The province of Sindh derives its name from river Sindhu, the Indus. Due to scanty rainfall (211.7 millimeters annum), its climate ranks among the hottest and most variable in the country. In summer, the temperature soars up to 49°C at some places. In the northern part is situated Jaccobabad which is said to be one of the hottest places in the world. In winter, the temperature varies between 5°C and 27°C. The total area of Sindh is 140,914 square kilometers.

River Indus dominates the life and economy of Sindh. The plain from north to south slopes at an average of about 2.5 inches per kilometer. Thus, the river bed is often above the general level of the plain which necessitates embankments against floods.

According to the 1981 census, the population of Sindh is 19.029 million, of which 43.3 per cent is urban and 56.7 per cent rural. The sex ratio is 110 males (9.999 million) to 100 females (9.030 million). This abnormal proportion is due to expatriate labor from other provinces. Sind has 23.34 per cent of the country’s total and the highest ratio of urban population (43.4 per cent) against the national average of 28 per cent. Its capital,

Karachi, is the biggest city and also a port and contains the main chunk of urban population. Administratively, the province is divided into three Divisions, namely, Hyderabad, Sukkur and Karachi.

Economy

Sindh’s contribution to the Gross Domestic Product of the country is over 3O per cent and its share in the industrial production of selected manufactured items ranges upto 50 per cent. Rice and cotton represent highest share among the agricultural products. The province is surplus in sugar, cement, vegetable ghee, cigarettes, rice and cotton. Sindh was the first to attain self-sufficiency in wheat.

Heavy Industry

With the inflow of men and materials, a number of industrial centers were developed all over the province, particularly Karachi, Hyderabad, Kotri and Sukkur. More than 50 per cent of Pakistan’s heavy industry is located in Sindh. The only steel mill of the country, two oil refineries, the Shipyard and Engineering Works, Machine Tool Factory and automobile assembly units are all located in Karachi. Other major industries are cotton textiles, woolen fabrics, sugar, cement, vegetable ghee, cigarettes, ready-made garments, fertilizers, safety matches and electronics.

Export Processing Zone

An Export Processing Zone has been set up in Karachi to attract foreign investment, ensure cheap and speedier transfer of modern technology and boost up production and export of manufactured goods. A variety of incentives and tax relieves have been provided for the investors.

Small Industries

Small industries are spread all over the province and manufactured goods in this sector account for around 50 percent of the total exports. The Sindh Small Industries Corporation has established industrial estates at Sukkur, Larkana and Hyderabad and three industrial parks at Bhirya, Sehwan and Mirpur Khas and the Artisans’ Workshop at Malir in Karachi.

Agriculture

As in the rest of the country, agriculture is the mainstay of Sindh’s economy. Wheat, rice and cotton are its principal crops. In 1984-85, wheat was sown on 1,034,000 hectares of land in the province, which gave a production of 2,100,000 metric tons. In the same year, cotton was sown on 671,090 hectares of land, which gave a production of 1,476,000 bales.

Agricultural expansion in Sindh is tied to the irrigation system. With the construction of the Kotri (1955) and the Guddu (1962) Barrages over the Indus, in addition to the Sukkur Barrage (1932), substantial areas were brought under the plough. Gross commanded areas on all the three Barrages is 14,917,000 acres, out of which perennial cultivated area is 13,196,000 acres. A

number of farm water management schemes were completed in recent years for avoiding unnecessary wastages, while the introduction of new and improved seeds, fertilizers and modern machinery and initiation and implementation of various schemes to combat salinity and water logging, have made it possible to increase per acre yield of various crops substantially.

Livestock

Sindh’s red cow is well-known for its rich milk. Other livestock populations are substantial. Adequate steps have been taken for their breeding, protection and preservation with the opening of around ten artificial insemination centers and setting up of over 450 veterinary hospitals, dispensaries and centers. A special program is under implementation for making the imported improved breeds to suit local climatic conditions.

Poultry

Poultry breeding experienced tremendous expansion around Karachi and Hyderabad in recent years. Research in reducing mortality and increasing egg-laying capacity yielded excellent results.

Fisheries

There are over 400 private fish farms in Sindh. Work on the Aquaculture Development Project is nearing completion. The project being implemented with the assistance of Asian Development Bank, will raise fish production from 24,000 metric tons to 48,000 metric tons. A scheme of carp fry collection and distribution facilities was completed in Sindh last year. Karachi Fish Harbor is being improved, while a new fish harbor is to be set up at Korangi Creek. Paila, pamphlet and prawns are some of the most delicious fishes available in Sindh.

Forestry and Wildlife

Under the Mass-scale Tree Plantation Scheme, 0.61 million container plants were raised in Sindh, while 0.41 million plants were maintained and bedded-nursery was prepared on a substantial area of land. The Kirthar National Park, which covers an area of 1,192 square miles, is the sanctuary of Sindh wild goats, wild sheep, cinkara, gazelles, leopards etc. Many other mammals, birds and reptiles are found in the Park. Sindh ibex, which was on the verge of extinction, has been rescued and its population now numbers around 4,000.

Natural Resources

Sind has major deposits of metallic, non-metallic and fuel minerals. The igneous rocks in Nagar Parkar area and the sedimentary rocks near Jungshahi are used for building purposes. There are about 400 salt lakes on both sides of Nara Canal. Common salt and soda ash are being extracted from these lakes. There are huge deposits of coal at Lakhra in Dadu district, Meting, Jhimpir and Sonda area in Thatta district. The Lakhra deposits are being used for power generation. Oil fields have also been discovered in Sind, notable being Khaskheli in Badin district which is producing around 5,000 barrels of crude oil per day. Natural gas was also discovered in various places of Sindh, notable ones being Man, Khairpur and Kandhkot. The Marl deposit is the second largest in the country with recoverable reserves estimated at 3,942 million c.ft.

Education

There are six universities in Sindh with an enrolment of about 20,000 students. They include University of Karachi; N.E.D. Engineering University, Karachi; Agriculture University, Tando Jam; Mehran University of Engineering and Technology; University of Sindh at Jamsboro; Shah Lateef Campus, Khairpur and Aga Khan University of Health Sciences. There are five medical colleges in the province; six law colleges, three colleges of teachers education, 109 degree colleges, 47 intermediate colleges, 930 high schools, 900 middle schools, and 16,537 primary schools including mosque schools, but excluding private schools whose number is around 150. At the college level, the enrolment is about 115,000 students, while at the primary level, it is 1.720 million and at the secondary level 0.649 million. Under the Women’s Division program, more than 550 women centers are working in Sind with the aim of raising income-generating activities. There are also polytechnic institutes for women at Karachi and Sukkur, hostels for working women at Hyderabad and Sukkur and community centers for women in 15 towns of the province.

Places of Tourist Interest

Known as the cradle of many ancient civilizations, Sindh has many archaeological sites, besides places of tourist interests.

Karachi

The throbbing metropolis of Sindh, fascinating for its variety of people, customs and traditions, can boast of a number of five-star hotels of international standards, bazaars with a mixture of oriental and modern touches, interesting spots for picnicking, sailing, swimming, fishing or simply sight-seeing and strolling on sunny sea-beaches at Sandspit, Hawkesbay, Paradise Point and Clifton. Places with sports facilities, include the gigantic Sports Complex offering almost all the indoor games, besides tennis courts, a fine swimming pool and ‘squash courts, considered to be finest in the world. The Hill Park has an 18-hole mini golf course.

There is the National Museum with an interesting collection of ancient sculptures, carvings, coins and other relics from the past. It has a gallery in which 11,000 rare manuscripts are on display and another gallery exhibiting impressive ethnological materials. There are also the Frere Hall Library, Wazir Mansion (the birth place of Quaid-i-Azam), the Karachi~ University Archives, the modern tall Lower of Habib Bank, the inverted bowl-shaped Defense Housing Society Mosque, the Aga Khan Jamaatkhana, and, above all the outstanding monument, the mausoleum of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Au Jinnah with its dome dominating the skyline and its architecture combining~ classical oriental concepts with modern design and planning. A delicate and glittering chandelier presented by the People’s Republic of China is a feast for the eyes of all visitors at the Quaid’s mausoleum. On the outskirts of the city are sulphur springs of Manghopir, where the legendary crocodiles guard the grave of Saint Mangho. Nearby is the sprawling Sind Industrial Trading Estate (SITE) where more than 400 industrial units are located. The gigantic Pakistan Steel Mills at Pipri and the nearby Port Qasim are also interesting places to see.

Bhambore

About 64 kilometers east of Karachi, on the National Highway, is an interesting archaeological site, Bhambore, originally the sea-port of Debal where the young Arab warrior Mohammad Bin Qasim landed his armies in 711 A.D. Three different periods in Sindh history coincide here: the Scytho-Parthians, the Hindu-Buddhist and the early Islamic. There is a museum and a rest house at the site.

Thatta

Once a famous centre of learning, arts and commerce and provincial capital for about four centuries in the past, Thatta is situated 98 kilometers east of Karachi. Today, it is notable for the Jamia Masjid built by the Moghal Emperor Shah Jehan, and the Makli Tombs (lSth.l7th centuries), a vast necropolis spread over 15.5 square kilometers, depicting exquisite specimens of architecture, stone carvings and glazed tile decorations.

Keenjhar Lake

Some 24 kilometers north of Thatta, slumbers a big man-made Keenjhar Lake, which is 20 miles long and six miles wide, and has facilities for angling and boating. PTDC motels offer food and accommodation.

Kirthar Park

Located about 48 kilometers from Karachi in the midst of the barren rocks of the Kirthar Range in Dadu district, near Thano Boola Khan is the Kirthar National Park. Designed and planned with the help of the Research and Planning Group of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, the park is approved and recognised by International Wildlife bodies. It is the last bastion of a wide variety of the region’s wildlife that includes Sindh ibex, urial, deer, leopard, grey partridges and Houbara bustard. The Sindh Wildlife Management Board plans tours and provides transport from Karachi.

Hyderabad

Situated at about 164 kilometers north-east of Karachi, Hyderabad was the capital of Sindh during the reign of the Talpur Mirs in the 18th and 19th centuries. Today, it is known for the Sindh University, Jamshoro; the provincial Museum; the Institute of Sindhology and the Sindhi Adabi Board and also for colourful handicrafts such as glass bangles, glazed tiles, lacquered wood furniture, handloom cloth called ‘soosi’, block-printed ‘Ajrak’, leather shoes etc. Historic monuments include old Mud Fort, Sheikh Makai Fort, Kaihoro Monuments, Talpur Monuments and Miani Forest.

Hala

Hala is famous for its glazed pottery and enameled wood work. Situated on the National Highway about 56 kilometers from Hyderabad, it is frequently visited by hundreds of devotees of Hazrat Makhdoom Noah (10th century Hijra), a contemporary of Mughal Emperor Akbar and a religious divine, who converted a large numier of people to Islam and also translated the Holy Quran into Persian which is one of the earliest Persian translations of the Holy Book in South Asia.

Bhitshah

Situated at about 56.32 kilometers from Hyderabad on the National Highway, Bhitshah is the resting place of Sindh’s renowned saint and mystic poet Hazrat Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai (1689-1752 A.D). He is remembered for the compendium of his poetry called ‘Risalo’, a treasure house of wisdom as well as romantic folklore and fine poetry. He also founded a musical tradition of his own which is still popular. Devotees sing with fervor and frenzy his love-intoxicated Kafis to the strains of ek-tara (single string instrument) mainly on the occasion of his ‘Urs’ held every year between 13th and 15th of Safar, the second Islamic lunar month.

Sehwan

Situated on the right bank of River Indus at a distance of 135.19 kilometers from Hyderabad, Sehwan is an old town of pre-Islamic period. Here are the remains of Kaf it Qila, a fort reported to have been constructed by Alexander. Currently, Sehwan is famous for the resting place of the great mystic poet, saint and scholar Shaikh Usman Marvandvi (1117-1274 A.D), popularly known as Shahbaz Qalandar whose mausoleum is visited by thousands of devotees throughout the year. During the Urs celebrations (18th Shah ban the eighth Islamic lunar month), devotees dance rhythmically and with total abandon to the beat of drums (Naqqara Dhamal), finally ending in a spiritual trance.

Manchar Lake

About 16 kilometers from Sehwan, Manchar, the largest fresh water lake in Asia, is as old as the river Indus. Spread over 98 square miles, it is a perfect spot for relaxing and the best location for duck-shooting during winter.

Daraza Sharif

Daraza Sharif, a small village, some 51.5 kilometers from Khairpur, is known for the tomb of Sachal Sarmast who was a great master of Islamic learning, lived a pious life and composed poetry in Sindhi, Seraiki, Persian and Urdu. Sachal Sarmast’s Urs is celebrated on 14th of Ramzan (9th month of Islamic lunar calendar).

Kot Diji

Kot Diji is regarded as one of the world’s most important archaeological sites, dating back to 3000 B.C., older than Moen-jo-daro and Harappa. Excavations made in 1955 unearthed an astoundingly well-organised city with a citadel that testifies to its being the finest fortified town in South Asian~ subcontinent.

Moen-jo-daro

About 563 kilometers from Karachi off the Indus Highway lie the world-famous ruins of Moen-jo-daro (the Mound of the Dead), now being preserved with UNESCO’s help. The museum at Moen-jo-daro is unique and a visit takes the mind centuries back when the place had a most civilized city and a humming river port. Air and train services are available from Karachi and an air-conditioned rest house has been built there.

Among other historical sites are Amri, Ranikot (the largest fort of its kind in the world), Umerkot (the birth place of Emperor Akbar) and the legendary Arab city of Mansura near Shahdadpur in Sanghar district. Other interesting places include Matiari, a town of old beautiful mosques and one of the centers of ‘Ajrak’. On its outskirts lie the ruins of a Buddhist stupa. Nasarpur is famous for ‘Khes’, exquisite embroidery, decorative pottery and wood work. It is also a holy place for the Hindu community.

Transport and Communications

The clay models of bullock carts discovered at Moen-jo-daro and the old Greek and Persian accounts of geographers and historians speak about the old communication system in Sindh. Independence gave impetus to road transport, and Sindh Road Transport Corporation was set up in 1948. In 1966, Lansdowne railway bridge connecting the twin cities of Sukkur and Rohri was converted into a road bridge, thereby providing transport facilities over the Indus, adding to four existing bridges. In 1968, Thatta-Sujawal bridge was built to market east bank produce to west bank settlements. Likewise, DaduMoro bridge was completed to provide further transport facilities in the region. In 1970, a four-lane super highway was constructed between Karachi and Kotri, reducing the distance by about 32 kilometers, as compared to the old Karachi-Thatta-Kotri section of the National Highway.

Arts and Crafts

The skill of the Sindhi craftsman continues to exhibit the 5000-year-old artistic tradition. The long span of time, punctuated by fresh and incessant waves of invaders and settlers, provided various exotic modes of design and finish, are matchless. The chief articles produced are blankets, coarse cotton cloth (Soosi) camel fittings, metal work, lacquered work, enamel, gold and silver embroidery. Hala is famous for pottery and tiles; Boobak for carpets; Nasirpur, Gambat and Thatta for cotton lungees and Khes. The earthenware of Johi, metal vessels of Shikarpur; relli, embroidery and leather articles of Tharparkar; lacquered work of Kandhkot — are some of the other popular crafts.

The pre-historic finds from different archaeological sites such as Moenjodaro, engravings in various graveyards and the architectural designs of Makli and other tombs provide ample evidence of the people in their literary and musical traditions.

Modern painting and calligraphy have also developed in recent times and some young trained men have taken up commercial art collections.

Cultural Heritage

Sindh has the proud privilege of being the first recipient of the message of Islam in South Asia. Its cultural heritage, therefore, depicts the tenets of Islam The people love poetry and music. Sindhi is the language of the vast majority of the people. It is an old language spoken with remarkable purity and grammatical accuracy. The first translation of the Holy Quran in South Asia was rendered in Sindhi during the rule of Hibbari Arabs in Mansura in district Sanghar. Muslim history is replete with the services of Sindhi scholars in the domain of Arabic and Persian literature, particularly on theology and the life of the Holy Prophet.

After independence, Sindhi literature has been enriched with new ideas taken from Urdu and regional languages. The influence of modern European thought on Sindhi poetry and short story is also evident. In Sindh, people from northern and south-western India have also settled after independence and this has caused flowering of a new culture reflecting a very happy synthesis in the cultural life of the people. There is a separate Culture Cell in the provincial Education Department, which gives aid to various cultural organisations for the promotion of arts, culture and literary activities.

Sports

Besides national games, such as cricket and hockey, volleyball and football are popular in Sindh. Among the niral sports, Kabbadi and Malakhro (Sindhi style wrestling) are popular throughout the province. The newly introduced karate is also getting popular. There is a Directorate of Sports in the Sindh Education Department which patronises sports in the province.