Rawalpindi
Metropolis in Punjab, Pakistan / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Rawalpindi (/rɔːlˈpɪndi/; Punjabi, Urdu: راولپنڈی, romanized: Rāwalpinḍī; pronounced [ɾɑːʋəlpɪnɖiː] ⓘ [5]) is the third-largest city in the Pakistani province of Punjab. It is a commercial and metropolitan city being the fourth most populous in Pakistan. It is located near the Soan River in north-western Punjab, and is the third-largest Punjabi-speaking city in the world. Rawalpindi is situated close to Pakistan's capital Islamabad, and the two are jointly known as the "twin cities" because of the social and economic links between them.[6]
Rawalpindi
راولپنڈی | |
|---|---|
 From top, left to right: Rawal Lake, Gulshan Dadan Khan Mosque, Bahria Town, Rawat Fort, Christ Church, Rawalpindi Railway Station | |
 Emblem | |
| Nickname: Pindi | |
  Rawalpindi Rawalpindi (Pakistan) Show map of Pakistan Rawalpindi Rawalpindi (South Asia) Show map of South Asia | |
| Coordinates: 33°36′N 73°02′E | |
| Country |  Pakistan |
| Province |  Punjab |
| Division | Rawalpindi |
| District | Rawalpindi |
| Tehsils | 8 |
| Union councils | 38 |
| Municipal status | 1867; 157 years ago (1867)[1] |
| Government | |
| • Type | Metropolitan Corporation |
| • Mayor | None (Vacant) |
| • Deputy Mayor | None (Vacant) |
| • Commissioner | Engineer Abdul Aamir Khattak (BPS-20 PAS)[2] |
| • Deputy Commissioner | Hassan Waqar Cheema (BPS-19 PAS)[3] |
| • Regional Police Officer(RPO) | Syed Khurram Ali (BPS-20 PSP) |
| Area | |
| • City | 479 km2 (185 sq mi) |
| • Metro | 311 km2 (120 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 508 m (1,667 ft) |
| Population | |
| • City | 2,098,231 |
| • Rank | 4th, Pakistan |
| • Density | 4,400/km2 (11,000/sq mi) |
| • Metro | 2,098,231 |
| Rawalpindi Metropolitan | |
| Time zone | UTC+05:00 (PKT) |
| • Summer (DST) | PKT |
| Postal code | 46000 |
| Area code | 051 |
| Official Languages | Urdu, English |
| Provincial Language | Punjabi |
| Native Languages | Punjabi |
| Website | Official Website |
Located on the Pothohar Plateau of northern Punjab, Rawalpindi remained a small town of little importance up until the 18th century.[7] The Pothohar region is known for its ancient heritage, for instance in the neighbouring city of Taxila, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[8] In 1765, the ruling Gakhars were defeated and the city came under Sukerchakia Misl. During the Sikh-era, Rawalpindi, from a small regional town, became an important city in regards to trade and its strategic location within Punjab. The city's Babu Mohallah neighbourhood was once home to a community of Jewish traders who had fled Mashhad, Persia, in the 1830s.[9]
Punjab was conquered by the East India Company in 1849, in the aftermath of Second Anglo-Sikh War, and in the late 19th century became the largest garrison town of the British Indian Army's Northern command as its climate suited the British authorities.[10][11] The city was established as the headquarters of the Rawalpindi Division of British Punjab, this elevated Rawalpindi from a small town to the third-largest city in Punjab by 1921.[10] Following the partition of British India in 1947, the city became home to the headquarters of the Pakistan Army.[12][13]
In 1951, the Rawalpindi conspiracy took place in which leftist army officers conspired to depose the first elected-prime minister of Pakistan, Liaquat Ali Khan.[14] Rawalpindi later became site of Liaquat Ali Khan's assassination. On 27 December 2007, it was the site of the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.[10]
Construction of Pakistan's new purpose-built national capital city of Islamabad in 1961 led to greater investment in the city provided by IMF and local banks,[15] as well as a brief stint as the country's capital before the completion of Islamabad.[16] Modern Rawalpindi is socially and economically intertwined with Islamabad, and the greater metropolitan area. The city is also home to numerous suburban housing developments that serve as bedroom-communities for workers in Islamabad.[17][18] As home to the GHQ of the Pakistan Army and PAF Base Nur Khan, and with connections to the M-1 and M-2 motorways, Rawalpindi is a major logistics and transportation centre for northern Pakistan.[19] The city is also home to historic havelis and temples, and serves as a hub for tourists visiting Rohtas Fort, Azad Kashmir, Taxila and Gilgit-Baltistan.[20][21][22]