Okara, Pakistan
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Okara ( Punjabi, ), is the capital city of Okara District in the Punjab province of
Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
. The name Okara is derived from ''Okaan'', which is the name of a type of tree. In ancient times there were a large number of Okaan trees, which is why the area was named Okara. It is the 23rd largest city of Pakistan by population. The city is located southwest of the city of
Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...
and
Faisalabad Faisalabad, formerly known as Lyallpur, is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, second-largest city and primary List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, industrial center of the Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan ...
is 100 km bypassing the Ravi River. It is known for its agriculture-based economy and cotton mills. The nearest major city to Okara is
Sahiwal Sahiwal ( Punjabi / ; ; ), formerly known as Montgomery, is a city in central Punjab, Pakistan. It is the administrative capital of both Sahiwal District and Sahiwal Division. It is the 19th largest city of Pakistan by population accordin ...
, which was formerly known as Montgomery. Kasur is also located in the east of the city. Pakistan military dairy farms, known for their cheese, are situated in Okara. Pul Dhool, located near Abdulla Sugar Mill, is a town in the Okara district. Pul Dhool is on Hujra Chunian road. It is 9km from Shah Muqeem and 17km from Chunian.These farms were established before the creation of
Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
in 1947.


Climate

The climate of Okara is usually warm and dry, except during the summer monsoon season between June and September. The coldest months are December to February, when temperatures may drop to , with moderate rainfall. The hottest months are May to July, when temperatures may reach . The annual average rainfall in the city is approximately .


History

Okara is a relatively new agricultural city. During the period of British rule there was a forest of Okaan where the city has been rebuilt, and from this, the name of the city was derived. During British rule, the area was part of Montgomery District and contained a large saltpeter refinery. There are many textile mills in Okara. The predominantly Muslim population supported the Muslim League and the Pakistan Movement. After the independence of
Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
in 1947 the
Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
refugees settled in the Okara District. In 1982, the city became the headquarters of the newly created Okara District. Okara has had a railway line since 1892. Okara is known for its cattle breed known as
Sahiwal Sahiwal ( Punjabi / ; ; ), formerly known as Montgomery, is a city in central Punjab, Pakistan. It is the administrative capital of both Sahiwal District and Sahiwal Division. It is the 19th largest city of Pakistan by population accordin ...
and a
water buffalo The water buffalo (''Bubalus bubalis''), also called domestic water buffalo, Asian water buffalo and Asiatic water buffalo, is a large bovid originating in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Today, it is also kept in Italy, the Balkans ...
breed known as Niliravi. It is very rich in livestock population and production. Livestock Production Research Institute Bahadar Nagar Farm is a very large government farm near Okara. The farm has many cows, buffalo, bulls (for reproduction), goats, and sheep.


Administration

The city of Okara serves as
district A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...
and
tehsil A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluk, or taluka () is a local unit of administrative division in India and Pakistan. It is a subdistrict of the area within a Zila (country subdivision), district including the designated populated place that ser ...
capital and is itself administratively subdivided into ten Union councils.


Politics

Political leaders * NA-135 Chaudhary Nadeem Abbas Rbaira kharal * NA-136 Chaudhry Riaz-ul-Haq * NA-137 Peer Saeyyud Ali Raza Gilaami * NA-138 Mian Moeen Ahmed Khan Wuttoo * PP-188 Mian Yawar Zaman * PP-189 Mian Muhammad Munir * NA-143 Nadeem Abbas Rabera(2018 to 2023)


Sights

* Mir Chakar Rind * Hujra Shah Muqeem * Satluj River


Demographics


Population


Languages

Punjabi is the most widely spoken language in Okara, with almost 95 percent of the population identifying it as their first language. The main Punjabi dialects in the area are Majhi and Jhangvi.


Parks and Recreational Facilities

Safdar Shaheed Park and Jinnah Park are the two main parks in Okara city. Apart from these two, there are few others parks including Gulshan e Fatima Park, Mehboob Alam Park, Lalazar colony park etc.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Okara, Pakistan Cities and towns in Okara District