5 PKR #401

Front

The Khyber Pass gateway (Bab-e-Khyber), the historic mountain pass connecting Pakistan and Afghanistan through the Hindu Kush range. The pass has been a critical trade and invasion route for millennia, linking Central and South Asia. The fortified gate shown is a symbol of Pakistan's northwestern frontier and appears alongside railway tracks, representing the Khyber Pass Railway completed by the British in 1925, an engineering feat featuring 34 tunnels and 92 bridges through treacherous mountain terrain.

Back

National symbols of Pakistan including the crescent moon and five-pointed star from the Pakistani flag, representing progress and light/knowledge respectively, alongside geometric Islamic patterns. The design incorporates traditional Mughal decorative motifs with arabesque patterns, reflecting Pakistan's Islamic heritage and cultural identity established at independence in 1947.

History

This note belongs to the 1981-1982 issue series of Pakistani rupees, printed by the Pakistan Security Printing Corporation. The series was in circulation from 1981 until approximately 1999 when it was replaced by updated designs. The serial number prefix 'AZ' indicates a specific print run within this series. The Khyber Pass imagery emphasizes Pakistan's geopolitical and historical significance as a crossroads of civilizations, while the reverse celebrates the Islamic Republic's national identity through religious and cultural symbolism. This 5 rupee denomination was a common circulating note during Pakistan's economic development period of the 1980s and 1990s.