Muzaffargarh

Muzaffargarh is a district in the south of the Punjab province of Pakistan.It is part of Seraiki Wasaib. It is spread over an area of 8,435 km². It forms a strip between the river Chenab on its east and Indus river on its West. It is one of oldest districts of Punjab. According to the 1998 census of Pakistan, the population of the district was 2,635,903 of which 12.75% were urban.

The Seraiki population is in overwhelming majority where as Punjabis and Mohajirs are a microscopic minority . Local Seraikies belong to following tribes, the Baluch, Pathan, jam ,JATT Gasoors's Sayyid and Qureshi. The main Jat tribes in the district are the Khakhi, Pattal, Khundwaa, Khar, Lohanch, Chhajra, Hanjra,and Kalro, while the main Baluch clans are the Qalandrani, Leghari, Pitafi, Gormani, Surani Balouch, Almani Baloch,Chandia, Syed,Sial, Naulatia, Dasti, Jatoi (tribe) etc. There also other tribes and clans that have settled since the independence of Pakistan, they include: Mughal, Khanzada, Muslim Gaddi, Ranghar, Jat,Mahar(Jangla), Arain, Muhajir, Mirani, and Awan.Bukhari,s are also famous in muzaffargarh and the leader of Bukhari group is Peer Abdullah Shah Bukhari. In Muzafar garh also live Sardar Amjad hameed khan Dasti that is well known personality of this city and he elected continuously seven times members of the parliament Punjab assembly and now his daughter Tehmina khan dasti performing of his mission and their mission is serving of poor peoples of Pakistan.

Muzaffargarh District takes its name the chief town- Muzaffargarh. Muzaffargarh literally means "Fort of Muzaffar", and is so called because the old town lies inside the walls of a fort built by Nawab Muzaffar Khan of Multan. Prior to that the place was known by a shop called "Musan Hatti", on the road leading from Multan to Dera Ghazi Khan. The district was originally called Khangarh, with the headquarters at Khangarh. In 1859 the headquarters were moved to Muzaffargarh. The area of the district is 6052 square miles(according to revenue record 1928 it is 5561 square miles. The population according to the census of 1921, is 568,478.

                                                                            

Gujranwala

Gujranwala is a city in the north east of  the Punjab province. It is the seventh largest city in Pakistan with a population of 1,132,509 (1998 census) Gujranwala is located at 32.16° North, 74.18° East and is 226 metres (744 feet) above sea-level. It borders with Ghakhar Mandi and some small towns and villages. Punjabi is the local language, however English and Urdu are also common, particularly in schools and offices.Due to extensive road and rail links the city has flourished within the manufacturing and agricultural markets. The city is on the Grand Trunk Road which allows logistical connections to the provincial capitals such as Peshawar and Lahore. Gujranwala is known for its extensive production of sugarcanes, melons and grains for exporting internationally. The city also has set up several commercial and industrial centres allowing the manufacturing of ceramics, iron safes,metal utensils, textiles, sanitary as well as tannery production. The city is also known for its wrestlers & bodybuilders. It has produced some of  the finest wrestlers & bodybuilders of the sub-continent, which has resulted in the city to be called the "City of Wrestlers" or "Phelwana da shehar" in Punjabi. "Gold's Gym" is the most famous gym among all bodybuilders due to its unique and most advanced machinery. The city also arguably has some of the best barbecue food in the Punjab such specialities as Kebabs, Chicken Tikka and Lamb Chops.

 The village of Asarur which has been identified as the location of Taki, an ancient town, visited by the Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsiang contains immense ruins of Buddhist origin. After the time of Tsiang little is know about Gujranwala til the Islamic conquests, by this time however Taki had fallen into oblivion while Lahore had become the chief city of Punjab. The district flourished during Mughal rule, from the days of Akbar to those of Aurangzeb, wells were scattered over the whole country, and villages lay thickly dotted about the southern plateau, now a barren waste of grass land and scrub jungle. Their remains may still be found in the wildest and most solitary reaches of the Bar.

 According to the 1998 census of Pakistan the population of district was 3,400,940 of which 50.17% were urban. It is thus the third-most advanced district in Punjab,the population now stands at 4,308,905.                                        

There are several colleges affiliated with the University of the Punjab which also operates a main campus offering courses such as LLB, BCom, MCom, and MBA. Another higher education institute is the GIFT University which also offer courses such as BBA, MBA, Computer Science, MBA, MSc Accounting & Finance, Textile and Design, M.A. English. There is also the Rachna Engineering University in Gujranwala.Punjab College of Commerce & Information Technology is one of the best college in Gujranwala which has grabbed 15 out of 18 positions in Gujranwala board, offering courses such as FSc, ICS, ICom, BCom, MCom, and MBA. Other colleges include Elite College of Commerce,National college of Science, Superior College of Science, Government College for boys, Government College for girls, Government Islamia college,Workers Welfare School & College and Crescent College of Science. Quaid-e-Azam Divisional Public College is the biggest institution in the District. It has its own cricket oval and numerous buildings and is currently run by semi-Government and Board of Trustees.Islamia college has started Msc. Chemistry in Gujranwala. It is affiliated with The University of Punjab. Another institute is the SOFT Solutions College. SOFT Solutions College is well rated among the private colleges in Gujranwala division. At the Community Development front, Gujranwala is also home to the Roshni Homes Trust, an orphanage that provides a home, a family and an education to orphaned and abandoned children. Beaconhouse School System Gujranwala is the only school in Gujranwala which offers both GCE O and A Level. It has achieved admirable results in both examinations, with its Alumni students currently studying in privileged institutions in Pakistan and abroad, such as Lahore University of Management Sciences and the Aga Khan University. Once there was also an Institution named Dublin Institute of Information Technology. Army Public School & College is one of the leading institution of Gujranwala which has produced many engineers, doctors, scientist in the past 30 years of excellence. Currently governed by Lt Col Atta-ur-Rehman it is making a variety of new techniques for skillful learnings. Swedish Group of Technical Institutes, Punjab is the Largest Technical Training Institutes in Pakistan which is providing the (Three Years Diploma of Associate Engineering DAE) Technical Education in nine(9) major cities of the Punjab like Gujranwala, Gujrat, Rawalpindi,Multan, Wah Cantt, Chakwal, Rahim Yaar Khan, Muzaffar Garh, Layyah and Bagh (AJK), in different Technologies like Electrical, Electronics, Mechanical,Chemical, Civil, Achitecture, Computer Hardware, Computer Information Technology, Telecommunication and Automation. Swedish Institute of Technology, Gujranwala is the Mother Institute of Swedish Group. This Institute is run by Al-Asar Technical Education Society, Gujranwala. St. Joseph's English High School was the first English medium school in the city, established in 1954. Future Vision School at Shaheenabad Gujranwala is another state of the art purpose build English Medium school.

 The district has metalled road-length of 1413 Kilometres and is linked with Sialkot, Gujrat, Sheikhupura, Narowal, Hafizabad and Mandi Bahauddin districts through metalled roads.       

 Gujranwala is a major agricultural and industrial city of Punjab, Pakistan. The rural areas around Gujranwala produce a large variety of agricultural goods, the main crops are rice, wheat, cotton, potatoes, barley, grains, melons, sugarcane and pearl millet. Cultivation in the surrounding area are dependent upon canal irrigation provided by the River Chenab. The rice grown in the city is regarded as one of the best in Asia. The Gujranwala Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) shares a building with the zonal and circle offices of Habib Bank Limited, United Bank Limited, Allied Bank Limited and State Bank of Pakistan.                                                                                     

 Gujranwala is a historical and cultural city situated north east region of the Punjab province. Gujranwala offers a number of sights and activities which the city has given the city its name. Since the city is known as the "City of Wrestlers", the city hosts a number of bodybuilding tournaments, Kabaddi matches as well as weightlifting. Food is the second most famous thing Gujranwala is known for. The city has developed a very distinct kind of barbecue foods ranging to suit every style and budget. People from all over Punjab travel to the city just to taste the different types of cuisine that the city is proud of. There are a range of recreational spots and landmarks in Gujranwala, the following are some of the most significant attractions.                                                                        

Mianwali

Mianwali is a District in the north-west of Punjab province, Pakistan. It borders Lakki Marwat district in the west, Kohat and Karak districts in the North west and Dera Ismail Khan District in the southwest. Attock lies in the north, Chakwal in the north east, Khushab in the east and Bhakkar in the south.In November 1901, the North-West Frontier Province was carved out of Punjab and present day towns of Mianwali, Isa Khel, Kalabagh, and Kundian were separated from Bannu District (NWFP) and hence a new district was made with the headquarters in Mianwali city and placed in Punjab province.

According to the 1998 census of Pakistan, the district had a population of 1,056,620 out of which 20.39% i.e. 85,000 inhabitants live in the district capital Mianwali. Niazi tribe is the most dominant and major tribe of this district with an estimated 70% of the total population. Niazi tribe exists in all parts of the district but most notably living in Mianwali City, Shahbaz Khel, Musa Khel, Mochh, Utra Kalaan, Sawans. Another tribe known as Jats live mostly inDing Khola, New Ding Sharif , Saeed Abad ,Hashim Naggar/Lal wala(Saifun Pull),Khan Qah Sirrajia, Bakharra/Kacha Kalo, Kacha paar,khita-e-Atlas, Kacha Gujrat, Kacha Shahnawaz Wala, Phaati, Hurnoli, Alluwali, Duaba, Jaal Janub/Shumali , Piplan,Wan Bahhchran, Wichveen Bala,Kundian, Moosa Khel, Shadia an so on. There are small minority of Pashtuns and Punajbis.Mostly people in the district speak a unique dialect of Seraiki which borrows many words from Hindko, Pashto and Sindhi. However the Khattak tribes living in the suburbs of Isakhel, Chapri, Bhangi Khel, Sultan Khel, Makarwal and Bani Afghan are bilingual, Pashto being their primary language but can fairly communicate in Seraiki as well. Awans living in the Salt range of Mianwali speak a dialect of Potohari which is called "Uttraadi"(pertaining to the highlanders                                                    

Nawab of Kalabagh Malik Amir Muhammad Khan(1910–1967),Ex-Governor West Pakistan.Mianwali district covers an area of 5,840 square kilometres. The area in north is a continuation of the Pothohar 

Plateau and the Kohistan-e-Namak. The district consists of various towns, including Kalabagh, Is a Khel, Kundian, Paikhel, Piplan, Kamar Mushani, Mochh, Rokhri, Harnoli, Musa Khel, Wan Bhachhran, Daud Khel and the district capital - Mianwali city. 

Mianwali district has several educational institutions from elementary up to post-graduate level,affiliated with the University of Punjab. There are numerous private schools and colleges in the district.                                                     

 Traditionally all major rulers of South Asia governed this area in their turn. Mughal emperor Babur mentions Isa khel whilst he was fighting against the Pakhtuns as part of his campaign to conquer the Punjab during the 1520s (ref. Baburnama). Then came the Sikhs, that era was famous for lawlessness, and barbarism, they ruled until the annexation of Punjab in 1849 by the British. During British rule, the Indian empire was subdivided into province, divisions and districts, (after the independence of Pakistan divisions remained the third tier of government until 2000). The British had made the towns of Mianwali and Isa Khel tehsil headquarters of Bannu District then part of Dera Ismail Khan Division of Punjab province.  

 The populations of the district is split into four main groups, the predominant Niazi tribes who are mainly present in riverain Mianwali Tehsil and Isa Khel Tehsil, the Awans who are found mainly in the Salt Range and Kalabagh in Isakhel Tehsil. The Thal desert portion is held by Jat and Baluch tribes. The city of Mianwali and town of Wan Bhachran are both home to the Qureshi - Makhdooms and Miana tribes respectively. 

The district has been settled by triple immigration from opposite directions; Niazis from the north-west of Pakistan, Awans from the north-east, and Jats & Balochis up the valley of the Indus from the south.

                                                                

Sibi

Sibi (Urdu: سبی) is a district in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. The main mountains range are Zen, Bambore and Dungan. The climatic and topography of Sibi District is quite varied compared to other districts of Balochistan. It is also known as the "Hot spot" of Pakistan where the temperatures in the summer exceed far above normal over 50 °C. The district has two sub-divisions, Sibi and Harnai, which are further organized into tehsils and sub-tehsils: Sibi, Harnai, Kutmandi and Sangan.The city is located at 29°33'0N 67°52'60E at an altitude of 130 metres (429 feet) and is headquarters of the district and tehsil of the same name. According to the 2001 census of Pakistan the population of Sibi is 52,100.

Until the end of the 15th century the district had been a dependency of Multan and had been part of Ghaznavid Empire ruled by petty chief named Nasiruddin Kubacha Around 1500 it was taken by Shah Beg of the Arghun Dynasty from Samma Dynasty of Sultan Of Sindh and so came under the control of Kandahar. However during the period of Mughal rule the territory was once again ruled from Multan. In 1714 the territory was conquered by the Kalhoras of Sindh, but they were then displaced by the Durranis. During the rule of the Durranis the local governors were generally selected from the Barozai clan of the Panni Afghans.In the 19th century it fell under Marris and Bugtis hand. To finish rebellion in the area, the British signed the Treaty of Gandamak in 1879.The district of Sibi was established in 1903 during British Rule its area was larger than the current district and lay between 27°55' and 30°38'N and 67°17' and 69°50'E lying south of Loralai District, north of the Upper Sind Frontier District, west of Dera Ghazi Khan District and east of Kachhi, Bolan Pass and Quetta- Pishin. The total area of the district was 11,281 square miles (29,220 km2), but this included Marri Bugti county (7,129 square miles) which not directly administered by the British, leaving 4,152 square miles (10,750 km2) that were directly administered by the British The population according to the 1901 census of India was 74,555 or 18 persons per square mile, the district contained four tehsils these were:1n 1974 the district was subdivided to create Naseerabad and Kohlu districts, in 1983 Dera Bugti District, and in 1986 Ziarat District. Until 2000, except for Naseerabad, these new districts were part of Sibi Division of Pakistan. In 2000 the third-tier "divisions" structure of government was dissolved.  

 In 1901 the total population was 34,974. 90% of the population were Muslims and 10% were Hindus.Now a day the majority of Sibi District consist of Balochs and Jamot that include Domki, Marri, Chandio, Silachi, Gishkori, Bangulzai, Gorgage,Ghulam Bolak, Abro, Gola, Bhangar, Maachi, Mangrio, Kalhora and Soomro and minor population of pashtoon only in tehsil sibi, there are living in over villages namely khajjak, marghzani, luni, dephpal and some are migrated in sibi town this is factual position of sibi.      

  Sibi is on the western edge of Pakistan and is well connected with the country by a wide network of roads, railways and airways.       

Sibi Railway Station is junction railway station. The railway track was lined in 1890s during the British era to link Sibi with rest of the country. The routes are Sibi from linked with Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Quetta, Multan, Faisalabad, Hyderabad, Rohri, Sukkur, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Kot Adu, Gujrat, Jacobabad, Gujranwala, Khanewal, Nawabshah, Attock, Jhelum, and Nowshera.  

 Sibi is well connected by roads to the rest of the country. Sibi is connecting with Quetta, Karachi, Jacobabad, Sukkur and Hyderabad route.                                                                 

Sheikhupura

Sheikhupura District is a district of Punjab province, Pakistan. Sheikhupura is the headquarters of Sheikhupura District. According to the 1998 census of Pakistan, the district had a population of 3,321,029 of which 25.45% were urban.formerly Kot Dayal Das or Singhpuria , is an industrial city in the province of Punjab slightly northwest to Lahore in Pakistan. It is known for its historical places, and is commonly known locally as Qila Shaikhupura, because of the fort in the city, constructed by the Mughal Emperor Jahangir. The name Sheikhupura is derived from a nickname of Jahangir, who was known as Sheikhu by his father Akbar the Great. The city is the headquarters of Sheikhupura District and is approximately 35 km from Lahore. The original name of Virkgarh was renamed by Jahangir.The city was renamed Singhpuria in Sikh rule ,and had a large Sikh population prior to independence in 1947, Gurudwaras are seen throughout the city.Waris Shah was a Punjabi Sufi poet, best-known for his seminal work Heer Ranjha, based on the traditional folk tale of Heer and her lover Ranjha. Syed Waris Shah was born into a reputed Syed family in the village of Jandiala Sher Khan, Sheikhupura District, Punjab (now Pakistan) in or around 1706. The popular Hindi film lyricist Gulshan Bawra (Gulshan Kumar Mehta), was born here.

The history of Sheikhupura goes back to 100 BC. Historical research has established the fact that Sangla or Sakala was the capital of Punjab once, and it was here that Alexander the Great of Macedonia (known locally as Sikandar e Azam) fought one of his most serious battles of his career. Its name is spoken of, firstly in the pages of Tuzk-e-Jahangiri as Jahangirpura, after the name of Prince Salim Nur u Din Muhammad Jahangir. He changed the name from Virkgarh to Sheikhupura after converting the majority of the population to Islam. This area belongs to the Jats.Mughal Emperor Nor-u-Din Muhammad Jahangir laid the foundation of historical Sheikhupura. In 1607, Sheikhupura was constructed following an order of Jahangir. The father of Jahangir, Emperor Jalal-uddin Mohammad Akbar use to call him Sheikhu (a nick name). During Sikh rule the new city was named Singhpuria, previously was known as Jahangirabad.During the reign of Emperor Jahangir (1605 to 1627), Sheikhupura had the status of royal hunting ground. In Tuzk-e-Jahangiri, Jahangir wrote during the events in 1607:“ On the day of Tuesday, I reside in Jahangirpura, my hunting ground. According to my order, a Minar and a grave for my deer, Mansraj, were constructed here. ” Mughal Emperor Jahangir granted the estate of Sheikhupura to Syed Usman, the father of Shah Bilal, a religious preceptor of the line of Qadiriyyah.Over the whole district, the period between the decline of the Mughal Empire after the death of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb and the rise of Sikh confederacies was one of utter confusion and anarchy. The successive shocks of invasion from the northwest, and the devastation caused again and again by the invading armies of Nadir Shah.Nader Shah and Ahmad Shah Abdali (1724-1773) almost completely ruined the prosperity of the tract. After the death of Aurangazeb, Muslim power declined and the Sikhs who occupied the region and ruled through various misls or small to medium sized groups. Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah Abdali led raids that further weakened local Muslim rule. Several raids were made by the Bhangi Sardars, a Sikh community. Finally around 1780, Ranjit Singh, a Sikh ruler defeated the grandson of Ahmad Shah Abdali and later occupied this district. The Sikhs were defeated by the British around 1850 and it stayed under British rule until independence in 1947.In 1851, Sheikhupura Tehsil became part of Gujranwala District. The Artimapal Secretary Chief Commissioner Lahore wrote a letter to the Department of Wealth in 1855 to combine the Sheikhupura Tehsil with the Lahore District but it was never done. As soon as it became a District Zillah, a lot of lawyers came to practice. Under Sir Ganga Ram, district courts and hospitals were constructed in the city. 

 The area is a part of Rachna Doab, and consists of some recent sediment brought by spill channel from Chenab River. There are some old channel levee remnants and old basins filled up with clay materials. It is probably of late Pleistocene age derived from mixed calcareous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks of the lower Himalayas. The only mineral products of the District are Kankar and Kallar. The small particles of Kankar may be burnt into lime. These are the features of all bare lands and are found on the surface or a little below it. Kallar is found on mounds, which are sites of old ruined habitations, and is used for the manufacture of crude saltpeter.

With the modest figure of 22,300 in 1951, the population of Sheikhupura has increased more than tenfold to more than) 300,000 in half a century. In recent decades, the rate of growth has increased due to growing agricultural and industrial activities. The current population has been growing steadily and is projected to exceed to 700,000 by 2019.

 As a satellite town of Lahore, Sheikhupura has developed an industrial base. According to the Census of Manufacturing Industries of 1987-1988, the value-added generated in large-scale industries was higher in Sheikhupura than in Lahore. The GRP of the city for the year 1993 has been estimated as Rs. 6,260 million, that constitutes about 32% of the district's GRP. The industrial sector contributes with 68% to the GRP and 45% to the total employment. The total number of establishments in the city has been estimated to be between 11,500 and 12,000 for 1993.                                                                  

Sialkot

Sialkot District or the District of Sialkot , is one of the districts of the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is located in the north-east of the province. The city of Sialkot is the capital of the district.

The legendary history of the District is connected with Raja Salivahan, the reputed founder of the town of Sialkot, and his famous son Rasalu. Pasrur is also an ancient place. At an early date the District fell to the Rajas of Jammu, and under the Mughals formed the Rechna Doab sarkar of the Subah of Lahore. Under Shah Jahan the sarkar was entrusted to Ali Mardan Khan, the famous engineer, who dug a canal through it to bring water from the Chenab river to the imperial gardens in Lahore. On the decline of the Mughal empire Ranjit Singh Deo, a Rajput hill chief, extended his sway over the lowlands, owning a nominal allegiance to Delhi. In 1748 he transferred his allegiance to Ahmad Shah Durrani, who added Zafarwal and two other parganas to his fief. Before his death in 1773 Ranjit Deo had secured possession of the whole District, except the Sialkot town and its dependencies, which were held by a Pathan family. 

Sialkot District lies southeast of Gujrat District, southwest of Jammu district, while Narowal District is to the southeast and Gujranwala District is situated to the west. Sialkot district is spread over an area of 3,016 square kilometres comprising of the following four tehsils.    

The main crops grown in the district are wheat and rice, the main fruits are guava and citruses - vegetables cultivated include potatoes, turnips, garlic, cauliflower, peas, and onions. The district has 15,078 acres (61.02 km2) of forest, 12,295 km of metalled roads, 12 grid stations, 45 telephone exchanges and 3229 industrial units.     

The major crops and fruit of district Sialkot are wheat, rice, citrus and guava. Their average annual production over the period 1998-2001 was 453, 242, 6 and 11 thousand Metric Tons, respectively. A variety of vegetables are also grown in the district.There are 14 flour mills, 57 rice husking units, one sugar mill, one vegetable ghee unit and one fruit juice unit already working in the district. However, there exist good prospects for rice bran oil, rice husk briquettes, maize products, dal mills, etc.  

As per Punjab Development Statistics for the year 2000, the population of cattle, buffaloes, sheep and goats was 195, 471, 42 and 137 thousand heads respectively. For poultry, there were 954 broiler, 134 layer and 9 breeding poultry farms, having a rearing capacity of 11150, 747 and 63 thousand birds respectively. The annual availability of hides and skins is estimated at 536 thousand pieces. In the district of Sialkot there are 92 tanneries, 244 leather garments/products manufacturing units, and more than 900 leather sports goods manufacturing units. There exists a scope for dairy farms, animal/poultry feed, and cattle/sheep/goat fattening farms. 

Sialkot is a city of writers and poets. Sialkot is also the birthplace of the Muslim philosopher, scholar and poet, Dr. Muhammad Iqbal, as well as the famous Urdu poet, Faiz Ahmed Faiz. Maulana Zafar Ali Khan, another famous poet and writer, was born at Kot Mehrath, Sialkot. Sir Muhammad Zafrullah Khan also born in Sialkot. He was President of the International Court of Justice in Den Haag, Pakistan's first foreign minister and the president of the UN-Assembly.Amjad Islam Amjad the famous Urdu poet and lyricist was born at Sialkot. Professor Rajinder Singh Bedi, a famous Urdu writer, was also born at Sialkot. Narendra Kohli, who is one of the most prominent Hindi language authors of modern times, belongs to Sialkot as well. Zulfikar Ghose, famous English writer, was born at Sialkot. The famous Indian journalist, Kuldip Nayyar, was also born at Sialkot. In journalism, Khalid Hasan, Professor Waris Mir and his son, Hamid Mir, Jawed Iqbal, Muhammad Farooq and Mumtaz Hamid Rao are notable. The famous Indian politician and twice Prime Minister of India, Gulzari Lal Nanda, also belonged from Sialkot. The eminent orator of Pakistan Syed Faiz-ul Hassan Shah belonged from Sialkot. Maulana Ubaidullah Sindhi was born at Sialkot. Khawaja Muhammad Safdar a former acting President of Pakistan and Chairman of the Majlis-e-Shoora also hails from Sialkot. His son, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, is a well-known and seasoned politician of Pakistan who presently represents Sialkot in the Pakistan National Assembly. He was a minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources in the last democratically-elected parliament. Former Speaker of the National Assembly, and Acting President, Chaudhry Amir Hussain and the Interior minister Rehman Malik also hail from Sialkot. ch m.umairThe famous Lollywood hero Waheed Murad, Bollywood hero Rajendra Kumar and the veteran actor A. K. Hangal were also born at Sialkot. Ghulam Ali, the famous Ghazal singer and Ustad Allah Rakha, the famous Sarangi Nawaz are also from Sialkot. Sialkot is not only famous and internationally recognised for its sports industry, but also for the sports-persons like the Pakistan National Cricket players, Ijaz Butt, (Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board), Zaheer Abbas, Ijaz Ahmed, Shoaib Malik, Mansoor Amjad, Zahid Fazal, Abdur Rehman, Abbas Khan (Finnish National Cricket player) and Jawaid Iqbal (Hong Kong National Cricket player) were also born at Sialkot. The captains and players of the Pakistani National Hockey team including Shahnaz Sheikh, Manzoor Hussain Jr., Nasir Ali, Asif Bajwa, (Secretary of Pakistan Hockey Federation), Tariq Sheikh, Zahid Sheikh, Muhammad Waqas Sharif, Mahmood Hussain, Maqsood Hussain, Munir Bhatti and Kamran Ashraf also hail from this city. Ex national snooker champion Abu Saim and Chacha Cricket, a world-known cricket fan, also belongs to Sialkot. 

 Sialkot FortAlso of interest is the birth place of Dr. Muhammad Iqbal (1877–1938) which has been turned into a small museum containing some of his personal belongings and a library and named as Iqbal Manzil (Iqbal House). The most famous square of Sialkot city is Allama Iqbal Chowk. Here, the famous Shaheen monument has been erected to pay tributes to Dr. Muhammad Iqbal. Near the Allama Iqbal Chowk is located the biggest grand mosque of the city, Jamia Masjid Donga Bagh. One of its three minarets is the tallest land mark in Sialkot. Other places of interest include the tombs of the great Muslim scholars, Mullah Abdul Hakim Sialkoti near Abdul Hakim Park, Hakim Khadim Ali on Khadim Ali Road and Hafiz Muhammad Alam, near Do Darwaza (the name of one of the gates of the once walled city). 

Sialkot International Airport is the first-ever private-sector airport of Pakistan managed by the SIAL consortium. It is located near Sambrial and is noted for having the longest runway in Pakistan. Direct flights are available from Sialkot International Airport to Karachi, Islamabad, Abu Dhabi Sharjha & London, Muscat Kuwait, Dubai & Jeddah. Pakistan International Airlines has plans to start non-stop flights from Sialkot to Manchester, London & Barcellona & Hajj flights have started from the Sialkot International Airport last year in 2009. Emirates is also expected to start flights in mid 2010 to Dubai. Airblue will operate on domestic routes to Islamabad, Multan and Karachi in mid 2010.A small Sialkot Cantonment Airport, located in the Sialkot Cantonment, is in use of the aviation wing of the Pakistan Army. This airport has also been used as a public airport by PIA for operating a Helicopter service from Sialkot to Islamabad in 1995-1996.Sialkot Dry Port carries the honor of being the first-ever private-sector dry port in Asia. It was established in 1986 near Sambrial, about 20 km from the Sialkot city under the control of the Sialkot Dry Port Trust.Sialkot is served by Pakistan Railways through the Sialkot Junction. Sialkot used to be a junction in the British era with trains leaving for Jammu and Gurdaspur. Plans are under consideration to open the border for an international train between Sialkot and Jammu. Express trains to and from Narowal, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan, Bahawalpur and Karachi are available daily. The Railway station is situated in the center of the city. Other suburban train stations are Ugoki and Sambrial.Sialkot is about two hours from Lahore and four hours from Islamabad.Sialkot is linked with the National Highway N-5 through Gujranwala and Wazirabad. A dual carriage-way is available between Sialkot and Wazirabad. A new bridge on the Chenab river, called the Shahbazpur bridge, is under construction these days which is located to the north-east of Gujrat. Once completed, it will connect Sialkot to N-5 at Gujrat. The Sialkot Lahore Motorway (M-11) is also under construction. All the bus and commuter coach stations are located on the Jail Road. A bus service operated by Daewoo is available from Sialkot to Rawalpindi, Lahore, Gujranwala and Multan.Recently, public transport has been launched in Sialkot on one route which circle around the city. SCCI Sialkot Chamber of Commerce & Industry has signed an MOU with American bus company FOTON to provide airconditioned lcoal transport to the citizens with CNG fuel. However main mode of transport within the city at present is the auto rikshaw. Although no proper taxi service exists in the city, there are many rent-a-car service outlets.                                                               

Jhelum

Jhelum District is in the Punjab province of Pakistan. According the 1998 census the district had a population of 936,957, of which 31.48% were urban. The district of Jhelum stretches from the river Jhelum almost to the Indus. Salt is quarried at the Mayo mine in the Salt Range. There are two coal-mines, the only ones worked in the province, from which the North-Western railway obtains part of its supply of coal. The chief centre of the salt trade is Pind Dadan Khan. Jhelum is known for providing a large number of soldiers to the British and later to the Pakistan armed forces due to which it is also known as city of soldiers or land of martyrs and warriors. The district is crossed by the main line of the. North-Western railway, and also traversed along the south by a branch line. It is located in the north of the Punjab province, Jhelum district is bordered by Sargodha to its south, Gujrat and the Jhelum River to its south and east, Chakwal to its west, Mirpur to its east, and Rawalpindi to its north.

The history of the district dates back to the Hindu mythological period of the Mahabharata. The epic represents the Salt Range as the refuge of the five Pandava brethren during the period of their exile, and every salient point in its scenery is connected with some legend of the national heroes. Modern research has fixed the site of the conflict between Alexander and Porus as within Jhelum district, though the exact spot at which the Macedonian king effected the passage of the Jhelum (or Hydespes) has been hotly disputed.           

During the flourishing period of the Mughal dynasty, the Gakhar chieftains were among the most prosperous and loyal vassals of the house of Babar. But after the collapse of the Delhi empire, Jhelum fell, like its neighbours, under the sway of the Sikhs.   

In 1765 Gujar Singh defeated the last independent Gakhars Chief, Muqarrrab Khan, and reduced the wild mountaineers of the Salt Range and the Murree Hills to subjection. His son succeeded to his dominions until 1810, when it fell to Ranjit Singh. Under the Lahore government the dominant classes of Jhelum suffered much from fiscal actions; and the Janjua, Gakhars, and Awan families gradually lost their landed estates, which passed into the hands of their Jat dependants.

In 1849. Jhelum passed with the rest of the Sikh territories into the power of the British. Ranjit Singh, however, had so thoroughly subjected the wild mountain tribes who inhabited the District that little difficulty was experienced in reducing it to working order. In 1857 the 14th Native Infantry stationed at Jhelum town mutinied, and made a vigorous defence against a force sent from Rawalpindi to disarm them, but decamped on the night following the action, the main body. being subsequently arrested by the Kashmir authorities, into whose territory they had escaped.
During British rule Jhelum was a district of Rawalpindi Division, and was larger than the current district of Jhelum. On April 1, 1914, the tehsil of Talagang was detached from the District and incorporated with the new District of Attock.The old Jhelum district (minus Talagang) covered an area of 2,813 square miles (7285 km2) and included Chakwal tehsil - it was bounded by Shahpur and Attock to the west, and by Rawalpindi to the north - the Jhelum River separated it from Kashmir to the north-east and from Gujrat and Shahpur to the south-east and south.  

Jhelum is one of the oldest districts of Punjab. It was established on 23 March 1849. Jhelum District has a diverse population of 1,103,000 (2006) which mainly consists of Punjabis. The population of the Jhelum city (proper) is about 172,073 (2009) and it is the 35th largest city of Pakistan with respect to population. Population Density is 261/km. Population Growth Rate is 1.51 which is very low as compared to other urban areas of Pakistan. The majority of the population i.e. 98.47 percent is Muslim. Among the minorities Christians are in majority sharing 1.36 percent in the district. Punjabi is the dominant language (96.6 percent), while, other languages spoken in the district are Urdu (1.9 percent), Pushto (1.2 percent). Major clans are Awans, Akra, Bharat, Gakhars, Gujars, Janjua Rajputs , Jalaps, Jats (Cheema, Dhamial Jats, Gondal Jats, Ghuman, Sipra, Nagyal jats, thathal jats), Kashmiris, Khokhars,Lilla Tribe Qureshis, Phaphra Mughals, Rajputs ( Bhakral, Bhatti, Chib, Minhas, Narma, Sohlan, e.t.c), Arain, Syed and Punjabi Shaikh.                                       

 In the past few years, the city has experienced rapid expansion and has become a vibrant economic and cultural center. The old city has fascinating narrow streets and crowded bazaars.The main market area of the city is centered around "Shandar Chowk", "GTS Chowk", "Muhammadi Chowk" and includes "Main Bazaar", "Niya Bazaar", "Raja Bazaar", "Kinari Bazaar", "Sarafa Bazaar", "Chowk-Ehl-e-Hadith" and Soldier Arcade etc.Some of the main roads of Jhelum City are Civil Line, Railway Road, Old GT Road, Kucheri Road, Iqbal Road and Rohtas Road.A cantonment was built during the British rule, which has grown up into a strong Garrison, with an Infantry Division commanded by a Major General.The estimated population of Jhelum in 2009 is 172,073 and the area of Jhelum is about 22 km2 (8.5 sq mi).   

Jhelum District has a total area of 8,58,767 acres, out of which 3,16,815 acres are cultivated. It has four tehsils viz; Jhelum, Pind Dadan Khan, Dina and Sohawa. The area is located on the eastern part of Potohar upland along with River Jhelum.Agriculture in the District Jhelum depends mainly on rainfall. The average rainfall of the area varies from 20 to 40 inches. About three fourth of this precipitation is received in monsoon season and the remaining one fourth is received during the rest of the year. The irrigated area at present is limited but the emphasis on construction of small Dams and Mini Dams is gradually increasing. Wheat remains the main crop.In Tehsil P.D.Khan Salt is the predominant feature which is spoiling the rich agricultural land day by day. There is a long strip of very rich and virgin soil along the river which could be made a paradise of citrus plantation by drip irrigation if the local people are motivated and the Government of Punjab expressed some interest in it.