Come and Experience the Lengendary Warmth and Hospitality of Pakistan

DAWN EDUCATION EXPO 2010 will be held at the very best time of the year, not just from an enrollment point of view but also from a climate vantage point. Late March is the perfect time to visit Pakistan; the weather in all three cities, Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore is at its most temperate. The days are warm, with abundant sunshine and the nights are pleasantly cool.

Traveling to the three stations the Education EXPO will afford you three diverse experiences, but the common thread is the warmth and hospitality you will be welcomed with all across Pakistan.

KARACHI
The Business Capital

The business and commercial capital of Pakistan, Karachi boasts the country’s largest seaport and international airport.

Bordering the Arabian Sea, Karachi has some of the most beautiful beaches in Pakistan. The Clifton Beach is extremely popular with visitors. For a more relaxing and interesting beach trip, it is best to head to Hawkes Bay (home to the beautiful albeit endangered Sabz and Zaitooni turtles), Sandspit (a calm beach with plenty of opportunities for fishing), the French Beach or Paradise Point.

This City of Lights is also a veritable shopper’s paradise and its many bazaars provide several exotic attractions. These include elegant Afghan carpets, beautiful onyx curios, traditional silver and bronze jewelery, exquisite pashmina shawls, leather jackets and snake skin purses.

Karachi is also home to a number of buildings that reflect the glory of the British Raj and are excellent examples of Anglo-Indian architecture. This includes a number of churches and municipal buildings. The Karachi Port Trust is another brilliant example of this. Other sites worth visiting include The Defence Housing Society Mosque with its single white dome, the largest of its kind in the world and the Zoroastrian Towers of Silence.

LAHORE
The Cultural capital

If Karachi is the commercial hub of Pakistan, Lahore can undoubtedly be classified as the country’s cultural, educational and artistic center. With its beautiful parks and gardens, its clash of Moghul and colonial architecture, and its congested streets and bazaars, it’s not hard to see why.

The Old City, which at one time used to be the center of Moghul society and culture, is the highlight of Lahore. It is home to the Lahore Fort, filled with stately palaces, halls and gardens and the Badshahi Mosque. Another spectacular testament to Moghul culture in Lahore are the Shalimar Gardens

here are many interesting spots for visitors in modern Lahore as well. These include the Lahore Museum (the biggest and best in the country); Kim’s Gun, the cannon immortalised in Rudyard Kipling’s classic Kim; the Minar-e-Pakistan which marks the spot where the Pakistan Resolution was passed on March 23, 1940; and Changa Manga, a man-made forest, originally planted and irrigated by the British to provide wood for railway engines.

Food is a large part of traditional Lahori culture. From lassi (a yoghurt drink) and parathas (flat, round bread fried in oil) for breakfast to barbecued seekh kebabs for dinner and mithai (sweetmeats) for afters, Lahoris are serious when it comes to food. The Lahore Food Street, set against a backdrop of Moghul architectural façades, provides a spectacular array of the best dishes in Pakistani cuisine and is very popular with visitors.

ISLAMABAD
The capital of Pakistan

Islamabad is the seat of the government of Pakistan. Nestled in the Margalla Hills, the foothills of the Himalayas in northern Punjab, Islamabad is modern, spacious and carefully planned a city of wide, tree-lined streets, large houses, elegant public buildings and well-organized bazaars.

Being the federal capital of the country, most of Islamabad’s landmarks are government buildings. One such building is the Aiwan-e-Sadar (Presidency), the official residence of the Head of State. Other government buildings include the Parliament House and the Supreme Court Building.

Of the many sights worth seeing in the city, none is as spectacular as the Shah Faisal Mosque, mentioned in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest mosque in the world. Situated against the backdrop of the picturesque Margalla Hills, the mosque is dedicated to the memory of the late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia.

Islamabad also has a number of beautiful parks to its credit. The Shakarparian Park offers the best view of Islamabad and the Margalla Hills. The Rose and Jasmine Garden and the Daman-e-Koh Viewpoint are also famous for the spectacular views they offer.