Wazirabad (

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...

, Pakistan. It is the capital of

Wazirabad District Wazirabad District (Punjabi and ur, ), is a district that is a part of the Majha region in Punjab, Pakistan. Wazirabad District is bordered by the districts of Gujrat, Sialkot, Mandi Bahauddin, Hafizabad, and Gujranwala. Administration Wazir ...

. Famous for its cutlery products, it is known as the city of cutlery and is also quite famous for its

foods Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is ing ...

. Wazirabad is situated on the banks of the

Chenab The Chenab River () is a major river that flows in India and Pakistan, and is one of the 5 major rivers of the Punjab region. It is formed by the union of two headwaters, Chandra and Bhaga, which rise in the upper Himalayas in the Lahaul ...

River nearly 100 kilometres north of

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...

on the Grand Trunk Road. It is 45 kilometres from

Sialkot Sialkot ( ur, ) is a city located in Punjab, Pakistan. It is the capital of Sialkot District and the 13th most populous city in Pakistan. The boundaries of Sialkot are joined with Jammu (the winter capital of Indian administered Jammu and Ka ...

, 30 kilometres from Gujranwala, and about 12 kilometres from Gujrat. The city of Wazirabad is the headquarters of Wazirabad Tehsil, an

administrative subdivision Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...

of the district, the city itself is subdivided into 12 Union Councils.

History

The city was founded by Wazir Khan, the governer and later, Grand Vizier of

Mughal Emperor The Mughal emperors ( fa, , Pādishāhān) were the supreme heads of state of the Mughal Empire on the Indian subcontinent, mainly corresponding to the modern countries of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The Mughal rulers styled t ...

Shah Jahan in 17th century. The town was taken over by

Charat Singh Sardar Charat Singh (1721–1770 or 1733—1774), also romanised as Charhat Singh, was the father of Mahan Singh, and the grandfather of Ranjit Singh. He distinguished himself at an early age in campaigns against Ahmad Shah Abdali and along w ...

around 1760 together with other towns in the District. Maharaja

Ranjit Singh Ranjit Singh (13 November 1780 – 27 June 1839), popularly known as Sher-e-Punjab or "Lion of Punjab", was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire, which ruled the northwest Indian subcontinent in the early half of the 19th century. He s ...

occupied the town in 1809 and Avitabile was appointed as the

Nazim Subahdar, also known as Nazim or in English as a "Subah", was one of the designations of a governor of a Subah (province) during the Khalji dynasty of Bengal, Mamluk dynasty (Delhi), Khalji dynasty, Tughlaq dynasty, Mughal era ( of India who w ...

of the city. In 1855, Jarral Rajputs of Rajouri Own Saman Burj Wazirabad & Ruled Wazirabad as a Royal Family. He built an entirely new town, with a straight broad Bazar running through it, and side streets at right angles.

British rule

During

British rule The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was hims ...

Wazirabad was the headquarters of the old Wazirabad District, broken up in 1851-2, and was the site of a cantonment removed to Sialkot in 1855. The municipality was created in 1867, the population according to the 1901 census was 18,069. The income during the ten years ending 1902-3 averaged Rs. 20,800, and the expenditure Rs. 21,400. In 1903-4 the income was Rs. 20,800, chiefly from

octroi Octroi (; fro, octroyer, to grant, authorize; Lat. ''auctor'') is a local tax collected on various articles brought into a district for consumption. Antiquity The word itself is of French origin. Octroi taxes have a respectable antiquity, bein ...

; and the expenditure was Rs. 19,200. The town had a considerable trade in timber, which comes down the

from

Jammu Jammu is the winter capital of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir. It is the headquarters and the largest city in Jammu district of the union territory. Lying on the banks of the river Tawi Ri ...

territory. The smiths of Wazirabad had a reputation for the manufacture of small articles of cutlery, and the town of Nizamabad within a mile of the town is famed for its weapons. Wazirabad was an important junction on the North-Western Railway, as the Sialkot-Jammu and Lyallpur lines both branch off of here. The Chenab river is spanned opposite Wazirabad by the Alexandra railway bridge, one of the finest engineering works of the kind in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, which was opened by in 1876 by Edward VII the King-Emperor when he was

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...

. The town possessed two Anglo-vernacular high schools, one maintained by the Church of Scotland Mission, and a Government dispensary.

Educational institutes

Colleges

* Govt. Maulana Zafar Ali Khan Degree College. * Govt.Post Graduate College for Women Wazirabad. * Punjab Group of Colleges. * Superior Group of Colleges. * Apex Group of colleges. * Aspire Group of colleges. * ATA Institute of Engineering and Technology. * ILM College Wazirabad. * Chenab College of IT and Commerce. * Sir Syed College For Girls and Boys. * VITAL College For Girls & Boys. * Shahzaib Ahsan Medical College For Girls & Boys Basti Qudartabad.

Cityscape

Inside the Old City, the First Residential Complex was built called Musamman Burj. It was constructed by Ilm ul din, a confidant of Jehangir and was completed in 1636 AD during Shahjehan's Rule. Opposite the Musamman Burj, there is the Main Bazar (Market) which is absolute Wide, is about 2 km long and ends in the South of the City at Lahori Gate. Another House called Kothi Sheik Niaz Ahmed was Constructed outside the old city about 2 km from the Burj on the road leading to Nizamabad but silently, the city outgrew its boundaries. Kothi and Mussamman Burj both are now in the centre of Wazirabad thanks to the Urban Sprawl and Rapid Industrialization of the city.

Architecture

Built-in the british Colonial era, the bridge was constructed to carry the

Punjab Northern State Railway The Punjab Northern State Railway , opened in 1876, was a railway line between Lahore and Peshawar. History The route of what became the Punjab Northern State Railway, was first surveyed in 1857. Years of political and military debate followe ...

over the River Chenab. The First Brick was Laid on 1 November 1871, and completed in 1876, Though Later in 1878 necessary alterations were made.

Dak Chowki

The Dak chowki (mail station) is an age-old monument built by Sher Shah Suri in 1542 A.D. It has now been declared a protected monument and is planned to be restored. Oldchowki

Gurdwara

The Forlorn

Gurdwara A gurdwara (sometimes written as gurudwara) (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ''guradu'ārā'', meaning "Door to the Guru") is a place of assembly and worship for Sikhs. Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as ''Gurdwara Sahib''. People from all faiths ...

known as Gurdwara Gurukotha is situated in the city, built by the Orders of Ranjit Singh in memory of Guru har Gobind, the sixth of the Sikh gurus (1595-1640), for he stayed in Wazirabad during his long travels preaching through Punjab and Kashmir. The spherical, segmented dome of Gurukotha gurdwara rises in splendour above the skyline of the city and is balanced off by four domes at the corner.

Transportation

Highways

Wazirabad is situated alongside the

N-5 National Highway The N-5 or National Highway 5 (Urdu: ) is a 1819 km national highway in Pakistan, which extends from Karachi in Sindh to Torkham in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Route The N-5 is the longest national highway in Pakistan and serves as an importa ...

Which connects it to the nearby city District of Gujrat in the north and Gujranwala and the Provincial Capital

in the south. Multiple Dual Carriageway also connect the city to Gujrat, Sialkot,

Daska Daska ( ur, ), is a city in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The city is the capital of Daska Tehsil, one of four tehsils of Sialkot District. It is the 50th largest city of Pakistan by population. It is 29th largest by population in Punjab ...

and Gujranwala.

E3 Expressway

The E3 Expressway or Kot Sarwar–Hafizabad–Wazirabad Expressway is a controlled-access expressway that links the

at Wazirabad with the M-2/M-4 junction near Kot Sarwar, in Punjab, Pakistan. E3 also Connects the City with the Tehsil's Union councils in the nearby areas.

Rail

Wazirabad Junction railway station is located in the city which has the Main Line 1 (ML-1) Karachi-Peshawar Line, Khanewal-Wazirabad Branch Line and Wazirabad-Narowal Branch Line

Notable residents

Abdul Mannan Wazirabadi Hafiz Abdul Mannan Wazirabadi, spelled as Abdul Mannan Wazirabadi or Abdul Manan Wazirabadi ( ur, ; Abdul Mannan Wazirabadi, 1851 AD18 July 1916 AD, 1267 AH - 16 Ramzan 1334 AH) was a religious scholar, jurist, ''mufassir'' and muhaddith dur ...

, Islamic scholar * Fazal Ilahi Wazirabadi, Islamic scholar and freedom fighter *

Hamid Nasir Chattha Chaudhry Hamid Nasir Chattha ( ur, حامد ناصر چٹھا) is a politician from Wazirabad, Punjab, Pakistan. He was born on November 15, 1944 in Lahore. Hamid Nasir Chattha is currently a Member of Punjab Assembly, Pakistan after losing in ...

, former

Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan The Speaker of the National Assembly (Urdu: اسپیکر قومی اسمبلی); informally as Speaker National Assembly, is the presiding official of the National Assembly of Pakistan– a lower house of the Parliament of Pakistan. The off ...

* Raja Khalique Ullah Khan, former Provincial Minister Law & Parliamentary Affairs, and Education Minister * Iftikhar Cheema, Retired Justice and Member National Assembly for 3 tenures *

Nisar Ahmed Cheema Nisar Ahmed Cheema is a Pakistani politician who has been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan since August 2018. Early and personal life He was born in Wazirabad. He served as Director General Health Services Punjab He is the brot ...

, Ex-DG Health Punjab and Member National Assembly * Jawwad S. Khawaja, 23rd

Chief Justice of Pakistan } The Chief Justice of Pakistan (Urdu: ) (Initialism, initials as CJP) is head of the court system of Pakistan (the Judiciary of Pakistan, judicature branch of Government of Pakistan, government) and the chief judge of the Supreme Court of Paki ...

Atif Aslam Atif Aslam is a Pakistani playback singer, songwriter, composer, and actor. He has recorded many songs in both Pakistan and India, and is known for his vocal belting technique. Aslam predominantly sings in Urdu, but has also sung in Hindi, ...

, singer * S. A. Rahman, fifth Chief Justice of Pakistan * Shaikh Nazrul Bakar, civil servant *

Noon Meem Rashid Nazar Muhammad Rashed ( ur, ), (1 August 1910 – 9 October 1975) commonly known as Noon Meem Rashed ( ur, ) or N.M. Rashed, was a Pakistani poet of modern Urdu poetry.Munnu Bhai Muneer Ahmed Qureshi (6 February 1933 – 19 January 2018), better known as Munnu Bhai, was a Pakistani newspaper journalist, columnist, poet and a writer. He was awarded the Pride of Performance Award by the President of Pakistan in 2007 for his ...

, writer *

Razia Butt Razia Butt ( ur, ) was an Urdu novelist and playwright from Pakistan. One of the famous popular fiction writer of the 1960s and 1970s, she is often compared with English writer Barbara Cartland due to her popularity among the household readers. ...

, writer *

Krishan Chander Krishan Chander (23 November 1914 – 8 March 1977) was an Indian Urdu and Hindi writer of short stories and novels. Some of his works have also been translated in English. He was a prolific writer, penning over 20 novels, 30 collections o ...

, writer *

Zafar Ali Khan Zafar Ali Khan (1874– 27 November 1956) ( pnb, – ), also known as Maulana Zafar Ali Khan, was a Pakistani writer, poet, translator and a journalist who played an important role in the Pakistan Movement against the British Raj. He is genera ...

, writer, poet, and journalist * Dr. Shaista Nuzhat, poet, writer, columnist and bureaucrat *

Mohammad Abdul Ghafoor Hazarvi Akhundzada Mohammad Abdul Ghafoor Hazarvi ( ur, اخوندزادہ محمد عبدالغفور ہزاروی چشتی) (1 January 1909 – 9 October 1970) was a Muslim theologian, jurist, and scholar of ahadith in Pakistan (''South Asia' ...

: Muslim theologian,

orator An orator, or oratist, is a public speaker, especially one who is eloquent or skilled. Etymology Recorded in English c. 1374, with a meaning of "one who pleads or argues for a cause", from Anglo-French ''oratour'', Old French ''orateur'' (14th ...

and revivalist leader * Mazhar ul Islam, writer *

Raja Mehdi Ali Khan Raja Mehdi Ali Khan (23 September 1915 – 29 July 1966) was an Indian poet, writer and a lyricist. Early life and career Raja Mehdi Ali Khan was born on 23 September 1915 at Karamabad village, near Wazirabad, Gujranwala District of Punjab, Br ...

Allah Bakhsh (painter) Ustad Allah Bakhsh ( 18 October 1978; sometimes spelled Allah Bux or Allah Bukhsh) was a Pakistani painter and calligrapher who was actively involved in aesthetics and classical landscape paintings throughout his life. He produced his work in ...

History

British rule

Educational institutes

Colleges

Cityscape

Architecture

Dak Chowki

Gurdwara

Transportation

Highways

E3 Expressway

Rail

Notable residents

References

Further reading