This land is a witness to vicissitudes of history and civilizations with profound effects on its people, their languages and culture.

Pakistan traces its history back to at least 2500 year before Christ, when a highly developed civilization flourished in the Indus Valley area. Excavations at Harrapa, Moenjodaro and Kot Diji have brought to light the evidence of an advanced civilization, existing even in most ancient times. Around 1500 BC the Aryans overwhelmed this region, by and by, influenced the Hindu civilization, whose center moved to the Ganges valley, further to East. Later, the Persians occupied the Northern regions in the 5^th century, up to the 2^nd century BC. There are several stupas and monastries of the Gandhara civilization which date back from 6^th Century when it formed part of the Achaemenid Empire of Persia (330 to518 BC). The Greeks came in 327 BC under Alexander the Great from Macedonia. Since then it remained under the successive domination of the Mauryans, the Bactrian Greeks, Scythians, Parthians, Kushanas and Sasanians, till its final destruction by the White Huns in the 5^th century AD. In 712 AD the Arabs led by Muhammad Bin Qasim, landed in the Southern coast near Karachi and ruled the lower parts of Pakistan for two hundred years. During this period Islam took to the roots and influenced the life, culture and traditions of the people.