Are we talking about culture here, or geography?
Islamabad's maps show the movement of cultures and societies. But geographically speaking, Pakistan is part of South Asia.
Culturally speaking, this is all a silly attempt to create unnecessary divisions in societies. Culture is amorphous. We are not one OR the other. Rather, Pakistani culture (and its many components) incorporates philosophies, traditions, beliefs from a wide variety of places and peoples. Why deny that?
At least not "Indian Subcontinent"
Pakistanis should be glad that Pakistan is not considered part of Indian subcontinent. For many many years, South Asia was referred to as Indian subcontinent and there was a distinct effort made in Pakistani media not to call it "Indian subcontinent" and refer it as South Asia. They had also objected to the reference of "Indian Ocean".
Some refer regions like Palestine , Israel, Jordan Syria as "West Asia" and not "Middle East".
Many US companies consider Pakistan to be part of Middle East. The main reason is most of the HQ for the South Asia region was in India, so the Regional Manager from India would make trips within India and to other neighboring countries like Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh etc. But there was no air traffic from India to Pakistan, so going to Pakistan was via Dubai. So Pakistan was made part of Middle East, so that the Regional Management team from Dubai could vist Pakistan if needed.
Mats you fool I'm not even from Karachi :p My folks are from Chakwal. Know where that is? You would if you were Pakistani. Chakwal is in northern Punjab right near Islamabad/Rawalpindi (predominantly a military area)...gorgeous terrain, down-to-earth people, overall just an awesome piece of planet earth.
I know where Chakwal is. It is not in INdia. Indians are Causians by race and Pakistanis are in the mideast, hence half negroid. Hope that helps you figure out why your are so much darker than I am. :p
In responce to the other joker here:
The whole culture is different, and we are nothing like arabs, unless you seem to think that wahibi-wannabeism that is seeping through some corners deems you camel traineresque.
And so far as ethnicity (?) and the such like are concerned, in both India and pakistan there is a small minority of Blonde blue eyed babs. But that does not make one german or scandivanian.
I agree with queer though.
Dil dil greekistan, be it dark light or severalshades inbetween. 
(but thats just becasue I like their salads cheese and Troy 
)
Re: Re: Re: Pakistan is NOT a South Asian Nation
No Afghanistan together with Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Tibet is considered part of South-Asia by most.
Central-Asia compromises of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
Iran I suppose is part of the Middle-East.
I thought Iran and Afghanistan were both Central Asia.
I suppose it depends on the textbook but most British published ones I’ve come across say South Asia.
Isn’t Afghanistan part of SAARC?
I like them grouped this way, they’re all Desi to me, all have been part of the same empires at one time or another, all have similar cultures, things which tie them together.
A few weeks ago I would've thought South Asia is only India, Pak and Bangladesh.
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*Originally posted by Zakiii: *
Isn’t Afghanistan part of SAARC?
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No
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*Originally posted by Zakiii: *
I suppose it depends on the textbook but most British published ones I’ve come across say South Asia.
Isn’t Afghanistan part of SAARC?
I like them grouped this way, they’re all Desi to me, all have been part of the same empires at one time or another, all have similar cultures, things which tie them together.
A few weeks ago I would've thought South Asia is only India, Pak and Bangladesh.
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Afganistan is not part of South Asia, but Central Asia
South Asia consists of
India
Bangladesh
Nepal
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
Maldives
Bhutan
Pakistan, so far away is part of middle east, but Egypt (according to this one map) is not?? Bakwas, Pakistan is part of the South Asian subcontinent plate that slammed into Asia long, long time ago.
Ok we are part of South Asia, Middle East and Central Asia. Actually we are part of all.
We are unique.
What difference does it make. All I know is that our religion makes us face Makkah (everyday , five times a a day) which is in Hijaaz, which is in Arabia which is in the Middle East which is on earth . :)
I think that most people would agree that Pakistan is technically part of South Asia. HOWEVER, there is no doubt that such boundaries are fluid and cultural globalization is driving Pakistan away from South Asia and towards the Middle East. You can see the general polarization in world views in all parts of the world, including in South Asia.
As for looks, outside of perhaps a few North Indian States, Pakistanis and Indians are obviously quite different.
I was once at the Abu Dhabi airport and there was a Boeing 747 departing to Bombay. There were several hundred Indians (I don't know the ethnic group, I would suppose it is Marathi or Maharastran or whatever) + me and one Pakistani freind. I can guarantee you any sane minded person could have told us from the rest of the crowd with ease. We were a foot taller and a fair bit lighter.
Mind you none of that really matters, people (especially "South Asians")make too much of such matters. Physical appearance is a completely trivial issue and what people find attractive or significant in such terms is entirely socialized and thus subjective.
pakistan's rivers are all from india what else
can be of more significant than this umblical
cord that connects both countries?
^ Cultural diversity is what sets an ethnic group apart from any other and validates its unique heritage. Pakistan has a few elements in common with neighboring India (at least the NORTHERN part of India) in terms of certain cultural mores, traditions, physical appearance of its northern people, etc. but on the whole, Pakistan’s religion (Islam) and along with, as I mentioned earlier, our land’s various invasions and conquests by several ethnic groups over the centuries sets us well apart from India and much closer to countries of Cental Asia and the Middle East. It is all in our history and it shows…just take a quick trip to any region of Pakistan and find out for yourself. Although I was born here in the US, Pakistan is a tremendous part of me and I am 500% proud of my heritage.
Pakistan Zindabad
Correction: Pakistan’s river flow from Kashmir, which is not India. One or two of these rivers pass through himachal pradesh and Indian Punjab. Many of the areas there like Gurdas pur , you took by fraud, to find a way to Kashmir. Who am i talking to, the whole India was ours and will be inshaAllah.
Coming to the point:
Pakistan is in South Asia
Pakistan is also in the middle East
Pakistan is also in Central Asia
Pakistan Zindabad.
I also want to add that Pakistan’s uniqueness relative to its culture, dress, traditions, languages, people and their deeply-rooted ethnicities ARE the elements that makes us Pakistani and set us apart from say, Indians or Bengalis, or even Arabs and what have you. Ironically, it is our collective identity celebrating our various sub-diversities (ex. among Punjabis, Pathans, Kashmiris, Sindhis, Baluchis, etc.) and our backgrounds that are derived from the peoples of Central Asia and the Middle East that ultimately make us who we are…and that, in one word, is Pakistani.
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*Originally posted by elahi: *
As for looks, outside of perhaps a few North Indian States, Pakistanis and Indians are obviously quite different.
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Correction here. Those North Indian states have almost 60 percent of Indias popolation which mean around 600 Million people3 times more than Pakistan.
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I was once at the Abu Dhabi airport and there was a Boeing 747 departing to Bombay. There were several hundred Indians (I don't know the ethnic group, I would suppose it is Marathi or Maharastran or whatever) + me and one Pakistani freind.
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They were all probably Keralites. But they are just small fraction fo population. So dont confuse whole India with that small group. Very myopic view.
pakistanis are called hindis in mid-east
not as persians or central asians.
^ It doesn’t matter how we, Pakistanis, are viewed by other cultures. What matters obviously is how WE view ourselves and what we ARE. In other words, we should only concern ourselves with facts and facts suggest that our ethnicity/ancestry is derived from the Central Asian and Middle Eastern regions much more than from India. To strengthen the case, our religion, Islam, is of Middle Easten origins, so of course we have a stronger link to these regions than to India.
These are the facts and more often than not facts always speak for themselves.