Pakistan

Pakistan is predominantly a rural society with great diversity in both demographic and geographic terms. It is largely closed in character with religion, family, clan, parochial belonging, and social stratification as dominant networking features. Relations are based on traditional channels of communication, which are gradually giving way to technological developments. In terms of population, Pakistan is the second-largest Muslim country and the sixth-largest country in the world. Hence, the understanding of social networking and its dynamics in Pakistan can be useful for the students of social sciences and related disciplines.

In a heterogeneous society, religion has provided remarkable homogeneity, which is also the single largest social networking source. Religion is the pivot around many occasions of social interaction, such as daily prayers; Eid congregations (similar to Christmas and Easter); religious processions of sectarian belonging (Ashura and Milad-un-Nabi); annual festivals at saints' shrines; Qur'an recitations; Naat Khawani and Milad praise gatherings; religious institutions; speeches of religious scholars; periodic preaching meetings; births and funerals and their extended rituals (Aqeeqa Qul, and Chaliswan, respectively); and death anniversaries. Some extremist religious groups are also extending their reach and impact in the name of Islam, of late in northern parts of the country loosely called the Taliban, but their activities are negligible in number in comparison with the vast majority of moderate Muslims. Further, their networking has received serious setbacks after successive defeats at the hands of the Pakistan army and its military allies.

The religious minorities (Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, and Parsis) also use their religious ceremonies like Christmas and Diwali for social networking. With very few exceptions, there is no concept of bars and clubs, since alcohol is strictly prohibited in Islam. Other forms of minorities' social interactions mostly revolve around their religious brotherhood.

Family and its extensions in different forms—Biradri (brotherhood, from the same descent), tribe, caste, and clan—is the second most important social networking source. In this closed society, women and most of the men develop their social relations through family gatherings and within family ties. Occasions, including those religious in nature, like marriages, child births, birthdays, aqeeqas (animal sacrifice for young children), funerals and their rituals, anniversaries, and engagements, as well as family visits, develop and strengthen social linkages.

Besides the religious and family-oriented events, which cut across the rural-urban divide, villagers find other opportunities for social interaction. These include male-specific gatherings (called Chopal, Baithak, or [Page 692]Jirga, depending on provincial and linguistic belonging); fairs and festivals; workplaces; neighborhoods; and friendship circles. In a village community, much social interaction revolves around crops. Plowing, watering, and sowing the fields and fertilizing, harvesting, storing, transporting, and selling crops in the markets help to link people closely with each other. Women are equal partners in most crop-related activities. In all of these circumstances, physical presence and participation is a significant feature. However, people use postal and telephonic channels to communicate with their friends and family members, although it is not the preferred mode of social communion.

A local Pakistani woman works to help girls get an education. Educated Pakistanis are more likely to use online networking.

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