Hafizabad

In 327 BC, the area around Hafizabad was reportedly well-populated during Alexander's invasion of Punjab.[4] During the Delhi Sultanate period, majority of the local population were converted to Islam. A large city was situated at the site of the present village of Mehdiabad, northwest of present day Hafizabad. Later it became unpopulated due to shortage of water and Afghan incursions. The region remained uninhabited until the reign of Mughal emperor Akbar, when it became the site of a Mahal as documented in Ain-i-Akbari.[5]

After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the minority Hindus and Sikhs migrated to India while Muslim refugees from India settled in Hafizabad. Most of the refugees have since settled and inter-married with the local population.

Hafizabad is located 48 kilometres west of Gujranwala, and 60 kilometres southwest of Wazirabad. It hosts the eighth railway station on the Wazirabad-Faisalabad Railway.[6] Its average elevation is 208 metres above the sea level.[7]

Hafizabad has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). The monsoon season is from July to September. It sees the most precipitation in July, with an average rainfall of 138.1 millimetres or 5.44 inches; and the least precipitation in November, with an average rainfall of 5.5 millimetres or 0.22 inches.