Kharian

Kharian
Kharian
Coordinates:
Country Pakistan
Province Punjab
District Gujrat
Elevation 280 m (919 ft)
Population (2011)
 • Total 283,000
Time zone PST (UTC+5)
Calling code 0537
Website www.apnakharian.com

Kharian ( کھاریاں ) (Pronunciation: Kharia) is a city of Gujrat District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Kharian is the chief city of Kharian Tehsil, which administrates all of the numerous surrounding villages and towns of Greater Kharian.

Kharian is located almost midway between the Capital city of Pakistan, Islamabad (about 125 km) and provincial capital of Punjab, Lahore (about 145 km). The most northern parts of Greater Kharian lies in front of the beautiful foothills of the Himalaya mountains of Azad Kashmir.

Kharian is located on the Grand Trunk Road (colloquially known as the GT road). This is the road which connects Kharian, all the way from Bangladesh, through India across Pakistan and to Afghanistan. It was used during British Rule to transport goods across South Asia. The main railway line also passes through Kharian, thus providing good transportation to the northern and southern parts of Pakistan.

The closest major cities to Kharian are Jhelum (about 10 miles) and Gujrat (around 20 miles).

Since Kharian is located in the land fringed by the Jhelum and Chenab rivers, there is no shortage of irrigation water and the land is very fertile.

The native people of Kharian are usually multilingual, the languages being Punjabi (native language), Urdu (National language of Pakistan) and some English (Official language of Pakistan) as well.

Kharian is known for:

Contents

[hide]

List of notable people of Kharian

The People of Greater Kharian have a rich history of giving rise to many notable personalities of Pakistan and South Asia, which, among others, include:

Muhammad Alam Lohar, (1928 - July 3, 1979), (Punjabi, Urdu: محمد عالم لوہار), (Punjabi in Gurmukhi: ਆਲਮ ਲੋਹਾਰ), was one of the most prominent Punjabi folk music singers.

Major Raja Aziz Bhatti Shaheed (1928 - September 10, 1965) (Punjabi, Urdu: عزیز بهٹی) , was an Army's Staff officer, who received Pakistan's highest award for valor (Nishan-e-Haider)

Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry (Punjabi, Urdu: فضل الہی چودہری;) , (January 1, 1904 - June 2, 1982) was the fifth President of Pakistan from August 14, 1973 until his resignation on September 16, 1978.

Kharian Cantonment

Kharian Cantonment (Punjabi, Urdu: کھاریاں ﮐﻴﻨٹ) or Kharian Cantt., is one of the largest cantonment (Army Base) of Pakistan. It was built in late 1950's with the support of USA as part of the mutual military alliance, and as an assistance to Pakistan. Its construction was supervised by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and was built according to U.S standards.

During the development of the cantonment, the many villages at the construction site, were relocated by government, and land was given to these in substitute. Mosques and graveyards still remained, and can even be seen today, inside the army area.

In 1956, it was planned and construction was initiated. International companies like Gammon and Caterpillar, participated in building the Garrison. One of the market places inside cantt. area is named after that company, where they stayed during construction.

The cantonment has a lot of facilities, among which, includes, a hospitable services mess/club to provide a location for social activities, an elegant mosque and a beautiful park. There is also a busy shopping area, a well equipped military hospital (CMH Kharian) and two degree colleges, one each for girls and boys.

Kharian Cantt. is also a center for education, both national and international-level schools and colleges are available, within the premises of Garrison.

Overseas Pakistani citizens of Kharian origin

Most Overseas Pakistani people of Norway and Denmark originate from villages and towns around Kharian (greater Kharian). These overseas Pakistani families, left Pakistan in the 1960s and 1970s as immigrant workers.

People of Pakistani descent in Norway and Denmark are very well-settled and exhibit a high level of political participation in their new homeland, compared to all other non-western immigrant groups.[1] Also in the educational sector they are doing very well, with almost 10% of the medical students in Oslo are of Pakistani heritage.[2] The figure is significant as Pakistani Norwegians only constitute 3.67% of Oslo's population.

Welfare Organizations

Education

Nearby villages and towns

References

  1. ^ Goli & Rezaei 2005, p. 24
  2. ^ Dagens Medisin: - Studenter med holdninger