Sahiwal District

Not to be confused with Sahiwal Division.

Sahiwal District
District
Location of Sahiwal in Punjab.
Country	Pakistan
Province	Punjab
Capital	Sahiwal
Population  (1998)
• Total	1,843,194
Time zone	UTC+5 (PST)
Website	www.sahiwal.gov.pk

Sahiwal District (Urdu: ضلع ساہیوال) is a district in the Punjab province of Pakistan. As of 1998, it had a population of 1,843,194 people, 16.27% of which were located in urban areas. Since 2008, Sahiwal District along with Okara District and Pakpattan District has comprised the Sahiwal Division. The city of Sahiwal is the capital of both the district and the division. About 18 miles south-west of Sahiwal is Harappa, an ancient city of the world, oldest urban center of Harappan or Indus civilization in South Asia. About 28 miles (45 km) west of Sahiwal, at Kamalia, is the site of a Malli city captured by Alexander the Great in 325 bc. Pop. (1998) city, 207,388. Sahiwal city(Urdu: ساہیوال) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan. This city was a small village on the Karachi-Lahore railway line during 1865 when it was named Montgomery after Sir Robert Montgomery, then Lieutenant-Governor of Punjab.[1] It was given its current name during 1966 after the Sahi clan of Kharal Rajputs who were the inhabitants of this area. It is the administrative centre of Sahiwal District and Sahiwal Division. The districts of Okara and Pakpattan are in Sahiwal division. Sahiwal is approximately 180 km from the major city Lahore. And it is the biggest city between Lahore and Multan. The population is 207,388 (1998 Pakistan Census). Sahiwal District is included in the former Multan Division and is between 30-39 north latitude and 73-06 longitude. The city is in the densely populated region between the Sutlej and Ravi rivers. Irrigation in the region is provided by the Bari Doab Canal system. The principal crops are wheat, cotton, tobacco, legumes, potato and oilseeds. Cotton goods and lacquered woodwork are manufactured. About 18 miles southwest of Sahiwal is Harappa, an ancient city, oldest urban site of Harappan or Indus civilization in South Asia. About 28 miles (45 km) west of Sahiwal, at Kamalia, is the site of a Malli city captured by Alexander the Great during 325 bc. Pop. (1998) city, 207,388. The people of Sahiwal are known as Sahiwalians. This city got its name from the first inhabitants of this city the Sahis of kharal / Jatt origin. Sahis had their first settlement at the place called Yaadgar-e-Sahiwal. When the development was started during British rule in this area during 1865, Sahis moved to Chak No.60-61/G.D. Rai Haji Ali Sher Sahi is a major person amongst the Sahis in this region.

History

The city and district was known as Montgomery as the city of Sahiwal was founded in 1865 by Sir Robert Montgomery, then Lieutenant-Governor of Punjab. It took its current name in 1966. Montgomery name was changed to Sahiwal by a famous politician of Sahiwal, Mr.Mufti Zia-ul-Hasan. Prior to this, Sahiwal was known by its native name Sahiwal, derived from the Sahi tribe which lived in the area of District Sahiwal Chak No.60-61/GD, which is the basic village of Sahis.

Location

Scenic Jungle in Division Sahiwal

Sahiwal Division is located in the south-east of Punjab, from Multan Division it lies between 30-40 north latitude and 73-06 longitude. It is 500 ft (150 m) above sea level. It forms a parallelogram lying NE-SW along the River Ravi. It is 100 km from east to west and 45 km from the north-western boundary of the Division of Sahiwal, Division Faisalabad, District Toba Tek Singh. The dry River Khushak Bias separates it from the District Pakpattan. Okara District is east of the division. District Khanewal and District Vehari form boundaries with the division, and on the southern side is District Pakpattan, where there is a shrine of the Sufi Hazrat Baba Fareed Shaker Gunj.

Administration

Sahiwal Division consists of 531 villages in two subdivisions.

Tehsils
Sahiwal
Chichawatni

It is situated on the main bypass, 3 kilometers from the main city. Sahiwal Division has an area of 301 km². Sahiwal Division contains subtowns like Qadirabad, Yousafwala, Iqbalnagar, Kassowal, Noorshah, Harappa and Ghaziabad. There are transport connections via Highway Services and Pakistan Railways to all over Pakistan.

Sahiwal Dairy Cattle Breed

The Sahiwal cattle breed is the best dairy breed of zebu or humped cattle (Bos Indicus), followed by the very similar Red Sindhi and Butana breeds. It originated in the dry Punjab region which lies along the Indo-Pakistani border, and was once kept in large herds by professional herdsmen called "Jaanglees". With the introduction of irrigation to the region their numbers dripped, and farmers used them as draft and dairy animals. The Division Sahiwal has one of the best dairy breeds in India and Pakistan. It is thick-resistant, heat-tolerant and resistant to parasites, both internal and external. Cows average 2270 kilograms of milk while suckling a calf and much higher milk yields have been recorded. Due to their heat tolerance and high milk production they have been exported to other Asian countries, Africa, Caribbean and around the world. As oxen, they are docile but slow, making them more useful for slow work. Their colour can range from reddish brown to red, with varying amounts of white on the neck, and the underline. In males, the colour darkens towards the extremities, such as the head, legs and tails. Sahiwal breed arrived in Australia via New Guinea in the early 1950s. In Australia, the Sahiwal breed was initially selected as a dual-purpose breed. It played a valuable role in the development of the two Australian tropical dairy breeds, the Australian milking zebu and the Australian Fresian Sahiwal. Sahiwal breeds are now used in Australia for beef production, as crossing high-grade Sahiwal sires with Bos taurus animals produced a carcass of lean quality with desirable fat cover.

The Sahiwal breed is the heaviest milker of all zebu breeds and displays a well-developed udder. It sires small, fast-growing calves and is noted for its hardiness under unfavourable climatic conditions.

Agriculture

Agriculture is important to the local economy, particularly the growing of cotton and grain exported all over Pakistan and around the world. As well as its cattle and sheep, the Division is also famous for Water Buffalo milk all over the world.

Harappa

One of the ancient civilizations on archaeological evidence dated 3000 to 5000 B.C. 15 miles (24 km) south-west from downtown in suburb of Harapa which was the northern city of Indus Valley Civilization. Harrapa is now a large village in the Sahiwal Division of Punjab, 15 miles (24 km) southwest of the district capital. Archaeologists think that in ancient times Harappa was the urban centre in the upper Indus region, much like Mohenjo-daro dominated the lower Indus Valley and Ganweriwala might have been the urban centre for what is now Rajasthan. The site at Harappa was first excavated by Sir Alexander Cunningham in 1872-73, two decades after Brick Robbers carried off the visible remains of the city. He found an Indus Seal of an unknown origin.

The first extensive excavations at Harappa were started by Rai Bahadur Daya Ram Sahni in 1920. His excavations at Mohenjo-daro called attention to the Indus Valley civilization as the earliest urban culture in the Indian Sub-Continent. His work was followed later in the decade by that of Madho Sarup Vats, also of the Archaeological Survey of India. Excavations continued in the 1930s, and later in 1946, Sir Mortimer Wheeler excavated the fortification walls and found the first pre-Indus Valley civilization (Kot Dijian) deposits. After Independence in 1947, Harappa was excavated by Mohammed Rafique Mughal of the Archaeological Survey Department of Pakistan in 1966. In 1986, the first systematic, multi-disciplinary excavations of an Indus Valley city were begun by the Harappa Archaeological Project (HARP), under the direction of George F. Dales and Jonathan Mark Kenoyer. The main features of the plan, the citadel on the west and the mounds of the ‘lower city’ towards the east and southeast have already been indicated. To the north, a hollowed belt containing green crops marks an old bed of the River Ravi, which today flows six miles (10 km) further north between the citadel and the riverbed, Mound F contains much of the town planning; to the south of the citadel lie the outlying hills, the Harappan cemetery and the post Harappan cemetery. To the southeast, sporadic digging has been carried out in Area G, but the ragged Mound E and its surroundings unexplored. Most of the site remains unexcavated. The earliest deposits on the site go back to 5300 B.C. and the area seems to have been continuously inhabited ever since.

Climate

The climate of Sahiwal Division is extremely hot, reaching 45-50 degrees Celsius max in summers, and cold in winter down to 5-10 degree Celsius. The soil of the division is very fertile. The average rainfall is about 2000 mm.

Major industries

Sahiwal's industries include cotton ginning and pressing, tanning, textile (City cloth palace,City Fashion Center), textile spinning, weaving, leather products, garments, pharmaceuticals, flour mills, food processing, oil mills, cold storage, potato, tobacco, vegetable ghee/cooking oil, biscuits, chip board, confectionery, and woollen textile spinning and weaving. The Sahiwal breed of cattle, recognised as productive among Zebu dairy breeds, originated here; they are found now throughout the tropics. The main crops of the Sahiwal district are wheat, cotton, sugarcane, maize and rice. Main fruits are citrus, mangoes and guava. Sahiwal is a green and fertile town with 11,522 acres (46.63 km2) forests. KSC is an electrical industry in Sahiwal, producing water heaters, water coolers, air coolers, fans and washing machines.

Sahiwal District Jail

The Sahiwal Division Jail is one of the ancient jails in Punjab. It was depicted in one of the famous Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV Drama) Jangloos. A famous Urdu poet, Faiz Ahmad Faiz, wrote a major part of his poetry while he was in Sahiwal Jail as a political prisoner. A new high security jail is under construction next to the central jail.

Education

Sahiwal has several educational institutes of quality. But the literacy rate is still low: about 30% overall and 51% in the city of Sahiwal. The Divisional Public School (DPS) and St. Mary's Convent High School are a schools of the city. Other notable schools are Government High School, Govt. High School Urban Area, Comprehensive High School, Government Pilot Higher Secondary School and Junior Model High School. Government Immamia College, Government Postgraduate College (GPGC) and Government College for Men and Women.and it has also a biggest institute of technology(govt.college of technology)GCT (http://gctsahiwal.com/index.htm). Medical & Dental College and COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT) are also working. Virtual University has opened a campus in Sahiwal, and offers distance learning programmes. It is situated near the Government College Sahiwal. Baha-u-Deen Zikria University (BZU) sub-campus Sahiwal has been successfully providing several under-graduate and graduate programmes since 2005.The private sector has a major role in the education system. Schools in this regard are: The Educators 4(Campuses), Acute Business College ACCA and CAT, The Allied School, The Knowledge School, The Beaconhouse School System, Bloom Field Hall, The City School Pre-Forces Cadet School. Dare-Aqram Model School SCOPE School System Bhagwan Public School Muhammadan Law College Sahiwal Multan Law College Sahiwal The Limit College The Command College Quaid e Azam Polytechnic Institute Quaid e Azam Technology College

The private sector is playing a major role in education system. schools in this regard are:

• Allied School,(PUNJAB COLLEGE)
• The Educators
• The Golden Gate School System,
• The Knowledge School,
• The Beaconhouse School System,
• Bloom Field Hall,
• The City School
• Pre-Forces Cadet School.
• Dare-Aqram Model School
• Bhagwan Public School
• Government College For Women Sahiwal,
• Government College & BZU Campus Sahiwal,
• Punjab College,
• Comsets University,
• Government Comrace College Old campus GCT Road,
• Government Comrace College New Campus,
• Imamiyah College,
• Government Vocational Training Institute Yadgar Chowk,
• Government Technical Training Institute Sahiwal,
• Government College Of Technology
• National poly Technique Institute Sahiwal,
• Qaid-e-Azam College Of Technology Old,
• Qaid-e-Azam College Of Technology New Shadab town,
• Sahiwal poly Technique Institute,Sahiwal,
• Muhammadan Law College Sahiwal
• Multan Law College Sahiwal
• The Limit College
• The Command College
• Govt.Jamia Rashidia Middle School,
• Suffa Educational Complex Sahiwal
• Government Comprehensive School Sahiwal,
• Government High School Sahiwal,
• Divisional Public School Sahiwal,
• Cast College for boys & girls campus,(Separately)

Demography

The Sahiwal Division was historically home to various clans of Arain,Langriyal,Bhatti,Bhutta,

Jats,and Rajputs.Murdana,Subtric of Rind Blouchs,Querashi Khagga'Pathan's of varrious tribes.

Language

Punjabi is the spoken language of people of district.

2008 elections

On 18 February 2008 General Elections were held Pakistan. In Sahiwal Districts - 11 seats were contested - four for the National Assembly and seven for the Provincial Assembly.

The results were as follows:

• NA-160:Imran Shah
• NA-161: Ghulam Farid Kathia
• NA-162: Ch.Zahid Iqbal
• NA-163: Malik Nauman Langrial
• PP-221:Malik Nadeem Kamran
• PP-222:Malik Jalil Din
• PP-223; Hafiz akhtar ch
• PP-224:saead akhtar cheema
• PP-225: ch Arshad jutt
• PP-226: Malik Iqbal Ahmad Langriyal

               Candidate participated in Election

Haji Ehsan khan, Anwaru-l-haq Ramay, Noraiz Shakoor,, Arshad khan Lodhi, Rao Jehanzeb wajid Khan, Rana Aftab, Ch. Zaki & etc.

Notable residents

• Abdus Salam, Pakistan's only Nobel Prize winner was born in Santokdas, District Sahiwal, according to his elder sister and his obituary, although he grew up in Jhang. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for his achievements in the field of Theoretical Physics in 1979. He is buried in Rabwah, in the Jhang district.

• Majeed Amjad, one of the founding forefathers of modern Urdu literature, was born in Sahiwal and received his education from Government College Lahore. He was inspired by the greenery of Sahiwal and wrote about the trees and greenery of Sahiwal. There is a park named for him.

• Munir Niazi, A leading Urdu language poet of national and international stature.

Famous Towns & Colonies

Farid Town,Fateh Sher Colony,Tariq Bin Ziad (TBZ) Colony , Mohalla Rajpura, Kot Khadim Ali Sah, Barkad Town .bahir wala adda, jogi chowk 135/9.L, 134/9.L etc

Information super highway

There are various radio and cable networks broadcasting in the city, such as Sun Rise FM 96 Sahiwal radio and cable networks like Voltas Cable Network, Galaxy Cable Network and Geo Cable network. The main companies providing dial-up internet facilities are BrainNet and CyberNet. World Call Wireless has also started its operation in Sahiwal. World Call provides wireless telephones at low call rates and a wireless internet facility which is much faster than the dial-up service providers in the city. Recently, Wateen Telecom has also opened its office in Sahiwal. Wateen offers landline telephone, cellular phone, HAQ television, high-speed internet and WiMax.Sahiwal is on the Information superhighway after getting a high speed DSL Internet Facility enabled by Multi Net. Multi Net offer 256kb/s, 512kb/s, 1Mb/s & 2Mb/s shared speed & there is also Wateen Telecom who have started their service with high speed DSL via WIFI. A lot more development is being done in the field of IT and telecoms. Sahiwal is connected with backbone fiber that connects all the major cities of Pakistan. All Govt. Schools in Sahiwal have the latest PIV Based Computer Lab from the Government of Punjab IT and Computer Labs Project. Roughly one million rupees is spent on each lab; these furnished labs contain 16 of the latest PIV (Core 2 Duo) computers, air conditioner, printer and Internet facility. Each lab has dedicated IT staff including an IT Teacher, working on 17 Scale and Lab In charge. The government hopes that this project will improve the IT education standard in Sahiwal. Asia's tallest television broadcaster is located in the city[citation needed].

Hospitals

The District Hospital commonly known as the Civil Hospital is the largest hospital of Sahiwal. It has a nursing school and also offers different laboratory courses. Many doctors of the city have served their House Jobs here. However adequate medical facilities, especially emergency specialist equipment, are often not available and patients are referred to Lahore (the capital city of the Punjab), which is inconvenient and risky.Now a medical school is openned and a new hospital is being built which would provide state of art treatments to sahiwalians. Other notable hospitals include the Christian Hospital, Bhagwan jee Children Hospital, the Mir Wilayat Hussain Zaidi Maternity Hospital and the Sadiq Medical care Hospital at Faride town. Shaukat Khanam Lab, Agha Khan Lab, Bhagwan Lab, Shafqat Lab and numerous other private laboratories are functioning in the city. Private clinics of doctors are numerous.Wapda fortified dispensary is a best facility for wapda servants.There is a free dispensory in Bilal Colony.