Chaklala is a major suburban town of

Rawalpindi Rawalpindi is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, third-largest city in the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is a commercial and industrial hub, being the list of cities in P ...

in the

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

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# ...

. It covers an area of (8,405 acres). The population of the town is 333,115 according to the 2023 census. Chaklala Cantonment is one of the three components of

Rawalpindi Tehsil Rawal is a tehsil - an administrative subdivision - of Rawalpindi District in the western part of the Punjab province, Pakistan, it contains the district capital - the city of Rawalpindi. History Ancient history Archaeological remains found o ...

(sub-district) together with

Rawalpindi Metropolitan Corporation Metropolitan Corporation Rawalpindi (MCR) (Urdu: راولپنڈی میٹروپولیٹن کارپوریشن) is a municipal authority established under the Punjab Local Government Act 2022 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. MCR comprises 46 Union Counci ...

and

Rawalpindi Cantonment Rawalpindi Cantonment () is a large military town located in Rawalpindi, Punjab province, Pakistan. The headquarters of the Pakistan Army, which are known as the General Headquarters (GHQ), are located in the nearby Chaklala Cantonment. It cove ...

. The tehsil is part of the wider

Islamabad–Rawalpindi metropolitan area The Islamabad–Rawalpindi metropolitan area (Urdu:) is the fourth-largest metropolitan area of Pakistan, after Karachi, Lahore, and Faisalabad. It consists of the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The area includes the Pothohar Plateau ...

, which has a population of more than 6 million people. It is situated astride the Airport Road, to the east of

Grand Trunk Road Grand Trunk Road (formerly known as Uttarapath, Sadak-e-Azam, Shah Rah-e-Azam, Badshahi Sadak, and Long Walk) is one of Asia's oldest and longest major roads. For at least 2,500 years it has linked Central Asia to the Indian subcontinent. It r ...

on the main railway line. The town has its own railway station

Chaklala Railway Station Chaklala Railway Station (Urdu and ) is located in Chaklala town, Rawalpindi district of Punjab province of the Pakistan.The station building was constructed in 1879. Gallery File:Chaklala railway station3.jpg File:Chaklala railway station.jp ...

which is located less than 1 kilometer away from

Benazir Bhutto International Airport Benazir Bhutto International Airport (, ) is an airport which formerly served the Islamabad–Rawalpindi metropolitan area. It was the second-largest airport by air traffic in Pakistan, until 1 May 2018 when it was replaced by the new Islama ...

. On the west, it is bordered by

Islamabad Expressway The Islamabad Expressway (), sometimes also referred to as Islamabad Highway, is a major north–south expressway in Islamabad, Capital Territory, Pakistan. The expressway provides quick access between the Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Punjab, co ...

being connected through the Koral interchange. There is a large commercial market situated in Chaklala Scheme III which is the major shopping area for all the residents in Chaklala. The market comprises a lot of restaurants and shopping areas and a hang out spot for the younger people. There is also a cinema and retail complex located in

Jinnah Park Jinnah Park () is an amusement and public park located on Airport Road in the high-security Chaklala Cantonment suburb of Rawalpindi, Pakistan. It is the town's primary amusement park and covers an area of approximately . Initial plans for ...

on the airport road which is another area where residents venture out during evenings.

Demography

Chaklala has a population of around 333,115 according to the 2023 census. The major ethnic groups in the area are Potohari,

Punjabis The Punjabis (Punjabi language, Punjabi: ; ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ; romanised as Pañjābī) are an Indo-Aryan peoples, Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group associated with the Punjab region, comprising areas of northwestern India and eastern Paki ...

and

Pashtuns Pashtuns (, , ; ;), also known as Pakhtuns, or Pathans, are an Iranian peoples, Iranic ethnic group primarily residing in southern and eastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. They were historically also referred to as Afghan (ethnon ...

. A large number of

Kashmiris Kashmiris () also known as Koshurs are an Indo-Aryan peoples, Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group speaking the Kashmiri language and originating from the Kashmir Valley, which is today located in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (union terr ...

have also settled in the area after independence in 1947. Since Chaklala has a major army garrison and an airforce base as well, a large number of military families are also housed here from all over Pakistan. Chaklala Airforce Base provides strategic transport to Pakistan's political and military leadership.

Chaklala Cantonment

The Chaklala Garrison is a principle military locality situated within Chaklala containing the Joint Staff Headquarters (JS HQ). Along with Chaklala Airbase, renamed as

PAF Base Nur Khan PAF Base Nur Khan (originally founded as RAF Chaklala and formerly known as PAF Station Chaklala and PAF Base Chaklala) is a major Pakistan Air Force airbase located in Chaklala, Rawalpindi, Punjab province. The former Benazir Bhutto Internat ...

, both are part of Chaklala Cantonment area. Most of the military facilities, buildings, mobility support workshops had been built by the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

and the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

during the time of

British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...

.Chaklala Cantonment on GlobalSecurity.org website
Retrieved 27 September 2021 In 2002, the

Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

had split Chaklala from the larger

to improve security around the Army GHQ and provide better administration in both the cantonments. Before 2002,

was the largest of all cantonments in Pakistan which was creating an administrative problem in providing municipal services to the area due to rapid urban growth.

is an important

air base An airbase (stylised air base in American English), sometimes referred to as a military airbase, military airfield, military airport, air station, naval air station, air force station, or air force base, is an aerodrome or airport used as a mi ...

of the

Pakistan Air Force The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) (; ) is the aerial warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces, tasked primarily with the aerial defence of Pakistan, with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and Pakistan Navy when re ...

. It provides strategic transport for logistics, VIP personnel and is the premier air base for defending the capital

Islamabad Islamabad (; , ; ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's tenth-most populous city with a population of over 1.1 million and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital Territory. Bu ...

from any air intrusion.

Housing Societies & Neighbourhoods

Chaklala consists of the below housing societies and neighbourhoods: *Airport Housing Society *Askari Housing (Phase - I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VIII, IX, X & XII) *Askari Villas *Bostan Valley *Chaklala Housing Schemes (I, II & III) *Dhoke Chaudhrian *Dhoke Chiragh Deen *Dhoke Gangal *Eastridge Housing Scheme *Fazaia Colony *Fazal Town (Phase 1 & 2) *Gharibabad *Gulbahar Scheme *Gulistan Colony *Gulrez Housing Scheme *Gulzar-e-Quaid *Habib Town *Judicial Colony *Rahimabad *Railway Housing Scheme - Chaklala *Shah Faisal Colony *Shah Khalid Colony *Walayat Colony

Transportation

Roads

Grand Trunk Road

(N-5) passes through the area.

Airport Road

This major route connects the area with the city center of Rawalpindi and provides a route to the capital city of Islamabad. It extends from the Ammar Shaheed Chowk Roundabout to the Koraal Chowk/Koraal Chowk Intersection. The

and the adjacent Pakistan Air Force Base Chaklala are located along this road. It is a modern six-lane road. Two fly-overs have been constructed to reduce the load of traffic at the busiest sections of the road, closer to the Ammar Shaheed Chowk Roundabout (2009) and at Koral Chowk (2017), respectively. The route serves as the main artery connecting the twin cities of

and

Rawal Road

It runs along the western perimeter of the

. The road connects the busy traffic arteries of Benazir Bhutto Road alternatively known as Murree Road and Airport Road. It is a newly carpeted four-lane road.

Railway

The main trunk railway line of

Pakistan Railways Pakistan Railways is the state-owned railway operator in Pakistan. Founded in 1861 as the North Western State Railway and headquartered in Lahore, it owns of operational track across Pakistan, stretching from Peshawar to Karachi, offering bot ...

passes through the town.

is one of the main railway stops for trains travelling between

Peshawar Peshawar is the capital and List of cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by population, largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is the sixth most populous city of Pakistan, with a district p ...

and

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

. Chaklala Dry Port is a dry port which handles freight trains.

Airport

The former

is an important landmark in the area. The airport was shared with the

. The former airport is now used for VIP flights and for receiving state guests. Commercial flights have shifted to the new

Islamabad International Airport Islamabad International Airport () () is an international airport serving Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan and Rawalpindi. It is located south-west of the city, and is directly connected to the Lahore and Peshawar motorways as well to ...

PAF Chaklala Benazir Bhutto Islamabad International Airport
GlobalSecurity.org website, Retrieved 27 September 2021

Parks

In 2006,

() was inaugurated in Chaklala and has since become a hotspot of activity for the city of

. It houses a state-of-the-art cinema, Cinepax, a Metro Cash and Carry supermart, an outlet of

McDonald's McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese ch ...

, gaming lounges, Motion Rides and other recreational facilities. The vast lawns also provide an adequate picnic spot.

Pakistan Television Corporation

Pakistan Television Corporation Pakistan Television Corporation (; reporting name: PTV); also known as ''Pakistan Television'', is the Pakistani state-owned broadcaster founded by the Government of Pakistan, operating under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. I ...

Centre was initially set up at Chaklala before it was shifted to its present location in

Educational institutions

Some of the educational institutes located in Chaklala: * Army Public School & College For Boys Chaklala Garrison * Army Public School & College For Girls Chaklala Garrison * Joint Staff Public School and College, Chaklala * FG Quaid-e-Azam Public School * Pakistan Air Force College Chaklala (PAF Base Chaklala) * Fazaia Intermediate College, Chaklala (PAF Base Chaklala) * Fazaia Intermediate College, Jinnah Camp, Chaklala (Khanna Road) * Bilquis College of Education for Women (Mujahida Academy) * Army Public School and College (FWO campus), Gracy Lines, Chaklala * FG Boys High School, Gracy Lines, Chaklala * FG Girls High School, Gracy Lines, Chaklala * Fauji Foundation Model School, Chaklala * Sir Syed Science College, Chaklala * Allied Schools, Chaklala * Government Degree College For Women * The Educators School System, Airport Road Campus

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chaklala Chaklala Cantonment Towns in Rawalpindi District