Gujar Khan
Gujar Khan
گوجر خان | |
|---|---|
City | |
| Gujar Khan | |
 | |
  Gujar Khan  Gujar Khan | |
| Coordinates:33°15′11″N73°18′14″E/ 33.253°N 73.304°E | |
| Country |  Pakistan |
| Province |  Punjab |
| Division | Rawalpindi |
| District | Rawalpindi |
| Elevation | 461 m (1,512 ft) |
| Population | |
| • City | 103,284 |
| Society | |
| • Languages | Pothwari, Urdu |
| Time zone | UTC+5(PST) |
| Calling code | 0513 |
| Number ofunion councils | 36[2] |
Gujar Khan(Punjabi,Urdu:گوجر خان)[3]is a city inRawalpindi District, Punjab,Pakistan. It is also the headquarters ofGujar Khan Tehsil,the largesttehsilof Punjab by land area.[4]
Gujar Khan is located approximately 57 km (35 mi) southeast ofIslamabad,the capital of Pakistan, and 220 km (140 mi) to the northwest ofLahore,the capital of Punjab. It is bounded on the north byRawalpindi,Islamabad, andAttock,on the south byJhelum,Lahore, andGujrat,on the east byAzad Kashmir,andKahutaand on the west byChakwalandKhushab.
Situated in the heart of thePotoharregion, The city and surrounding region is renowned for their martial culture and is sometimes referred to as the'Land of the Shaheed',having produced two recipients of theNishan-i-Haider.[5]There is the main district hospital in the center of the city, along with many other private and public medical and care services.
History
[edit]The place was named due to the large population ofGujjarswhich inhabited this area. Some Gujjar settlements are still present in theGujar Khan Tehsil.The modern town was developed by the British colonial authorities after the region came underBritish rulein 1848.
Gujar Khan also contained a notableHinduandSikhpopulation, though much of this population migrated toIndiafollowingpartition.[6]However the area is still home to Hindu temples[7]and SikhGurdwaras[6][8]which have been not maintained through the years. Today most of the population isMuslim.
Administration
[edit]
Gujar Khan is administratively subdivided into 36 union councils, whereas City Gujar Khan is administered by municipal corporation.[9]
According to the 2017 census ofPakistan,the city had a population of 678,503.[10]
Natural resources
[edit]Large reserves of oil and gas were discovered in February 2002 at Tobra, about ten kilometres from Gujar Khan. The field is being developed by theOil and Gas Development Company.The field could produce 1,600 barrels of crude oil daily. Missa Kaswal andAhdiis also a major source of energy in Gujar khan.Missa Kaswalis supplying several cubic meters of gas on a daily basis and is also extracting large quantities of oil. [11]
Transport
[edit]
Road
[edit]Gujar Khan is located on theN5 National highwayfrom Islamabad-Lahore.[12]Railway Road links from the east of the city to the nearby towns ofBewalandIslampura.[13]There are also many other minor roads linking thevillages and townsof the region to the city.
Rail
[edit]TheGujar Khan railway stationis located in the center of the city and provides links toRawalpindi,Jhelum,andLahore.
Bus
[edit]
Local services also provide extensive bus routes to local towns, and smaller shuttles go around the villages in the surrounding area. There are also services toRawalpindi,Islamabad,Jhelum,andLahore.[14]
Localauto-rickshawdrivers also provide transport for people in and around the city.[15]
Notable people
[edit]- Chaudhry Muhammad Riaz,politician and Ex-MNA
- Raja Muhammad Sarwar,first recipient of [[Nishan-e-Haider]
- Mohammad Amir,cricketer
- Muhammad Javed Ikhlas,former MPA and MNA fromPakistan Muslim League (N)
- Raja Pervaiz Ashraf,Speaker National Assembly, formerPrime Minister of Pakistan
- Muhammad Hussain Janjua,first soldier to be awardedNishan-e-Haider
- Ashfaq Parvez Kayani,formerChief of Army Staff,Pakistan Army
- Najaf Shah,cricketer[16]
Friendship links
[edit]Gujar Khan also has formal "Friendship" links with:[17]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Citypopulation.dePopulation of Gujar Khan
- ^"Zila, Tehsil & Town Councils Membership for Punjab (scroll down to Rawalpindi District to read Gujar Khan)".Election Commission of Pakistan website.Archived fromthe originalon 4 March 2009.Retrieved12 May2023.
- ^Debates: Official Report(in Urdu). Manager of Publications via Google Books website. 1976. pp. 199–200.Retrieved13 May2023.
- ^"List of Administrative Units of Pakistan (Tehsil/Taluka) (Punjab)".Population Census Organization, Government of Pakistan.Archived fromthe originalon 5 March 2010.Retrieved12 May2023.
- ^"District Website".rawalpindi.dc.lhc.gov.pk.Retrieved12 March2023.
- ^absightsandsoundsofpak (22 April 2014),Pre-Partition "Sikh" House in Sukho Punjab Pakistan (English Translation),archived fromthe originalon 21 December 2021,retrieved12 May2023
- ^Kalhoro, Zulfiqar Ali (20 June 2015)."Gulyana: Punjab's crumbling 900-year-old village".Dawn (newspaper).Retrieved12 May2023.
- ^sightsandsoundsofpak (7 May 2010),Gurdwara in Daultala Punjab Pakistan,archivedfrom the original on 21 December 2021,retrieved13 May2023
- ^"Towns & Unions in the City District of Rawalpindi".National Reconstruction Bureau, Government of Pakistan website.Archived fromthe originalon 24 January 2008.Retrieved12 May2023.
- ^"Rawalpindi City District".Archived fromthe originalon 13 March 2008.
- ^"Business in Asia Today (scroll down to 'Huge reserves discovered in Pakistan near Gujar Khan)".Asia Times Online website.Archived fromthe originalon 14 May 2006.Retrieved13 May2023.
- ^"Maps – National Highways Authority".National Highway Authority, Government of Pakistan website.Retrieved13 May2023.
- ^"Railway Road at G.T. Road - Wikimapia".wikimapia.org.Retrieved13 May2023.
- ^"Pindi-Gujar Khan CNG bus service from today".Dawn (newspaper).8 June 2012.Retrieved13 May2023.
- ^"Rickshaws plying in Gujar Khan to be registered".The Nation (newspaper).Retrieved13 May2023.
- ^"Najaf Shah".Cricinfo.com website.Retrieved13 May2023.
- ^[1]Archived27 June 2006 at theWayback Machine
