Faisalabad, formerly known as Lyallpur, is the second-largest city and primary industrial center of the Pakistani province of Punjab. Located in the Rachna Doab of the central Punjab, it is the third-most populous city in Pakistan. Established in 1890s as a planned city, the population of the city increased six times in the decade following the partition of British India as hundreds of thousands of East Punjabi Muslim immigrants settled the city.
Historically one of the largest villages of Punjab, Lyallpur was one of the first planned cities within British India. It became headquarters of the lower Chenab Colony and in 1898 was incorporated as a municipality. It was restructured into city district status; a devolution promulgated by the 2001 local government ordinance (LGO). The city is the headquarters of the Faisalabad District the total area of which is around while the urban area controlled by the Faisalabad Development Authority (FDA) is around .
Faisalabad has become a major industrial and distribution hub due to its centrally located infrastructure including connecting roads, rails, and air transportation.
In 2013, the GDP of Faisalabad was estimated at $43 billion. Faisalabad contributes over 20 percent to the GDP of the country and has an average annual GDP (nominal) of $20.5 billion.
Etymology
Faisalabad was formerly known as Lyallpur meaning Lyall's Town. When founded in 1890, it was named after Sir James Broadwood Lyall, the British lieutenant governor (1887–1892) of the Punjab. In 1979, the city of Lyallpur, with the Persian suffix -abad for inhabited place, was renamed Faisalabad by the Government of Pakistan in the name of King Faisal of Saudi Arabia () and his kingdom's long relationship with Pakistan and its people.
History
Early settlements
The region encompassing modern-day Faisalabad district was originally inhabited by a number of forest-dwelling tribes. The main architecture of the city was designed by architect Ganga Ram.
In the 1880s, the Punjab government began an irrigation scheme to cultivate large tracts of western Punjab through the creation of canal colonies. The Chenab colony was the largest of these colonisation projects, and covered the entirety of the Lyallpur District. Popham Young, the colonisation officer, managing the project, identified the site of the current city to establish headquarters for the colony.
The centre of the city was built in a way to replicate the design in the Union Jack with eight roads extending from a large clock tower at its epicentre; a design geometrically symbolic of the Cross of Saint Andrew counter changed with the Cross of Saint Patrick, and Saint George's Cross over all. The eight roads developed into eight separate bazaars (markets) leading to different regions of the Punjab. In 1896, the newly constructed town with its growing agricultural surplus was added to the British rail network. Construction of the rail link between Wazirabad and Lyallpur was completed in 1895. In 1896, Gujranwala, Jhang and Montgomery comprising the tehsils of Lyallpur were under the administrative control of the Jhang District in Multan Division. The town became one of the first planned settlements within British India.
In 1904, the new district of Lyallpur was created in Multan Division to include the three tehsils; Lyallpur, Samundri and Toba Tek Singh. A sub-tehsil at Jaranwala later became a full tehsil in itself. The University of Agriculture, originally the Punjab Agricultural College and Research Institute, Lyallpur, was established in 1906. By 1911, the city had a population of 19,578.
Independence
In August 1947, following three decades of nationalist struggles, India and Pakistan achieved independence. The British agreed to partition of British India into two sovereign states – Pakistan with a Muslim majority, and India with a Hindu majority. However, more Muslims remained in India than what governing authorities believed would assimilate into Pakistan. The partitioning led to a mass migration of an estimated 10 million people which made it the largest mass migration in human history. Riots and local fighting followed the expeditious withdrawal of the British, resulting in an estimated one million civilians deaths, particularly in the western region of Punjab.
During the 1980s, the city saw an influx of foreign investments in the textile sector. A large number of residents of Faisalabad began working abroad as bilateral ties improved as part of new trade agreements. This led to more foreign remittances into the city. This aided the development of large-scale infrastructure projects within the city. In 1982, the city district was upgraded as a division with the districts of Faisalabad, Jhang, and Toba Tek Singh. Currently, the division comprises four districts, the fourth being Chiniot District.
Geography
Location
Faisalabad lies in the rolling flat plains of northeast Punjab, at above sea level. The city proper comprises approximately while the district encompasses more than . The Chenab River flows about , and the Ravi River meanders to the southeast. The lower Chenab canal provides water to 80% of cultivated lands making it the main source of irrigation. Faisalabad is bound on the north by Chiniot and Sheikhupura, on the east by Sheikhupura and Sahiwal, on the south by Sahiwal and Toba Tek Singh and on the west by Jhang.
Climate
Faisalabad overlaps between a semi-arid climate and a humid subtropical climate.
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.
Average annual rainfall is approximately . It is at its peak in July, August and September during the monsoon season though western disturbances during winter months also bring considerable rainfall associated with hail. Monsoon season which starts in July and ends in September brings heavy rain to the city causing flash flooding. If the monsoon currents interact with the western disturbance, then cloudburst can also occur. July is the wettest month of the year during which flooding is reported a number of times. Monsoon ends in September and then the dry period begins. October and November are the driest months with very little rainfall. During winter the weather usually remains cloudy associated with frequent fog. Record-breaking rainfall of was recorded on 5 September 1961 by the Pakistan Meteorological Department. The temperature of the city has reached a summer maximum record temperature of 48.0 °C (118.4 °F), which was observed on 9 June 1947 and again on 26 May 2010. An extreme minimum temperature of −4.0 °C (24.8 °F) was recorded on 15 January 1978. The highest wind gust ever recorded in Faisalabad occurred during a severe dust-thunderstorm on 2 June 2000, when the maximum wind speed reached 151 kilometers per hour (94 mph).
Geology
Faisalabad region is part of the alluvial plains of the upper Indus Basin. The alluvial deposits are typically over a thousand feet thick. The interfluves are believed to have been formed during the Late Pleistocene and feature river terraces. These were later identified as old and young floodplains of the Ravi River on the Kamalia and Chenab Plains. The old floodplains consist of Holocene deposits from the Ravi and Chenab rivers.
The soil consists of young stratified silt loam or very fine sand loam which makes the subsoil weak in structure with common kankers at only five feet. The course of the rivers within Faisalabad is winding and often subject to frequent alternations. In the rainy season, the currents are very strong. This leads to high floods in certain areas which do last for a number of days. The Rakh and Gogera canals have encouraged the water levels in the district however the belt on the Ravi River has remained narrow. The river bed does include the river channels which have shifted the sand bars and low sandy levees leading to river erosion. It is governed by the city district's seven departments: Agriculture, Community Development, Education, Finance and Planning, Health, Municipal Services, and Works and Services. The district coordination officer of Faisalabad (DCO) is head of the city district government and responsible for co-ordinating and supervising the administrative units. The functions of the TMA include preparation of the spatial and land use plans, management of these development plans and exercise of control over land use, land sub-division, land development and zoning by public and private sectors, enforcement of municipal laws, rules and by-laws, provision and management of water, drainage waste and sanitation along with allied municipal services.
There are 118 union councils in Faisalabad. Their role is to collect and maintain statistical information for socio-economic surveys. They consolidate ward neighbourhood development needs and prioritise these into union-wide development proposals. The council identifies any deficiencies in the delivery of these services and makes recommendations for improvement to the TMA.
Faisalabad Development Authority
The Faisalabad Development Authority (FDA) was validly established in October 1976 under The Punjab Development of Cities Act (1976) to regulate, supervise and implement development activities in its jurisdiction area. The FDA acts as a policy-making body for the development of the city and is in charge of arranging and supervising major developments within the city. It is responsible for the administration of building regulations, management of parks and gardens and subsoil water management. The FDA works with the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) to control and maintain the water supply, sewerage and drainage. The FDA works to improve conditions in the slums.
Demographics
The province of Punjab, in which Faisalabad is the second largest city, has prevalent sociocultural distinctions. Population sizes vary by district but some distinguishing factors include a young age structure, high age dependency ratio, a higher percentage of males, a higher proportion of married population, and heterogeneity in tribes and languages.
Prevalent minorities, particularly Christians, feel a sense of vulnerability because of their religious beliefs.
The Sita Ram temple is a Hindu temple near Jhang Bazaar region in the district. However the temple is currently neglected and deteriorated. The Hindu community has been demanding the reopening of the shrine.
{| class="wikitable collapsible sortable"
|+ Religious groups in Faisalabad City (1901−2023)