Etiquette in Pakistan

• There is very strong combine-family system. Elders are respected heartily and get love and honor from youngsters, even if they are strangers and meeting each other for the very first time in any consequence.
  Guests are honored delightfully and treated with love and respect, as it is a Pakistani quote that," Guest is a blessing of God". So, relatives, colleagues, friends and people from neighborhood feel happy and cheerful to meet and stay connected with each other.

• Relatives, co-workers, neighbors,friends and mates stay united in every joy and sorrow and compete with each other in helping their friend in problem.
• Friendships are very stronger and friends love each other without a reason and can do anything to make them laugh.
• Pakistan is so stranger-friendly that everyone feels free in communicating with others.
• It is considered rude to introduce yourself to strangers, it is generally advisable to ask some mutual acquaintance to introduce you. Strangers will speak with each other in the "formal" register of Urdu, and using the familiar register will be seen as very rude.
• People of opposite sex do not shake hands when they greet each other. It is sometimes usual among men to put their right hand on their chest (heart) after shaking hands but friends and relatives hug each other when they meet.

In urban Sindh and in other parts of the country, men and women usually lower their head and lift their hand to their forehead to make the "adab" gesture when greeting each other.

• When being introduced to elders or strangers while seated it is customary to get up as sign of respect.
• It is advisable to ask a person how they wish to be addressed.

English is widely spoken and understood in major cities. The local dialect is called Pakistani English.

If at all possible, try not to schedule meetings during Ramadan. The workday is shortened, and since Muslims fast, they will not be able to offer you tea, which is a sign of hospitality.

Meetings are not scheduled at namaz time.


Greetings tend to be lengthy as Pakistanis will always ask polite formal questions about one's family, health, and business success before talking about other subjects. One should not become frustrated by what seems like a purely social conversation as Pakistanis prefer to work with people they know and will want to get to know you. They are also very hospitable and enjoy foreign guests. As a way to get to know you, Pakistanis may ask very personal questions. Try not to get embarrassed and do your best to answer them. Generally, Pakistanis do not use first names unless they are close friends, so ask a person how they wish to be addressed when first meeting. Once you are told how to address someone do not shorten the name as Pakistanis commonly use several names that denote the person's tribal affiliation, class, or status

Pakistanis love to visit among friends and family. Women especially like to regularly visit other women as this may be their only time to get out of the house and interact with others. The act of hospitality is a cherished social custom that bestows honor, pride, and integrity upon the family. The more guests received the more respect a family is given. Families, even if they are extremely poor, will go out of their way to make their guests feel welcomed by giving gifts or the best food and drink in their home. Food, meat in particular, can be scarce especially throughout rural areas. Therefore, sharing of meat is truly an act of hospitality. Being generous and offering the best the family has elevates the honor of the host. This also fulfills their duty as a faithful Muslim by following the Qur'an's order to give freely and help others. Because hospitality is a very important part of society, an invitation should be readily accepted.

The usual drink of choice in Pakistan is tea mixed with milk or a type of butter. People take great pride in serving tea to guests and will use their best cups and tea kettles. Sharing tea with others is a great act of kindness, a way to bond, and serves as a way to gauge the relationship between individuals. The more times you share tea together the more comfortable a person becomes with you. As a Baltistan proverb says "The first time you share tea, you are a stranger. The second time, you are an honored guest. The third time you become family". Tea then contains a spiritual element, especially when offered within a home, as it implies a public acknowledgement of acceptance and protection.

 

Pakistanis also go out of the way to praise; be ready to be flattered and to flatter others. It is common for Pakistanis to converse in a non-controversial manner. They say things like they "will try" to do something rather than saying they "cannot" or "will not" be able to something.