Punjab, Pakistan

Punjab is a province of Pakistan. With a population of over 127 million, it is the most populous Pakistani province and the second most populous subnational polity in the world. It is located in the central-eastern region of the country and has the largest economy, contributing the most to national GDP in Pakistan. The capital and largest city is Lahore, with other major cities including Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, and Multan.

Punjab is bordered by the Pakistani provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the north-west, Balochistan to the south-west, and Sindh to the south. It also shares borders with Islamabad Capital Territory to the north-west and Azad Kashmir to the north. To the east, it shares an international border with the Indian states of Rajasthan and Punjab, and with Indian-administered Kashmir to the north-east.

The province forms the main part of the transnational Punjab region, which was partitioned in 1947 between Pakistan and India. Punjab is known as the breadbasket of the nation because it is the most fertile province in the country. It is also one of the more industrialised and urbanised regions in South Asia, with about 40 per cent of its population living in cities.

Most people in Punjab are Punjabi Muslims. Their culture has been shaped by Islamic culture and Sufism, and there are many Sufi shrines across the province. Punjab is home to several UNESCO World Heritage Sites, such as the Shalimar Gardens, the Lahore Fort, the archaeological site of Taxila, and the Rohtas Fort.

Etymology

The name "Punjab" means "The Land of Five Waters". It comes from two words: panj meaning "five" and āb meaning "water". These words are similar in Persian and Sanskrit. The five waters are the rivers Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej, and Beas. All of these rivers flow into the big Indus River.

Long ago, ancient books like the Mahabharata and writers from Greece also talked about this land of five rivers. Even earlier, some texts called the area "The Land of Seven Rivers" because two more rivers, the Indus and Kabul, were also part of the region.

History

Main article: History of Punjab

A painting of Wazir Khan Mosque in 1856. It was founded by Wazir Khan, a Punjabi viceroy of Shah Jahan, in 1634 and shows regional architectural influences.

The history of Punjab, a province in Pakistan, goes back thousands of years. In very old times, people lived in the Soan Valley between the Indus and Jhelum rivers, making tools from stone and flint. Later, a big ancient city called Harappa grew there, part of what we now call the Indus Valley Civilization.

Many different groups lived in Punjab over the years, including people from Central Asia who brought new ideas and ways of life. Important leaders like Alexander the Great fought battles there, and later big empires like the Maurya Empire and the Mughal Empire ruled the land. During these times, many famous places were built, and arts and learning grew strong.

In more recent history, Punjab was part of British India until countries called India and Pakistan were created in 1947. This change caused many people to move to new homes, and Punjab was split between the two new countries. Today, Punjab in Pakistan remains an important and crowded part of the country.

Geography

Punjab features mountainous terrain near the hill station of Murree.

Punjab is a large province in Pakistan, covering 205,344 square kilometres. It is bordered by several areas, including Sindh to the south, Balochistan to the southwest, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the west. To the east, it shares a border with the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan.

The land of Punjab is shaped by five rivers: the Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej. These rivers create fertile plains and many canals that help with farming. Punjab also has some mountainous areas, like the Sulaiman Mountains and the Margalla Hills, as well as parts of the Thar desert in the south. The weather in Punjab changes a lot, with very hot summers and cool, sometimes foggy winters. Rain usually comes between late June and September, helping to cool the area after the hot months.

Demographics

Punjab is the most populous province in Pakistan, home to over half of the country’s people. It is the second-most populous area of its kind in the world, after only one other region. The capital city is Lahore, a historic city that has led the wider Punjab area for centuries. Other major cities include Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Multan, Sialkot, Bahawalpur, Gujrat, Sheikhupura, Jhelum, Rahim Yar Khan and Sahiwal.

The main language spoken in Punjab is Punjabi, with many different dialects such as Majhi, Pothwari, and Jhangvi. Other languages spoken in the area include Saraiki in the south and Hindko in the northwest. Most people in Punjab are Muslims, making up nearly 98% of the population. There are also smaller groups of Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, and Parsis.

Historical population figures
Census	Population	Urban	Rural
1881	7,942,399	881,955	7,060,444
1891	8,895,342	893,610	8,001,732
1901	10,427,765	994,626	9,433,139
1911	11,104,585	1,012,324	10,092,261
1921	11,888,985	1,179,439	10,709,546
1931	14,040,798	1,714,641	12,326,157
1941	17,350,103	2,591,313	14,758,790
1951	20,540,762	3,568,076	16,972,686
1961	25,463,974	5,475,922	19,988,052
1972	37,607,423	9,182,695	28,424,728
1981	47,292,441	13,051,646	34,240,795
1998	73,621,290	23,019,025	50,602,265
2017	110,012,615	40,401,164	70,008,451
2023	127,688,922	51,975,967	75,712,955

Religion in Punjab, Pakistan (1881–2023)
Religious group	1881		1891		1901		1911		1921		1931		1941		1951^: 12–21		1998		2017		2023
Religious group	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
Islam	6,201,859	78.09%	6,766,545	76.07%	7,951,155	76.25%	8,494,314	76.49%	8,975,288	75.49%	10,570,029	75.28%	13,022,160	75.06%	20,200,794	97.89%	71,574,830	97.22%	107,541,602	97.77%	124,462,897	97.75%
Hinduism	1,449,913	18.26%	1,727,810	19.42%	1,944,363	18.65%	1,645,758	14.82%	1,797,141	15.12%	1,957,878	13.94%	2,373,466	13.68%	33,052	0.16%	116,410	0.16%	211,641	0.19%	249,716	0.2%
Sikhism	272,908	3.44%	366,162	4.12%	483,999	4.64%	813,441	7.33%	863,091	7.26%	1,180,789	8.41%	1,530,112	8.82%	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	5,649	0.004%
Christianity	12,992	0.16%	30,168	0.34%	42,371	0.41%	144,514	1.3%	247,030	2.08%	324,730	2.31%	395,311	2.28%	402,617	1.95%	1,699,843	2.31%	2,063,063	1.88%	2,458,924	1.93%
Jainism	4,352	0.05%	4,408	0.05%	5,562	0.05%	5,977	0.05%	5,930	0.05%	6,921	0.05%	9,520	0.05%	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a
Zoroastrianism	354	0.004%	215	0.002%	300	0.003%	377	0.003%	309	0.003%	413	0.003%	312	0.002%	195	0.001%	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	358	0.0003%
Buddhism	0	0%	0	0%	6	0.0001%	168	0.002%	172	0.001%	32	0.0002%	87	0.001%	9	0%	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a
Judaism	—N/a	—N/a	17	0.0002%	9	0.0001%	36	0.0003%	16	0.0001%	6	0%	7	0%	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a
Ahmadiyya	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	—N/a	181,428	0.25%	158,021	0.14%	140,512	0.11%
Others	21	0.0003%	17	0.0002%	0	0%	0	0%	8	0.0001%	0	0%	19,534	0.11%	35	0.0002%	48,779	0.07%	15,328	0.01%	15,249	0.01%
Total responses	7,942,399	100%	8,895,342	100%	10,427,765	100%	11,104,585	100%	11,888,985	100%	14,040,798	100%	17,350,103	100%	20,636,702	99.93%	73,621,290	100%	109,989,655	100%	127,333,305	99.72%
Total population	7,942,399	100%	8,895,342	100%	10,427,765	100%	11,104,585	100%	11,888,985	100%	14,040,798	100%	17,350,103	100%	20,651,140	100%	73,621,290	100%	109,989,655	100%	127,688,922	100%

Government and administration

Main article: Government of Punjab, Pakistan

Punjab assembly, Lahore

The Government of Punjab is a part of Pakistan's federal system, and its main city is Lahore. The leader of Punjab's government is called the Chief Minister, who is chosen by the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab. The current Chief Minister is Maryam Nawaz Sharif, making her the first woman to hold this position in any Pakistani province. The Provincial Assembly is a group of elected members who help make laws for Punjab.

Punjab has many departments to handle different areas like health, education, and roads. Each department is led by a minister and a secretary. These leaders work together to help run the province. Punjab also has representatives in the country's federal parliament, where they help make decisions for the whole nation.

Major cities

Main articles: List of cities in Punjab (Pakistan) and List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population

Punjab has many important cities. Some of the biggest and most well-known cities in Punjab include Lahore, Faisalabad, and Rawalpindi. These cities are centers of culture, business, and education in the province. They attract people from all over Punjab and beyond.

List of major cities in Punjab
Rank	City	District	Population	Image
1	Lahore	Lahore	11,126,285
2	Faisalabad	Faisalabad	3,204,726
3	Rawalpindi	Rawalpindi	2,098,231
4	Gujranwala	Gujranwala	2,027,001
5	Multan	Multan	1,871,843
6	Bahawalpur	Bahawalpur	762,111
7	Sargodha	Sargodha	659,862
8	Sialkot	Sialkot	655,852
9	Sheikhupura	Sheikhupura	473,129
10	Rahim Yar Khan	Rahim Yar Khan	420,419
11	Jhang	Jhang	414,131
12	Dera Ghazi Khan	Dera Ghazi Khan	399,064
13	Gujrat	Gujrat	390,533
14	Sahiwal	Sahiwal	389,605
15	Wah Cantonment	Rawalpindi	380,103
Source: pbscensus 2017
This is a list of city proper populations and does not indicate metro populations.

Economy

Further information: Dadukhel mine

Punjab has the largest economy in Pakistan and contributes the most to the country's overall wealth. The province's economy has grown four times bigger since 1972. It plays a big role in both services and farming, making up more than half of Pakistan's work in these areas. Punjab is also strong in making things, like clothes, sports gear, machines, and food products.

Even though it does not have a coastline, Punjab is the most industrial part of Pakistan. It makes many important items, such as paper, sugar, and cement. Some areas, like Sialkot, are famous for producing sports equipment and medical tools. The government is building new spaces for factories to help grow more jobs and businesses.

Education

Punjab has made big improvements in learning and reading over the past 40 years. It now has the highest Human Development Index of all Pakistan's provinces, meaning people there have good access to education and opportunities.

The province has many schools, universities, and medical colleges to help people learn and grow. You can find a list of schools in Punjab here.

Year	Literacy Rate
1972	20.7%
1981	27.4%
1998	46.56%
2009	59.6%
2021	66.3%

Culture

Main article: Punjabi culture

The culture of Punjab grew from settlements along five rivers, which were important routes to the Near East as far back as the ancient Indus Valley civilisation around 3000 BCE. Agriculture has always been very important in Punjab, shaping the way people live and work there. Because of this, owning land was once a big part of how people showed their status.

Fairs and festivals

Main article: Punjabi festivals (Pakistan)

People in Punjab celebrate many festivals. Islamic festivals are widely observed, following the Islamic calendar. Other festivals like Lohri, Basant, and Vaisakhi are celebrated as seasonal events. These festivals mark special times of the year and bring communities together.

Tourism

Main article: Tourism in Punjab, Pakistan

Punjab, Pakistan, is a wonderful place to visit, with many interesting sites to explore. The big city of Lahore has famous spots like the Lahore Fort and Shalimar Gardens, which are recognized as important World Heritage Sites. Other popular places in Lahore include the Walled City of Lahore, Badshahi Mosque, and beautiful old mosques and tombs.

Murree is a cool hill station where people love to go for trips. Near Sheikhupura, you can visit Rohtas Fort, an old fort close to Jhelum. The Katasraj temple in Chakwal is a special place for many visitors. In Faisalabad, you can see a tall clock tower and colorful markets.

In the south, the city of Multan has beautiful gardens and old buildings, including many places connected to history. Bahawalpur is close to big deserts, where you can visit Derawar Fort and see exciting events like the Cholistan Jeep Rally. There are also lovely palaces and big parks to explore in the area.

Social issues

Notable people

Punjab, Pakistan, has been home to many famous individuals. You can find a list of people from Punjab, Pakistan, including those who were born in areas that are now part of India but moved to Pakistan after a big change in borders many years ago. There is also a list of Punjabi people, which includes people of Punjabi heritage from India and other places around the world.