Nawruz marks the spring equinox and is the traditional new year in the Persian calendar. In Pakistan, it is celebrated with great fervor by the Parsi (Zoroastrian) community and by various Shia and Ismaili communities, particularly in the Gilgit-Baltistan region. Families set up the 'Haft-Sin' table and share traditional meals. It is a festival of renewal, hope, and cultural heritage that bridges many communities across the region.
1592
Who is the national poet of Pakistan and the thinker behind the idea of a separate Muslim state?
Allama Muhammad Iqbal is the National Poet of Pakistan. He was a philosopher, scholar, and politician whose visionary ideas provided the intellectual foundation for the Pakistan Movement. In his famous 1930 Allahabad address, he proposed the creation of a separate state for the Muslims of the subcontinent. His poetry in Urdu and Persian remains a source of inspiration for the nation.
1593
Which animal is designated as the national animal of Pakistan, known for its majestic spiral horns and residing in the northern mountains?
The Markhor (Capra falconeri) is the national animal of Pakistan. Its name is derived from the Persian words 'Mar' (snake) and 'Khor' (eater), based on a local legend that it kills and eats snakes, though it is actually a herbivore. It is found in the rugged mountains of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Balochistan. The Markhor is also used as the official symbol of Pakistan's premier intelligence agency, the ISI.
1594
What is the official duration of the full version of the National Anthem of Pakistan (Qaumi Tarana)?
The National Anthem of Pakistan, composed by Ahmed G. Chagla in 1949 with lyrics by Hafeez Jalandhari in 1952, has a standard playing time of 80 seconds. It consists of three stanzas and uses 21 musical instruments and 38 different tones. Interestingly, the lyrics are almost entirely in Persian, with the exception of the word 'ka' (of), which is in Urdu, reflecting the historical and linguistic ties of the region.
1595
Which Pakistani province was the first to legalize the 'Right to Free and Compulsory Education' through a provincial assembly act?
The Sindh Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act was passed in 2013, making Sindh the first province to provide a legal framework for the implementation of Article 25-A of the Constitution.
1596
The 'Laptop Scheme' for university students was initially introduced by which political party?
The Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme was a flagship project of the PML-N government, initiated in 2013-14. It aimed to provide high-spec laptops to meritorious students across Pakistan to promote digital research and literacy.
1597
Which Sufi saint is known as 'Sachal Sarmast' and wrote poetry in seven languages, reflecting the mystic diversity of Sindh?
Sachal Sarmast (the 'Truthful Mystic') was an 18th-century Sufi poet from Sindh. He is celebrated for his message of universal love and for writing poetry in Sindhi, Seraiki, Persian, Urdu, Arabic, Balochi, and Punjabi. His shrine is in Khairpur, and his Urs is a major event for those who follow the mystical path of 'Wahdat-ul-Wajud'.
1598
Which city is home to the shrine of 'Data Ganj Bakhsh' (Hazrat Ali Hajweri), the patron saint of Lahore?
The shrine of Data Ganj Bakhsh is one of the most visited Sufi sites in South Asia. Hazrat Ali Hajweri was an 11th-century scholar and mystic who wrote 'Kashf-ul-Mahjub', one of the most famous Persian treatises on Sufism. His shrine in Lahore remains a center for spiritual seekers and provides free food (langar) to thousands every day.
1599
Which language is traditionally called the 'Lashkari' language because it developed in the military camps of the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire?
The word 'Urdu' itself comes from the Turkish word for 'Army' or 'Camp'. The language developed as a mix of local Prakrits with Persian, Arabic, and Turkish influences among the soldiers of the ruling dynasties, eventually becoming the literary and national language of Pakistan.
1600
The 'Hazaragi' dialect, spoken by the Hazara ethnic group in Quetta, is a variety of which language?
The Hazara community, primarily residing in Quetta, speaks Hazaragi, which is a dialect of the Persian (Dari) language. They are an ethnic group with distinct features and are mostly adherents of the Shia sect of Islam.
