Pakistan Affairs MCQs – Page 30 (Q291-300)

Islamabad is located at the foothills of the Margalla Hills, a scenic range that forms the city's northern backdrop and is protected within the Margalla Hills National Park, established in 1980. The hills mark the southernmost extension of the wider Himalayan foothill system, offering hiking trails and diverse wildlife within easy reach of the capital. Islamabad's planners, led by Greek architect Constantinos Doxiadis, incorporated the surrounding natural landscape into the city's design, giving it an unusually green and spacious character compared to other South Asian capitals. The Faisal Mosque, one of the city's most iconic landmarks, sits directly at the base of these hills.

Faisalabad, a major industrial city of Punjab, was formerly known as Lyallpur, named after Sir James Lyall, a colonial-era Lieutenant Governor of Punjab, and was renamed in 1979 in honour of Saudi King Faisal bin Abdulaziz. The city was originally planned by the British in the late 19th century as an agricultural market town, laid out around a central clock tower with eight radiating roads known as bazaars. It has since grown into one of Pakistan's largest industrial centres, particularly renowned for textile manufacturing, earning it the nickname 'Manchester of Pakistan'. King Faisal, after whom the city and Islamabad's Faisal Mosque are both named, was a significant benefactor to Pakistan during the 1960s and 1970s.

Sahiwal, a city in Punjab, was formerly known as Montgomery, named after Sir Robert Montgomery, a colonial-era Lieutenant Governor of Punjab, before being renamed Sahiwal after independence to reflect a more indigenous identity. The city serves as an agricultural market centre in central Punjab and gives its name to the well-known Sahiwal breed of cattle, prized for milk production and found widely across the region. Like several other Punjab cities such as Faisalabad (formerly Lyallpur) and Attock (formerly Campbellpur), Sahiwal's renaming reflected a broader post-independence effort to move away from colonial-era place names. The city remains an important centre for agriculture and small-scale industry in the province.

Campbellpur, a former colonial-era name, is today known as Attock, a city in northern Punjab situated near the historic confluence of the Indus and Kabul rivers. The city was renamed after Attock Fort, a Mughal-era fortress built by Emperor Akbar in the late 16th century to guard this strategically important river crossing. Attock's location has long made it a key point of control along routes connecting Punjab to Peshawar and Afghanistan, historically used by numerous invading armies moving into the subcontinent. Like Sahiwal (formerly Montgomery) and Faisalabad (formerly Lyallpur), Attock's renaming reflects the broader post-independence shift away from colonial-era nomenclature across Punjab.

Thatta was historically an important port town of Sindh before Karachi's rise to prominence, serving for centuries as a major centre of trade, learning and Islamic scholarship near the Indus delta. The city flourished under various dynasties, including the Samma, Arghun and Mughal periods, before its importance gradually declined as the Indus River's course shifted and Karachi's natural harbour grew in significance during British colonial rule. Thatta is renowned today for its rich architectural heritage, including the Shah Jahan Mosque, celebrated for its elaborate tilework, and the vast Makli Necropolis nearby. The city's decline from a major port to a smaller historic town illustrates the shifting fortunes of Sindh's coastal trade centres over the centuries.

Thatta, a historic city near the Indus delta, is known for its collection of ancient necropolises, most famously the Makli Necropolis, one of the largest funerary sites in the world, containing hundreds of thousands of graves and tombs spanning several centuries. The site reflects the artistic and architectural styles of the various dynasties that ruled the region, including the Samma, Arghun, Tarkhan and Mughal periods, and is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Thatta itself was historically a major port and centre of Islamic scholarship before its decline following shifts in the Indus River's course and the rise of Karachi. The city is also home to the Shah Jahan Mosque, celebrated for its intricate tilework and acoustic design.

The Makli Necropolis, one of the largest funerary sites in the world, is located near Thatta, in Sindh, spanning several square kilometres and containing an estimated half a million or more graves and tombs built over roughly six centuries. The site reflects successive dynasties that ruled the region, including the Samma, Arghun, Tarkhan and Mughal periods, each contributing distinct architectural styles to the elaborately carved sandstone tombs. Recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Makli stands as one of the most significant examples of Islamic funerary architecture in South Asia. Nearby Thatta itself was historically an important port and centre of learning before its decline following shifts in the Indus River's course.

Mohenjo-daro, an ancient Indus Valley Civilization site, is located in Sindh, near the Indus River in Larkana district, and ranks among the best-preserved urban settlements of the Bronze Age anywhere in the world. Built around 2500 BCE, the site featured remarkably advanced urban planning, including a grid street layout, sophisticated drainage systems and multi-storey brick buildings, predating comparable achievements elsewhere by centuries. Along with Harappa in Punjab, Mohenjo-daro is one of the two major excavated cities of the Indus Valley Civilization, one of the world's earliest urban cultures. The site is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and remains a key source of knowledge about this still only partially understood ancient civilisation.

Mohenjo-daro is located near the present-day city of Larkana, in Sindh, roughly along the west bank of the Indus River. The ancient city, built around 2500 BCE, was rediscovered and excavated in the 1920s, revealing one of the best-preserved urban centres of the Indus Valley Civilization. Larkana itself is also notable as the ancestral hometown of the Bhutto political family, adding a modern political significance to the district beyond its ancient archaeological heritage. Mohenjo-daro's name, meaning 'Mound of the Dead' in Sindhi, reflects its rediscovery as a long-abandoned ruin before archaeologists uncovered its remarkable urban planning and drainage systems.

Taxila, a UNESCO World Heritage archaeological site with Gandhara-era ruins, is located near Islamabad and Rawalpindi, in the Punjab region bordering the federal capital. The site was historically a major centre of learning and Buddhist scholarship, home to the ancient Taxila University, considered one of the earliest centres of higher education in the ancient world. Taxila flourished under successive empires, including the Achaemenid, Greek, Mauryan and Kushan periods, leaving behind a rich collection of stupas, monasteries and artefacts reflecting Gandhara art's fusion of Greek and Buddhist influences. Today the site includes a dedicated museum showcasing many of these archaeological finds, making it one of Pakistan's most significant heritage destinations.