza Ghalib, Mir Babar Ali Anis, Mirza Salaamat Ali Dabeer, Allama Sir Muhammad Iqbal, Sheikh Muhammad Ibrahim Zauq, and Faiz Ahmed Faiz, among many others.

In addition, for many centuries, the poems of Saint Kabir and Persian mystic Jalāl ad-Dīn ar-Rūmī have been a lasting source of inspiration to Urdu poetry. Enlightening Entertainment will continue with our program on the glorious country of Pakistan after these brief messages. Please keep your dial tuned to Supreme Master Television.

The order of this sacred land Is the might of the brotherhood of the people May the nation, the country, and the state Shine in glory everlasting! Blessed be the goal of our ambition

This flag of the crescent and star Leads the way to progress and perfection Interpreter of our past, glory of our present Knowledge of the future! Almighty's protection be upon us forever

Thank you for joining us again for today’s Enlightening Entertainment, featuring the beautiful country of Pakistan through the introduction of His Excellency Mr. Syed Ibne Abbas, Consul General of Pakistan. With its distinct location at the crossroads between South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East, Pakistan has absorbed the best of her neighboring influences and formed a own unique heritage that can be enjoyed through diverse art forms.

We have a whole range of music in Pakistan from folk to pop. Folk music flows out of our Sufi traditions. Sufi, the mystical tradition of Islam. (Yes) So this is wherefrom our folk music flows. It grows out of the mystical, religious Sufism and basically it will be called Qawwali.

They are using sitar, harmonium, tabla. These are the kinds of instruments we have.

The traditional folk music and colorful dances of Pakistan also vary from one province to the next. The country’s folk singers have won acclaim for their melodious voices, which touch the hearts of all listeners.

In the past, we had some folk singers like Pathane Khan, like Alam Lohar, these are on the folk side. Living, we still have people who sing ghazal Like Mehdi Hassan and some lady singers as well. There have been different icons and different eras.

In addition to the country’s rich culture, Pakistan is blessed with a natural beauty that is unsurpassed.

Pakistan’s landscape is characterized by the expansive fluvial plain of the Indus to the east and south, surrounded by rugged mountains and highlands to the north and west. As a major part of the “Roof of the World,” the northern terrain is adorned with the Himalayas, Karakoram, and Hindu Kush mountain ranges, where five peaks over 8,000 meters, including the world’s second highest, K-2, reside. The Indus River is the major and longest river in Pakistan, running approximately 3,000 kilometers from north to south.

We are a big country and we have mountains, we have deserts, we have plains, we have everything. But if you ask me, I would advise you to go to northern areas of Pakistan because there is a pristine beauty that’s unspoiled beauty and this is something worth seeing. We have about more than 82 peaks which are over 7,000 meters high.

K2 is the second highest in the world. So these are the Himalayas, the Pamirs, the mountains ranges which I would strongly recommend anybody interested in this mountaineering, in spending some time out in the natural habitat.

The varied landscape hosts a diverse ecosystem. The alpine and sub-alpine woods in the north consist of conifers such as spruce, pine, and deodar cedar. Southern mountain ranges are home to mulberry-type shishams. Mangrove forests are found on the coastal wetlands. The Ziarat Valley in the western hills of Balochistan has one of the world’s biggest and oldest juniper forests, which has been in existence for more than 5,000 years.

The national animal the Markhor, the Marco Polo sheep, the Urial sheep and the Indus River Dolphin are among the array of animals in Pakistan, all listed as endangered species. To protect these precious animals, hunting has been banned and several wildlife sanctuaries have been established.

The government takes great care in protecting the natural heritage of Pakistan as well?

That’s correct. We are trying to protect our natural heritage. We have some parks and they are from the Mughal era, particularly. And also, there are some natural lakes. There are some parks up in the northern area of Pakistan. For instance, Shalimar Gardens in Lahore.

They are from the Mughal era. And similarly we have Badshahi Mosque in Lahore that’s again very ancient again from Mughal era and architecture of the Islamic history. Then we have various domes, various mosques which reflect those periods when those were constructed. Yes, we are maintaining those; the government is taking care of those parks and those monuments. Some have been even declared, as you know, national heritage by the United Nations UNESCO. (Right)

Pakistan has many major historically important cities. Some of them are well over a thousand years old.

If you’re talking about the oldest civilization, Taxila and Moenjodaro is one.

Taxila is an especially important holy site in the country as a center of learning for both Hindus and Buddhists in ancient times. This region was declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1980. It is also referenced historically in books by visiting Chinese monks Faxian and Xuanzang.

Coming back to those historical sites I can say Taxila which is from where the Gandhara civilization started, we have been maintaining it very well. Similarly, Moenjodaro from where this civilization started so these are the two sites which I can say that we have done a great job. These are about, over 4,000 years old sites and we are maintaining, would like to do a very good job if possible.

Through its historical past, the mysteries of the world’s ancient civilizations are revealed and in Pakistan’s bright future, may hope for a world preserved of its natural beauty and resources be fulfilled. We are grateful to Your Excellency Mr. Syed Ibne Abbas, Consul General of Pakistan for sharing his knowledge and love of his glorious homeland. May you and dignified Pakistan be graced with Allah’s blessings to flourish in evermore splendor.

Thank you for joining us for Enlightening Entertainment. Coming up next is Words of Wisdom, after Noteworthy News, here on Supreme Master Television. Heaven bless and farewell for now.