| Chaklala | |
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Chaklala
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Province | Punjab |
| District | Rawalpindi District |
| Elevation | 487 m (1,598 ft) |
| Population (1998) | |
| • Estimate () | 150,000 |
| Time zone | PST (UTC+5) |
Chaklala is a major populated area of the city of Rawalpindi in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is located at 33°36'0N 73°6'0E with an altitude of 487 metres (1601 feet).[1] It is situated astride the Airport road, to the east of Grand Trunk Road on the main railway line and also has a railway station of its own.
It is home to a Pakistan Army garrison and a Pakistan Air Force base, alongwith associated unit HQs, depots and workshops, most of them present since the British era. The area also has modern housing schemes (Chaklala Schemes I, II and III) with a rapidly diminishing rural area.
Islamabad International Airport[2] is an important landmark of the area. An important air base of the Pakistan Air Force, the Chaklala Airbase is also located here.
The headquarters of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Pakistan are located in the high-security Pakistan Army garrison.
Pakistan Television Corporation's Islamabad's centre was initially set up in Chaklala before it was shifted to its present location in Islamabad.[3]
A railway line passes through the area. The area has a railway station, the Chaklala Railway Station. An associated strategic dry port, the Chaklala Dry Port, handles cargo trains.
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Chaklala has a population of around 150,000. The major ethnic groups of the area are Punjab and Pothohari, the remaining are mainly Urdu speaking Mohajirs, Kashmiris and Pathan.
This major route connects the area with the city center of Rawalpindi and provides a route to the capital city of Islamabad. It extends from the Ammar Shaheed Chowk R/A to the Karaal Chowk Intersection. The Benazir Bhutto International Airport and the adjacent Pakistan Air Force Base Chaklala are located along this road. It is a modern six-lane road. A fly-over was constructed in 2009 to reduce the load of traffic at the busiest section of the road, closer to the Ammar Shaheed Chowk R/A. It serves as the main artery connecting the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
It runs along the western perimeter of the Benazir Bhutto International Airport. It connects the busy traffic arteries of Murree Road and Airport Road. It is a four-lane road.