In my experience putting on some vinegar and letting it to dry - probably a few times, or leaving it in a softdrink for a night would be sufficient for seeing if there is any Damascus-like structure to the steel.
Yes it looks like a weld. But I also agree that Pakistan-made blades do not usually show any signs of such a high technology. They have probably done that this time because of the guard - to hide some gaps. They are not likely to have proper manufacturing equipment and do not want to invest too much time into fitting two parts together - weld or some soldering may be a way to fill the gaps and to make sure that the guard will not rattle. So it still may be one piece.
Yes it looks like a weld. But I also agree that Pakistan-made blades do not usually show any signs of such a high technology. They have probably done that this time because of the guard - to hide some gaps. They are not likely to have proper manufacturing equipment and do not want to invest too much time into fitting two parts together - weld or some soldering may be a way to fill the gaps and to make sure that the guard will not rattle. So it still may be one piece.