How far has Pakistan come on the Internet? The state-owned telecom monopoly puts user estimates to 2 million in Pakistan, with an impressive 800+ cities and towns connected. We think that’s overestimated guesswork. We’ve kept a close watch over the web development scene, reviewing and rating hundreds of Pakistani websites. Why not sample some of the best?


Chat

Chowk.com: A discussion forum. Plus reviews on latest books, music and movies.

Desichat.com: Desichat is a forum for the old and young alike. The site includes chat rooms like sohani shaam, chandani raatain, student center, and adabi corner etc.

Gupshup.org: Welcome to Pakistan largest discussion board as the site claims. Covers numerous varied topics from arts, sports, science & tech, careers, business, lifestyle, tourism. Whew, the list goes on and on.

Pakcrawler.com: The ultimate Pakistani gupshup corner with live chat. Has a straightforward interface with lots of chat channels ranging from cooking, entertainment and job search.

Computing

Tee Emm’s BlogSpot: Looking to separate myth from reality? Tee Emm has the last word on the IT and Internet scene in the country.

PakData: Pak Data Management Services has an illustrative portfolio for Urdu software, featuring Urdu documentation applications.

Directories

EPakistan.com: A comprehensive simple directory on Pakistan with a cool touch. Offers free email, local news headlines, weather and eCards.

Medisure.com.pk: A resourceful site on Medical news, first aid tips, resources, governing laws and policies on medicine, search, chat and lots more.

Pakavenue: This is an index of Pakistani resources covering all spheres from business industry to fashion and entertainment. Updated daily this is a one-stop for everything Pakistani.

Pakranks: This web guide ranks the homegrown websites. You can search by category ranging from education to religion.Submit your website to get it ranked.

ETaleem: This information rich and elegant website spreads education through a variety of ways. It provides daily news updates; student services for studies and future careers; a jobs and resume database; tips for interviews and much more.

Paknews.com: The oldest of the lot this is a directory newsful of Pakistan. With an urdu version also available online paknews still proves to be a useful resource.


Email and Greetings

Ajrak: This is a Search engine and an Email client covering websites relating to the countries of south Asia. It offers comprehensive web guide of Pakistan

Merapakistan.com: Formerly known as Pakistan Zone, MeraPakistan offers free services to Pakistanis home and abroad. It is one of the few portals that offer free services to its users. And free is always good!

Inbox.com.pk: Powered by Everyone.net, Inbox.com.pk was launched in October 1999 and is solely for those who only wish to send and receive mails. With due credit for its simplistic style, lack of information about the site is greatly felt.

Proudpakistani.net: This website offers free e-mail service and boasts of a 6 MB space.

Eid Mubarak: “Eid Mubarak cards - hundreds of cards to choose from!” This site takes the cake for the most condensed version of card categories available on the Net at the moment. The categories range from Everyday, General, Islamic, National (with a “Select a country” option), Nature and Occasions. Short but sweet.

Etaza: If there is one word that can describe the US-based Etaza.com, it’s classy. The site is a one-stop gift-cum-card shop that creatively segregates its offerings into Choorian, Meetha Pal, Classic Gifts, Flowers and Free Postcards. It’s hard to describe, but the atmosphere on the site reeks of giving and receiving.

UrduCards: Cards in Urdu – and even the French claim it to be the most romantic language in the world. The most poetic greetings site of all covered here

E-Zines

Pakistanbiz.com: Pakistan first electronic publisher. Purchase Investment guide, Exports directory of Pakistan, IT directory, trade directory of Pakistan and lots of other useful resourceful publications on CD ROMs.

Contact Pakistan: Is a community welfare organization and offer career counseling, legal and investment advice plus much more.

Nice Pakistan: Touted to be the ‘complete Pakistani site’, NicePakistan.com takes you into the annals of history and geography of the country, along with providing a picture gallery of the country highlighting all its niceties. In addition to this the directory offers regular features like links to art, entertainment, education etc.

Pakdate: This is a site with a difference. Focusing on letting people get in touch with each other, it provides a free email account along with an e-pals section. There is also a personals section whereby you can find your dream match! An interesting feature is the modeling network where you get a chance to become a model.

GetPakistan: This is another site that offers information on Pakistan like arts and entertainment, celebrity profiles, the latest news in showbiz, tips for women etc. If you need help with travel plans, this is the place to be.

Jobs

Jobshejobs.com: This job site is dedicated to providing help to talented and enterprising Pakistanis in finding suitable employment within the country and abroad. With a focused vision, the creators have developed a service that will introduce the recruiting function into the country at a professional level.

Jobspk.com: Initiated by Kalia Group, the employers and employees have to place their CVs and Ads. They are contacted via e-mail if they have a suitable match. Kalia group claims to provide a platform to the employers and employees and play a role in decreasing the rate of unemployment in the country. It is a good resource that saves you from the hassle of going through the newspapers.

WOW resume: Here’s an idea: why not put your resume up on a flash website? WOW lets you use flash to create the resume that can catch the attention of any potential boss; all you do is pay them a little money, give them the information, and they will do all the dirty work for you. Nice stuff.

How to Write a Good Resume: This site actually tells you how to write a professional resume rather than letting a computer do all the dirty work for you. It gives the qualities you MUST have, the types of resumes, and how to make it professional. Good site, but the fact that it is one paragraph may be a drawback.

Job Interview: In the job market, your first impression could get you that position you always wanted. This site shows how to make yourself seem impressive during your interview with regards to what you wear, how you answer the questions, and what type of questions you answer.

Urdu Zone

BBC Urdu: The most professional and rich in content urdu website that enables users to download urdu font from the site.

Urdunet: This is a user-friendly urdu portal that not only boasts of urdu adab but also gives links for news and urdu literature.

Urdustan: This is one of the oldest urdu websites around. Urdustan is an interactive site that not only provides links to other urdu resources but also has content of its own.

Urdutimes: A bilingual urdu newspaper that caters to the Urdu community and allows users keep abreast with happenings in their home country

LIWAL: gives software downloads in Urdu and other regional languages of Pakistan.