LAHORE - - AREA & POPULATION

Lahore statistical division contains the districts of Lahore, Nankana Sahib, Okara, Qasur, and Shekhupura. Its area is 16 104 km² and its population is 14 248 641.

Lahore District (لاہور Laahaur) 1 772 km², population 6 318 745. two tehsils (Lahore Cantonment 917 km², population 3 778 172, Lahore city 855 km², population 2 540 573). In 2000 the tehsils were replaced with nine subdivisions called towns, which are Allama Iqbal, Aziz Bhatti, Data Ganj Baksh, Gulberg, Nishtar, Lahore Cantonment, Ravi, Samanabad, Shalimar, and Wagah. Lahore (4 577 744 plus 565 751 in Lahore Cantonment) has an area of 270 km² and estimated population pf 6 500 000. Lahore--Ravi has an area of 18 km² and an estimated population of 300 000. Lahore--Shahpur has an area of 3.8 km² and an estimated population of 20 000. Lahore--Kahna Nau (38 279) has an area of 3.3 km² and an estimated population of 40 000. Lahore--Raiwind (27 314) has an area of 2.6 km² and an estimated population of 30 000. Lahore--Attoke Awan has an area of 2.6 km² and an estimated population of 30 000. Lahore--Shershah has an area of 1.8 km² and an estimated population of 16 000. Lahore--Chung has an area of 1.7 km² and an estimated population of 17 000.

Nankana Sahib District (ننکانہ صاحب Nankaana Saahib) 2 719 km², population 1 272 580. two tehsils (Nankana Sahib 1 662 km², population 683 693, Safdarabad 1 057 km², population 588 617). Separated from Sheikhupura District in 2005. Nankana Sahib (48 899) has an area of 3.4 km² and an estimated population of 45 000. Sangla Hill (30 368) in Safdarabad tehsil has an area of 2.0 km² and an estimated population of 25 000. Shahkot (39 263) in Safdarabad tehsil has an area of 2.0 km² and an estimated population of 20 000. Khanqah Dogran (26 518) in Safdarabad tehsil has an area of 1.2 km² and an estimated population of 12 000. Bucheki in Nankana Sahib tehsil has an area of 1.1 km² and an estimated population of 11 000. Warburton (وار برٹن Waarburṭan, 19 621) in Nankana Sahib tehsil has an area of 1.0 km² and an estimated population of 10 000.

Okara District (اوکاڑہ Okaaṛa) 4 377 km², population 2 232 992. three tehsils (Depalpur 2 502 km², population 1 030 836, Okara 1 241 km², population 862 364, Renala Khurd 634 km², population 339 792). Okara (201 815) has an area of 13.5 km² and an estimated population of 200 000. Okara Cantonment (56 537) has an area of 5.8 km² and an estimated population of 40 000. Depalpur (57 224) has an area of 2.9 km² and an estimated population of 35 000. Renala Khurd (رینالاخورد Renaala Xurd, 32 337) has an area of 2.3 km² and an estimated population of 25 000. Haveli Lakha (حویلی لکھا Haveli Lakha, 52 207) in Depalpur tehsil has an area of 2.1 km² and an estimated population of 25 000. Basirpur (بصيرپور Baseerpur, 36 628) in Depalpur tehsil has an area of 1.7 km² and an estimated population of 17 000. Hujra Shah Muqeem (47 415) in Dipalpur tehsil has an area of 1.6 km² and an estimated population of 16 000. An unidentified urban area 5 km NW of Renala Khurd in Renala Khurd tehsil has an area of 1.3 km² and an estimated population of 13 000.

Qasur District (قصور Qasoor) 3 995 km², population 2 375 875. three tehsils (Chunian 1 212 km², population 584 567, Qasur 1 891 km², population 1 157 072, Pattoki 892 km², population 634 296). Qasur (245 321) has an area of 13.0 km² and an estimated population of 250 000. Chunian (42 230) has an area of 3.3 km² and an estimated population of 35 000. Pattoki (58 961) has an area of 3.2 km² and an estimated population of 40 000. Bhai Pheru in Chunian tehsil has an area of 1.7 km² and an estimated population of 20 000. Allahabad in Chunian tehsil has an area of 1.3 km² and an estimated population of 13 000. Khudian Khas (23 127) in Qasur tehsil has an area of 1.3 km² and an estimated population of 13 000. Mustafaabad (37 498) in Qasur tehsil has an area of 1.3 km² and an estimated population of 13 000. Kot Radha Kishan in Pattoki tehsil has an area of 1.3 km² and an estimated population of 13 000.

Shekhupura District (شيخوپورہ Shexoopoora) 3 241 km², population 2 048 449. two tehsils (Ferozewala 1 902 km², population 999 185, Sheikhupura 1 339 km², population 1 049 264).
Sheikhupura (280 263) has an area of 16.5 km² and an estimated population of 300 000. Muridke (مريدكے Mureedke, 111 951) in Ferozewala tehsil has an area of 4.9 km² and an estimated population of 60 000. Farooqabad (59 015) in Shekhupura tehsil has an area of 4.3 km² and an estimated population of 45 000. Mananwala Jodh Singh (25 564) in Ferozewala tehsil has an area of 1.6 km² and an estimated population of 16 000. Sharqpur (28 186) in Ferozewala tehsil has an area of 1.3 km² and an estimated population of 13 000. Ferozwatwan (فیروزوٹواں Ferozwaṭwaã) in Shekhupura tehsil has an area of 1.2 km² and an estimated population of 12 000. Kot Abdul Malik (63 525) in Ferozewala tehsil has an area of 1.0 km² and an estimated population of 12 000. An unidentified urban area, Shekhupura--7.5 km SE of Shekhupura, in Shekhupura tehsil has an area of 1.0 km² and an estimated population of 12 000.

LAHORE - - HISTORY IN BRIEF

The city of Lahore had existed during the ancient times. References to this city can be found in Ptolemy’s Geographia, which is written about AD I50. It refers to it as ‘Labokla’ and locates it with reference to the Indus, Ravi, Jhelum and Chenab rivers.

The Muslims conquered Lahore in 713 CE under the leadership of Muhammad bin Qasim, who was dispatched by the Umayyad Khaleefah Al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik to make inroads to India. Muhammad bin Qasim conquered Punjab, and most of the present Pakistan from Kashmir to the Arabian Sea.

Later, Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni placed it under the rule of his governor, Malik Ayaz. When Sultan Qutub-uddin Aybak was crowned in 1206, he became the first Muslim Sultan of the subcontinent. From 1524 to 1752 Lahore was part of the Mughal Empire.

During Akbar’s rule, Lahore was the capital of the empire from 1584 to 1598. During this time a massive fort, the Lahore Fort, was built on the remains of an older fort in the 1560s. This fort was later extended by Jahangir, a Mughal emperor who is now buried in the city. Shah Jahan, his son, was born in Lahore and is famous for building the world-renowned Taj Mahal in India. He, like his father, extended Lahore Fort and built many other structures in the city, showering more affection on his hometown than any other city. The last of the Mughals, Aurangzeb, ruling from 1658 to 1707, built the city's most famous monuments, the Badshahi Masjid and the Alamgiri Gate next to the Lahore Fort.

With the decline of the Mughal Empire, Lahore was captured by Sikh ruler Ranjit Singh, who declared himself Maharajah of the Punjab. Ranjit troops to desecrate many of the city’s beautiful Islamic shrines, including the Badshahi Mosque. Sikhs ruled Lahore from 1799 to 1849, making it the capital of their empire. However the last Anglo-Sikh war resulted in a British victory, bringing Lahore under the rule of the British crown.

The famous Lahore Resolution was passed in the city in 1940 that called for the creation of a separate Muslim state. Pakistan came into existence in 1947 with the end of the British Empire.

KARACHI - - AREA & POPULATION

Karachi is the largest city and former capital of Pakistan on the Arabian Sea near the Indus River delta. The capital of Sindh province, it is Pakistan's chief seaport and industrial center. Karachi is not just a city. It is a unique city in many ways.

From a medium-size city of less than 500,000 population in 1947 it grew to well over five million in 1981 and, according to most conservative estimates, has now exceeded 10 million mark. The area of Karcahi divison is about 3,366 sq. km with more than 18 towns and 6 cantonment boards.

KARACHI - - HISTORY IN BRIEF

One day she will be the Queen of the East", said Charles Napier a hundred year ago about Karachi. It was then only a small village. Today Karachi bursts upon the visitor as a vast commercial and industrial center, a sea of people teeming with human activity, its population having already exceeded nine million mark and still growing.

This metropolitan city of Karachi was until 1725 A.D. just a barren piece of land , washed on three sides by the blue waters of the Arabian Sea. A few fishermen lived in a small huts on the sunny creek. There was a pool of water on this barren piece of land which was known as Kalachi-jo-Kun. Kalachi was the name of fisherman whereas kun meant a deep kitch. Therefore, "Kalachi-jo-Kun" meant the deep ditch of Kalacahi, the fisherman.

ISLAMABAD - - BRIEF HISTORY

The city of Islamabad, though relatively young, has thousands of years of pre-construction history. Islamabad Capital Territory, located in the Potohar Plateau, is regarded to be one of the earliest sites of human settlement in Asia. Situated at one end of the Indus Valley Civilization, this area was the first habitation of the Aryan community from Central Asia. Islamabad was one of the routes though which the armies from North and North West passed to invade Indian Subcontinent. Many great armies such as those of Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Timur and King Abdali have used this route on their way to Indian Subcontinent. Relics and human skulls have been found dating back to 5000 B.C. that show this region was home to Stone Age man who used the banks of Swaan River as their settlement. Modern Islamabad is based on the old settlement known as Saidpur.

ISLAMABAD - - CAPITAL OF PAKISTAN

It is the purpose-built capital of Pakistan. It lies against the surroundings of the Margalla Hills at the northern end of Pothowar Plateau. The city was built intentionally to serve as the capital city of Pakistan in 1960 by the orders of then President General Ayub Khan. The capital is full of natural terraces and meadows and the southern plain drained by the Kurang River with the Margalla Hills in the north east. Area and Population The city is divided into eight basic zones: Administrative Diplomatic Enclave Residential Areas Educational Sectors Industrial Sectors Commercial Areas Rural Areas and Green Areas

Each sector has its own shopping area and public park. The population of the city is around 9,50,000 people with an area of about 910 square kilometers. The city lies at latitudes 33° 49' north and longitudes 72° 24' east with altitudes ranging from 457 to 610 meters.