Business culture of Pakistan

Business etiquette in Pakistan has its own national and religious characteristics, which are important to consider when conducting business negotiations and communicating with Pakistani partners. The culture and traditions of this country have a great influence on business processes, so knowing the basics of Pakistani business etiquette will help avoid misunderstandings and conflict situations.

Greeting

Greeting is an important part of a meeting and is traditionally given a lot of time in Pakistan. When interacting with a Pakistani partner, do not rush to immediately discuss business issues. Instead, invest time in the greeting process. This will help strengthen your relationship.

The accepted form of greeting in the Pakistani business environment is a handshake. Men who are friends can hug or pat each other on the arm, shoulder, or back. Quite formal and polite relations have been maintained with foreign colleagues for a very long time.

A handshake is necessarily accompanied by a verbal greeting, which is also accepted in the Arab world: “As-salamu alaikum,” which means “Peace be with you.” In response, you need to say “Wa-alaikum as-salaam,” which means “Peace be with you.”

If your conversation with a Pakistani colleague is conducted in English, do not be surprised when, in response to the greeting “Hello,” and the polite question “How are you?” your colleague will start talking about how he is doing. In Pakistan, it is customary to truly answer this question, and not limit yourself to the formal phrase “I’m fine, thank you,” as is done in many countries of the world.

Body contact, as well as eye contact, between different sexes is not accepted due to Muslim traditions, which are strong in this state. Foreign women should wait for the man's initiative before extending his hand to greet. The same applies to foreign men, who should pay attention to the woman’s behavior in this situation.

The traditional Pakistani greeting in formal communication situations is the gesture of the right hand, which the speaker places on the chest in the area of the heart. At the same time, the speaker tilts his head slightly, as if bowing to another person. With this gesture, the speaker expresses his sincere feelings and respect for the interlocutor. This form of greeting is also accepted in Arab countries, for example, in Iraq.

When greeting a Pakistani colleague for the first time, be as respectful and respectful as possible.

In this country, it is customary to greet someone older in age and position first. Most likely, such a person will not start a conversation himself, but will support a younger interlocutor if he starts a conversation.

Presentation

There are several naming traditions in Pakistan, which vary depending on a person's ethnic group, region, clan or religion. Most Pakistani names have Arabic, Indo-Persian and Turkish roots.

Family or clan identity is of great importance and is traditionally treated with great respect. For this reason, many Pakistanis add the name of their family or clan to their surname.

Job titles, professional qualifications, academic titles and degrees are of great importance in Pakistan. These regalia help determine the status of the interlocutor and understand his position in the company/organization. Therefore, when addressing a partner, especially during first meetings or in formal communication situations, always first state the position / title / degree and only then the partner’s last name.

If the position, professional qualification, degree or title of your partner is unknown to you (or they simply do not exist), use polite forms of address, namely: Mr, Ms, Mrs, Miss, followed by the person’s last name.

Colleagues and peers call each other by name. Foreign partners should not proactively start addressing people by name. Wait until your Pakistani colleague asks you to do this.

Many Pakistani women keep their maiden name after marriage because Islamic law does not require a change of name after marriage.

Exchange business cards

In business practice in Pakistan, business cards are usually exchanged at the beginning of the meeting.

Business cards must contain all the necessary standard information, including first and last name, position, company name, current contact information.

If you have academic degrees or titles, such as master's, candidate or doctorate, indicate them on the business card. Your status will certainly increase because education is highly valued in Pakistan.

Pakistan is a multinational and multilingual state. The official languages of the state are Urdu and English. And although the latter can be considered a colonial legacy of Great Britain, it is accepted and widely practiced in Pakistan. For this reason, the business card text can be written in English.

There is no special ritual when handing over a business card in business practice in Pakistan. However, we must remember that business cards, like any other papers or documents, should be passed with the right hand, not the left.

When your colleague from Pakistan hands you a business card, take it with both hands and pay attention to the text of the business card, thereby showing respect to your interlocutor.

Once you receive your business card, do not handle it carelessly, such as putting it aside, writing on it, or bending it.

Small talk: the big picture

Small talk is of great importance in business practice in Pakistan; it is a kind of prelude to the actual negotiations. It is important for Pakistani businessmen to get to know their potential partners better, as establishing relationships is at the heart of any business. During such conversations, a feeling of trust develops between partners — a very important category in the East.

Keep in mind that in the Pakistani culture of communication, personal topics are not taboo topics. You may be asked if you are married and how many children you have, what kind of education you have, and even what religions are accepted in your culture and what religion you profess.

Never be hasty during small talk. By trying to quickly move on to discussing business issues, your project may end before it even begins. Show sincere interest in your partner, his interests, preferences, for example, in sports or travel. Be natural, friendly and interested.

When communicating, especially in the company of older people, it is important to be as polite and courteous as possible. Pakistanis, as a rule, treat guests with special respect and expect the same treatment when they go on a visit.

At the initial stage of development of business relations, Pakistanis, as a rule, behave somewhat formally and rather reservedly, believing that the display of emotions, including loud speech and expressive behavior, is evidence of immaturity and lack of experience.

As in other countries, representatives of the younger generation are less formal and have a rather relaxed and casual style of communication.

Preferred themes

Family issues have traditionally been an important topic of conversation in Pakistani society. Show personal interest in your partner, inquire about his health and affairs, and ask questions about his family. Avoid mentioning female family members.

At the same time, share information about yourself. It will be important for your partner to know about your background, education, experience, qualifications, etc.

Your Pakistani colleague will certainly appreciate your positive statements about the rich history and culture of this eastern country. Pakistanis are proud of their heritage and their past achievements.

Pakistan is known for its festivals, national celebrations, and cultural events. Some of them are religious in nature, such as the Day of Sacrifice, Eid al-Adha. However, there are also a number of secular holidays that are widely celebrated in this country, for example, Independence Day or Pakistan Day.

You can also discuss topics:

• travel, including cities and attractions to visit in Pakistan
• sports, especially cricket.
• relevant business issues.
• food, food, kitchen.

Taboo topics

The topic of family is generally popular in Pakistani business culture, but questions and conversations about the female half of the family — wives, mothers, sisters and especially daughters — should refrain.

Religion and everything related to Islam is a rather sensitive topic that is best not touched upon in conversation. Do not allow yourself to make statements that even remotely sound like criticism.

Political topics are best avoided altogether, especially discussions of what is happening in the region, for example, the conflict between India and Pakistan over disputed territories in the Kashmir region.

When communicating with Pakistani colleagues, do not touch upon the politics of other states, especially Israel and the United States.

Avoid discussing local issues, even if you are familiar with them.

Comfortable communication distance

In this culture, the distance of comfortable communication is less than, for example, in the countries of Central and Northern Europe or in the USA. This, in particular, is due to the fact that people are used to living rather crowded lives; they feel comfortable communicating while being less than half a meter away from the interlocutor.

This should not be regarded as offensive or even aggressive behavior. Try not to try to increase this distance by, for example, taking a step back, as this will be perceived negatively.

If Pakistani men stand quite close to each other during a conversation, then when a woman appears, the distance between the speakers increases significantly.

Pakistanis can be described as active and emotional interlocutors. When communicating, Pakistanis gesture quite actively and generally use body language frequently.

Physical touching is an essential part of oral communication in Pakistani society. These include pats on the shoulder, arm, back, and long handshakes. This, of course, applies only to men, who under no circumstances should touch women.

Maintain light eye contact with your Pakistani partner while communicating. Staring directly will be considered rude behavior.

Features of communication

Pakistan is a multinational state and a multi-ethnic state, so the style and manner of communication may vary depending on which ethnic group you are dealing with.

In general, the speech of Pakistanis is not straightforward. On the contrary, their statements often contain subtext, which is formed under the influence of factors such as the relationship between the speakers, their status in society, and the communication situation itself. Of particular importance in this case are understatements, certain gestures and facial expressions, intonation, as well as the meanings of individual words that are understandable only to native speakers of this culture.

In Pakistani society, there is an unconditional emphasis on relationships between people, and to maintain them it is important to be tactful, avoid harsh judgments and generally not express your thoughts too straightforwardly.

Avoiding harsh statements primarily refers to the word “no,” which many try not to use in speech, since it can lead to loss of face and thereby disrupt harmony. If the speaker still needs to express a negative answer, in Pakistan such a statement will look rather evasive.

During the conversation, try not to ask general questions that require a “yes” answer. or (especially) “no,” especially if your question can be interpreted as a request. Your partner may agree to do what is asked of him, but it will be something he does not want to do. Instead of a direct refusal, he will politely but evasively agree. It is important to catch some non-verbal signs of his true intention. The way consent was expressed — warm and emotional or restrained and cautious — may serve as a definite clue.

Such hidden meanings are well understood in Pakistani society. However, foreigners will have to spend time understanding them and learning to respond to them adequately. Therefore, during communication, carefully and unobtrusively clarify what your partner said.

If you are sitting at a low table or on the floor during an event, pay attention to the position you take. Your partner should not see the sole of your shoes; this is considered a very rude gesture, even an insult, since feet are considered a dirty part of the body.