Culture of Pakistan
Overview of the culture of Pakistan / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The culture of Pakistan (Urdu: پاکستانی ثقافت Pākistāni S̱aqāfat) is based in the Indo-Persian cultural matrix that constitutes a foundation plank of South Asian Muslim identity.[1] The region has formed a distinct cultural unit within the main cultural complex of South Asia, Middle East and Central Asia.[2][3] There are differences in culture among the different ethnic groups in matters such as dress, food, and religion, especially where pre-Islamic customs differ from Islamic practices.
The existence of Pakistan as an Islamic state since 1956 has led to the large-scale injection of Islam into most aspects of Pakistani culture and everyday life, which has accordingly affected the historical values and traditions of the Muslim-majority population. Marriages and other major events are significantly affected by regional differences in culture, but generally follow Islamic jurisprudence where required. [citation needed]
Civil society in Pakistan is largely hierarchical, emphasising local cultural etiquette and traditional Islamic values that govern personal and political life. The basic family unit is the extended family,[4] although for socio-economic reasons there has been a growing trend towards nuclear families.[5] The traditional dress for both men and women is the shalwar kameez; trousers, jeans, and shirts are also popular among men.[6] In recent decades, the middle class has increased to around 35 million and the upper and upper-middle classes to around 17 million, and power is shifting from rural landowners to the urbanised elites.[7] Pakistani festivals, including Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Azha, Ramazan, Christmas, Easter, Holi, and Diwali, are mostly religious in origin.[4] Increasing globalisation has resulted in Pakistan ranking 56th on the A.T. Kearney/FP Globalization Index.[8]