What You Need To Know
Faisalabad, is the third-most-populous city in Pakistan, and the second-largest in the eastern province of Punjab. Historically one of the first planned cities within British India, it has long since developed into a cosmopolitan metropolis. Faisalabad was restructured into city district status; a devolution promulgated by the 2001 local government ordinance (LGO). The total area of Faisalabad District is 58.56 km2 (22.61 sq mi) while the area controlled by the Faisalabad Development Authority (FDA) is 1,280 km2 (490 sq mi). Faisalabad has grown to become a major industrial and distribution centre because of its central location in the region and connecting roads, rails, and air transportation. It has been referred to as the “Manchester of Pakistan” because it contributes over 20{85d3c55f2ab173144fb6eda820d80d5345cf48614b41ea7154ad80c9a080400e} toward Pakistan’s annual GDP. Faisalabad’s average annual GDP is $20.55 billion (USD), of which 21{85d3c55f2ab173144fb6eda820d80d5345cf48614b41ea7154ad80c9a080400e} comes from agriculture. The surrounding countryside, irrigated by the lower Chenab River, produces cotton, wheat, sugarcane, vegetables and fruits. The city is an [industrial centre with major railway repair yards, engineering works, and mills that process sugar, flour, and oil seed. Faisalabad is a major producer of superphosphates, cotton and silk textiles, hosiery, dyes, industrial chemicals, beverages, clothing, pulp and paper, printing, agricultural equipment, and ghee (clarified butter). The Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry monitors industrial activity in the city and reports their findings to the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry and provincial government. The city has a major dry port and international airport. Faisalabad is home to the University of Agriculture, Government College University as well as the Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Divisional Public School Faisalabad and National Textile University. The city has its own cricket team, Faisalabad Wolves, which is based at the Iqbal Stadium. There are several other sports teams that compete internationally, including hockey and snooker as well as other sporting events.
Area: 1,269 km²
Population: 6.3 Million Visit Worldpopulationreview For More.
Currency
The Pakistani rupee (Urdu: روپیہ / ALA-LC: Rūpiyah; sign: ₨; code: PKR) is the currency of Pakistan.
Culture
Cuisine
Faisalabadi cuisine is very much Punjabi cuisine, with influences from the realms of the Mughal and Colonial empires. Key ingredients include rice or roti (flatbread) served with a vegetable or non-vegetable curry, a salad consisting of spiced tomatoes and onions, and yogurt. This is usually accompanied by a variety of South Asian sweets such as jaggery, gajar ka halwa, gulab jamun, and jalebi. Tandoori barbecue specialties consist of a variety of naan bread served with tandoori chicken, chicken tikka or lamb shishkebab served with a mint chutney. Street foods are a key element to Faislabadi cuisine. Samosas (deep fried pastry filled with vegetables or meat) topped with an onion salad and two types of chutney. There is even a square dedicated to them in the old city. Other street foods include, dahi bhale (deep fried vadas in creamy yoghurt), gol gappay (fried round puri filled with vegetables and topped with tamarind chutney) and vegetable or chicken pakoras. Biryani and murgh pilao rice are a speciality in Faisalabad. A typical breakfast in Faislabadi is halwa poori comprising a deep fried flatbread served with a spicy chickpea curry and sweet orange coloured halwa. It is customarily accompanied by a sweet or salty yoghurt based drink called lassi. During winter, a common breakfast is roghni naan bread served with paya curry. Specialty drinks vary depending on climate. During winter, a variety of hot drinks are available, such as rabri doodh, a creamy dessert drink commonly made with full-fat milk, almonds, pistachios and basil seeds, dhood patti (milky tea), and Kashmiri chai, a pink coloured milky tea containing almonds and pistachios. During summer, drinks such as sugar cane rusk, limo pani (iced lemon water), skanjvi (iced orange and black pepper) and lassi are common. There are American-style fast food franchises that cater to the local community such as McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), and Pizza Hut.
Economy
Faisalabad contributes over 20 {85d3c55f2ab173144fb6eda820d80d5345cf48614b41ea7154ad80c9a080400e} of pakistan’s annual GDP; therefore, it is often referred to as the “Manchester of Pakistan”. Faisalabad’s average annual GDP is $20.55 billion (USD), of which 21{85d3c55f2ab173144fb6eda820d80d5345cf48614b41ea7154ad80c9a080400e} comes from agriculture. The surrounding countryside, irrigated by the lower Chenab River, produces agricultural commodities such as cotton, rice, sugarcane, wheat, fruit and vegetables. The city has carved a niche as an industrial centre with its highways, railways, railway repair yards, processing mills, and engineering works. It is a producer of industrial goods and textile manufacturing including cotton and silk textiles, super phosphates, hosiery, dyes, industrial chemicals, clothing, pulp and paper, printing, agricultural equipment, ghee (clarified butter), and beverages. The Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry monitors industrial activity in the city and reports their findings to the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry and provincial government. The city has a major dry port and international airport. Faisalabad is recognised as the centre of the textile industry in Pakistan, contributing to half of Pakistans total textile shipments. At the end of June 2012, textile mills employed 20{85d3c55f2ab173144fb6eda820d80d5345cf48614b41ea7154ad80c9a080400e} of the nation’s workforce, and generated 1.3 trillion rupees ($13.8 billion) in textile products, most of which were exported to the US and Europe. While Punjab’s economy is driven primarily by agriculture, the textile industry along with leather products and light engineering goods play an important role, with more than 48,000 industrial units spread across Punjab. In an effort to boost bilateral trade, Romania and Turkey have honorary-consulates in Faisalabad which enable trade links with the city.
Festivals
The Punjabi people celebrate a variety of cultural and religious festivals throughout the Punjab region, such as arts and craft, music, local events, and religious celebrations. The city of Faisalabad customarily celebrates its independence day on 14 August every year by raising the Pakistan flag at the clock tower in the Commissioner Office compound. Bazaars are colourfully decorated for the celebration, government and private buildings are brightly lit, and there are similar flag–raising ceremonies that are typically held in the district and its tehsils. The arrival of spring brings the annual “Rang-e-Bahar” festival where the Parks & Horticulture Authority of the city district government organise a flower show and exhibition at Jinnah Gardens. The University of Agriculture organises a similar event at their main campus which is known as the “Kissan Mela”. The festival of Basant which involves kite flying is an annual tradition in the city despite the ban.The provincial government introduced the “Canal Mela” which involves five days of festivities including the main canal in the city being decorated with national floats and lights ending with a musical concert to conclude the festival. Being a Muslim majority the city religious observances include Ramadan and Muharram. The festivals of Chaand Raat, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are celebrated and are national holidays. The celebration of the Prophet Muhammad birthday is observed in the city which is often referred to as “Eid Milād-un-Nabī”. There are a number of darbar and shrines which attract a number of devotees during the annual Urs. There are a number of Christian churches in the city where Easter and Christmas services take place each year.
Health
Healthcare services are provided to the citizens by both public and private sector hospitals. The government–run hospitals are Allied Hospital, District HQ Hospital, Institute of Child Care, PINUM Cancer Hospital, Faisalabad Institute of Cardiology (FIC) and General Hospitals in Ghulam Muhammadabad and Samanabad. There are a number of private hospitals, clinics and laboratories in the city, notably Al-Rahmat labs, Mujahid Hospital lab, National Hospital lab & Agha Khan lab.
Language
Pakistan’s national language is Urdu, which, along with English, is also the official language. In 2015, the government of Pakistan announced plans to make Urdu the sole official language and abolish English as the second official language.
Law enforcement
Law enforcement in Faisalabad is carried out by the city police, under the command of the city police officer (CPO), an appointment by the provincial government. The office of the CPO is located in the District Courts, Faisalabad. Various police formations include district police, elite police, traffic police, Punjab highway patrolling, investigation branch, and special branch.
Transport
Faisalabad is well-connected by rail, road and air. Public transportation in Faisalabad includes auto-rickshaws, buses and railways. Faisalabad International Airport is located on the outskirts of the city, and operates flights to the Middle East.
Weather
The weather in the city is monitored by the Pakistan Meteorological Department. The Pakistan Meteorological Department regularly provides forecasts, public warnings and rainfall information to farmers with the assistance of the National Agromet Centre. Faisalabad has been classified as a hot desert climate (BWh) by the Köppen-Geiger climate classification system. Average annual rainfall is approximately 375 millimetres (14.8 in) and highly seasonal. It is usually at its highest in July and August during monsoon season. Record-breaking rainfall of 264.2 millimetres (10.40 in) was recorded on 5 September 1961 by the Pakistan Meteorological Department. Observations from the Meteorological Observatory at the University of Agriculture indicate that overall rainfall levels in the city have increased by 90.4 millimetres (3.56 in) over the course of thirty years.
