This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. No cleanup reason has been specified. Please help improve this article if you can; the talk page may contain suggestions. (July 2011)

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2011)

Sialkot سیالکوٹ
Clock Tower Sialkot
Nickname(s): The City of Iqbal
Sialkot Location in Pakistan
Coordinates: 32°29′50″N 74°32′10″E / 32.49722°N 74.53611°E / 32.49722; 74.53611Coordinates: 32°29′50″N 74°32′10″E / 32.49722°N 74.53611°E / 32.49722; 74.53611
Country	Pakistan
Province	Punjab
Government
• District Coordination Officer	Mujahid Sherdil
Area
• Total	3,016 km2 (1,164 sq mi)
Elevation	256 m (840 ft)
Population (2011 (city))
• Total	1,003,000 (city population)
• Density	332.55/km2 (861.3/sq mi)
Time zone	PST (UTC+5)
Postal code	51310
Calling code	052
Number of Union councils	152
Sialkot Government Website

Sialkot (Punjabi, Urdu: سیالکوٹ) is located in Pakistan in the north-east of the Punjab province at the foothills of snow-covered peaks of Kashmir near the Chenab river. It is the capital of Sialkot District. The city is about 125 km (78 mi) north-west of Lahore The recorded history of Sialkot covers thousands of years. Sialkot has, since its foundation, changed hands from Hindu, Buddhist, Persian, Greek, Afghan, Turk, Sikh, Mughal and British rule to that of present-day Pakistan.

History of Sialkot[link]

Ancient Sialkot[link]

There are various sources tracing the origins of the city of Sialkot but the authenticity of many of these sources varies. Excavations throughout the area have revealed large amounts of Greek coins, ancient Zoroastrian temples and several Buddhist stupas. The antiquities of Sialkot have also been discussed by Sir Alexander Cunningham in his Archaeological Survey Reports, II, 21, 22, and XIV, 44 to 47.

According to the Greek historical texts, which bring mention of the city of Sialkot dating back to before 327 BC when the city was known as Sagala, it represented the eastern-most outpost and expansion of the Hellenic Empire created by Alexander the Great which has been cross-correlated to ancient Greek maps of the era and several monuments found in the Sialkot District. The Greek historians state that the city was one of the most productive Silk regions of the Achaemenid Empire. Sákala or Sagala was the capital, or one of the capitals, of the Indo-Greek Kingdom which broke-away from the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom during the Euthydemid Dynasty

the Indo-Greek king, Menander, ruled in Sialkot during the 2nd century

Popular legends attribute the foundation of Sialkot city to Raja Sala - the uncle of the Pandavas. According to Punjabi folk-lore, the early history of Sialkot is closely interwoven with the traditions of Raja (King) Sáliváhan, his son, Raja Rasálu, and his foe, Raja Húdi. A popular belief is that the city was re-founded by Raja Sáliváhan or Sálbán when it became a part of Kashmir. Raja Sáliváhan built a fort (Sialkot Fort) and the city and gave the place its present name.it is believed that the word "Sialkot" means the 'Fort of the Sia'.

Medieval Sialkot[link]

Sialkot became a part of the Muslim Sultanate of Delhi when the Afghan noble Sultan Shahab-ud-Din Muhammad Ghauri conquered Punjab in 1185. He was unable to conquer Lahore but left a garrison in Sialkot. Later, Sultan Khusro Malik tried to capture the city but failed to do so. Sialkot then became a part of the Muslim Mughal Empire which was of Central Asian origin. The Mughal commander, Usman Ghani Raza, advanced towards Delhi by way of Sialkot which capitulated to his armies.

In 'Babur Nama', Zaheer-ud-Din Muhammad Babur records:

During the era of the Mughal Emperor, Jalal-ud-Din Muhammad Akbar, the present district of Sialkot formed a part of the Rachna-Bar Sarkar of the Lahore province. Under the reign of the Mughal Emperor, Shahab-ud-Din Muhammad Shah Jahan, Ali Mardan Khan held the charge of Sialkot.

At the end of the Mughal dynasty, the suburbs and the outlying districts and areas of Sialkot were left to themselves. Sialkot, itself, was appropriated by a powerful family of Pashtuns from Multan, Afghanistan and Swat, the Kakazai, and another family from Quetta. In 1748, the four districts of Gujrat, Sialkot, Pasrur and Daska were given to the Afghan Pashtun ruler, Ahmed Shah Durrani, and the area was amalgamated into the Afghan empire. After 1751, Ahmed Shah Durrani left his son, Taimur, to rule Lahore and these districts. During that time, Raja Ranjit Deo of Jammu expanded his domination over the peripheral areas, but the city of Sialkot was not included in it. Afterwards, the city was held strongly by a Pashtun clan till the occupation of the Sikhs who ruled for a period of about 40 years followed by the British. The Pashtun presence is still considerable to this day and continues to attract newer Pashtun migrants and workers from Pakistan's tribal areas.

Colonial Sialkot[link]

During the decline of the Durrani regime, Sialkot was occupied from the Pashtuns by the Sikhs and, thus, began the rise of their short-lived empire. Between 1797 to 1810, Maharaja Ranjit Singh occupied Sialkot. After the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the British officers were appointed in Sialkot. Sialkot was annexed by the British after the Second Anglo-Sikh War in 1849.

The British laid the foundation of the Sialkot cantonment in 1849 which was completed in 1852. For establishing the Sialkot cantonment, the British Commander-in-Chief, Sir Lord Napier, surveyed and selected the area between the seasonal streams, Bher Nala and Palkhu Nala, from the point of view of defence. The Area Command laid its foundation in 1852 under the leadership of Major-General Angulas. During the Indian Rebellion of 1857 it was the scene of heavy fighting, and the Sialkot Fort was used by the Europeans for protection. The native troops plundered the treasury and destroyed all the records.

Murray College, Sialkot was established in 1889. The railway branch from Wazirabad to Sialkot was extended to Jammu in 1890. The Sialkot-Narowal railway line was opened in 1915.

The city played an important role during the Pakistan Movement. The national poet of Pakistan, who spearheaded the movement for an independent country, Dr. Muhammad Iqbal was born in Sialkot in 1877. In May 1944, the historic Sialkot Convention was held here. This convention is widely regarded as the landmark event which catapulted the All India Muslim League into prominence in the British-Indian Punjab. This convention was host to such Muslim League luminaries as Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Liaquat Ali Khan, Chaudhry Naseer Ahmad Malhi, Khawaja Nazim-ud-Din, Sardar Abd-ur-Rab Nishtar, Mumtaz Ahmad Khan Daultana, Nawab Iftikhar Hussain Khan Mamdot and Maulvi Tamiz-ud-Din.

Modern Sialkot[link]

After the independence of Pakistan from the British Empire in 1947, the Muslim residents of Pathankot, Gurdaspur who had originally thought there areas were going to be part of Pakistan, had to flee en mass with the vast majority coming to Sialkot to settle. Most of the refugees have since settled and inter-married into the local population. Ever since, Sialkot has become one of the major industrial centres of Pakistan and is well known for its manufacture and export of surgical instruments, musical instruments, sports goods, leather goods, textile products and other light manufactures.

During the Second Kashmir War in 1965, the Lahore-Sialkot region (along with the Karachi region) was attacked by the Indian Army which, despite overwhelming numerical superiority managed only to capture some outlying areas in the sector. The people of Sialkot came out in full force to support the troops of the Pakistan Army to repel the invasion by India.^[2] In fact, the armoured battles in the Sialkot sector (especially, the Battle of Chawinda), in 1965, were the most intense since the Second World War.^[3] In 1966, the Government of Pakistan awarded the Hilal-i-Istaqlal to the citizens of Sialkot, Lahore and Sargodha for their courage and bravery during the 1965 war between Pakistan and India.

Again, during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, the region witnessed bitter battles, most importantly, the Battle of Basantar in the Sialkot-ShakarGarh area. The major Indian counter-offensive came in this area where two large Pakistani tank regiments, equipped with the Patton tanks, lost part of the region despite outnumbering the Indian First Armoured Corps, which was equipped with British Centurion tanks.also have a small village chak sukha located on line of control on sialkot zafarwal road 20 km toward east.

Geography and Climate[link]

Lying between 32°30′ North latitude and 74°31′ East longitude at an altitude of 256 m above sea level, Sialkot is bounded on the north by Jammu, north-west by Gujrat, on the west by Gujranwala and on the south by Narowal. The Chenab river flows to the north of Sialkot. There are three small seasonal streams flowing through the city, Aik, Bher and Palkhu.

Sialkot features a humid subtropical climate under the Koppen climate classification. Sialkot is chilly during winters and hot and humid during summers. May and June are the hottest months. The temperature during winter may drop to 0°C. The land is, generally, plain and fertile. Most of the rain falls during the monsoon season in summer which often results in flooding when combined with meltwater from Himalayan glaciers entering local rivers. Sialkot has one of the most modern weather forecasting and flood warning centres in the country, which is fully equipped to record and transfer data to and from the relevant concerns. This facility is equipped with a radar and is internationally linked.

Government[link]

The Sialkot District Government is headed by the District Administrator who is assisted by the Deputy Administrator who is also Speaker of the District Council. The District Administrator is elected by the Administrators of the Union Councils and Union Councillors who, themselves, are elected directly by the votes of the local public. There are 152 Union Councils in District Sialkot. The District Administrator is assisted by the District Coordination Officer (DCO) and the District Police Officer (DPO). All the Departments are grouped and placed under the Executive District Officers, of various Departments, including Health, Finance, Revenue, Industry, Agriculture, Education, Law, Literacy, IT, Community Development, Transport, etc. who are subordinate to the DCO.In addition to that District Account Office performs the function of pre-audit of all the Departments of Federal, provincial and District Government. This Office is headed by the Assistant Accountant General (AAG) who is representative of the Accountant General Of the Punjab and works in an independent capacity. The city is managed by the Tehsil Municipal Administration which is headed by a Tehsil Administrator. The Sialkot Cantonment is managed by Sialkot Cantonment Board.

Demography[link]

Population of the Sialkot city (proper) is about 510,863.^[5] Its population density is 1160/km² and population growth rate is very low as compared to other urban areas of Pakistan. In 1947, Sialkot was the 6th largest city^{[citation needed]} in Pakistan (150,000) and in 2009, it is the 13th largest city. Punjabi is the main language of its people, Urdu and Pashto languages are also spoken . Major clans are Syed, Sahi, Ghuman, Bhalli, Sulehria, Bajwa, Cheema, Wains, Kang, Jatt (Tatla's), Arain, Rajput, Chughtai, Awan, Kakazai, Butt, Mir, Sharif, Sheikh, Sulehria, Gujar, Khatana, Pathan (Pashtun origin), Mughal Quraishi and Siddiqui. As per 2007 report main tribe of district 15%Jat 13%Arian,13%Kashmiri,14%Rajputs,25% Gujjars,20%others. Literacy rate is among the highest in Pakistan. In urban areas, it is 73% and in rural areas, it is 54%. Employment in the agriculture sector is only 19.5% and 32% in elementary occupations. 95% of the population have electricity and 96% have the water facility. Sialkot has also attracted many labourers and other entrepreneurs many of whom hail from Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), notably from Bajaur and Mohmand agencies who have set up vibrant businesses throughout the area.

Economy and Industry[link]

Sialkot is the fourth largest economic hub in Punjab after Lahore Faisalabad and Gujranwala. It is commercially linked with the Lahore Stock Exchange through its Sialkot branch, known as the Sialkot Trading Floor (STF). The State Bank of Pakistan and the Export Promotion Bureau of Pakistan have branch offices in Sialkot. After Karachi, Sialkot is Pakistan's second largest source of foreign exchange earnings through its exports and remittances from the overseas manpower. For the past several decades, the manufacturers and exporters of the city have been awarded the annual National Exports Award by the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Sialkot has an Industrial Estate and an Export Processing Zone. Another Export Processing Zone is planned along the Sialkot Lahore Motorway. The per capita income of Sialkot is ranked among the highest in Pakistan.

The history of industrialisation of Sialkot is very old. The Damascene craftsmen of Sialkot (koftgars or koftars) were famous during the Mughal era for their fine swords and daggers^{[citation needed]}. Papermaking in Sialkot dates back to the time of the Mughal Emperor Akbar which was famous all over the world. Brick making was another historic skill of the people of the Sialkot and those bricks were known as the "Sialkoti Bricks" throughout South Asia. Most of the states in the South Asian region relied on the slender but strong Sialkoti brickslanateer for the erection of forts, castles, monuments, public buildings, infrastructure construction, etc.^{[citation needed]}.

Sialkot is the world's largest producer of hand-sewed footballs, with local factories manufacturing 40~60 million footballs a year, amounting to roughly 70% of world production. There is a well-applied child labour ban in the industry since a 1997 outcry.^[6]

During the colonial era British India's first bagpipe works opened in the city, today there are 20 pipe bands in the city.^[7] Sialkot is Also providing Dental Instruments, Surgical Instruments, Beauty Instruments and other all sorts of Hospital Equipments. Other important industries in Sialkot include Leather Tanneries, Leather Garments, Musical Instruments, Surgical and Dental Instruments, Sportswear including Martial Arts wear, Gloves, Badges, Seat and Walking Sticks, Cutlery, Hunting Knives, Air Guns and Shotguns. These are all export-oriented businesses and earn billions of dollars every year in foreign exchange. There are several other allied industries which are working day and night as vendors for the automobile industry of Pakistan. Sialkot has also a rich tradition of producing wooden and steel furniture, rubber products, cooking utensils, bicycles, their tyres and tubes and shoes^{[citation needed]}.

Notable Residents[link]

Dr. Muhammad Iqbal

Sialkot is the birthplace of the prominent scholar, philosopher and poet, Dr. Muhammad Iqbal, as well as the scholar and poet, Faiz Ahmed Faiz. Zafar Ali Khan, another famous writer and poet, was born at Kot Mehrath, Sialkot. Muhammad Yusuf Hashmi, founder principal of Jinnah Islamia College, was born in a village in Sialkot District and lived in the city during 1950's. Sir Muhammad Zafarullah Khan was also born in Sialkot. He was president of the International Court of Justice in Den Haag, Pakistan's first Foreign Minister and President of the UN-General Assembly. Shiv Kumar Batalvi was born in a Saraswat Brahmin family on 23 July 1936 (though a few documents related to him state October 7, 1937 as his date of birth), in village Bara Pind Lohtian, Shakargarh Tehsil, Sialkot District (now in Punjab province, Pakistan).

Amjad Islam Amjad the famous writer, lyricist and poet was born at Sialkot. Professor Rajinder Singh Bedi, a well-known writer, was also born at Sialkot. Narendra Kohli, a prominent writer, belongs to Sialkot as well. Zulfikar Ghose, a well-known writer, was born at Sialkot. The Indian journalist, Kuldip Nayyar, was also born at Sialkot. Prominent journalists, Khalid Hasan, Hamid Mir. Jawed Iqbal, Muhammad Farooq and Mumtaz Hamid Rao are other famous personalities from Sialkot. The Indian politician and twice Prime Minister of India, Gulzari Lal Nanda, was from Sialkot. The orator of Pakistan Syed Faiz-ul Hassan Shah was from Sialkot. Maulana Ubaidullah Sindhi was born at Sialkot. Khawaja Muhammad Safdar a former acting president of Pakistan and chairman of the Majlis-e-Shoora hails from Sialkot. Khawaja Muhammad Asif, the former Speaker of the National Assembly, and acting president, Chaudhry Amir Hussain, the interior minister Rehman Malik and Firdous Ashiq Awan, present minister hail from Sialkot.

The Pakistani (Lollywood) actor Waheed Murad, Indian (Bollywood) actors Rajendra Kumar and A. K. Hangal were born at Sialkot while Dev Anand was born in Tehsil Shakargarh now in Sialkot District. Ghulam Ali, the Ghazal singer and Ustad Allah Rakha, the famous Sarangi Nawaz, are from Sialkot. Sialkot is the home city of many players of the Pakistan National Cricket Team. Ijaz Butt (chairman, Pakistan Cricket Board), Zaheer Abbas, Ijaz Ahmed, Shoaib Malik, Mansoor Amjad, Zahid Fazal, Abdur Rehman and Jawaid Iqbal (Hong Kong national cricket player) were all born at Sialkot. The captains and players of the Pakistani National Hockey team including Shahnaz Sheikh, Manzoor Hussain Jr., Nasir Ali, Asif Bajwa (secretary of Pakistan Hockey Federation), Tariq Sheikh, Zahid Sheikh, Muhammad Waqas Sharif, Mahmood Hussain, Maqsood Hussain, Munir Bhatti and Kamran Ashraf hail from this city.

Important Sites[link]

Sialkot is a great center of the Punjabi culture. The old city has a fascinating labyrinth of narrow streets and crowded bazaars. In the old part of the city is located the shrine of Hazrat Imam Ali-ul-Haq also known as Imam Sahib. The mausoleum complex is a maze of narrow corridors leading to several shrines of saints. The tomb of Imam Ali-ul-Haq is to the right, through a mirrored gateway tiled with Koranic inscriptions and geometric designs. On a low hill, in the centre of the old city, are the few remains of the Sialkot Fort which is popularly believed to mark the site of the original stronghold of Raja Salivahan; but the fort itself is not more than 1000 years old and is said to have been rebuilt by Shahab-ud-Din Ghauri at the end of the twelfth century A.D. The fort is now dismantled, and the few buildings it contains are used for public purposes. The shrine of the Muslim saint, Pir Muradia Shah, is also situated on the Sialkot Fort. Puran's Well is a famous historical site, which is related with the Punjabi folklore 'Bhagat Puran'. It is located just outside the city of Sialkot. According to Mutiny in Sialkot there were remains of Puran's tomb extant in 1857 but now there is no tomb except for a small building, a small place for worship and a running well.

Sialkot Fort

Also of interest is the birth place of Dr. Muhammad Iqbal (1877–1938) which has been turned into a small museum containing some of his personal belongings and a library and named as Iqbal Manzil (Iqbal House). The most famous square of the city is the Iqbal Chowk. Here, the famous Shaheen (Falcon) monument has been erected to pay tributes to Dr. Muhammad Iqbal (falcon is a metaphor for the Muslim youth in Iqbal's poetry). Near the Iqbal Chowk is located the biggest grand mosque of the city, Jamia Masjid Donga Bagh. One of its three minarets is the tallest landmark in Sialkot. Other places of interest include the tombs of the great Muslim scholars, Mullah Abdul Hakim Sialkoti near Abdul Hakim Park, Hakim Khadim Ali on Khadim Ali Road and Hafiz Muhammad Alam, near Do Darwaza (the name of one of the gates of the once walled city).

Seerat Study Center is situated at the southern edge of the Khayaban-I-Iqbal (Company Bagh) on Ghazi Road. It is a world-renonwed center for conducing research on the life of the Prophet Muhammad. Located in the cantonment area is the famous Holy Trinity Cathedral Church also known as the Sialkot Cathedral which was built in 1852. On Zafarwal Road is located a famous Sikh Gurdwara Beri Sahib. Every year, many Sikh pilgrims come to visit here. In Saddar Bazar is located the famous Clock Tower which is more than a century old. The Connelley Park (named after a British Deputy Commissioner of Sialkot), was converted to Jinnah Stadium in 1979. The Jinnah Stadium has one of the fastest cricket pitches in Pakistan. Close to Jinnah Stadium is located the famous Murray College which was established in 1889. Its alumni include Dr Muhammad Iqbal and Faiz Ahmad Faiz.

Sialkot has three main parks, Khayaban-e-Iqbal Park, Gulshan-i-Iqbal Park on Parsur Road and Garrison Park on Kashmir Road. More than a century old Company Garden (Khayaban-i-Iqbal Park) is located on Ghazanvi Road in the Sialkot cantonment. Some of the other famous and historic places are the Talab Maula Bakhush and Ram Talai. Talab Maula Bakhush is the place where, in May 1944, the historic Sialkot Convention of the All India Muslim League was held. It was also attended by Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Liaquat Ali Khan. Both sites have been converted to mini stadiums for traditional wrestling (Kabadi) and volleyball matches and also for political rallies.

A View of Marala Headworks

There are several famous squares in the city as Beri Wala Chowk, Rang Pura Chowk, Dara-Araian, Imam Sahib Chowk, Shahab Pura Chowk, Sublime Chowk, Hansa Chowk and Anwar Khawaja Chowk. Famous markets (bazaars) are Bazar Kalan, Trunk Bazar, Tehsil Bazar, Lahai Bazar and Saddar Bazar. The Sialkot Railway Station, is situated on the Railway Road near the Iqbal Chowk. On the Paris Road is located the American Christian Mission Hospital which was established in 1880. Also located there is the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the branches of many multi-national banks.

Marala Headworks is located on the Chenab river about 20 km from Sialkot. Two major water canals originate at the Marala Headworks - the Marala-Ravi Link Canal and the Upper Chenab Canal. Planning of the Mangla-Marala Link Canal is in the pipeline. The area around the Marala Headworks lake is also a picnic spot. The Bajwat Wildlife Sanctuary includes a complex of natural riverine habitats along the Chenab river and two of its tributaries, extending up to the border with India with a total area of 5400 hectares providing protection to waterfowl, as well as a variety of mammals including Hog Deer and Nilgai.

Transport[link]

Sialkot International Airport

Sialkot International Airport is the first-ever private-sector airport of Pakistan managed by the Sialkot International Airport Limited (SIAL) consortium. It is near Sambrial and is noted for having the longest runway in Pakistan. Direct flights are available from Sialkot International Airport to Karachi, Islamabad, Sharjah, London, Muscat, Kuwait, Dammam, Jeddah, Riyadh. Pakistan International Airlines has plans to start non-stop flights from Sialkot to Manchester and Barcellona. Hajj flights started in 2009. Emirates was expected to start flights in mid 2011 to Dubai. Airblue will operate on domestic routes to Islamabad, Multan and Karachi in mid 2011.

A small Sialkot Cantonment Airport, located in the Sialkot Cantonment, is used by the aviation wing of the Pakistan Army. This airport has been used as a public airport by Pakistan International Airlines for operating a helicopter service from Sialkot to Islamabad in 1995-1996.

Sialkot Dry Port carries the honor of being the first-ever private-sector dry port in Asia. It was established in 1986 near Sambrial, about 20 km from Sialkot city under the control of the Sialkot Dry Port Trust.

Sialkot is served by Pakistan Railways through the Sialkot Junction. Sialkot used to be a junction in the British era with trains leaving for Jammu and Gurdaspur. Plans are under consideration to open the border for an international train between Sialkot and Jammu. Express trains to and from Narowal, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan, Bahawalpur and Karachi are available daily. The station is in the center of the city. Other suburban train stations are Ugoki and Sambrial.

Sialkot is about two hours from Lahore and four hours from Islamabad. It is linked with the National Highway N-5 through Gujranwala and Wazirabad. A dual carriage-way is available between Sialkot and Wazirabad. A new bridge on the Chenab river, the Shahbazpur bridge, is under construction in the north-east of Gujrat. Once completed, it will connect Sialkot to N-5 at Gujrat. The Sialkot Lahore Motorway (M-11) is also under construction. All the bus and commuter coach stations are on the Jail Road. A bus service operated by Daewoo Express is available from Sialkot to Larkana, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Gujranwala and Multan.

Recently,^[when?] public transport was launched in Sialkot on one route which circles the city. The Sialkot Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI) has signed an MOU with American bus company FOTON^[8] to provide air-conditioned local transport to Sialkot with CNG fuel. However, the main mode of transport in the city is the auto-rickshaw. Although no proper taxi service exists in the city, there are many rent-a-car outlets which provides vehicles with drivers.

Educational Institutions[link]

Sialkot has a fairly well-developed educational infrastructure that comprises a University of Engineering Sciences and Technology (planned in cooperation with Sweden) a sub-campus of the Fatima Jinnah Women University, a sub-campus of the Virtual University of Pakistan, 8 Degree Colleges for Women, 5 Degree Colleges for Men, 2 Cadet Colleges, 6 Commerece Colleges, one Law College, one Medical College, one Homeopathic Medical College, one Nursing School, one Para-Medical School, one Poly-Technic Institute, with numerous Inter Colleges, Higher Secondary Schools and over 250 High Schools.

Blue Coat School System, near Chenab Ranger Headquarters, is a leading school with a mission to provide modern education using latest methodology. The Convent of Jesus and Mary, Sialkot was established in 1856. It was the first Catholic mission school in Punjab and the second of its kind in British India. Other eminent private-sector schools include the American School, the City School and the Beaconhouse School.

The Murray College, Sialkot was established in 1889 as the Scotch Mission College by the Scottish missionaries belonging to the Church of Scotland Mission. It is one of he oldest educational institutions in Pakistan offering education up to the post-graduate level. The Jinnah Islamia College, Sialkot is the second oldest college in Sialkot, established in 1951, half a century after Murray College as the only other college of higher education in the city.

The Vision Group of Colleges, the first private college of Sialkot established in 2012. With separate Campus for Boys & Girls. This is the Biggest Private College Campus in Sialkot Located on Saidpur Gondal road.

The ILM Colleges Sialkot launch in 2011 in this city it was largest campus till 2012. It is the branch of ILM Colleges Network (ILM Trust). 2012 ILM College Sialkot bring University of Management and Technology (UMT) in Sialkot. First time in Sialkot a proper university established in 2012. www.umt.edu.pk

The Jinnah Islamia College, Sialkot is the second oldest college in Sialkot, established in 1951, half a century after Murray College as the only other college of higher education in the city.

The Sialkot Medical College was established in 2002 with a sanction of Rs.750 million. 30 seats were allocated for the year 2003 at the Services Institute of Medical Sciences, Lahore to be shifted to the Sialkot Medical College in 2004. However, because of local politics, the project was shelved. In April 2007, the President of Pakistan again announced an immediate construction of the Medical College building in Sialkot. Temporary project office has been established at the Allama Iqbal Memorial Hospital, Sialkot which will also be the attached teaching hospital. Islam Medical Collage is a private sector medical collage, having a modern campus on Pasrur Road.

The Fatima Jinnah Women University Sialkot Campus is a sub-campus of the Fatima Jinnah Women University and is being established in Sialkot starting from 2008. The sub-campus of the FJWU in Sialkot will be established on a 200-acre (0.81 km²) land with a cost of Rs 300 million.

The University of Engineering Sciences and Technology (UEST), Sialkot is being established in collaboration with the Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden on the (under-construction) Sialkot Lahore Motorway. It will also have an attached Technology Park. The Government of Pakistan, through the Higher Education Commission (HEC), is financing and building the campus while the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) Sweden will be responsible for the provision of technical support which includes course contents specification, university management, human resource development and education quality control.

Sports[link]

The Sialkot Cricket Team are known as the Sialkot Stallions. They are National Champions and have won The Quaid-i-Azam Trophy during the 2008-2009 season and were also national champions in 2005-2006 when thy won The Quaid-i-Azam Trophy Golden League. Sialkot were runners-up in 2006-2007 and also won The ABN-AMRO Twenty-20 Cup in 2005-2006 and 2006–2007 and RBS Twenty-20 Cup 2007-2008 and then 2008-2009 to complete a title hat-trick. The team's home ground is Jinnah Stadium.

Sialkot annually hosts the Allama Iqbal Open Golf Championship at the Sialkot Golf Club. The Sialkot Hockey Stadium is located at Pasrur Road adjacent to the Gulshan-i-Iqbal Park Sialkot. The Sialkot Sports Complex is under construction at Daska Road with Tartan track facility for track running events. Sialkot Junior Hockey Team play in National Junior Hockey League. The Crescent Hockey Club has played in the Surjit Silver Jubilee hockey tournament at Jalandhar in 2008.^{[9][10][unreliable source?]} CASTECH (COLLEGE OF ARTS SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY) institute for entry tests exams and professional short courses.

International links[link]

Twin towns/Sister cities[link]

Sialkot is twinned with:

• Kayseri, Turkey^[11]

Media[link]

This article is in a list format that may be better presented using prose. You can help by converting this article to prose, if appropriate. Editing help is available. (January 2011)

Radio

• FM 104 {Buraq FM}
• FM 101 {Radio Pakistan}
• 94.00 {Dhamal FM} new

Television

• ATV
• STV (sialkot)

Newspapers

• Daily Taqat
• Daily Saif-ul-Akbhar
• Roznama Sialkot
• Akhbar-a-Sialkot
• Nawa-a-Shamal

Magazine

• Sialkot Express

Personalities[link]

Bilal Jalil Senior Software Engineer and also Senior Vice President of Pakistan Tehrik e Insaaf Youth Wing Sialkot.

Shan e Haider Zaidi President of Pakistan Tehrik e Insaaf Youth Wing District Sialkot.

Photos[link]

See also[link]

	Geography portal
	Asia portal
	South Asia portal
	Pakistan portal
	Punjab, Pakistan portal
	Sialkot portal

• Begowala
• Butter village
• Dalowali
• List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by area
• Manpur, Pakistan
• Perochak
• Muneeb and Mughees Butt
• University of Engineering Science and Technology, Sialkot

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sialkot

Find more about Sialkot on Wikipedia's sister projects:
	Definitions and translations from Wiktionary
	Images and media from Commons
	Learning resources from Wikiversity
	News stories from Wikinews
	Quotations from Wikiquote
	Source texts from Wikisource
	Textbooks from Wikibooks

• Sialkot District Government Website

v t e Pakistan topics Basic topics · Alphabetical index of topics   History Ancient Stone age • Soanian • Mehrgarh • Indus Valley • Indo-Aryan • Achaemenid • Greco-Bactrian • Maurya • Gandhara • Indo-Greek • Indo-Scythian • Indo-Parthian • Kushan • Indo-Sassanid Medieval Indo-Hephthalite • Kamboja • Rai Dynasty • Shahi • Pala • Solanki • Muhammad bin Qasim • Ghaznavid • Ghurid • Mamluk • Khilji • Tughlaq • Sayyid • Lodi • Timurid Modern Pre-colonial Mughal • Afsharid • East India Company • Durrani • Sikh Confederacy • Sikh Empire • First Anglo-Afghan War • First Anglo-Sikh War • Second Anglo-Sikh War • Rebellion Colonial British Raj • Second Anglo-Afghan War • Durand Line • Third Anglo-Afghan War • Aligarh Movement • Hindi–Urdu controversy • Pakistan Movement (Muslim League • Two-Nation Theory • Jinnah's 14 Points • Lahore Resolution) • Partition • Independence • Dominion status Republic 1947 War • Baghdad Pact • Indus Treaty • 1965 War • 1971 War • Project-706 • Islamization • Baloch insurgency • Kargil War • 1999 coup d'état • War in north-west   Geography Locality Time • Borders • Subdivisions (Provinces • Districts • Cities) • Demographics • Climate • Weather records • Natural history • Archaeological sites • Natural disasters (Earthquakes • Floods) Geology Tectonics • Mountains • Volcanoes • Glaciers • Passes • Valleys • Deserts • Islands • Beaches • Wetlands • Rivers • Bridges • Lakes • Indus plain • Pothohar plateau • Sistan basin • Salt range • Gwadar bay • Arabian sea • Minerals • Coal fields • Oil fields • Gas fields Environment Ecoregions • Forests • Wildlife (Flora • Fauna) • Environmental issues • Protected areas (National parks • Game reserves • Sanctuaries) • Heritage sites • Botanical gardens • Zoos   Economy Infrastructure Planning Commission • Low cost housing • Employment • Poverty • Foreign aid • Water management • Water supply and sanitation • Fuel extraction • Electricity (Nuclear • Solar • Wind) • Transportation • Healthcare (Hospitals) • Education (Institutions) • Posting • Telecommunications • Satellite • Tallest buildings Industry Agriculture • Arms • Automobile • Fishery • Forestry • Horticulture • Husbandry • Labour force (Child labour) • Media • Mining • Pharmaceuticals • Silk • Textiles • Tourism Commerce Currency • Trading corporation • Stock markets • Securities and Exchange Commission • Trade unions • Banking (Banks) • Investment board • Companies   Government Government Executive President • Security Council • Federal (Prime Minister • Ministries/Cabinet) • Provincial (Government • Governors • Chief Ministers) • Local (Local Government • Union Councils) Legislative Federal (Parliament: Senate/Chairman • National Assembly/Speaker) • Provincial (Provincial Assemblies) Judicial Federal (Supreme Council • Chief Justice • Supreme Court • Shariat Court) • Provincial (High Court) • Local (District Courts) Law and crime Constitution • Provisional Constitutional Order • Law enforcement (Police • CID • ANF) • Capital punishment • Terrorism (State terrorism) Military History • Branches (Army • Air • Navy • Marines • Coast • Paramilitary • Nuclear) Related topics Politics (Elections • Political parties) • Intelligence agencies • Foreign relations • Jirga • Feudalism • Human rights (LGBT rights) • State of emergency, 2007   Culture Arts Architecture • Cinema (Films) • Dance • Folklore • Literature (Mushaira) • Music • Philosophy • Textiles • Theatre Community Diaspora/Immigration • Ethnicity • Feudalism • Gender disparity • Human rights (LGBT) • Marriage • Naming • List of Pakistanis • Religion • Social clubs • Women Lifestyle Clothing (Shalwar-Kameez) • Cosmetics (Mehndi) • Cuisine • Etiquette • Gun culture • Languages (Urdu) • Nationalism (Flags • Holidays • Symbols • Songs) • Prostitution Sports Athletics • Baseball • Boxing • Cricket • Cycling • Field hockey • Football • Gilli-danda • Golf • Kabaddi • Motorsport • Marathon • Olympics/Paralympics • Polo • Rugby • Squash • Tennis • Swimming Places Botanical gardens • Cemeteries • Churches • Forts • Gurdwaras • Heritage sites • Hindu temples • Libraries • Mausolea/Shrines • Mosques • Museums • Parks • Stadiums • Zoos Category · Portal  · Commons

Imran Khan Niazi عمران خان نیازی
Personal details
Born	(1952-11-25) 25 November 1952 (age 59) Lahore, West Punjab, Dominion of Pakistan
Political party	Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
Spouse(s)	Jemima Khan (1995–2004)
Children	Sulaiman Qasim Khan
Residence	Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Alma mater	Keble College, Oxford
Occupation	Politician Philanthropist Cricketer
Religion	Islam
Website	PTI

Imran Khan Niazi (Urdu: عمران خان نیازی; born 25 November 1952) is a Pakistani politician and former cricketer, playing international cricket for two decades in the late twentieth century. After retiring, he entered politics. Currently, besides his political activism, Khan is also a philanthropist, cricket commentator, Chancellor of the University of Bradford and Founder and Chairman Board of Governors of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre.

Arguably Pakistan's most successful cricket captain, Khan played for the Pakistani cricket team from 1971 to 1992 and served as its captain intermittently throughout 1982–1992.^[1] After retiring from cricket at the end of the 1987 World Cup, he was called back to join the team in 1988. At 39, Khan led his teammates to Pakistan's first and only World Cup victory in 1992. He has a record of 3807 runs and 362 wickets in Test cricket, making him one of eight world cricketers to have achieved an 'All-rounder's Triple' in Test matches.^[2] On 14 July 2010, Khan was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.^[3]

In April 1996, Khan founded and became the chairman of a political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (Movement for Justice).^[4] He represented Mianwali as a member of the National Assembly from November 2002 to October 2007.^[5] Foreign Policy magazine has described him as "Pakistan's Ron Paul".^[6]

Through worldwide fundraising, he has also helped establish the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre in 1996 and Mianwali's Namal College in 2008.

Family, education, and personal life[link]

Imran Khan was born in Lahore, the only son of Ikramullah Khan Niazi, a civil engineer, and his wife Shaukat Khanum.^[7] Although long settled in Mianwali in Punjab, the family were of Pashtun ethnicity and belonged to the Niazi Shermankhel tribe.^[8] A quiet and shy boy in his youth, Khan grew up with his four sisters in relatively affluent (upper middle-class) circumstances^[9] and received a privileged education. He was educated the Cathedral School in Lahore, the Royal Grammar School Worcester in England, where he excelled at cricket, and at Aitchison College, Lahore. In 1972, he enrolled to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Keble College, Oxford, where he graduated with a second-class degree in Politics and a third in Economics.^[10] Khan's mother hailed from the Burki family which had produced several successful hockey players,^[7] as also cricketers such as Javed Burki and Majid Khan.^[8] Early in life, Khan developed an interest in cricket, which is an extremely popular sport in Pakistan.

Marriage to Jemima Marcelle Goldsmith[link]

On 16 May 1995, Khan married Jemima Goldsmith, in an Islamic ceremony in Paris. A month later, on 21 June, they were married again in a civil ceremony at the Richmond register office in England, followed by a reception at the Goldsmiths' house in Surrey.^[11] . The marriage, described as "tough" by Khan,^[8] produced two sons, Sulaiman Isa (born 18 November 1996) and Kasim (born 10 April 1999).^[12] As an agreement of his marriage, Khan spent four months a year in England. On 22 June 2004, it was announced that the Khans had divorced because it was "difficult for Jemima to adapt to life in Pakistan".^[13] The marriage ended amicably. Imran has regular access to his children and his relationship with his ex-wife is friendly. Khan now resides in Bani Gala, Islamabad, where he built a farmhouse with the money he gained from selling his London flat. He grows fruit trees, wheat, and keeps cows, while also maintaining a cricket ground for his two sons, who visit during their holidays.^[8]

Cricket career[link]

Pride of Performance Award Recipient
Imran Khan was recipient of the Pride of Performance Award 1983
Presented by	Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Date	1983
Country	Islamic Republic of Pakistan

Khan made a lacklustre first-class cricket debut at the age of sixteen in Lahore. By the start of the 1970s, he was playing for his home teams of Lahore A (1969–70), Lahore B (1969–70), Lahore Greens (1970–71) and, eventually, Lahore (1970–71).^[14] Khan was part of Oxford University's Blues Cricket team during the 1973–75 seasons.^[10] At Worcestershire, where he played county cricket from 1971 to 1976, he was regarded as only an average medium pace bowler. During this decade, other teams represented by Khan include Dawood Industries (1975–76) and Pakistan International Airlines (1975–76 to 1980–81). From 1983 to 1988, he played for Sussex.^[2]

In 1971, Khan made his Test cricket debut against England at Birmingham. Three years later, he debuted in the One Day International (ODI) match, once again playing against England at Nottingham for the Prudential Trophy. After graduating from Oxford and finishing his tenure at Worcestershire, he returned to Pakistan in 1976 and secured a permanent place on his native national team starting from the 1976–77 season, during which they faced New Zealand and Australia.^[14] Following the Australian series, he toured the West Indies, where he met Tony Greig, who signed him up for Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket.^[2] His credentials as one of the fastest bowlers of the world started to establish when he finished third at 139.7 km/h in a fast bowling contest at Perth in 1978, behind Jeff Thomson and Michael Holding, but ahead of Dennis Lillee, Garth Le Roux and Andy Roberts.^[2]

As a fast bowler, Khan reached the peak of his powers in 1982. In 9 Tests, he got 62 wickets at 13.29 each, the lowest average of any bowler in Test history with at least 50 wickets in a calendar year.^[15] In January 1983, playing against India, he attained a Test bowling rating of 922 points. Although calculated retrospectively (ICC player ratings did not exist at the time), Khan's form and performance during this period ranks third in the ICC's All-Time Test Bowling Rankings.^[16]

Khan achieved the all-rounder's triple (securing 3000 runs and 300 wickets) in 75 Tests, the second fastest record behind Ian Botham's 72. He is also established as having the second highest all-time batting average of 61.86 for a Test batsman playing at position 6 of the batting order.^[17] He played his last Test match for Pakistan in January 1992, against Sri Lanka at Faisalabad. Khan retired permanently from cricket six months after his last ODI, the historic 1992 World Cup final against England at Melbourne, Australia.^[18] He ended his career with 88 Test matches, 126 innings and scored 3807 runs at an average of 37.69, including six centuries and 18 fifties. His highest score was 136 runs. As a bowler, he took 362 wickets in Test cricket, which made him the first Pakistani and world's fourth bowler to do so.^[2] In ODIs, he played 175 matches and scored 3709 runs at an average of 33.41. His highest score remains 102 not out. His best ODI bowling is documented at 6 wickets for 14 runs.

Captaincy[link]

At the height of his career, in 1982, the thirty-year-old Khan took over the captaincy of the Pakistan cricket team from Javed Miandad. Recalling his initial discomfort with this new role, he later said, "When I became the cricket captain, I couldn’t speak to the team directly I was so shy. I had to tell the manager, I said listen can you talk to them, this is what I want to convey to the team. I mean early team meetings I use to be so shy and embarrassed I couldn’t talk to the team."^[19] As a captain, Khan played 48 Test matches, out of which 14 were won by Pakistan, 8 lost and the rest of 26 were drawn. He also played 139 ODIs, winning 77, losing 57 and ending one in a tie.^[2]

In the team's second match under his leadership, Khan led them to their first Test win on English soil for 28 years at Lord's.^[20] Khan's first year as captain was the peak of his legacy as a fast bowler as well as an all-rounder. He recorded the best Test bowling of his career while taking 8 wickets for 58 runs against Sri Lanka at Lahore in 1981–82.^[2] He also topped both the bowling and batting averages against England in three Test series in 1982, taking 21 wickets and averaging 56 with the bat. Later the same year, he put up a highly acknowledged performance in a home series against the formidable Indian team by taking 40 wickets in six Tests at an average of 13.95. By the end of this series in 1982–83, Khan had taken 88 wickets in 13 Test matches over a period of one year as captain.^[14]

Imran Khan's test career bowling statistics

This same Test series against India, however, also resulted in a stress fracture in his shin that kept him out of cricket for more than two years. An experimental treatment funded by the Pakistani government helped him recover by the end of 1984 and he made a successful comeback to international cricket in the latter part of the 1984–85 season.^[2]

In 1987, Khan led Pakistan to its first ever Test series win in India, which was followed by Pakistan's first series victory in England the same year.^[20] During the 1980s, his team also recorded three creditable draws against the West Indies. India and Pakistan co-hosted the 1987 World Cup, but neither ventured beyond the semi-finals. Khan retired from international cricket at the end of the World Cup. In 1988, he was asked to return to the captaincy by the President Of Pakistan, General Zia-Ul-Haq, and on 18 January, he announced his decision to rejoin the team.^[2] Soon after returning to the captaincy, Khan led Pakistan to another winning tour in the West Indies, which he has recounted as "the last time I really bowled well".^[8] He was declared Man of the Series against West Indies in 1988 when he took 23 wickets in 3 tests.^[2]

Khan's career-high as a captain and cricketer came when he led Pakistan to victory in the 1992 Cricket World Cup. Playing with a brittle batting line-up, Khan promoted himself as a batsman to play in the top order along with Javed Miandad, but his contribution as a bowler was minimal. At the age of 39, Khan scored the highest runs of all the Pakistani batsmen and took the winning last wicket himself.^[14]

Post-retirement[link]

In 1994, Khan had admitted that, during Test matches, he "occasionally scratched the side of the ball and lifted the seam." He had also added, "Only once did I use an object. When Sussex were playing Hampshire in 1981 the ball was not deviating at all. I got the 12th man to bring out a bottle top and it started to move around a lot."^[21] In 1996, Khan successfully defended himself in a libel action brought forth by former English captain and all-rounder Ian Botham and batsman Allan Lamb over comments they alleged were made by Khan in two articles about the above-mentioned ball-tampering and another article published in an Indian magazine, India Today. They claimed that, in the latter publication, Khan had called the two cricketers "racist, ill-educated and lacking in class." Khan protested that he had been misquoted, saying that he was defending himself after having admitted that he tampered with a ball in a county match 18 years ago.^[22] Khan won the libel case, which the judge labelled a "complete exercise in futility", with a 10–2 majority decision by the jury.^[22]

Since retiring, Khan has written opinion pieces on cricket for various British and Asian newspapers, especially regarding the Pakistani national team. His contributions have been published in India's Outlook magazine,^[23] the Guardian,^[24] the Independent, and the Telegraph. Khan also sometimes appears as a cricket commentator on Asian and British sports networks, including BBC Urdu^[25] and the Star TV network.^[26] In 2004, when the Indian cricket team toured Pakistan after 14 years, he was a commentator on TEN Sports' special live show, Straight Drive,^[27] while he was also a columnist for sify.com for the 2005 India-Pakistan Test series.^[28] He has provided analysis for every cricket World Cup since 1992, which includes providing match summaries for BBC during the 1999 World Cup.^[28]

In November 2009 Khan underwent emergency surgery at Lahore's Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital to remove an obstruction in his small intestine.^[29]

Social work[link]

For more than four years after retiring from cricket in 1992, Khan focused his efforts solely on social work. By 1991, he had founded the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust, a charity organisation bearing the name of his mother, Mrs. Shaukat Khanum. As the Trust's maiden endeavour, Khan established Pakistan's first and only cancer hospital, constructed using donations and funds exceeding $25 million, raised by Khan from all over the world.^[4] Inspired by the memory of his mother, who died of cancer, the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre, a charitable cancer hospital with 75 percent free care, opened in Lahore on 29 December 1994.^[8] Khan currently serves as the chairman of the hospital and continues to raise funds through charity and public donations.^[30]

During the 1990s, Khan also served as UNICEF's Special Representative for Sports^[31] and promoted health and immunisation programmes in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand.^[32]

On 27 April 2008, Khan's brainchild, a technical college in the Mianwali District called Namal College, was inaugurated. Namal College was built by the Mianwali Development Trust (MDT), as chaired by Khan, and was made an associate college of the University of Bradford (of which Khan is Chancellor) in December 2005.^[33] Currently, Khan is building another cancer hospital in Karachi, using his successful Lahore institution as a model. While in London, he also works with the Lord’s Taverners, a cricket charity.^[4]

Political work[link]

Imran Khan, Chairman, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in World Economic Forum

In 1996, Khan founded a political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which emphasized on anti-corruption policies.^[8][34] The newly formed party was unable to win a seat during the 1997 Pakistani general election.^[35] Khan supported General Pervez Musharraf's military coup in 1999,^[36] believing Musharraf would "end corruption, clear out the political mafias".^[37] According to Khan, he was Musharraf's choice of prime minister in 2002 but turned down the offer.^[38] The 2002 Pakistani general election were held in October across 272 constituencies. Khan anticipated doing well in the elections and was prepared to form a coalition if his party did not get a majority of the vote.^[39] He was elected from the NA-71 constituency of Mianwali and being the only party member to have secured a seat, PTI won only 0.8% of the popular vote. Khan, who was sworn in as an MP on 16 November,^[40] remained part of the Standing Committees on Kashmir and Public Accounts, and expressed legislative interest in Foreign Affairs, Education and Justice.^[41]