Rahim Yar Khan

Rahim Yar Khan
رحیم یار خان
District Headquarters
Coordinates: 28°25′N 70°18′E / 28.42°N 70.30°E / 28.42; 70.30Coordinates: 28°25′N 70°18′E / 28.42°N 70.30°E / 28.42; 70.30
Country Pakistan
Province Punjab
District Rahim Yar Khan
Area
 • Total 45 km2 (17 sq mi)
Population
 • Estimate (2015) 863,203
Time zone PST (UTC+5)
Calling code 068
Number of towns 4
Number of Union councils 8
Website http://www.rahimyarkhan.com.pk

Rahim Yar Khan (Punjabi رحیم یار خان) is a city in Punjab province of Pakistan. It is the capital of Rahim Yar Khan District and of Rahim Yar Khan Tehsil. The administration of the city is subdivided into nine Union councils. According to the 1998 census, the city population was 233,537 with an annual growth rate of 3.50%. In 2009, it was around 1,900,000. The area of Rahim Yar Khan City is about 89 km². Rahim Yar Khan is bounded on the east by Bahawalpur district, on the south by Jasilmir (India) and Ghotki district of Sindh province and on the west by Rajanpur district.[1]

Although the city is far away from the cities of Karachi and Lahore but it is connected to the rest of Pakistan by air, railway and modern road network. The city is accessible through National Highway N-5. The city is home to an international airport; Sheikh Zayed International Airport. The airport is undergoing a feasibility study for renovation and expansion. These are 8637 shops {department stores, Hotels,etc.}

Economy

Evening at the Desert Palace Road, Rahim Yar Khan

The Rahim Yar Khan Chamber of Commerce was incorporated in 2007.[2] The main source of income for the people of this city is agriculture and more than 65% of the population is linked to it. The city produces wheat, cotton, corn, sugar cane and many other crops. It also produces large variety of vegetables and fruits, especially mangoes. Mangoes of this area are exported to far off places in the world as Germany, France, Poland, UK, USA, Canada, Turkey and many other countries. The city also produces large amounts of citrus fruits.

Besides agriculture, the city also specialises in many industries particularly sugar and fertilizers. The city has many industries like sugar, banaspati ghee, cosmetics, cotton, beverages, marble, bricks, motorcycles, agricultural equipment, flour, oil, alcohol and fertilizers. There are separate industrial zones dedicated to particular types of industry, far from populated areas. Cotton industry is very common to the region. It is a growing industry. There are many factories (Unilever, Fatima fertilizer, Shahbaz cooking oil, Coca Cola, J.D.W sugar mill, Etehad sugar mill, Ahmed textile, Superstar motorcycle, Haleeb Foods, etc.)

Higher education

Rahim yar khan is the city on the dash for development in social as well as educational impact. The city already have a number of world class institutions offering higher education in various fields and many others are planning and under construction, mostly government owned. The Islamia University Bahawalpur, the biggest university in the region, has set up its state of the art campus in the city, offering various courses in engineering, pure and applied sciences, arts, law and other fields of humanity at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Sheikh Zayed Medical College (SZMC) is a world class medical school training undergraduates and postgraduates in medicine and surgery and various other allied fields. Allama Iqbal Open University has set up its robustic campus on the airport road. Khwaja Fareed College University, Post Graduate College for Women, Degree College for women, Government Institute of Technology (GIT),Govt. Commerce College for Women, Govt. Commerce College for Boys, and In service Agriculture institute, the only agricultural institute in the southern Punjab are all playing their role to boost education and learning in the region. A state of the art new campus of SZMC is under construction and is about to hit completion. A world class university , named Khwaja Ghulam Fareed University of Engineering & Information Technology (KFUEIT), is under construction at Abu Dhabi palace road.The sprawling campus is spread over 250 acres is being developed at par with international standards. The university has already started classes. A robust campus of Islamia University is under construction and is near to its completion. The government also wants upgrade Agriculture College to a University, awarding its own degree.

There are many institutes offering Higher education in private sector as well. These include College of Occupational Safety Health Canada (A Project of Rxianx Group), Swedish College of Engineering and Technology, NCBA&E, etc to add a few. The city is teeming with colleges. Many educational networks of national scope have opened up their campuses here.

Tourism

The city has many tourist and recreational spots which include children parks, family parks, desert stretches, historical sights, zoos etc. City Park is a small park in the heart of the city. It has attractions like swimming pools, skating rink, a giant ferris wheel, and many thrilling and exciting rides . H. H. Sh. Khalifa family park is situated in the outskirts of the city about 11 km from city center. The park is blessed with children's play area, green grounds and exotic plants. The park was built in the honour of Sh. Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, prince of UAE. There are many newly built family parks in every major residential area.

The city has a zoo at Tibi Larran, spread over an area of 25 acres (10 ha) home to about 350 animals and 65 species of animals and birds. The zoo is undergoing a major multi-million expansion and upgradation to rub shoulders with modern zoos around the world. The zoo is home to many species of peacocks, Asiatic lion, deer, buck, neelgai, monkeys, ducks, elephant, giraffe, Bengal tiger, cougar, cheetah, crocodile, ostrich, emu parrots, amazons, pheasants, pigeons, and many others.

There lies a well known historical site named Pattan Minara, a minaret which dates back to ancients Indus Valley Civilization. There was a city settled on the bank of ancient Hakra River, a tributary of the Sarasvati River in India. The remnants of the Indus valley civilization can still be seen today.

In summer after the rain, people flock from the city to the nearby desert. In rainy days the desert is teeming with people. Sand boarding is very popular among young boys and girls. Dune driving is also very charming. All the year, the desert is full of activities like hunting, dune climbing, night stay, camping, racing, biking, jeeping etc.

The city regularly receives visitors from Arab Countries, especially UAE, mostly from the royal family, who come here every year to enjoy the hunting of Ducks and birds. There are many palaces of royal family built in the city as well as two private airports along with private roads from airports to their palaces.

References

  1. ↑ "Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab, Pakistan". Pakimag.com. 2011-01-12. Retrieved 2015-12-19.
  2. ↑ Rahim Yar Khan Chamber of Commerce and Industries. Rykchamber.com. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
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