We live in a multi-ethnic country that has embraced diversity. Since the emergence of Pakistan on the world’s map, the country has had ethnic and communication differences among its people and ethnicity in Pakistan have existed since its very origin.
As community builders, it's our duty to understand the diversity of culture and try to see the beauty of different cultures of different ethnic groups in Pakistan.
However, Culture plays an important role in everyone’s lives. It influences their views, their perceptions, their hopes and fears, their worries, their concerns, and loyalties. So when you are living and working with people, it helps to create some perspective and understanding of their culture.
On top of that when we move forward and explore the cultural characteristics of different ethnic groups, it is also important for us to think that how much we have in common.
Thus, it is very clear that in order to build strong relations and communities that are successful at rising up their conditions and solving their problems, we need to have that sense to understand and appreciate many cultures around us, establishing good relationships with people who belong to other culture than our own.
Ethnicity, which relates to a group of people who have their own shared common characteristics that differentiate them from most the other people in the same society. Pakistan being a richly diverse culture country, the society largely consists of multilingual, multi-ethnic and multicultural.
The Pakistani society which comprises various cultures and ethnic communities that majorly involve Punjabi, Sindhi, Baloch, Pashtun, Seraiki, Mohair, Kashmiri, Makrani, and the ancient Wakhi and Burusho groups in the north. There is no single language that can be said to be common to the whole population. Each of the languages has a powerful regional focus. Not only has this each language also added to the beauty of its community as well as a nation.
There are varieties of Pakistani music ranges from provincial folk music to traditional styles such as Ghazal, Qawwali, and other traditional and western music.
Although, both eastern and western style clothing is worn in Pakistan the shalwar qameez is more common. People belong from different ethnic groups still wear their own cultural dresses.
Folk dances are still popular in Pakistan and they vary according to the region. The folk dances of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are Attan, Khattak dance, and Chitrali dance. The folk dances of Punjab are Bhangra, Luddi, and Sammi, while Jhoomar is the folk dance of the Seraiki region. Famous folk dances of Balochistan are Lewa and Chap. While Dhamma and Ho Jamalo are the popular folk dances mostly performed in Sindh.
Similarly, different communities have their own style of cooking and their special dishes.
People from all over Pakistan love to visit different places as they enjoy knowing the beauty of other communities. Different kind of food, dance, music, language adds to the beauty of a nation.
No matter what, we all need to understand and appreciate many cultures and ethnic communities around us because every community has its own beauty that makes as a source of strength for a nation to become One Great Country.