Farooqabad

Farooqabad (Urdu: فارُوق آباد), was known as Chuhar Kana until 1983, is a city in Sheikhupura District, Punjab, Pakistan. It is situated along the twin canals (Qadirabad Balloki Link Canal and Upper Gogera Branch Canal) about 55 km west of Lahore on Sargodha Road along Lahore-Islamabad M-2 Motorway and on Lahore-Faisalabad-Karachi Main Railway Line.[1]

Farooqabad
City
Farooqabad Railway Station built during the British Rule around nineteenth century.
Farooqabad Railway Station built during the British Rule around nineteenth century.
Coordinates: 31.74430°N 73.83342°E / 31.74430; 73.83342
CountryPakistan
ProvincePunjab
DistrictSheikhupura
Government
 • MNAMuhammad Irfan Dogar (Pakistan Muslim League (N))
Elevation
210 m (690 ft)
Population
 (2017)
 • Total77,706
Time zoneUTC+5 (PST)
Calling code056

The city was founded by Sardar Chuhar Singh.[2]

History

Originally known as Chuhar Kana, Farooqabad's founding is linked with Shamke, Banduke, and Jhamke, all the result of Sikh Sardar, Chuhar Singh's endeavours.[2] He played a significant role in the city's establishment.[2]

After the decline of the Mughal Empire, the Sikh Empire under Maharajah Ranjit Singh created a secular kingdom in the Punjab. The first police station, in Farooqabad, was set up during the British rule in 1924 and is called Sadar Thana Farooqabad. Steady growth followed as students came in from all parts of the Punjab and North West India. The predominantly Muslim population supported the Muslim League and the Pakistan Movement. The independence of Pakistan in 1947, saw puritan influences come to the fore, while Chuhar Kana receded into relative insignificance.[2] The minority Hindus and Sikhs in the Farooqabad area migrated to India while the Muslim refugees from India settled in the city.

With the advent of an Islamization push by a military government of Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, the city experienced a period of transformation.[2] The rechristening of Chuhar Kana as Farooqabad in 1983 encapsulates this transition, effectively realigning the city's historical narrative.[2]

In recent times, 'Sikh Yatrees' (Sikh visitors) regularly come to visit their sacred sites, like Sucha Sauda in the Farooqabad area, from all over the world.[3]

Specialty

This city has long remained the house of a large number of people belonging to the Sikh religion prior to the Partition of India. At the time of partition, most of the Sikh families moved to Indian Punjab fearing for their lives and property. But their cultural sites in Farooqabad still remain a specialty of this city. Moreover, this city is famous for its Punjab Police (Pakistan) training center.[4]

Moreover, the Pakistan Adventist Seminary and College developed from a small Seventh-day Adventist Boys' School was founded in 1920 by the British. In 1937, it became a co-educational institution with the integration of the Seventh-day Adventist Girls' School.[5]

Among the very few, this city also hosts one of the biggest Fountain House in Pakistan.[6]

Census history
Census History
YearPopulation
19618682
197215,146
198134,995
199857,601
201777,706

References
  1. Farooqabad on GoogleMaps, Retrieved 13 July 2017
  2. Miraj, Muhammad Hassan (February 18, 2013). "Jahandad and Warburton". DAWN.COM.
  3. Sikh Yatrees visit Sucha Sauda (sacred place) near Farooqabad, Published 11 November 2016, Retrieved 13 July 2017
  4. "Training Branch | Punjab Police". www.punjabpolice.gov.pk. Retrieved 2020-01-15.
  5. "Pakistan Adventist Seminary & College". www.pasc.edu.pk. Retrieved 2020-01-15.
  6. "Fountain House Farm Farooqabad". Retrieved 2020-01-15.
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