Be Pakistan

Pakistan In Asia Cup hockey Final

KUANTAN: Pakistan crushed Malaysia 4-2 to qualify for the final of the Asia Cup Hockey Tournament here on Thursday.
They will now meet South Korea in the final on Saturday.
In the semi-final, three-time champions Pakistan outplayed hosts Malaysia by a convincing margin of 4 goals against two.
For Pakistan, Rehan Butt scored two goals while haseem Khan and Akhtar Ali netted one goal each.
On the other hand, Ismail Abu made both goals for Malaysia.
This may be recalled that Pakistan after a long period have entered the final of any international tournament.
In the other semi-final, South Korea defeated China 5-1 while India beat Bangladesh 11-1 to secure the seventh position in the tournament.

Source

Zaid Hamid On Pakistan Army’s Operation ‘Rah-e-Haq’

Zaid Hamid speaks on Pakistan Army’s operation ‘Rah-e-Haq’ in Malakand Division, Northern Pakistan. Also discusses the reality of provincial autonomy for Baluchistan.

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Love Pakistan – Proud To Be A Pakistani

A visit to Taxila

Historically, Taxila lay at the crossroads of three major trade routes: the royal highway from Pataliputra; the north-western route through Bactria, Kāpiśa, and Puskalāvatī (Peshawar); and the route from Kashmir and Central Asia, via Śrinigar, Mansehra, and the Haripur valley across the Khunjerab pass to the Silk Road.

Taxila is situated about 32 km to the north-west of Islamabad Capital Territory—and Rawalpindi in Punjab—just off the Grand Trunk Road. Its elevation above the sea-level is 549 meter.

Taxila

We started our journey from Islamabad and we were planning to camp at Khanpur. On our way we visited three ancient budah sites which are Sirkap, Jaulian and Dharmarajika. I would share some picture along with information of these historic sites.

Sirkap:

The city of Sirkap was built by the Greco-Bactrian king Demetrius after he invaded India around 180 BC. Demetrius founded in the northern and northwestern Indian subcontinent an Indo-Greek kingdom that was to last until around 10 BC. Sirkap is also said to have been rebuilt by king Menander I.

Sirkap Entry

Sirkap Stupa

The excavation of the old city was carried out under the supervision of Sir John Marshall by Hergrew from 1912-1930. In 1944 and 1945 further parts were excavated by Mortimer Wheeler and his colleagues.

Dharmarajika:

The Dharmarajika is a large Buddhist stupa in the area of Taxila, Pakistan. It is thought that it was established by the Maurya emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE around relics of the Buddha.

Dharmarajika Mound

These structures were reinforced in the following centuries, by building rings of smaller stupas and constructions around the original ones. Several coins of the Indo-Greek king Zoilos II were found under the foundation of such a 1st century BCE stupa.

To reach this site you must take the road on the right side while traveling from Islamabad before the Taxila Museum gate. Along with the stupa other interesting things are the giant feet of Budha, i think they have taken the upper body of the sculpture. You can find some other Budha sculptures here too. Read the rest of this entry »

Pakistan Won By 7 Wickets – Cricket

Umar Gul

DUBAI: Pakistan cricket team thrashed Australia by seven wickets with 22 balls to spare in the one-off Twenty20 international at Dubai Stadium here on Thursday, Geo news reported.
Paceman Umar Gul recorded the second best figures in international Twenty20 cricket to help fire Pakistan to a seven-wicket win over Australia in the one-off match at Dubai Stadium here on Thursday.
The 25-year-old fast bowler took 4-8 in his four-over spell, combining with leg-spinner Shahid Afridi (3-14) to restrict Australia to a modest 108 in 19.5 overs after Misbah-ul-Haq won the toss and fielded.
In Pakistan’s reply, Kamran Akmal hit a rapid-fire unbeaten 59 while Haq scored 24.
They shared an 85-run stand for the third wicket after Pakistan lost openers Ahmed Shahzad (four) and Salman Butt (16).
Akmal’s maiden Twenty20 fifty included five boundaries and three towering sixes off 42 balls and enabled Pakistan to reach their target with 3.4 overs to spare.
Earlier, Gul provided Pakistan with a crucial breakthrough, dismissing the dangerous-looking Shane Watson (33) with his first delivery to put the brakes on Australia, who had reached 42 without loss.
Watson had struck three successive boundaries off paceman Sohail Tanvir in the fourth over. Australia then suffered a severe jolt when four wickets fell for 12 runs in the space of 21 deliveries to leave them in trouble at 73-5.
Afridi trapped James Hopes (six) and Andrew Symonds (nought) leg-before off successive deliveries, before bowling David Hussey (four).
Gul returned for his second spell to dismiss Nathan Hauritz (two), Brett Lee (nought) and Marcus North (20) to improve on his own Pakistan record of 4-13 in a Twenty20 match against Sri Lanka last year.
They were the second best figures ever in a Twenty20 international, behind New Zealand paceman Mark Gillespie’s 4-7 against Kenya at Durban in 2007.
Brad Haddin made 24 before becoming one of Shoaib Malik’s two victims. Pakistan were forced to leave out regular captain Younus Khan, who was suffering from a fever.
Australia won the preceding five-match one-day series 3-2 — a series moved to neutral venues here over security fears in Pakistan.

Source Image taken from Cricinfo