Okara District (

Punjabi Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to: * Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan * Punjabi language * Punjabi people * Punjabi dialects and languages Punjabi may also refer to: * Punjabi (horse), a British Th ...

and ur, ), is a

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 counties, several municipalities, subdivision ...

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

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

. It became a separate district in 1982, prior to that it was part of

Sahiwal District Sahiwal District (Punjabi and ur, ), formerly known as Montgomery district, is a district in the Punjab province of Pakistan. In 1998, it had a population of 1,843,194 people, 16.27% of which were in urban areas. Since 2008, Sahiwal Distric ...

.History of Okara District on Cantonment Board Okara website
Government of Pakistan website, Retrieved 12 April 2021 The

Multan Multan (; ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan, on the bank of the Chenab River. Multan is Pakistan's seventh largest city as per the 2017 census, and the major cultural, religious and economic centre of southern Punjab. Multan is one of the ol ...

Road connects the district capital, Okara with

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second List of cities in Pakistan by population, most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th List of largest cities, most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is th ...

110 km away and

Faisalabad Faisalabad (; Punjabi/ ur, , ; ), formerly known as Lyallpur (Punjabi, Urdu: لائل پور), named after the founder of the city, but was renamed in 1977 in honour of late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. It is the 3rd largest city of Pakis ...

is 100 km by passing away

Ravi River The Ravi River () is a transboundary river crossing northwestern India and eastern Pakistan. It is one of five rivers associated with the Punjab region. Under the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, the waters of the Ravi and two other rivers were ...

Geography

Okara District is bounded on the on the south by

Bahawalnagar district Bahawalnagar District (Urdu and pa, ), is a district of Punjab province in Pakistan. Before the independence of Pakistan, Bahawalnagar was part of Bahawalpur state governed by the Nawab of Bahawalpur. The city of Bahawalnagar is the capital ...

, on the South-West by Pakpattan district, on the west by Sahiwal, on the north by the districts of

and Nankana Sahib, on the Near-East & Far-North by Kasur, on the South-East by Fazilka district in Indian Punjab. Okara District lies on Radcliffe line/ Indo-Pakistani border, therefore its geographic importance for defence is high. Okara Cantonment has a significant position in Pakistan.

History

Okara region was an agricultural region with forests during the

Indus Valley civilization The Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC), also known as the Indus Civilisation was a Bronze Age civilisation in the northwestern regions of South Asia, lasting from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE, and in its mature form 2600 BCE to 1900& ...

.the old name of Okara city was (okan-wala اوکا والا) The

Vedic period The Vedic period, or the Vedic age (), is the period in the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age of the history of India when the Vedic literature, including the Vedas (ca. 1300–900 BCE), was composed in the northern Indian subcontinent, betwe ...

is characterized by Indo-Aryan culture that invaded from

Central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes the fo ...

and settled in the

Punjab region 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 a ...

. The

Kambojas Kamboja ( sa, कम्बोज) was a kingdom of Iron Age India that spanned parts of South and Central Asia, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature. Eponymous with the kingdom name, the Kambojas were an Indo-Iranian people o ...

, Daradas, Kaikayas, Madras,

Pauravas The Pauravas were an ancient dynasty on the Indus (present-day India and Pakistan) to which King Porus may have belonged. Porus and the Pauravas The origins of the Pauravas are still disputed. The Pauravas may be related to the Puru tribe, d ...

, Yaudheyas,

Malavas The Malavas (Brahmi script: 𑀫𑁆𑀫𑀸𑀭𑀯 ''Mmālava'') or Malwas were an ancient Indian tribe. Modern scholars identify them with the Mallian people (Malloi) who were settled in the Punjab region at the time of Alexander's invasion ...

, Saindhavas and

Kuru Kuru may refer to: Anthropology and history * Kuru (disease), a type of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy associated with the cannibalistic funeral practices of the Fore people * Kuru (mythology), part of Meithei mythology * Kuru Kingdom, ...

s invaded, settled and ruled ancient

. After overrunning the

Achaemenid Empire The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire (; peo, 𐎧𐏁𐏂, , ), also called the First Persian Empire, was an ancient Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great in 550 BC. Based in Western Asia, it was contemporarily the largest em ...

in 331 BCE,

Alexander Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...

marched into present-day

with an army of 50,000. The Okara was ruled by

Maurya Empire The Maurya Empire, or the Mauryan Empire, was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in the Indian subcontinent based in Magadha, having been founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 322 BCE, and existing in loose-knit fashion until ...

Indo-Greek kingdom The Indo-Greek Kingdom, or Graeco-Indian Kingdom, also known historically as the Yavana Kingdom (Yavanarajya), was a Hellenistic-era Greek kingdom covering various parts of Afghanistan and the northwestern regions of the Indian subcontinent (p ...

Kushan Empire The Kushan Empire ( grc, Βασιλεία Κοσσανῶν; xbc, Κυϸανο, ; sa, कुषाण वंश; Brahmi: , '; BHS: ; xpr, 𐭊𐭅𐭔𐭍 𐭇𐭔𐭕𐭓, ; zh, 貴霜 ) was a syncretic empire, formed by the Yuezhi, ...

Gupta Empire The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed from the early 4th century CE to late 6th century CE. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 467 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent. This period is considered as the Gold ...

, White Huns,

Kushano-Hephthalites The Hephthalites ( xbc, ηβοδαλο, translit= Ebodalo), sometimes called the White Huns (also known as the White Hunas, in Iranian as the ''Spet Xyon'' and in Sanskrit as the ''Sveta-huna''), were a people who lived in Central Asia during t ...

and the

Turk Turk or Turks may refer to: Communities and ethnic groups * Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages * Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation * Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic o ...

and

Hindu Shahi The Hindu Shahis (also known as Odi Shahis, Uḍi Śāhis, or Brahman Shahis, 822–1026 CE) were a dynasty that held sway over the Kabul Valley, Gandhara and western Punjab during the early medieval period in the Indian subcontinent. Details ...

kingdoms. In 997 CE, Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi, took over the Ghaznavid dynasty empire established by his father, Sultan Sebuktegin. In 1005, he conquered the Shahis in

Kabul Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into #Districts, 22 municipal dist ...

, and followed it by the conquests of northern

. The

Delhi Sultanate The Delhi Sultanate was an Islamic empire based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for 320 years (1206–1526).

and later the

Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...

ruled this region. The Punjab region became predominantly

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

due to

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, r ...

saints whose

dargah A dargah ( fa, درگاه ''dargâh'' or ''dargah'', Turkish: ''dergâh'', Hindustani: ''dargah'' दरगाह درگاہ, bn, দরগাহ ''dorgah'') is a shrine or tomb built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often ...

s dot the landscape of the

. After the decline of the

, the

Sikh Empire The Sikh Empire was a state originating in the Indian subcontinent, formed under the leadership of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who established an empire based in the Punjab. The empire existed from 1799, when Maharaja Ranjit Singh captured Lahor ...

invaded and occupied Sahiwal. The Muslims faced restrictions during the Sikh rule. During the period of

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 ...

there was a forest of Okaan where the city has been built. The city is a relatively new agricultural city. The word "Okara" for this district was actually originated from word "Okan" (a lush green tree with needle like leaves). The Okan Tree gave birth to word Okanwali (Land of Okan) which ultimately finalized into Okara.Okara on Punjab Portal, Punjab Government website
Retrieved 11 April 2021 During

the area was part of

Montgomery District Montgomery District was an administrative district of the former Punjab Province of British India, in what is now Pakistan. Named after Sir Robert Montgomery, it lay in the Bari Doab, or the tract between the Sutlej and the Ravi rivers, extendi ...

and contained a large

saltpeter Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . This alkali metal nitrate Salt (chemistry), salt is also known as Indian saltpetre (large deposits of which were historically mined in India). It is an ionic salt of potassium ...

refinery. At

independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the stat ...

in 1947, one of the two textile mills that

got was in Okara. The mill was known as Sutlej textile mill and it was Asia's biggest textile mill at that time but at present, it is closed down. In 1982 the city became the headquarters of the newly created Okara District. Okara has had a railway line since 1892. Okara District was previously part of Montgomery District which included:

Pakpattan Pakpattan ( Punjabi and ), often referred to as Pākpattan Sharīf (; ''"Noble Pakpattan"''), is the capital city of the Pakpattan District, located in Punjab province of Pakistan. It is the 48th largest city of Pakistan by population according ...

, Sahiwal, Okara districts of

. The predominantly Muslim population supported the

Muslim League Muslim League may refer to: Political parties Subcontinent ; British India *All-India Muslim League, Mohammed Ali Jinah, led the demand for the partition of India resulting in the creation of Pakistan. **Punjab Muslim League, a branch of the organ ...

and the

Pakistan Movement The Pakistan Movement ( ur, , translit=Teḥrīk-e-Pākistān) was a political movement in the first half of the 20th century that aimed for the creation of Pakistan from the Muslim-majority areas of British India. It was connected to the per ...

. After the

in 1947, the minority

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

s and

Sikh Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...

s migrated to

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

while the

refugees from

settled in the Okara district.

Agriculture

Okara District is famous for its fertile lands, peaceful natural environment and green fields of

Potato The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Wild potato species can be found from the southern Uni ...

tomato The tomato is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word ...

sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, perennial grass (in the genus '' Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stalk ...

wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...

and

maize Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American English, North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous ...

crops. Oranges and Mangoes orchards are common. The area of district Okara is the gold mine for history seekers, spiritual and curious travellers. One can find archaeological remains of different dynasties of prehistory,

Indus Valley civilisation The Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC), also known as the Indus Civilisation was a Bronze Age civilisation in the northwestern regions of South Asia, lasting from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE, and in its mature form 2600 BCE to 1900& ...

Persians The Persians are an Iranian ethnic group who comprise over half of the population of Iran. They share a common cultural system and are native speakers of the Persian language as well as of the languages that are closely related to Persian. ...

Ghaznavids The Ghaznavid dynasty ( fa, غزنویان ''Ġaznaviyān'') was a culturally Persianate, Sunni Muslim dynasty of Turkic ''mamluk'' origin, ruling, at its greatest extent, large parts of Persia, Khorasan, much of Transoxiana and the northwes ...

Sultanates Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...

, the Mugal Empire, the Sikh Confederacy and the

British Raj 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 him ...

. There is a central ridge, in the centre of Okara District, which marks the old river bed of the

Beas Beas is a riverfront town in the Amritsar district of the Indian state of Punjab. Beas lies on the banks of the Beas River. Beas town is mostly located in revenue boundary of Budha Theh with parts in villages Dholo Nangal and Wazir Bhullar. ...

, and the boundary b/w the eastern and western half of the district. The ridge descends from Kasur, all the way to

Chunian Chunian ( ur, ), is a historic city and the capital of Chunian Tehsil of Punjab, Pakistan. It is located at 30° 58' N 73° 51' E and at an elevation of 177 metres (583 feet), and lies about 70 km south of Lahore the Punjab capital. ...

, and then Shergarh in Okara. As you go west of the ridge, into Okara &

Renala Khurd Renala Khurd (Punjabi, ur, ) is a growing city in the Okara District in the northeast Punjab province of Pakistan. Khurd is a Persian word meaning small. The city is the headquarters of Renala Khurd Tehsil, an administrative subdivision of t ...

, the subsoil water is brackish, therefore the area is dependent on canals for irrigation. However, after you cross the ridge east into

Depalpur Tehsil Depalpur Tehsil ( ur, ), is an administrative subdivision (tehsil) of Okara District in the Punjab province of Pakistan, headquartered at the city of Depalpur. Famous Families Syed Bukhari (imam shah darbar tomb in shahi mosque complex), S ...

, the subsoil water is sweet and good for agriculture. Other produce grown locally includes the outputs of

lemon The lemon (''Citrus limon'') is a species of small evergreen trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar or China. The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culin ...

guava Guava () is a common tropical fruit cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions. The common guava ''Psidium guajava'' (lemon guava, apple guava) is a small tree in the myrtle family ( Myrtaceae), native to Mexico, Central America, t ...

grapefruit The grapefruit (''Citrus'' × ''paradisi'') is a subtropical citrus tree known for its relatively large, sour to semi-sweet, somewhat bitter fruit. The interior flesh is segmented and varies in color from pale yellow to dark pink. Grapefruit ...

orchards, belonging to the food processing company, Mitchell's Fruit Farms Limited. The orchard runs for about 6 miles, along with the LBDC, from

all the way up to the Okara bypass.

Demographics

At the time of the 2017 census the district had a population of 3,040,826, of which 1,564,470 were males and 1,476,071 females. Rural population is 2,198,262 while the urban population is 842,564. The literacy rate was 58.28%.

Muslims Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

were the predominant religious community with 98.53% of the population while

Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ� ...

were 1.44% of the population. There are many tribes and clans settled in the Okara District. The majority of the population of Okara are

speaking

s. The main tribes and clans include: Syed, Malik, Jhujh, Basti Peeran Wali Depalpur Shekikhu Sharif, Channar, Wattus, Mungun, Jhakhar, Klaason, Dhall Jutt, Raajpoots, Shaikhs, Lodhis, Kharals, Kamyanas, Kumbohs, Khaanzaadas, Noons,

Arain Arain (also known as Raeen) are a large Punjabi agricultural tribe with strong political identity and organisation, found mainly in the Pakistani provinces of Punjab and Sindh with a small population in parts of Indian Punjab, Uttar Pradesh ...

Chaudhary Chaudhary (or Choudhary ; also: Chaudhuri, Choudhuary, Chowdhury) is a hereditary title mainly in South Asia, mainly used by Jats, Gurjar and Bhumihars. Chowdhury ( Hindi: चौधरी/चौधुरी/चौधारी; Urdu: چودھ� ...

and Baloch are prominent. However, the Jat population is less compared to other communities. At the time of the 2017 census, 96.10% of the population spoke

and 2.65%

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' The main Punjabi dialects of the district are Jhangvi (or Rachnavi), and the standard

Majhi dialect Majhi (Shahmukhi: Gurmukhi: ) is the standard dialect of Punjabi and is spoken in the Majha region of the Punjab. The two most important cities in this area are Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in P ...

Livestock

Okara is also known for its cattle breed known as Sahiwal and a

Water buffalo The water buffalo (''Bubalus bubalis''), also called the domestic water buffalo or Asian water buffalo, is a large bovid originating in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Today, it is also found in Europe, Australia, North America, So ...

breed known as

Niliravi Nili-Ravi is a breed of domestic water buffalo of Punjab. It is distributed principally in Pakistan and India, concentrated in the Punjab region. It is similar to the Murrah breed of buffalo, and is reared mainly for dairy use. The average mi ...

. It is very rich in livestock population and production. The Livestock Production Research Institute (LPRI) Bahadar Nagar Farm is a very large Government farm near Okara city (18.5 km on Faisalabad road from DepalPur Chowk Okara). The farm has a large number of cows, buffalos, bulls (for reproduction), goats and sheep. Okara is a major milk producing city of Pakistan. There is also a large military dairy farm in Okara district originally set up in 1913. After the

independence of Pakistan The Pakistan Movement ( ur, , translit=Teḥrīk-e-Pākistān) was a political movement in the first half of the 20th century that aimed for the creation of Pakistan from the Muslim-majority areas of British India. It was connected to the pe ...

in 1947, the 'battai system' (sharing-partners in crop yields) continued in all military-owned farms in Pakistan, with the farmers taking their respective shares in the crop yields.

Infrastructure

There are two modern Cricket Stadiums (Okara Gymkhana Cricket Ground and Jinnah Cricket Stadium). Okara Gymkhana Cricket ground is a First Class Cricket venue of Pakistan Cricket Board. Football, Hockey, Basketball Court, Badminton Arena are also constructed in the heart of City. A new international hockey stadium is being constructed in Renala Khurd Tehsil of Okara, which would be completed by 2013. There are also many small and considerable big parks for the general public. The three main recreational parks are Ladies Park, Bagh-e-Jinnah and District Park. Educational institutes include Education University, Cadet College, Government College for Boy, two Government Colleges for Women. There are various numerous public & private hospitals and clinics providing the health services. Hospitals include the District Government hospital, surgical hospital and C.M.H Okara Cantt. There is also a Social welfare health society which is being operated by the Government of Punjab. Every hospital has more than two ambulances. Located in the village of Rehampur the Rosary Christian Hospital also provides medical services to Okara and surrounding areas. The '1122 Rescue' Government organization is also offering their services in Okara city. There is also a separated Fire station, located in the centre of the city, which has several old and also latest fire engines for safety services. Okara also has a Railway station, which contains several platforms, where almost every train going from

Islamabad Islamabad (; ur, , ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's ninth-most populous city, with a population of over 1.2 million people, and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital ...

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...

makes a stop. There are two railway underpasses and two flyovers which helps in smooth flow of traffic. On 31 May 2005, the Ex-President General

Pervez Musharraf General Pervez Musharraf ( ur, , Parvez Muśharraf; born 11 August 1943) is a former Pakistani politician and four-star general of the Pakistan Army who became the tenth president of Pakistan after the successful military takeover of t ...

inaugurated the Okara Bypass (30.786887° 73.459238°), the length of 12.7 km, on GT road (N-5). This project was commenced on 5 September 2003, due to the great demand of the people of the area. It was completed at the cost of 62.817 Crore Rupees. This interchange proved very helpful in the smooth flow of national highway traffic, particularly between Lahore and Multan and to reduce the national traffic in the city. This bypass connects the Karachi-Lahore-Peshawar national highway which is the economic lifeline of Pakistan.

Surroundings

Nearby cities are Hvaili Lakha, Sahiwal,

, Depalpur, Mundi Ahmad Abaad, Bseer Poor and Renaala Khurd. There is a famous shrine of Sufi Sayed Shubbeer Husain Shaah Gilaani situated in the village "47/2-L (Raajpootaan) near Depalpur road, Okara. There is a famous shrine of Soofi Baaba Wlee Roshun Shaah situated in the village of Bonga Saaleh. Every year on 27th of Harr (Desi month), Maila(Fair) is celebrated. Another well-known shrine near Depalpur is that of Daud Bundgi Kirmaani, located in the town of Shair Gurh. His ours is held in the middle of March, and is attended by thousands from all over Punjaab and beyond. In the west of Okara city, the Ravi river goes winding along the borders of Faisalabad District and

Sheikhupura District Sheikhupura District ( pa, ; ur, ), is a district located in Lahore Division of Punjab Province, Pakistan. Sheikhupura is the headquarters of Sheikhupura district. According to the 1998 census of Pakistan, the district had a population of ...

. The main towns of the district are: * DepalpurPopulation Detail of Okara District on Government of Punjab website
Retrieved 12 April 2021 * Renaala Khourd * Bseer Pur * Hvaili Lakha * Houjra Shaah Moqeem And some minor towns of the district are: * Akhtar Abad Old Dhuniwala * Ahmad Abad * Bseer Poor *

Haveli Lakha Haveli Lakha (Punjabi, ur, ) is a city in Depalpur Tehsil of Okara District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is located around 158 km (98.4 miles) south west of Lahore. Haveli Lakha is part of Depalpur Tehsil Depalpur Tehsil ...

* Bungla Googaira * Jbokuh * Jundraakuh * Mopaakkay * Choochuk * Kohluh * Bama Baala & Baamuh Zaireen * Moza Joyuh * Sutguruh Aduh * Maoza Jhaidioo * Maoza Lukhun * Shair K Baala & Shair K Zaireen * Outhwaal Jaageer * Maoza Joota new name Taariq Abad * Busti Peeraan Dey * Baarun Poor * Maoza Mourdaani * Maoza Futtoo-Aanuh * Jhakhar Chowk 35/GD * Maoza Akber or Ukbur * Thuthuh Inaayet Ka * Maozuh Sheereen Wutwaan * Maozuh Fteh Poor * Thuthuh Baig Wutwaan * Thuthuh Taahir Ka Wutwaan * Chak Khan Mohummud * Thuthuh Fteh Ali Wutwaan. The most beautiful & interesting village of the World * Chak NO.1/4L * Chak NO.2/4L * Chak NO.3/4L * Chak NO.4/4L * Chak NO.5/4L * Chak NO.6/4L * Chak NO.7/4L * Chak NO.8/4L * Chak NO.9/4L * Chak NO.10/4L * Chak NO.11/4L * Chak NO.12/4L * Chak NO.13/4L * Chak NO.14/4L * Chak NO.15/4L * Chak NO.16/4L * Chak NO.18/4L * Chak NO.19/4L * Chak NO.20/4L * Chak NO.21/4L * Chak NO.22/4L * Chak NO.23/4L * Chak NO.24/4L * Chak NO.25/4L * Chak NO.26/4L * Chak NO.27/4L * Chak NO.28/4L * Chak NO.29/4L * Chak NO.30/4L Raisaan * Chak NO.30/4L Mohaaraan * Chak NO.31/4L Kaori Blochaan * Chak NO.32/4L Oogoo Aana siaal * Chak NO.33/4L Chunnur * Chak NO.34/4L Thaakruh * Chak NO.35/4L Juttaan * Chak NO.36/4L Nizaam Aana Bloch * Chak NO.36/4L Mulgudhay Bloch * Chak NO.37/4L Jhakhraan wala * Chak NO.38/4L Pgaala * Chak NO.39/4L Bhutti * Chak NO.39/4L Bhojoo Aana Siaal * Chak NO.40/4L Nao Thain Bodluh * Chak NO.40/4L Siaal * Chak NO.41/4L * Chak NO.42/4L * Chak NO.43/4L Roda * Chak NO.43/4L Taeloo * Chak NO.27/2L * Chak NO.28/2L * Chak NO.27/2L * Chak NO.28/2L * Chak NO.29/2L * Chak NO.30/2L * Chak NO.31/2L * Chak NO.32/2L * Chak NO.33/2L * Chak NO.34/2L * Chak NO.35/2L * Chak NO.36/2L * Chak NO.37-38/2L or Chak NO.37-38/4L or Soukkuh Chak Jhakhraan wala or Pukkuh Khooh * Chak NO.39/2L * Chak NO.40/2L * Chak NO.41/2L * Chak NO.42/2L * Chak NO.43/2L * Chak NO.44/2L * Chak NO.45/2L * Chak NO.46/2L * Chak NO.47/2L * Chak NO.48/2L * Chak NO.49/2L * Chak NO.50/2L * Chak NO.51/2L * Chak NO.52/2L * Chak NO.53/2L * Chak NO.54/2L * Chak NO.55/2L * Chak NO.56/2L

Administration division

The following is a table of the

Tehsil A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its adminis ...

s & Union Councils of Okara District: The district is also represented in the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the r ...

, by 4 elected members who represent the following constituencies:

Culture

Okara is also known for the wide variety of culture reflecting the traditions and customs of the area. Melas (fairs) in the month of 'Saawan' are notable among these traditions where different types of games are played on the drum-beat and shops of sweets and toys etc. are decorated. The population mostly relies on agriculture as their main source of livelihood, although a number of people work in factories and offices as well. Dairy and fruit products are the identical mark of the area. The tombs of many great ''Sufis'' are also present here and Doll village of Pakistan Thatta Ghulamka.

Notable people

* Bushra Bibi – (wife of

Imran Khan Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi ( ur}; born 5 October 1952) is a Pakistani politician and former Cricket captain who served as the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan from August 2018 to until April 2022, when he was ousted through a no-confiden ...

) * Syed Samsam Bukhari – Politician *

Aftab Iqbal Aftab Iqbal is a Pakistani television host, journalist and businessman who founded Aap Media Group. He is a former host of TV programs '' Hasb-e-Haal'' on Dunya News (2009-2010), ''Khabarnaak'' on Geo News (2010-2015), '' Khabardaar'' on Expr ...

– Journalist * Rao Sikandar Iqbal – Politician * Zafar Iqbal – Poet and Columnist *

Indrias Rehmat Joseph Indrias Rehmat (born 1 July 1966) is the Roman Catholic Bishop of Faisalabad in Pakistan. On June 29, 2019 Pope Francis appointed Father Joseph Indrias Rehmat, of the Diocese of Faisalabad, currently Dean of the National Catholic Instit ...

, Bishop of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Faisalabad The Roman Catholic Diocese of Faisalabad (Lat: ''Dioecesis Faisalabadensis'') is a diocese of the Latin Church of the Roman Catholic Church in Pakistan. History Erected in 1960, as the Diocese of Lyallpur, the diocese was created from the Dio ...

. * Ghulam Ali Okarvi – Scholar * Manzoor Wattoo – Politician, Former Chief Minister of Punjab *

Saieen Zahoor Saieen Zahoor Ahmed or Ali Saain Shafiu (Punjabi: سائیں ظہور, born 1936) is a leading Punjabi Sufi musician from Pakistan. He has spent most of his life singing in Sufi shrines, and didn't produce a record until 2006, when he was nom ...

– Sufi Musician * Mian Yawar Zaman – Politician * Younis Iqbal Social Activist and Founder/Chairman Anjuman Muzareen Movement *

Rai Ahmad Khan Kharal Rai Ahmad Khan Kharal ( pa, ; – 21 September 1857), widely known as Nawab of Jhamra, was a Punjabi Muslim chieftain of the Kharal tribe. He led rebellion in the Bar region of Punjab against the British East India Company in the War of Indepe ...

– Historic Hero * Ajmal Kasab -

2008 Mumbai Attacks The 2008 Mumbai attacks (also referred to as 26/11, pronounced "twenty six eleven") were a series of terrorist attacks that took place in November 2008, when 10 members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, an Islamist terrorist organisation from Pakistan, c ...

terrorist

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Okara District 1982 establishments in Pakistan