Ahead of the Islamic new year, The King Abdulaziz Complex for Holy Kaaba Kiswa at the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque weaves the Kaaba cloth (kiswa) annually, ensuring it is of the highest quality. The process which takes place prior to early Muharram, consists of 10 phases.
Surprising as it may seem today, Elizabeth II, was the queen of Pakistan for four years. Yes, the world’s first “Islamic Republic” was ruled by English heads of state for nine years: Elizabeth and her father, George VI. Elizabeth’s reign over Pakistan ended 60 years ago, when, on March 23, 1956, Pakistan became a republic.George VI was the last emperor of India, reigning until 1947, when he gave up that title in favor of two new titles for his new dominions, becoming king of India and king of Pakistan.
In 2019, Fishel Khalid, became the first Pakistani Jew to travel to Israel. Khalid, who had declared himself as a ‘Jew’ was issued a fresh passport by the Pakistani authorities, which mentioned his religion as ‘Judaism’. Khalid was in contact with NADRA since 2016 to get himself registered as a Jew and after a long battle his claim was admitted by the government.
Pakistan, formed in 1947, featured in their first-ever Olympics at the London 1948 Summer Games. However, it took the country eight years to win its first Olympic medal. Pakistan has won 10 medals at the Summer Olympics. However, only two of these are individual medals. Pakistan’s Hockey team has won eight of these medals, including the only three golds under the country’s name.
Since 1947, Pakistan has had nineteen prime ministers, but post of the Prime Minister in Pakistan can be said to be doomed as it carries a bizarre pattern. Imran Khan, Pakistan’s 22nd PM, despite his popularity could not undo the jinx. The premiership of I. I. Chundrigar was the shortest in Pakistan’s history, serving only 55 days of his term. At approximately five years and four months in total, Sharif is the longest-serving prime minister.
The 1974 OIC meeting held in Lahore was a power show of Islamic world that never happened again.
On February 22 in 1974, Lahore hosted all the leaders of the Islamic world in the summit of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The city was jubilant as its hero Zulfikar Ali Bhutto presided over the summit, which some of the biggest names in the global politics of that time were attending.
Pakistan’s first differently-abled female diplomat, Saima Saleem was born on August 10, 1984. In her early years, she was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa – an incurable eye disease that made Saleem blind at the age of 13. Saima Saleem made headlines last year when she addressed the UN General Assembly with a fierce speech in support of the right of Kashmiris to self-determination.
23 such matches from 1952-53 to 1957-58 before the captaincy passed on to his deputy Fazal Mahmood. He was born in Lahore on January 17, 1925, and died in Islamabad on April 21, 1996, at the age of 71 years.
Architect Yasmeen Lari is Pakistan’s first female architect. She started her career in the early 1990s, building some of Karachi’s most iconic structures. She has worked on projects such as the Taj Mahal Hotel, Finance and Trade Centre, and the Pakistan State Oil House, achieving success in a profession dominated by men.
Shazia Parveen has been recognized as Pakistan’s first female firefighter. In 2010, she was only 22 when she joined the rescue service in the district of Vehari, Punjab province. She chose to take on the challenging job with a mission to serve and save the people. She also served as a fire instructor at the Punjab Emergency Services Academy in Lahore.