Okara District ضلع اوكاڑہ | |
|---|---|
   | |
 Location of Okara in Punjab. | |
| Coordinates:30°48′05″N73°26′54″E / 30.801380°N 73.448334°E /30.801380; 73.448334 | |
| Country |  Pakistan |
| Province |  Punjab |
| Division | Sahiwal |
| Headquarters | Okara |
| Government | |
| • Type | District Administration |
| • Deputy Commissioner | Zeeshan Hanif[1] |
| • District Police Officer | Mansoor Aman |
| • District Health Officer | N/A |
| Area | |
| 4,377 km2 (1,690 sq mi) | |
| Population (2023)[2] | |
| 3,515,490 | |
| • Density | 803.2/km2 (2,080/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 1,187,504 |
| • Rural | 2,327,986 |
| Literacy | |
| • Literacy rate |
|
| Time zone | UTC+5 (PST) |
| Area code | 044 |
| Tehsils | Depalpur Okara Renala Khurd |
| Number ofUnion councils | 10 |
| Website | okara |
Okara District (Punjabi andUrdu:ضلع اوكاڑہ) is adistrict ofPunjab,Pakistan. It became a separate district in 1982, prior to that it was part ofSahiwal District.[4]
After the decline of theMughal Empire, theSikh Empire invaded and occupied Sahiwal. The Muslims faced restrictions during the Sikh rule. During the period ofBritish rule, there was an Okan forest where the city has been built. The city is a relatively new agricultural city. The settlement's name "Okara" actually originated from word "Okan" (a lush green tree with needle-like leaves). TheOkan Tree gave birth to word Okanwali (Land of Okan) which ultimately became Okara.[5][6] DuringBritish rule, the area was part ofMontgomery District and contained a largesaltpeter refinery.[7] Atindependence in 1947, one of the two textile mills thatPakistan got was in Okara. The mill was known as Sutlej textile mill and it was Asia's biggest textile mill at the time but at present, it has closed down. In 1982, the city became the headquarters of the newly created Okara District. Okara has had a railway line since 1892.[4]
In 2015, a jail was established in Okara which is named as Okara District Jail. The 52-acre prison has the capacity to hold 750 prisoners.[8][9]
Okara,Pakpattan, Sahiwal,Khanewal, Vehari andMultan combined produce more than 60% of the potatoe harvest of Pakistan.[10][11] The whole area was barren land till the introduction of canal system. However,Lower Bari Doab Canal (LBDC) from riverRavi in 1913, and later Depalpur and Pakpattan canals, brought the entire district under the command of irrigation system.[12]
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 730,472 | — |
| 1961 | 827,528 | +1.26% |
| 1972 | 1,123,812 | +2.82% |
| 1981 | 1,487,261 | +3.16% |
| 1998 | 2,232,992 | +2.42% |
| 2017 | 3,040,826 | +1.64% |
| 2023 | 3,515,490 | +2.45% |
| Sources:[13] | ||
| Religion | Percent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Islam | 98.38% | |||
| Christianity | 1.59% | |||
| Other or not stated | 0.03% | |||
As of the2023 census, Okara district has 549,724 households and a population of 3,515,490. The district has a sex ratio of 103.73 males to 100 females and a literacy rate of 60.25%: 66.52% for males and 53.71% for females.[2][15] 958,545 (27.36% of the surveyed population) are under 10 years of age.[16] 1,187,504 (33.78%) live in urban areas.[2]
| Religious group | 1941[17]: 42 | 2017[18] | 2023[14] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
Islam | 414,437 | 73.02% | 2,995,995 | 98.53% | 3,446,579 | 98.38% |
Hinduism [a] | 78,751 | 13.87% | 214 | 0% | 214 | 0% |
Sikhism | 65,749 | 11.58% | — | — | 44 | 0% |
Christianity | 8,602 | 1.52% | 43,636 | 1.44% | 55,735 | 1.59% |
| Ahmadi | — | — | 956 | 0.03% | 594 | 0.02% |
| Others[b] | 60 | 0.01% | 25 | 0% | 285 | 0.01% |
| Total Population | 567,599 | 100% | 3,040,826 | 100% | 3,503,451 | 100% |
| Note: 1941 census data is for Okara and Depalpur tehsils of the formerMontgomery District, which roughly corresponds to contemporary Okara district. District and tehsil borders have changed since 1941. | ||||||
At the time of the 2023 census, 94.16% of the population spokePunjabi and 4.64%Urdu as their first language.[19] The main Punjabi dialects of the district areJhangvi (or Rachnavi), and the standardMajhi dialect.
There are many tribes and clans settled in the Okara District. The majority of the population of Okara arePunjabi speakingMuslims. The main tribes and clans include: Syed, Malik, Jhujh, Channar, Wattus, Mungun, Jhakhar, Klaason, Dhall Jutt,Rajputs,Shaikhs,Lodhis,Kharals, Kamyanas,Kumbohs,Khanzadas, Noons,Arains, Chaudhary andBaloch are prominent. However, theJat population is less compared to other communities.[20]
According to the 2023 census conducted by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, 98.47 % population of Okara district is Muslim.[21]
Okara is also known for its cattle breed known asSahiwal and aWater buffalo breed known asNiliravi. It is very rich in livestock population and production. TheLivestock 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.[22] After theindependence of Pakistan 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.[23][22]
Since 2005 the Okara Bypass (30.786887° 73.459238°), with a length of 12.7 km, on GT road (N-5) was opened.yes[4]
Towns in the district include:
The following is a table of theTehsils &Union Councils of Okara District:
| Tehsil[25] | Area (km²)[26] | Pop. (2023) | Density (ppl/km²) (2023) | Literacy rate (2023)[27] | Union Councils |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Depalpur | 2,502 | 1,592,201 | 636.37 | 55.29% | 55 |
| Okara | 1,241 | 1,393,746 | 1,123.08 | 63.34% | 41 |
| Renala Khurd | 634 | 529,543 | 835.24 | 66.98% | 18 |
| Tehsil | Unions | Total Unions |
|---|---|---|
| Depalpur | 1/SP WESAWEWALA, AMLI MOTI, AWAN KALAN, BARICT (CHAK BAWA), BASIRPUR-1, BASIRPUR-2,BEHLOL PUR, BHELA GULAB SINGH, BHOMAN SHAH, BHONE MANZaBTA, BHUTA MOHABBAT, BONGA SALEH, CHIPLI PUR, DEPALPUR-1, DEPALPUR-2, DEPALPUR-3, DHULLIANA, FARID PUR SOHAG, GUDDAR MULKANA,HAVELI LAKHA-1,HAVELI LAKHA-2,HAVELI LAKHA-3, HUJRA SHAH MUQEEM-1, HUJRA SHAH MUQEEM-2, HUJRA SHAH MUQEEM-3, JAITH PUR, JHUJH KALAN, KANI PUR, KLAIR KALAN, MAHANT DARSHAN, MANCHARIAN,MANDI AHMADABAD, MAROOF, MAZHAR ABAD, MEHAR SHAH KHAGA, MOHIB ALI UTAR, MUHAMMAD NAGAR, MUSTAFABAD., NAHAL MAHAR, NAMA JINDEKA, PANDAT MANFOOL PUR, PHULLAN TOLI, PIPLI PAHAR,QADIR ABAD, QILA JAVAND SINGH,QILA TARA SINGH, RAJOWAL, RATTA KHANNA, REHMAT WALA, ROHILA TAJEYKA, RUKAN PURA, SHAH NAWAZ KHAN, SHAH YAKKA,SHERGARH, SOBHA RAM | 55 |
| Okara | Thatta Ghulamka CHAK NO 25/2R SANGO-KA (CH BASHIR AHMAD SANGO-KA PAK ARMY), AKBAR,BIBI PUR,BURJ JEWAY KHAN, CHAK 2/4L, CHAK 12/GD, CHAK 14/GD, CHAK 15/1R, CHAK 16/GD, CHAK 17/GD, CHAK 18/GD, CHAK 24/GD, CHAK 27/4L, CHAK 32/2L, CHAK 32/2R, CHAK 38/2R, CHAK 34/GD, CHAK 36-A/4L, CHAK 4/4L, CHAK 40/3R, CHAK 40-A/4L,CHAK 42/3R (Salamatpur), CHAK 44/2L, CHAK 43/GD, CHAK 45/GD(RETRI),CHAK 48/3R, CHAK 52/2R, CHAK 53/2L, FATEH PUR, GOGERA-1,JABOKA, JANDRAKA, KOHLA, LASHARI, OKARA-1, E-BLOCK, Masibat Pura, OKARA-10, OKARA-11, OKARA-2, OKARA-3, OKARA-4, OKARA-5, OKARA-6, OKARA-7, OKARA-8, OKARA-9,SATGHARA, SHEIKHU SHARIF, TARIQ ABAD | 41, 19/1R REHANO WALA. |
| Renala Khurd | Chak 13/1.R,( Imtiaz Ahmad Bhatti PA Vice Principal Academic,Aitchison College Lahore) Chak 7/1-AL(of mahalmis) CHAK 10/1.AL, KOT GUJJARAN o KAMYANA Chak No 8/1R AKHTARABAD, BAZEEDA, CHAK 11/1L, Chak 12/1-L, CHAK 13/1-L, CHAK 14/1-L, CHAK 18/1L, CHAK 22/1AL, CHAK 23/2L, CHAK 33/1AL, CHAK 4/1AL,CHAK 4/GD, CHAK 5/1RA, CHAK NO 4/1RA, CHAK 6/1L, CHAK 4/1.L, CHAK 7/1R, KAMAN, MOPALKEY, RENALA-1, RENALA-2 || 18 |
The district is also represented in theNational Assembly, by 4 elected members who represent the following constituencies:
| Constituency | Member | Party |
|---|---|---|
| NA-141 | Ch. Nadeem Abbas Rabbera | PML(N) |
| NA-142 | Riaz ul Haq | PML(N) |
| NA-143 | Rao Muhammad Ajmal Khan | PML(N) |
| NA-144 | Muhammad Moeen Wattoo | PML(N) |
| Total | 4 |
Thatta Ghulamka Doll Village of Pakistan in Okara
Provincial capital:Lahore | ||
| Bahawalpur |  | |
| Dera Ghazi Khan | ||
| Faisalabad | ||
| Gujranwala | ||
| Gujrat | ||
| Lahore | ||
| Mianwali | ||
| Multan | ||
| Rawalpindi | ||
| Sahiwal | ||
| Sargodha | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
