Faisalabad

Faisalabad, (Urdu: فيصل آباد‎) formerly known as Lyallpur, is the third largest metropolis in Pakistan, the second largest in the province ofPunjab after Lahore, and a major industrial center in the heart of Pakistan.

Also known as the Manchester of Pakistan,^[1] Faisalabad remains an important industrial city west of Lahore. The city-district of Faisalabad is bound on the north by the districts of Hafizabad and Chiniot, on the east by Nankana Sahib, on the south by Sahiwal, and Toba Tek Singh and on the west by Jhang.

The city is at a road and railway junction, which has played an influential role in the development of Faisalabad's trade and economy. The surrounding countryside, irrigated by the Lower Chenab River, has seen expanded production of cotton, wheat, sugarcane, vegetables, and fruits, which form 55% of Pakistan's exports. The city is an industrial centre with major railway repair yards, engineering works, and mills that process sugar, flour, and oil seed. Produce includes superphosphates, cotton and silk textiles, hosiery, dyes, industrial chemicals, beverages, apparels,pulp and paper, printing, agricultural equipment, and ghee (clarified butter). Faisalabad is the site of the prestigious University of Agriculture, founded in 1909.

Faisalabad stands in the rolling flat plains of northeast Punjab, between longitude 73°74 East, latitude 30°31.5 North, with an elevation of 184 metres (604 ft) above sea level. The city proper covers an area of approximately 1,230 square kilometres (470 sq mi), while the district covers more than 16,000 square kilometres (6,200 sq mi).

There are no natural boundaries between Faisalabad and adjoining districts. The Chenab River flows about 30 km (19 mi) to the north-west while the River Ravi meanders about 40 km (25 mi) south-east of the city. The lower Chenab canal is the main source of irrigation water, which meets the requirements of 80% of cultivated land. The soil of Faisalabad comprises alluvial deposits mixed with loess having calcareous characteristics, making it very fertile.

Due to its high evapotranspiration, Faisalabad features an arid climate. The climate of the district can see extremes, with a summer maximum temperature 50 °C (122 °F) and a winter temperature of −2 °C (28 °F). The mean maximum and minimum temperature in summer are 39 °C(102 °F) and 27 °C (81 °F) respectively. In winter it peaks at around 17 °C (63 °F) and 6 °C (43 °F) respectively. The summer season starts from April and continues until October. May, June and July are the hottest months. The winter season starts from November and continues until March. December, January and February are the coldest months. The average yearly rainfall lies only at about 300 mm (12 in) and is highly seasonal with approximately half of the yearly rainfall in the two months July and August.

The city of Faisalabad carried out a census in March 1981 which showed the population of Faisalabad city as 1,092,000, which indicates that growth rate of Faisalabad city is only 3.37 percent per annum. In April 1981 the survey was carried out again which recorded the population to 1,232,000 which made the growth rate approximately 4.6%. Given this growth rate, the population at the end of 1981 was estimated to be 1,240,000.

The emergence of Faisalabad as a major agriculture and industrial center created a great increase in the city's population. From a population of 69,930 in 1941, it rose to 179,000 in 1951, an increase of 152.2% this was mainly due to the settlement of Muslim refugees from East Punjab and Haryanawho came from India and settled in Faisalabad. The population rose to a future figure of 425,248 in 1961, an increase of 137.4%. Faisalabad became a record in the demographic history for Pakistan by registering an overall population increase of 508.1% between 1941 and 1961. This record has never been matched by the largest city of Pakistan.^[5] In the 1998 census the city population was recorded as 2,009,000, growing at a rate of 21.3% per annum.^[6] According to the World Gazetteer, the estimate of the city is expected to have reached 5,500,000 in 2010.^[7]

The religion of a majority of Faisalabadites is Islam with small minorities of Sikhs, Christians and Ahmadis. Majority of Muslims belong to Sunni Hanafischool of thought with a significant minority of Shiites.

The most popular sport in Pakistan, is the most popular sport in the city. It is played anywhere a city dweller will find a large piece of land. This is known as Bat aur Gendh. It is played in the narrow by-lanes of the city. Night-time cricket can be seen at weekends when people play brightly lit matches on less-traversed city streets, disused construction sites, parks and several grounds in the district. The oldest and only venue for international cricket matches is Iqbal Stadium. The Faisalabad Wolves, Faisalabad's local team, are based at this venue and often regional matches are played throughout the spring season which draws in plenty of crowds such as Faysal Bank T20 Cup. The ground hosted matches for the 1987 Cricket World Cup as well as the 1996 Cricket World Cup.

Other popular sports in the city are hockey, Weightlifting, association football, Kabaddi, table tennis, billiards and snooker, squash, and horse racing. Sports like badminton, volleyball and basketball have started to gain popularity as western influences have affected the locals. Faisalabad has its own team, called the PMC FC who take part in the Pakistan Premier League. The Punjab Medical College has its own stadium built on its campus to train and host matches for the sport.

The city has facilities for hockey. The Faisalabad Hockey Stadium on Susan Road mostly hosts field hockey matches for most national and some international matches. The stadium has plenty of shops and restaurants which bring a lot of life to the area. A new sports complex is being planned to host athletic and gymnastic matches as well as Olympic training for future Pakistan participation.

PMC Club Athletico Faisalabad is the city's only participant in the Pakistani Premier Football League. Athletico's city rival Panther FC plays in the 2nd Division of Pakistani Football pyramid.

Faisalabad International Airport is approximately 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from the city centre and is a major transit point for exporting goods to other parts of Pakistan and abroad. Passenger flights are run by the national flag carrier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). Airblue, Aero Asia International and Shaheen Air used to operate from the airport but have suspended operations from Faisalabad. Flights for some domestic and some international destinations are available from the airport. Major flying within Pakistan is towards Karachi, whereas major international destinations areDubai, Jeddah and Glasgow.

The National Highway Authority has rebuilt and improved the standards of roads to meet international standards and improve logistical networks for freight companies. There is a public bus network as well as private coaches within the city and many privately operated auto-rickshaws and taxis to get around the city. Prime Rental cars are also available.

There are many highways under the control of the National Highway Authority, linking Faisalabad with other cities of the country. The M3 access-controlled motorway connects Faisalabad with the motorway M2 near Pindi Bhattian which furthermore connects with Rawalpindi/Islamabad, Lahoreand Multan. There is an expressway which connects Faisalabad with Lahore, Sheikhupura and Mananwala. The city is connected with Sargodha by a highway known as the Sargodha-Faisalabad road. Furthermore, motorway M4 is also under construction which will connect Faisalabad with Multan. The newly furnished Grand Trunk Road, otherwise known as GT Road, is a popular highway that links most parts of Pakistan as well as neighbouring countries. There are several bus operators that offer quick services to the provincial capital, Lahore, as well as Islamabad, Jhang, Multan, Peshawar,Karachi and several smaller localities.

The Faisalabad railway station was built in 1896 during British rule. Today there are connections available to all parts of Pakistan including Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Quetta, and Peshawar.