The name “Pakistan” was first used in 1933, and the Pakistani nation was established as a separate Muslim state in 1947 during the British partition of India. However, the land that makes up the country has a history and cultural heritage more than 4,000 years old. 

 

The Aryan tribes who invaded the Indian subcontinent over several centuries built up

a sophisticated civilization long before the flourishing of the Greek and Roman Empires.

 

Kingdoms rose and fell, frequently toppled by outsiders. In a.d. 712, the Pakistani province of Sind was the first to be occupied by Muslim invaders. More Muslim invaders came, and the entire subcontinent fell to the Mogul Empire in 1526. In what would become India, the Hindu citizenry often failed to adopt the Islamic faith of their Mogul rulers. However, in Pakistan, the majority of the people accepted Islam.

The Mogul supremacy fell before the technology of the European invaders who began

arriving in 1498. Pakistan eventually became part of British-ruled India.

 

When the British promised independence to India after World War II, Muslim leaders

became fearful that the more-numerous, better-educated Hindus would subordinate the Muslim population. Consequently, they insisted on a separate, independent Muslim state.

 

Despite opposition from many Hindu leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi, the predominantly Muslim provinces of Punjab and Bengal became Pakistan (a Dominion within the  British Commonwealth) on August 15, 1947. Pakistan proclaimed itself a fully independent republic on March 23, 1956.

 

At independence, Pakistan consisted of two separate regions; East Pakistan and West

Pakistan were separated by over 1,000 miles of Indian territory. Smaller East Pakistan sought more autonomy from Islamabad. These efforts resulted in war between the two regions in 1970. East Pakistan was no match for the military might of West Pakistan. Some 1 million East Pakistanis were slain, and 10 million fled into India. This prompted India to declare war in December 1971. Indian troops invaded East Pakistan and routed the West Pakistani occupation army. East Pakistan became the independent nation of Bangladesh.

 

In 1998, Pakistan conducted nuclear weapons tests in reaction to India’s detonations.

And then in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, the leader of Pakistan’s government, President

 

Pervez Musharraf, allied Pakistan with the United States in its efforts to capture terrorists.

 

Cultural Note

At thirty-five years of age, Benazir Bhutto was the first and youngest female prime minister to lead Pakistan, a Muslim nation. Her publications include Daughter of the East and Foreign Policy in Perspective.

 

Type of G overnment

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a parliamentary democracy in a federal setting. Pakistan has frequently been ruled by its military, which has been tolerated because Pakistanis feel an urgent need for the military’s protection. In Pakistan’s short existence as a nation,

 

its military has been involved in battles with China, Bangladesh, and India. Conflict with

India continues over the status of the disputed territories of Jammu and Kashmir, which are claimed by both countries.

 

The government consists of a bicameral legislature made up of a National Assembly,

which is elected directly by the people, and a Senate, which is elected by four provincial

assemblies. The executive branch consists of the president, who is head of state, and the prime minister, who is head of government. The prime minister is elected by the National Assembly from among its members.

 

Cultural Note

In May 1991, the National Assembly declared that the Koran—the holy book of Islam—was the supreme law of Pakistan. All aspects of Pakistani life are now subject to Islamic law. This move met with the approval of the masses of impoverished peasantry, who form the majority of Pakistan’s 159 million people. Some of the urban elite opposed the adoption of Islamic law, but it was implemented, and the changes were made to the legal code.

 

Language

Urdu, Sindhi, and English are the official languages of Pakistan; Urdu is being encouraged as a replacement for English, but English is used by the government and the educated elite. The provinces are free to use their own regional languages and dialects (such as Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtu, and Balochi). Ethnologue.com recognizes sixty-nine languages in Pakistan.

 

The Pakistani View

Pakistan was created as a Muslim state, and as a result, religion is an important part of all aspects of life there. About 97 percent of the population are Muslims and belong to either the Sunni or the Shiite branches. Hindus make up a small percentage of the population, with even fewer Christians and adherents of other religions. Muslims are called to prayer five times a day, and you will find men bowed in prayer in shops and airports, as well as in the fields. The direction of Mecca is marked in every hotel room.

 

The various tribes of Pakistanis are loyal to their own families, and members of their

tribes, but not necessarily to the government. The tribes include the Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch, and Muhajir (who were originally immigrants from India at the time of partition).

 

Know Before You Go

Business travel to Pakistan will probably not take you into any regions that are security challenges. However, never be cavalier about your safety. Take general precautions (for example, notify your country’s embassy upon arrival, make sure your firm arranges for private drivers that you can identify at the airport, etc.) and keep your headquarters apprised of your agenda.

 

Visitors who are there on holiday should be knowledgeable about the latest information on security and medical precautions. Military operations are constant along the Kashmir Line of Control, as well as in many of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Agencies (FATA).

 

If you are going mountaineering, be certain to be part of a reputable expedition. It should include guides who understand security measures and weaponry.

 

Pakistan suffers from earthquakes, pollution, and diseases like malaria and dengue fever. Purchase emergency medical evacuation insurance before your visit.

Drink bottled water.

 

Cultural O rientation

Cognitive S tyles: H ow P akistanis O rganize and P rocess Information

In Pakistan, although some ethnic groups are more closed than others, in general there is an acceptance of information from the West among urban dwellers. Because education is still primarily available to the elite, most people process information subjectively and associatively. 

 

Negotiation S trategies: What P akistanis A ccept as E vidence

Truth lies in one’s faith in the ideologies of Islamic law. This may be modified by an individual’s immediate feelings about the situation but objective facts are not generally considered irrefutable evidence.

 

Value S ystems: T he Basis for Behavior

Pakistan is the home of Islam, and all behavior is perceived through the lens of Islamic law. The following three sections identify the Value Systems in the predominant culture—their methods of dividing right from wrong, good from evil, and so forth.

 

Locus of Decision-Making

The male leader is the center of decision-making, but he is expected to consider the family group upon whom the decision is binding. Opinions are determined by the family, the ethnic group, and Islamic law, in that order. Membership in social organizations is the source of identity and pride, and private life is sacrificed to these memberships.

 

Sources of Anxiety Reduction

Pakistanis believe that their destiny is in the hands of Allah; westerners often view this as fatalism. Security is found in strong loyalties to family and ethnic groups, but not in national unity. Rules are only guidelines, and maintaining a relationship is crucial to inner peace. A strong military presence ensures internal stability and security from outside attack.

 

Issues of Equality/Inequality

Inequality follows ethnic lines. The Punjabis dominate the government and the military. A great gulf exists between the rich and the poor; most people live in absolute poverty. There seems to be a tolerance for some deviation in Islamic sects, as common practice differs from formal Islamic law. Prestigious positions are reserved for males, although Pakistan is the only Islamic state to elect a female prime minister. There are strict sex roles based on the Islamic code.

 

Cultural Note

The Urdu language uses the same word (kal) to describe both yesterday and tomorrow. Not surprisingly, Pakistanis do not share Western concepts of time and punctuality.

 

Business P ractic es

Punctuality, A ppointments, and L ocal T ime

● Punctuality: Pakistanis are not time conscious, but they expect foreign visitors to be

prompt.

● Guests traditionally arrive anywhere from fifteen to sixty minutes late to a social event. However, it is the host’s responsibility to be prepared for any eventuality. If a guest arrives three hours late with several uninvited family members in tow, the host must graciously accommodate them.

● Avoid scheduling trips during major Muslim holidays, such as Ramadan (which is

observed for a month), Eid al Fitr (at the end of Ramadan), Eid Al Adha (the Feast of

the Sacrifice), and Eid al-Mawlid (the Birthday of the Prophet Mohammed). Business

patterns are often interrupted during these times, and Muslims fast from dawn to dusk

during Ramadan.

● Dates for these holidays vary from year to year, so check with your Pakistani associates, the tourist office, consulate, or embassy before scheduling your visit.

● Schedule appointments as far in advance as possible via phone, e-mail, or fax. Once you are in Pakistan, confirm your meetings a week in advance, and never break an appointment.

● Make sure you give your Pakistani associates multiple ways to contact you—by e-mail, cell phone, etc.

● The best times for appointments with government officials and commercial establishments are morning and early afternoon.

● Offices, banks, and shops are closed on Friday, the Muslim Sabbath. Many offices close on Saturday as well.

● Pakistan is five hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (G.M.T. +5), or ten hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time. (E.S.T. +10).

 

Negotiating

● Pakistani businessmen are formal, reserved, and deliberate in negotiations.

● Business is conducted at a more leisurely pace than in the West, but you may encounter a “get right down to business” attitude as well.

● If you are negotiating with the government, expect to make several trips to Pakistan.

● The Pakistani government is the largest potential customer in the country and has many public and semipublic corporations, each with its own bureaucracy.

● Always present your business cards.

● Avoid discussing local politics, religion, Israel and Jews, and Pakistan’s relationship with its neighbors (especially India).

● Never make jokes or bring up any topics that can be considered lewd.

● Pakistanis are a serious, unsmiling people. Jokes and levity have no place in Pakistani business affairs.

● Never call Muslims “Mohammedans”; they believe it makes them sound like followers of a cult figure.

● Women must be aggressive in banks and post offices or men will be waited on first.

● Be sure to accept the tea you will be offered during an office visit; to refuse is considered rude.

● Different units of measurement to know when discussing financial or demographic statistics are the lakh, which equals 100,000, and the crore, which is 100 lakhs (1,000,000). (These measurements are also used in India.)

 

Business Entertaining

● Foreign businesswomen should be aware that it may be difficult for them to pick up the check when entertaining Pakistani businessmen. If possible, arrange to pay for the check before you arrive at the restaurant. If you are entertaining in your hotel restaurant, you can make prior arrangements to have the meal charged to your room.

● If you wish to invite the wife of a business counterpart to dinner, find out discreetly if

she is in purdah (the seclusion of women from public observation—a practice among

Muslims and some Hindus).

● If you are invited to a Pakistani’s home for a meal, expect to be served very late—perhaps as late as 11:00 p.m. Guests are expected to leave immediately upon completion of the meal. 

● Many Pakistanis normally eat with their hands, but when they entertain guests, they

usually provide forks and spoons. Use the fork with your left hand and the spoon in your right, pushing the food with the fork onto the spoon.

● If you do eat with your hands, use only the right hand, as the left is considered unclean.

● Muslims do not eat pork.

 

Protocol

Greetings

● Men usually shake hands with other men. Although strict Muslim men avoid the touch of women, most Pakistani businessmen will shake hands with a woman.

● Pakistani women do not normally shake hands with other women.

● Men may embrace male friends, and women hug and kiss upon meeting. But people of the opposite sex do not show affection in public.

● Introductions at social gatherings will be done by your host.

 

Titles/Forms of A ddress

● Pakistani naming patterns can sometimes be so complex and unfamiliar that a foreigner might be wise to ask how a Pakistani associate would like to be addressed.

● Most Pakistanis will introduce themselves with all their names but without any titles.

There will usually be three names. The clan name or surname may come first or last; it

will not generally be in the middle. Pakistanis should be addressed as “Mr.,” “Mrs.,” or

“Miss” plus surname. An academic or job title may substitute for the Mr. or Mrs.

● The Pakistani equivalent of “Mr.” is Sahib. The female equivalent is (roughly) Begum.

These titles follow the surname: Mr. Zia would be called “Zia Sahib” and Mrs. Hussein

would be addressed as “Hussein Begum.” These titles can also follow academic or job

titles (Doctor Sahib or Director Sahib).

● Another complexity is that some Pakistani names make sense only in context, relating a first name to a second name. If the name is broken down into each part, it conveys a different meaning. For example, the name Ghulam Hussein means “slave of (the Islamic martyr) Hussein.” To call him simply Ghulam is to address him as slave.

● Do not use a Pakistani’s first name until you have been invited to do so.

 

Gestures

● Gesturing with a closed fist is considered obscene.

● Beckoning is done with the palm down rather than up, waving all the fingers toward the body.

● Using individual fingers to make gestures is considered impolite.

● Never point the bottom of your foot or shoe toward another person.

● Women should never wink.

 

Gifts

● You are not obliged to bring a gift when you are invited to a meal at a Pakistani’s home. If you choose to do so, however, chocolates or flowers are good choices.

● Alcohol is prohibited to Muslims. Do not give alcohol as a gift unless you know that a

Pakistani drinks alcohol.

● Pens, Swiss knives, watches, and electronic gadgets make good business gifts.

● If you are invited to stay at a Pakistani home, hand each servant a small tip before you leave. (Most Pakistanis have servants.)

 

Dress

● When you meet with governmental officials, it is better to dress more formally. Suits and ties may be appropriate for private industry as well, but may not be as common.

● For women, a pantsuit is preferable to a knee-length dress. Women should keep their

arms covered.

● Men wear a dark suit (no tuxedos) at formal events; women wear a long dress or skirt. In casual circumstances, men wear trousers and a shirt; something modest is the key for women.

● Pants and a shirt or a traditional Pakistani garment, a salwar kameez (or shalwar qamiz), is appropriate for tourists. Both men and women wear the long, loose salwar kameez.

● Shorts are never appropriate for women. Men should wear them only when jogging.

Jeans are acceptable for either sex.