Court name	Lahore High Court
Established	1919
Country	Pakistan
Location	Shahra-e-Quaid-e-Azam, Lahore - Pakistan Lahore
Type	Presidential with confirmation of Chief Justice of Pakistan and Governor of Punjab.
Authority	Constitution of Pakistan
Appeals	Supreme Court of Pakistan
Terms	Till 62 years of age
Positions	35
Website	Lahore High Court
Chiefjudgetitle	Chief Justice
Chiefjudgename	Hon'ble Chief Justice Mr. Justice Sh. Azmat Saeed
Termstart	Dec. 01, 2004
Termend	Aug. 27, 2016 }}

The Lahore High Court is based in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It was established as a high court on March 21, 1919. The Lahore High Court has jurisdiction over Punjab. The High Court's principal seat is in Lahore, but there are benches in three other Pakistani cities: Rawalpindi, Multan and Bahawalpur.

History[link]

Creation[link]

Although there were predecessors to the Lahore High Court as early as 1850, the Court was not formally established until letters patent were issued in 1919 by King-Emperor George V. The letters patent also appointed a Chief Justice and six puisne justices, and declared the Court's jurisdiction over the Punjab and Delhi provinces.

The Government of India Act 1935 made significant changes to the Court. These included allowing the King-Emperor to set the number of judges, and capping the age for a judge at sixty. The Government of India (High Court Judges) Order 1937 set the maximum number of judges for the Lahore High Court at fifteen, as well as establishing the system for their salaries.

Partition of India[link]

On August 15, 1947, the Partition of India into the two new independent countries of India and Pakistan also split the territory within the jurisdiction of the Lahore High Court. The High Court (Punjab) Order of 1947 created a new High Court for East Punjab (in India), leaving the court at Lahore responsible for the part of its original jurisdiction that now formed part of Pakistan. The Order left the powers afforded to the Court unchanged, but gave transferred the power of judicial appointment to the Governor-General of Pakistan instead of the Crown as beforehand. On September 28, 1948, the Governor General Khawaja Nazimuddin set the number of permanent judges at six, with one additional judge.

Establishment of West Pakistan[link]

On September 30, 1955, the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan established the province of West Pakistan, and gave the Governor-General the power to establish a High Court for West Pakistan to replace the Lahore High Court; the West Pakistan High Court was accordingly established in 1956. Judges from the Chief Court of Sind and the Judicial Commissioners Court at Peshawar became judges at the West Pakistan High Court.

1981[link]

On January 1, 1981, it was ordered that the Lahore High Court would create benches at Bahawalpur, Multan and Rawalpindi. The order also specified that the Lahore High Court judges could hold circuit courts anywhere in the province, with judges nominated by the Lahore High Court Chief Justice. The Provisional Constitutional Order of 1981 also afforded the Lahore High Court these three benches. The judges were required to take oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order. Four judges refused to do so and were relieved of office. Four other judges were not administered the oath, and were also relieved of office.

See also[link]

High Courts of Pakistan

List of the Chief Justices of Lahore High Court

Constitution of Pakistan

Islamabad High Court

Balochistan High Court

Peshawar High Court

Sindh High Court

Court system of Pakistan

Punjab Bar Council

Chairman Executive, Punjab Bar Council

Vice Chairman, Punjab Bar Council

References[link]

External links[link]

Lahore High Court

History of the Lahore High Court

Category:Court system of Punjab, Pakistan Category:High Courts of Pakistan * *

Name	Lahore
Native name
Nickname	Paris of the East, The Heart of Pakistan, The Pearl of the Punjab, The Garden of the Mughals, The Cultural Capital of Pakistan, Data Ki Nagri, City of Gardens, City of Festivals
Settlement type	City District
Map caption	Location of Lahore (in red) in Punjab, Pakistan and (inset) Punjab in Pakistan
Blank emblem type	Emblem
Pushpin map	Pakistan
Pushpin mapsize	250
Pushpin map caption	Location in Pakistan
Pushpin mapsize	250
Coordinates display	inline, title
Coordinates region	PK
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name	Pakistan
Subdivision type1	[[Subdivisions of Pakistan| ]]
Subdivision name1	Punjab
Seat type	City Council
Seat	Lahore
Parts type	Towns
Parts style	para
Parts	9
Government type	City District
Leader title	Divisional Commissioner
Leader name	Jawad Rafiq (CSP/D.M.G)
Leader title1	City Nazim malik adeel khan|leader_party
Leader title2	Naib Nazim
Leader title3	District Coordination Officer
Leader name3	Ahad Khan Cheema (CSP/D.M.G)
Established title	City District Government
Established date	11 September 2008
Area magnitude	1 E+6
Area footnotes
Area total km2	1772
Area total sq mi	684
Elevation m	217
Population as of	2011
Population note	Combined population of Lahore City and Lahore Cantonment
Population total	11,000,000
Postal code	54000
Postal code type	Postal code
Area code type	Dialling code
Area code	042
Website
Footnotes	Lahore Cantonment is a legally separate military-administered settlement. }}

Lahore (}}, }}) is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich history dating back over a millennium, Lahore is a main cultural centre of Pakistan. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains an economic, political, transportation, entertainment, and educational hub.

Lahore successively served as regional capital of the empires of the Shahi kingdoms in the 11th century, the Ghaznavids in the 12th century, the Ghurid State in the 12th and 13th centuries the Mughal Empire in the 16th century, the Sikh expansion in the early 19th century, and it was the capital of the Punjab region under the British Raj in the mid 19th and early 20th century. The traditional capital of Punjab for a thousand years, Lahore was the cultural center of the northern Indian subcontinent which extends from the eastern banks of the Indus River to New Delhi. Mughal structures such as the Badshahi Mosque, the Lahore Fort, Shalimar Gardens, and the mausolea of Jehangir and Nur Jehan are tourist attractions. Lahore is also home to many British colonial structures built in the Indo-Saracenic style, such as the Lahore High Court, the General Post Office, Lahore Museum and many older universities including the University of the Punjab. The Lahore Zoo, thought to be the fourth oldest in the world, is also situated here.

Lahore is referred to as the cultural heart of Punjab as it hosts most of the arts, cuisine, festivals, film-making, music, gardening and intelligentsia of the country. Known for its affiliation with poets and artists, it has the largest number of educational institutions in Punjab and some of the finest gardens on the continent. Lahore has always been a center for publications, where 80 percent of Punjab's books are published and remains the foremost center of literary, educational and cultural activity in Punjab. It is also an important religious center as it is home to hundreds of temples, mosques, and shrines like Data Durbar Complex.

According to the 1998 census, Lahore's population was 6,310,000. A 2010 government estimate now puts the population at 10,000,000. It is ranked 30 in the most populated urban areas in the world and the 8th largest city within the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. In 2010, Lahore was ranked as a Gamma world city. ''The Guardian'' has rated Lahore as the 2nd best tourist destination in Pakistan. It is 32 kilometres (20 mi) west of Amritsar, India and therefore, very close to Pakistan's eastern border with India.

History[link]

Origins[link]

A legend based on oral traditions holds that Lahore, known in ancient times as ''Lavapuri'' ("City of Lava" in Sanskrit), was founded by Prince Lava or Loh, the son of Rama, the Hindu deity, while Kasur was founded by his twin brother Prince Kusha. To this day, Lahore Fort has a vacant temple dedicated to Lava (also pronounced Loh, hence ''Loh-awar'' or "The Fort of Loh").

Ptolemy, the celebrated 2nd-century Egyptian astronomer and geographer, mentions in his ''Geographia'' a city called ''Labokla'' situated on the route between the Indus River and Palibothra, or Pataliputra (Patna) mostly, in a tract of country called Kasperia (Kashmir). It was described as extending along the rivers Bidastes or ''Vitasta'' (Jhelum), Sandabal or ''Chandra Bhaga'' (Chenab), and Adris or ''Iravati'' (Ravi). This city may have been ancient Lahore.

The oldest authentic surviving document about Lahore was written anonymously in 982. It is called ''Hudud-i-Alam'' (The Regions of the World). In 1927 it was translated into English by Vladimir Fedorovich Minorsky and published in Lahore. In this document, Lahore is mentioned as a ''shehr'' or town inhabited by infidels "impressive temples, large markets and huge orchards." It refers to "two major markets around which dwellings exist", and it also mentions "the mud walls that enclose these two dwellings to make it one." The original document is currently held in the British Museum. Lahore was called by different names throughout history. To date there is no conclusive evidence as to when it was founded. Some historians trace the history of the city as far back as 4000 years ago. However, historically, it has been proved that Lahore is at least 2,000 years old. Hieun-tsang, the famous Chinese pilgrim has given a vivid description of Lahore which he visited in the early parts of the 7th century AD. Lying on the main trade and invasion routes to South Asia, Lahore has been ruled and plundered by a number of dynasties and hordes.

Ghaznavid Empire to Delhi Sultanate[link]

Lahore appears as the capital of the Punjab for the first time under Anandapala – the Hindu Shahi king who is referred to as the ruler of (''hakim i lahur'') –after leaving the earlier capital of Waihind. Few references to Lahore remain from before its capture by Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni in the eleventh century. The sultan took Lahore after a long siege and battle in which the city was torched and depopulated. In 1021, Sultan Mahmud appointed Malik Ayaz to the throne and made Lahore the capital of the Ghaznavid Empire of India. As the first Muslim governor of Lahore, Ayaz rebuilt and repopulated the city. He added many important features, such as city gates and a masonry fort, built in 1037–1040 on the ruins of the previous one, which had been demolished in the fighting (as recorded by Munshi Sujan Rae Bhandari, author of the ''Khulasatut Tawarikh'' in 1695–96). The present Lahore Fort stands on the same location. Under Ayaz's rule, the city became a cultural and academic center, renowned for poetry. The tomb of Malik Ayaz can still be seen in the Rang Mahal commercial area of town.

After the fall of the Ghaznavid Empire, Lahore was ruled by various Turkic dynasties based in Delhi, known as the Delhi Sultanate, including the Khiljis, Tughlaqs, Mamluk, Sayyid and Lodhis. During the reign of Qutb-ud-din Aibak, Lahore was known as the 'Ghazni of India'. Scholars and poets from as far away as Kashghar, Bukhara, Samarkand, Iraq, Khorasan and Herat, gathered in Lahore and made it a city of learning. Under Aibak, Lahore had more poets of Persia than any other Islamic city.

In the 13th Century, the Loharana king, Chahir Ray, was betrayed by his confidant Kualnger, who turned traitor for a large fortune in gold and gems. Due to this, the Lohana community split, and a new leader emerged who again unified the Lohanas. Rana Jashraj, who is revered as Veer Dada Jashraj, was born in the city of Lohar (today's Lahore in Pakistan), which was the capital of Lohargadh. His domain extended from Lahore to Multan (also in Pakistan today). As the folklore goes, Mongol invader Changez Khan, attacked Multan and was killed by Dada Jashraj, Rana of Lohargadh.

This finds mention in Mongol folklore, which say, "King of Mongols was killed by Mirana, the tiger of Multan fort". His descendants who proudly carry the surname of 'Mirana' preserve the memory of this great warrior king. Dada Jashraj was also treacherously killed when only 28 - a life so short but full of heroic deeds.

After the death of Dada Jashraj, the decline of Lohana kingdom began and their reign at Lohargadh ended. King Dahir ruled for a while from Narayankot (today's Hyderabad, Sindh).

After his demise in a war against Muslims, Narayankot and Sindh fell to Muslims. It was around this time that some Lohanas converted to Islam. Many migrated to far-off southern regions like Kutchchh, Saurashtra and Gujarat and gradually became a trader community like Agarwals and Baranwals.

Mughal era[link]

In the early 16th century, Babur, a Timurid descendant of Timur and Genghis Khan from Fergana Valley (modern day Uzbekistan), swept across the Khyber Pass and founded the Mughal Empire, covering modern day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. The Mughals were descended from Central Asian Turks (with a significant Mongol admixture). Lahore reached the zenith of its glory during the Mughal rule from 1524 to 1752. Lahore reached the peak of its architectural glory during the rule of the Mughals, many of whose buildings and gardens have survived the ravages of time. During this time, the massive Lahore Fort was built. A few buildings within the fort were added by Akbar's son, the Mughal emperor Jahangir, who is buried in the city. Jahangir's son, Shahjahan Burki, was born in Lahore. He, like his father, extended the Lahore Fort and built many other structures in the city, including the Shalimar Gardens. The last of the great Mughals, Aurangzeb, who ruled from 1658 to 1707, built the city's most famous monuments, the Badshahi Masjid and the Alamgiri Gate next to the Lahore Fort.

Post-Mughal era[link]

During the 18th century, as Mughal power dwindled, Punjab, including Lahore, was often invaded, and government authority was lacking. In 1739, Nader Shah, the Turkic emperor of Afsharid dynasty in Persia, invaded north western India, defeated the Mughal Emperor Mohammed Shah at the huge Battle of Karnal, and occupied most of Balochistan and the Indus plain including Lahore. In 1747, the Durrani Empire was established by Ahmad Shah Abdali in Afghanistan, during this period, Punjab saw frequent invasions by Ahmad Shah Abdali, The great Punjabi poet Baba Waris Shah said of the situation, ''"khada peeta wahy da, baqi Ahmad Shahy da"''("we have nothing with us except what we eat and wear, all other things are for Ahmad Shah").

In 1758, the Maratha Empire's general Raghunathrao conquered Lahore, Attock and Peshawar, and drove out Timur Shah Durrani, the son and viceroy of Ahmad Shah Abdali. Lahore, Multan, Peshawar, Kashmir and other subahs on the south and eastern side of Attock were under the Maratha rule for the most part. In Punjab and Kashmir, the Marathas were now major players. In 1761, following the victory at the Third battle of Panipat between the Durrani and the Maratha Empire, Ahmad Shah Abdali captured remnants of the Maratha Empire in Punjab and Kashmir regions and consolidated control over them.

Sikh reign[link]

During the late 18th century, frequent invasions by the Durrani Empire and the Maratha Empire, led to a lack of governance in the Punjab region. The Sikh Misls began to gain territory and eventually the Bhangi Misl captured Lahore. When Zaman Shah invaded Punjab again in 1799 Ranjit Singh was able to make gains in the chaos. He defeated Zaman in a battle between Lahore and Amritsar. The citizens of Lahore, encouraged by Sada Kaur, offered him the city and he was able to take control of it in a series of battles with the Bhangi Misl and their allies. Lahore served as the capital city of the Sikh Empire. While much of Lahore's Mughal era fabric lay in ruins by the end of eighteenth century, rebuilding efforts under the Sikhs were shaped by and indebted to Mughal practice. Ranjit Singh moved into the Mughal palace in Lahore's citadel. By 1812 he had mostly refurbished the city's defenses by adding a second circuit of outer walls that followed the outline of Akbar's original walls and were separated from them by a moat. The maharaja also partially restored Shah Jahan's decaying gardens at Shalimar, and British maps of the area surrounding Lahore dating from the mid-nineteenth century show that walled private gardens - many of them bearing the names of prominent Sikh nobles - continued in the Mughal pattern under Sikh rule. The Sikh court continued to endow religious architecture in the city, including a number of Sikh gurdwaras, Hindu temples, and mosques. In short, the decaying structures and architecture of Lahore was restored by the emperor. The Empire of the Sikhs was most exceptional in that it allowed men from religions other than their own to rise to commanding positions of authority. Besides the Sikh, Muslim and the Hindu feature as prominent administrators. The Christians formed a part of the militia of the Sikhs.

British Raj[link]

Maharajah Ranjit Singh made Lahore his capital and was able to expand the kingdom to the Khyber Pass and also included Jammu and Kashmir, while keeping the British from expanding across the River Sutlej for more than 40 years. After his death in 1839 the internecine fighting between the Sikhs and several rapid forfeitures of territory by his sons, along with the intrigues of the Dogras and two Anglo-Sikh wars, eventually led to British control of the Lahore Darbar ten years later. For the British, Punjab was a frontier province, because Lahore had boundaries with Afghanistan and Persia. Therefore, the Punjabis, unlike the Bengalis and the Sindhis, were not allowed to use their mother tongue as an official language. The British first introduced Urdu as an official language in Punjab, including Lahore, allegedly due to a fear of Punjabi nationalism. Under British rule (1849–1947), colonial architecture in Lahore combined Mughal, Gothic and Victorian styles. Under British rule, Sir Ganga Ram (referred to as the father of modern Lahore) designed and built the General Post Office, Lahore Museum, Aitchison College, Mayo School of Arts (now the NCA), Ganga Ram Hospital, Lady Mclagan Girls High School, the chemistry department of the Government College University, the Albert Victor wing of Mayo Hospital, Sir Ganga Ram High School (now Lahore College for Women) the Hailey College of Commerce, Ravi Road House for the Disabled, the Ganga Ram Trust Building on Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam, and the Lady Maynard Industrial School. He also constructed Model Town, a suburb that has recently developed into a cultural center for Lahore's growing socioeconomic elite.

The GPO and YMCA buildings in Lahore commemorated the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria, an event marked by the construction of clock towers and monuments all over British India. Other important British buildings included the High Court, the Government College University, the museums, the National College of Arts, Montgomery Hall, Tollinton Market, the University of the Punjab (Old Campus) and the Provincial Assembly. Even today, Mall Road retains a variety of Gothic and Victorian style buildings built during the British Raj. At one end of The Mall stands the university, one of the most prestigious in Pakistan. The British also launched the city's first horse-racing club in 1924, starting a tradition that continues today at the Lahore Race Club.

Partition of British India[link]

Lahore played a special role in the independence movements of India. The 1929 Indian National Congress session was held at Lahore. In this Congress, the Declaration of the Independence of India was moved by Pandit Nehru and passed unanimously at midnight on 31 December 1929. On this occasion, the ''Swaraj flag'' (with a charkha at its centre) was adopted by the Congress.

Lahore's prison was used by the British to detain revolutionary freedom fighters. Noted freedom fighter Jatin Das died in Lahore's prison after fasting for 63 days in protest of British treatment of political prisoners. One of the greatest martyrs in the history of Indian independence, Shaheed Sardar Bhagat Singh, was hanged here.

The most important session of the All India Muslim League (later the Pakistan Muslim League), demanding the creation of Pakistan, was held in Lahore in 1940. Muslims under the leadership of Muhammad Ali Jinnah demanded a separate homeland for Muslims of India in a document known as the ''Pakistan Resolution'' or the ''Lahore Resolution''. It was during this session that Jinnah, the leader of the league, publicly proposed the Two-Nation Theory for the first time.

Post-independence[link]

Upon the creation of Pakistan, Lahore was made capital of the Punjab province in the new state of Pakistan. Almost immediately, large scale riots broke out among Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus, causing many deaths as well as damage to historic monuments—including the Lahore Fort, Badshahi mosque and other colonial buildings. With United Nations assistance, the government was able to rebuild Lahore, and most scars of the communal violence of independence were erased. Less than 20 years later, however, Lahore once again became a battleground in the War of 1965. The battlefield and trenches can still be observed today close to the Wagah border area.

After independence, Lahore lost much of its glory, but in the 1990s, Lahore once again gained its significance as an economic and cultural powerhouse through government reforms. The second Islamic Summit Conference was held in the city. In 1996 the International Cricket Council Cricket World Cup final match was held at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

The Walled City of Lahore known locally as the "Un-droone Shehr" is the oldest and most historic part of Lahore. The Punjab government embarked on a major project in 2009 to restore the Royal Trail (Shahi Guzar Gah) from Akbari Gate to the Lahore Fort with the help of the World Bank under the Sustainable Development of the Walled City of Lahore (SDWCL) project. The project aims at the Walled City development, at exploring and highlighting economic potential of the Walled City as a cultural heritage, exploring and highlighting the benefits of the SWDCL project for the residents, and at soliciting suggestions regarding maintenance of development and conservation of the Walled City. This city is famous of historic places i.e. Badshahi masjid, Minar-e-Pakistan.

Geography and climate[link]

Lying between 31°15′—31°45′ N and 74°01′—74°39′ E, Lahore is bounded on the north and west by the Sheikhupura District, on the east by Wagah, and on the south by Kasur District. The Ravi River flows on the northern side of Lahore. Lahore city covers a total land area of 404 km² and is still growing.

Lahore features a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification ''BSh'')(from another source: Composite monsoon climate) with rainy, long and extremely hot summers, dry and warm winters, a monsoon and dust storms. The weather of Lahore is extreme during the months of May, June and July, when the temperatures soar to . From late June till August, the monsoon seasons starts, with heavy rainfall throughout the province. The city's highest maximum temperature was recorded on May 30, 1944. And was recorded on June 10, 2007. At the time the meteorological office recorded this official temperature in the shade, it reported a heat index in direct sunlight of . The lowest temperature recorded in Lahore is recorded on 13 January 1967. The highest rainfall in the city recorded during 24 hours is , which occurred on 13 August 2008. The city on 26 February 2011, received heavy rain and hailstorm measuring 4.5 millimetres, which carpeted several roads and sidewalks with measurable hail for the first time in the climatic history of Lahore.

Civic administration[link]

Under the latest revision of Pakistan's administrative structure, promulgated in 2001, Lahore was tagged as a City District, and divided into nine towns. Each town in turn consists of a group of union councils (U.C.'s).

Administrative towns[link]

#Ravi Town #Shalimar Town #Wagah Town #Aziz Bhatti Town #New Muslim Town #Data Gunj Bakhsh Town #Gulberg #Samanabad Town #Iqbal Town #Nishtar Town :A. Lahore Cantonment

Localities[link]

Other major residential areas within Lahore include: Garhi Shahu, Abdalian Housing Society, Awan Town, Badami Bagh, Bahria Town, Cavalry Ground, Defence Housing Authority (DHA), Faisal Town, Garden Town, GCP Society, Green Town, Gulberg, Gulshan-e-Lahore, Samanabad, Gulshan-e-Ravi, Hassan Town, Ichhra, Iqbal Town, Sabzazar Sheme, Islampura, Ittefaq Town, Johar Town, Model Town, Muhafiz Town, Mustafa Town, Nespak Society, New Muslim Town, NFC Employees Cooperative Housing Society, Pasco Society, Punjab Cooperative Housing Society, Sant Nagar, Saroba Gardens, Shad Bagh, Sukh Chayn Gardens, Township, Valencia Town, WAPDA Town, OPF Colony and Youhanabad.

Neighbourhoods[link]

Lahore's old city fabric has changed dramatically over time under the occupation of various South Asian empires. Some of the older remaining colonies of Lahore are: Baghbanpura, Batapur, Begum Kot, Model Town, Chah Miran, Chowk Yateem Khana, Samanabad, Gawalmandi, Harbanspura, Jallo Mor, Krishan Nagar, Mozang Chungi, Mughalpura, Qila Gujar Singh, Raiwind, Sanda, Shahdara Bagh, Shadman, Sultanpura and Tajpura.

Economy[link]

As of 2008, the city's gross domestic product (GDP) by purchasing power parity (PPP) was estimated at billion with a projected average growth rate of 5.6 percent. This is at par with Pakistan's economic hub, Karachi, with Lahore (having half the population) fostering an economy that is 51% of the size of Karachi's ( billion in 2008). The contribution of Lahore to the national economy is supposed to be around 13.2%. Lahore's GDP is projected to be billion by the year 2025, with a slightly higher growth rate of 5.6% per annum. Central to Lahore's economy is the Lahore Stock Exchange (LSE), Pakistan's second largest stock exchange. Lahore has offices of several Pakistani government corporations including the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) and Water and Sewage Authority (WASA). Food and restaurant businesses remain open all night. Lahore is the second largest financial hub of Pakistan and has industrial areas including Kot Lakhpat and the new Sundar Industrial Estate (near Raiwand). Lahore's economic base is broad and varied. The city is the engineering hub of Pakistan. Major industries include the manufacture of automobiles and motorcycles, Heavy machinery, railway coaches, home appliances, steel, telecommunications, information technology, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, computers, engineering, and construction material. A major industrial agglomeration with about 9,000 industrial units, Lahore has shifted in recent decades from manufacturing to service industries. Some 42% of its work force is employed in finance, banking, real estate, community, cultural, and social services. The city is Pakistan's largest software producing center, and hosts a growing computer-assembly industry. Lahore's economic strength relies on the fact that it is the biggest city of Pakistan's most populous province. It is also the most advanced in terms of infrastructure, having extensive and relatively well developed road links to all major cities in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a rail link with India and the province's biggest International airport. It also has the most developed communications infrastructure in the Pakistan, which includes a wide network of fiber optic telephone and cable lines, GSM mobile network, IPP and WiMax. It has the most developed education and health sectors as well, making it the economic, political and educational hub of the Pakistan. ‎ As Lahore expands, former residential areas are being turned into commercial centres, and the suburban population is constantly moving outwards. This has resulted in the development of the Liberty Market, MM Alam Road, the new Jail Road (which has some of the largest office buildings in Lahore), and the Main Boulevard .

Lahore is famous as the hub of handmade carpet manufacturing in Pakistan. At present, hand-knitted carpets produced in and around Lahore are among Pakistan's leading export products, and their manufacturing is the second-largest cottage and small industry.

Craftsmen in Lahore produce almost every type of handmade carpet using popular motifs such as medallions, paisleys, traceries, and geometric designs. The Lahore Design Centre at the Punjab Small Industries Corporation maintains a separate section of carpet designing to experiment with new designs. Lahore is famous for single-wefted designs in Turkoman and Caucasian style and double-wefted Mughal types.

Lahore has head offices of many multi national and important national corporations. National corporations like WAPDA, Railway, Pakistan cricket board, Pakistan hockey federation, Pakistan football federation, Packages Ltd, NesPak, Qurshi, SUFI and multinationals like Nestle Pakistan Ltd, ABB, McDonald's, Metro, Makro and Hyperstar (Carrefour)all have situated their headquarters in Lahore.

Projects[link]

The Lahore Expo Centre is one of the biggest projects in the history of the city and was inaugurated on 22 May 2010.

Lake City is a resort and residential development planned on the outskirts of Lahore. Covering an area of more than , the resort will include lush green parks, sinuous lakes, an 18-hole regulation golf course and other features.

Defense Raya Golf Resort, also under construction, will be Pakistan's largest and Asia's largest golf course. The project is the result of a partnership between DHA Lahore and BRDB Malaysia. The rapid development of large projects such as these in the city is expected to boost the economy of the country. Among the many other projects under construction in Lahore are: Pace Tower (24 floors, under construction), Mall99 (21 floors, under construction), Lahore Expo Center (completed), Expo Center tower (approved), IT Tower (23 floors, under construction), Alamgir Tower (31 floors, under construction), DHA Haly Tower (low rise, under construction), Lahore Ring Road (under construction), Lahore Sports City (approved), Kot Lakhpat elevated expressway (approved), Lahore Rapid Mass Transit System (vision), Xinhua Mall (20 floors, under construction), Lahore-Sialkot motorway (under construction), Boulevard Heights (19 floors, under construction), Pearl Continental Tower (40 floors, 152 meters, proposed), LDA Tower (40 floors, approved), Bank Square Gulberg (vision), Pace Circle and Hyatt Regency (12 floors, under construction) and Tricon Corporate Tower (18 floors, under construction). The economy is also enhanced by Lahore's historic and cultural importance. Being the capital of the largest province in Pakistan brings the city one of the largest development budgets in the country.

Transportation[link]

Lahore is one of Pakistan's most accessible cities and the only city in the country where one can find public and private transportation 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. This includes public buses, as well as thousands of rickshaws and taxis, which run on compressed natural gas to reduce pollution in the city. About 75% of residents have their own conveyances. The roads in the city are well maintained and are broadened when needed to meet increasing demand.

Roads[link]

The Lahore Ring Road (LRR) Project was launched on December 22, 2004 at a groundbreaking ceremony attended by President General Pervez Musharaf. The LRR Project is a large road project being developed by the Punjab Government, intended to ensure efficient and speedy movement of freight and passengers, to alleviate traffic flow problems, and to boost the city's potential for industrial development. The project includes the construction of a six-lane divided highway, interchanges, RCC bridges, reinforced earth abutments and walls, overhead pedestrian bridges, culverts, tunnels, underpasses, flyovers and related works, at a total projected cost of over Rs. 20 billion and Rs. 13 billion respectively. In addition to the historic Grand Trunk Road (G.T. Road), motorways connecting all major cities (Islamabad, Multan, Faisalabad, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, etc.) have been built. A motorway to Sialkot is under construction. The government has built underpasses to ease congestion and prevent traffic jams, and according to official figures, Lahore has the highest number of underpasses in Pakistan. The government would undertake planned rehabilitation of the roads, which have outlived their designed life, construction of missing road links and development of province-wide secondary arteries linking national motorways and trade corridors to foster economic opportunities via meeting expanding domestic and international travel and trade demands.

The Punjab government had allocated Rs. 170.300 million for W/I of Thokar-Raiwind Road, Rs. 50 million for the dualisation of Lahore-Jaranwala Road from Ferozepur Interchange to Mandi Faizabad, Rs. 40 million for the construction of extending building for IWMI Thokar Niaz Baig Lahore, Rs. 2.7 million for the construction of an overhead bridge at Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jillani Road near University of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Rs. 56 million for PC-II for a feasibility study of elevated expressways in Lahore, Rs. 10 million for the construction of an elevated expressway from Lahore Bridge to Niazi Chowk, Rs. 50 million for the strengthening of Sheikhupura-Gujranwala Road, and Rs. 15 million for the construction of a bypass between Sargodha and Lahore Road.

Several bus companies operate in Lahore. Premier Bus Services, owned by the Beaconhouse Group, was started in 2003, and provides transportation services to the general public in Lahore. With over 240 buses running on exclusive routes, it is the largest public transport company in Pakistan. , the buses are in the process of being converted to compressed natural gas for environmental and economic reasons. Sammi Daewoo's City Bus Division operates four routes within the city and two suburban routes for Gujranwala and Sheikhupura. Though these buses are fewer in number, they are air-conditioned and provide better comfort to passengers. In addition to these two major companies, there are several other small companies (New Khan Metro, Niazi, etc.) that provide services within Lahore; they cover only particular routes and are few in number.

The Foton City Bus and First Bus, which were introduced by Honorable Punjab's Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif for comfortable and luxurious transportation in the city, operate routes within Lahore. They are the first buses of its kind introduced in Pakistan. They are Air-conditioned too. The Lahore Transport Company (LTC) has signed an agreement with First Bus Service (FBS) and Foton Bus Company (FBC) to run as many as 400 buses in the city. The latter is to launch 225 buses and FBS 175 buses before December this year. The agreement was signed in a ceremony involving LTC chairman Khawaja Ahmad Hassaan, FBS managing director Nooruddin Ahmad and FBC chairman Perry Blackerby at Chief Minister's Secretariat on Monday.

The Daewoo City Bus also operates routes within Lahore. It's headquarters are located in the city of Lahore. It is operated by a Korean company, named Sammi.In the present, it is the most popular inner-city bus service in Pakistan.

Railways[link]

Pakistan Railways is headquartered in Lahore. Pakistan Railways provides an important mode of transportation for commuters and connects distant parts of the country with Lahore for business, sightseeing, pilgrimage, and education. The Lahore Central Railway Station, built during the British colonial era, is located in the heart of the city.

Lahore Rapid Mass Transit (LRMT) System is a project envisioned to provide mass transit facilities to Lahore. The project is expected to be completed in 2020. In the first phase, two light rail lines will be constructed. The first Green Line between Shahdra and Hamza Town (Ferozpur Road) will be completed by 2011 and cost billion. The second Orange Line between Pakistan Mint and Sabzazar will cost billion and will be completed by 2015. In the second phase, Blue and Purple lines will be constructed.

Airport[link]

To accommodate increased air travel, the government built a new city airport in 2003. It was named Allama Iqbal International Airport after the national poet-philosopher of Pakistan, Allama Muhammad Iqbal, and is served by international airlines as well as the national flag carrier, Pakistan International Airlines. The previous airport now operates as the Hajj Terminal to facilitate the great influx of pilgrims traveling to Saudi Arabia to perform the hajj every year. Lahore also has a general aviation airport known as Walton Airport.

Population[link]

According to the 1998 census, Lahore's population was 6,318,745. Estimate for 2010 is more than 10,000,000, which makes it the second largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi. It is considered to be one of the 30 largest cities of the world.

Language[link]

Punjabi is the native language of the province and is the most widely spoken language in Lahore. Punjabi is the primary means of communication in both the city and adjoining rural areas. Punjabi has no official status in Lahore and some Punjabi activists have raised demands for recognition of Punjabi. English and Urdu have become increasingly popular with educated and younger people due to its official status in government and preferred language status for business. Many Punjabi speakers in Lahore are known as ''Majha Dialect Of Punjabi''. According to the 1998 census, 86.2% or 6,896,000 of the population are Punjabis; 10.2% or 816,000 are Urdu speakers and the Seraikis, at 0.4%, number about 32,000. The city has also been capital and part of three Persianates and therefore heavy Persian influence is evident on the lifestyles of people and the city itself. Persian is also spoken in many parts of the city and Persian-language quotes and sayings are engraved on many ancient and modern buildings.

Religion[link]

According to the 1998 census, 94% of Lahore's population is Sunni or Shia Muslim, up from 60% in 1941. Other religions include Christians (5.80% of the total population, though they form around 9.0% of the rural population), and a small number of Bahá'ís, Hindus, Ahmediya, Parsis, and Sikhs. Due to Lahore's diverse culture, there are many mosques, shrines, synagogues, Hindu and Jain temples, Sikh Gurudwaras, and churches across the city. Some of the most famous mosques include: Badshahi Masjid, Dai Anga Mosque, Data Durbar Complex, Shia Masjid, Suneri Mosque, Wazir Khan Mosque, Moti Masjid, Masjid-e-Shuhda (Martyr's Mosque) and Mosque of Mariyam Zamani Begum. There are many shrines dedicated to different people. Some of the famous shrines include: Tomb of Muhammad Iqbal, Bibi Pak Daman, Samadhi of Ranjit Singh, Tomb of Shah Jamal, Tomb of Lal Hussain, Tomb of Anārkalī, Tomb of Jahangir, Tomb of Empress Nur Jehan and Tomb of Abdul Hasan Asaf Khan. Some of the well-known churches include Regal Church, Hall Road Church, Convent of Jesus and Mary and Sacred Heart Cathedral.

Culture[link]

[[File:Weeks Edwin Lord An Open-Air Restaurant Lahore.jpg|thumb|right|alt=An Open-Air Restaurant, Lahore.|An old painting by Edwin Lord Weeks showing an open-air restaurant in Lahore, opposite the Wazir Khan Mosque during the British Raj. .]]

Lahore's culture is unique. Known as the Cultural Capital or Heart of Pakistan, the city was the seat of the Mughal Empire and the Sikh Empire as well as the capital of Punjab in Mahmud Ghaznavi's 11th-century empire and in the British Empire.Lahore has so many glitzy and trendy shopping malls like Mall of Lahore which is most prestiguous shopping mall with a super market green valley in underground and food court with lots of fast food,Italian,Chinese,Pakistani and Mediterranean restaurants.There are also Al Noor,Vogue Towers and Ali towers on MM.Alam road,Gulberg. Gulberg and Defence and DHA EME are Affluent suburbs of Lahore.Urban neighbourhoods of Lahore like Bahria Town,Safari Villas and Ahram e Misr,Lake Coty,Park View Villas,Tricon Valley and Raiwind are developing rapidly.

Lahore has played an important role in Pakistani history. It was the city where Pakistan's independence declaration was made. It was the largest city in the newly formed Pakistan at the time of independence and provided the easiest access to India, with its porous border near the Indian city of Amritsar only to the east. Large numbers of Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims lived closely in Lahore before the independence of Pakistan. The city suffered revolts, demonstrations and bloodshed at the time of independence due to the enmity between Muslims and Hindus at the time and the uncertainty which loomed over the fate of Lahore even after India and Pakistan became independent. Lahore's culture, its history, institutions, food, clothing, films, music, fashion, and liberal community lifestyle attract people from all over the country.

The people of Lahore celebrate many festivals and events throughout the year, blending Mughal, Western, and other traditions. Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha are celebrated. Many people decorate their houses and light candles to illuminate the streets and houses during public holidays; roads and businesses may be lit for days. The mausoleum of Ali Hujwiri, also known as Data Ganj Bakhsh (Persian/Urdu: ) or Data Sahib, is located in Lahore, and an annual ''urs'' is held every year as a big festival.

Basant is a Punjabi festival marking the coming of spring. Basant celebrations in Pakistan are centered in Lahore, and people from all over the country and from abroad come to the city for the annual festivities. Kite-flying competitions traditionally take place on city rooftops during Basant. Courts have banned the kite-flying because of casualties and power installation losses. The ban was lifted for two days in 2007, then immediately reimposed when 11 people were killed by celebratory gunfire, sharp kite-strings, electrocution, and falls related to the competition.

The Festival of Lamps, or Mela Chiraghan, is an important and popular event in Lahore. This is celebrated at the same time as Basant, every spring on the last Friday of March, outside the Shalimar Gardens. The National Horse and Cattle Show is one of the most famous annual festivals, held in spring in the Fortress Stadium. The week-long activities include a livestock display, horse and camel dances, tent pegging, colourful folk dances from all regions of Pakistan, mass-band displays, and tattoo shows in the evenings. On August 14, the people of Pakistan celebrate the day Pakistan gained its independence from the British Raj. There are lots of celebrations in Lahore; the streets are full of people singing and dancing. Parades of the Pakistan Army and Pakistan Air Force are held early in the morning. Concerts are held with many pop and classical singers.

The World Performing Arts Festival is held every autumn (usually in November) at the Alhambra cultural complex, a large venue consisting of several theatres and amphitheatres. This ten-day festival consists of musicals, theatre, concerts, dance, solo, mime, and puppetry shows. The festival has an international character, with nearly 80 percent of the shows performed by international performers. On average 15–20 different shows are performed every day of the festival.

Lahoris are known for their love of food and eating. While Lahore has a great many traditional and modern restaurants, in recent years Western fast food chains, such as McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Domino's Pizza, Subway Sandwiches, Dunkin' Donuts, Nando's, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Hardee's have appeared all over the city. Recently the food streets in the historic locales of Lahore (Gawalmandi, Anarkali, and Badshahi) have attracted tourists. Food streets have undergone restorations and are cordoned off in the evenings for pedestrian traffic only; numerous cafés serve local delicacies under the lights and balconies of restored havelis (traditional residential dwellings). Some of the trendiest restaurants in Lahore are concentrated on the M M Alam Road in Gulberg. Here, dozens of high-class culinary outlets, ranging from Western franchises to traditional, ethnic, or theme restaurants, attract all classes of Lahore's citizens. New restaurants are constantly opening, and the business is extremely competitive. Many boisterous restaurants of Lahore are open late into the night. Some branches of Pizza Hut and McDonald's are open 24/7; McDonald's and KFC also offer a home delivery service. Lahore also boasts a unique restaurant housed in a 300-year-old Kothi-style dwelling of a famous artist which was once a brothel. At different times in the life of this property, Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, and Muslim families have owned it. Another famous Lahore landmark is the Pak Tea House in Anarkali, long a favored haunt of intellectuals and artists. Lahore remains a traditional center of Pakistani Chinese cuisine, demonstrated through the large presence and popularity of Chinese restaurants in the city.

The alleys and lanes of these bazaars are full of traditional wares like leather articles, embroidered garments, glass bangles, beaten gold and silver jewelry, and creations in silk. Anarkali is named after the famous courtesan of Akbar's time, Anarkali (Pomegranate Blossom). The grave of Sultan Qutbuddin Aibak, who died falling off his horse while playing polo, is located in Anarkali on Aibak Road. Rang Mahal is part of old Lahore and today's houses a largest wholesale and retail cloth markets in Punjab. Lahore's technology markets include the Hall Road, Pakistan's largest electronics market adjacent to the Mall Road, Abid Market on Queen's Road and the Hafeez Centre, Asia's largest computer market, located on the Gulberg Main Boulevard. Pace, a shopping centre, is also located on the Main Boulevard beside the Hafeez Centre. Other well-known and popular shopping areas are the Liberty Market in Gulberg and at the Fortress Stadium, as well as malls in Gulberg, Model Town, M M Alam Road, and Cantonment. Apart from these, shopping areas are being developed in many of Lahore's new suburbs such as Bahria, Lake City, and Cantonment.

Lahore offers a variety of nighttime activities. There are popular shisha bars (offering the flavoured tobacco pipes commonly found in Middle Eastern nations), attractive food outlets, and musical concerts and shows. Alcohol is available to foreigners who request it at certain hotels, but is generally not sold in public. Lahoris are known for their exquisite taste in food, so the market has produced some of the most versatile, classy and inviting restaurants in the world. The blend of food and music at some uniquely expressive locales is exceptional. There are many shopping areas which remain open late into the night, offering an atmosphere of lively hustle and bustle (not to mention numerous bargains). There are scenic parks that are frequented by joggers, couples, children, students and seniors. Bagh-e-Jinnah (formerly known as Lawrence Gardens) is one such place; it has a large variety of gorgeous plants, trees, long and varied pathways and creative light effects. The younger crowd is generally more attracted to shops and restaurants near Gaddafi Stadium, Fortress Stadium and Gulberg. Most of the food chains are also here. The city has many significant connections with Sikhism and played an important part in the history of the Sikh Gurus. Guru Ram Das was born at Bazaar Chuna Mandi, Lahore in 1534 A.D. Guru Arjan Dev got the foundation stone of Harmandir Sahib, laid by a Muslim Saint Hazrat Mian Mir Ji of Lahore in December 1588. Guru Arjan met an untimely death when he was tortured on the orders of the Emperor Jahangir in 1606 in this city. The Gurdwara Dehra Sahib and the Ranjit Singh Samadhi are located in Lahore.

Parks and gardens[link]

Lahore is known as the City of Gardens. Many gardens were built in Lahore during the Mughal era, some of which still survive. The Shalimar Gardens were laid out during the reign of Shah Jahan and were designed to mimic the Islamic paradise of the afterlife described in the Qur'an. The gardens follow the familiar charbagh layout of four squares, with three descending terraces. The Lawrence Gardens were established in 1862 and were originally named after Sir John Lawrence, late 19th century British Viceroy to India. The many other gardens and parks in the city include Hazuri Bagh, Iqbal Park, Mochi Bagh, Gulshan Iqbal Park, Model Town Park, Race Course Park, Nasir Bagh Lahore, Jallo Park, Wild Life Park, and Changa Manga, an artificial forest near Lahore in the Kasur district. Another example is the Bagh-e-Jinnah, a botanical garden that houses entertainment and sports facilities as well as a library.

The Lahore Zoo is the second oldest zoo in the South Asia after Calcutta and has been a source of amusement and recreation for families for more than 100 years. In December 2004, Pakistan and China signed a million contract for the construction of a housing project on Multan Road in Lahore. The result was Sukh Chayn Gardens, a beautiful housing society full of lush green parks and gardens.

Lahore also has a safari park covering more than . The park has safaris for different animals. The safaris with tigers, lions, rhinos, elephants, bear, apes, African and Indus plane animals cover an area of . Pakistan's largest walkthrough aviary is also located here, with all kinds of birds, including pheasants, waterfowls and peacocks. Birds are kept in their natural habitat instead of being caged; a net fence at the perimeter keeps birds in the aviary. There are more than a thousand species of animals in the park. Lahore's biggest lake is also situated here for boating and fishing.

Jilani Park (formerly Race Course Park) is famous for its floral exhibitions and artificial waterfall. Annual horse racing competitions are held in this park.

Health care[link]

Lahore has a number of hospitals, including Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital, Mayo Hospital, Hamid Latif Hospital, Nawaz Sharif Social Security Hospital, Lahore General Hospital, Jinnah Hospital, Gulab Devi Hospital, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Sheikh Zaid Hospital,Fatima Memorial Hospital shadman lahore, Ittefaq Hospital, Punjab Institute of Cardiology and Sharif Medical Complex. The current government of Punjab has a comprehensive plan to establish new hospitals and medical colleges in the city.

Education[link]

Lahore is known as Pakistan's educational capital, with more colleges and universities than any other city in Pakistan. Lahore is Pakistan's largest producer of professionals in the fields of science, technology, IT, engineering, medicine, nuclear sciences, pharmacology, telecommunication, biotechnology and microelectronics, nanotechnology and the only future hyper high tech center of Pakistan . Most of the reputable universities are public, but in recent years there has also been an upsurge in the number of private universities. The current literacy rate of Lahore is 74%.

Lahore hosts some of Pakistan's oldest educational institutes: Government College Lahore (now Government College University), established in 1864; Forman Christian College, a chartered university established in 1864; Government Islamia College Lahore, established in 1892; University of the Punjab, established in 1882; Kinnaird College, established in 1913; and University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore (UET Lahore), established in 1921. UET is also Pakistan's oldest technical degree-awarding institute and its first university in the field of engineering and technology.

Lahore's institutes in the fields of computer science, IT, and engineering include the National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (NUCES or FAST-NU),Hajvery University, Lahore(HU), Beaconhouse National University (SCIT,BNU) and Punjab University College of Information Technology. Notable architecture schools include Beaconhouse National University, COMSATS University of Science and Technology, University of South Asia, National College of Arts and University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore. Notable business schools include the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), University of Lahore School of Accoutancy & Finance, University of Lahore, Lahore School of Economics, National College of Business Administration & Economics, Forman Christian College, University of Central Punjab and University of Management and Technology. University of Education, established in 2002, is Pakistan's first specialized university in the field of education.university of lahore

Lahore also provides education in many fields of health sciences. Notable medical colleges offering MBBS degrees include Allama Iqbal Medical College, Fatima Jinnah Medical College, King Edward Medical University, Lahore Medical and Dental College, Services Institute of Medical Sciences, Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan Medical and Dental College and Shalamar Medical and Dental College. Important postgraduate institutes are Punjab Institute of Cardiology and University of Health Sciences, Lahore. University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences is the only college in Lahore providing education in the field of veterinary medicine. De'Montmorency College of Dentistry is an important college of dentistry. There are many institutes offering education in fields of nursing and pharmacy as well.

Notable schools include SICAS, National school Aimed Education, Lahore Grammar School, Beaconhouse School System, St. Anthony's College, The Punjab School, Divisional Public School, Aitchison College, Convent of Jesus and Mary and LACAS.

Arts and media[link]

Lahore is at the core of Pakistan's media and arts scene. Pakistan's most prestigious art college, National College of Arts, is located here. Every year, it hosts the World Performing Arts Festival, in which artists from dozens of countries show off their talents. This festival is managed by the Peerzada group, which is also the largest puppetry theater company in Pakistan.

Lahore is also home to the country's developing fashion industry.It houses Pakistan's most esteemed board of designers, the Pakistan Fashion Design Council, which features some of Pakistan's best names in the circles of fashion and design.As a result the city is supported by numerous designer outlets and the country's most prestigious fashion school, the Pakistan School of Fashion Design, which has some of the best photo studios and photographers in the country. The Pakistan Fashion Design Council, also successfully organized the Lahore Fashion Week 2010 as well as the PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week Lahore 2011.

Lahore has also been home to Pakistan's old classical music, ghazals and Qawwalis, with big names such as Noor Jehan, Arif Lohar, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Mehdi Hassan and Ghulam Ali residing in the city. In recent years Lahore has produced some of Pakistan's greatest pop singers, such as Ali Azmat, Atif Aslam and Ali Zafar. The city is recognized as the birthplace of South Asia's modern rock scene thanks to popular bands like Junoon, Jal, Call, Roxen, Noori and Entity Paradigm, some of whose songs have been featured in Bollywood films.

Pakistan's film industry is based in the city and is called Lollywood. Many films are filmed in Lahore and the city has some of the oldest film studios in the country. Many actors and directors are based in Lahore, which brings many artists together to launch films. Cinema's popularity is on the upswing again in recent years and IMAX is building outlets in the city. Several FM radio stations and television stations have set up their operations here. Lahore is home to many popular news channels such as Dunya News and Express News amongst others.Geo TV's Infotainment Division and Pakistan's first children's television channel, Wikid, as well as Pakistan's first community channel, Asset Plus (available only in DHA Lahore) and lifestyle channel, Value TV are all based here. The television channel, City 42 broadcasts news and information about latest happenings and events in the city. The channel contains a variety of programs in Urdu, Punjabi and English which span from current affairs to general infotainment.

Sports[link]

Gaddafi Stadium is a Test cricket ground in Lahore. Designed by Pakistani architect Nayyar Ali Dada, it was completed in 1959 and is one of the biggest cricket stadiums in Asia. After its renovation for the 1996 Cricket World Cup, the stadium now boasts a capacity of over 60,000. Nearby is an athletics stadium, a basketball pitch, the Al Hamra, open-air hall similar in design to the coliseum, and the world's largest field hockey stadium, Another Cricket Ground and Headquarters of Pakistan Cricket Board, all based in the city's Sports complex. In the same vicinity lie headquarters of the Pakistan Football Federation, as well as the multi-sport Punjab Stadium.

Lahore is home to Lahore Lions and Lahore Eagles in Faysal Bank T20 Cup, as well as to Pakistan Premier League giants WAPDA FC, Pakistan Railways FC, PEL FC, and Wohaib FC. In addition to cricket and football, Kabaddi, a South Asian team sport, is also popular in Lahore. Many citizens play Kabbadi after work.

Lahore's elites are very fond of golf. The city is home to several spectacular golf courses. Among them the most popular are the Lahore Gymkhana Golf Course and the Bank Alfalah Mini Golf Course. Besides, Lahore Garrision Golf and Country Club, Royal Palm Golf Club and DHA Golf Club are very beautifully established and maintained Golf Courses at Lahore. The newly opened Oasis Golf and Aqua Resort is a great addition to the city. It is a state-of-the-art facility featuring Golf, water parks, and leisure activities such as horse riding, archery and more.

The Lahore Marathon is part of an annual package of six international marathons being sponsored by Standard Chartered Bank across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. The Lahore race carries prize money of approximately More than 20,000 athletes from Pakistan and all over the world participate in this event. It was first held on January 30, 2005, and again on January 29, 2006. More than 22,000 people participated in the 2006 race. The third marathon was held on January 14, 2007.

Plans exist to build Pakistan's first sports city in Lahore, on the bank of the Ravi River.

Notable people[link]

Twin towns and sister cities[link]

Lahore is twinned with: Istanbul, Turkey, since 1975 Xi'an, China, since 1992 Belgrade, Serbia, since 2007 Bogotá, Colombia Bukhara, Uzbekistan Chicago, United States, since 2007 Coimbra, Portugal Córdoba, Spain, since 1994 Dushanbe, Tajikistan Fes, Morocco, since 1994 Fresno, United States Glasgow, Scotland, since 2006 Hounslow, England Isfahan, Iran, since 2004 Kortrijk, Belgium, since 1993 Kraków, Poland Mashad, Iran, since 2006 Sariwon, North Korea, since 1988 Samarkand, Uzbekistan, since 1995 Amol, Iran, since 2010

References[link]

External links[link]

Lahore Places to See

Lahore Map Urdu

History and other information about Lahore

Lahore Future Extension

Allama Iqbal Internation Airport Lahore

Lahore High Court

Board of Intermediate & Secondary Education Lahore

Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry

Lahore Stock Exchange

Government of the Punjab

City Traffic Police Lahore

Skill Development Council Lahore

Civil Defence Lahore

Provincial Assembly of the Punjab

Motor Transport Management Information System

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Category:Capitals of Pakistan Category:Cities of Pakistan Category:Populated places in Lahore District Category:Metropolitan areas of Pakistan Category:Capitals of former nations Category:Former Indian capital cities

af:Lahore ar:لاهور az:Lahor bn:লাহোর zh-min-nan:Lahore be:Горад Лахор bg:Лахор bs:Lahor ca:Lahore cs:Láhaur da:Lahore de:Lahore et:Lahore el:Λαχόρη es:Lahore eo:Lahore eu:Lahore fa:لاهور fr:Lahore gl:Lahore gu:લાહોર ko:라호르 hi:लाहौर hr:Lahore io:Lahore id:Lahore is:Lahore it:Lahore he:לאהור jv:Lahore kl:Lahore ka:ლაჰორი ks:لوہوٗر lv:Lahora lt:Lahoras hu:Lahor mk:Лахор ml:ലാഹോർ mi:Lahore mr:लाहोर mzn:لاهور ms:Lahore nl:Lahore ne:लाहोर ja:ラホール no:Lahore nn:Lahore mhr:Лахор pa:ਲਾਹੋਰ pnb:لہور ps:لاهور pl:Lahaur pt:Lahore ro:Lahore ru:Лахор sa:लाहोर sco:Lahore simple:Lahore sk:Láhaur sr:Лахор sh:Lahore fi:Lahore sv:Lahore ta:லாகூர் te:లాహోర్ th:ลาฮอร์ tr:Lahor uk:Лахор ur:لاہور ug:Lahor vi:Lahore war:Lahore yo:Lahore zh:拉合爾

The term High Court usually refers to the superior court (or supreme court) of a country or state. In some countries, it is the highest court (e.g. Australia). In others, it is positioned lower in the hierarchy of courts (e.g. in England & Wales).

List of High Courts[link]

Alphabetically by name of associated country:

High Court of Australia

Supreme Court of Bangladesh (composed of High Court division and Appellate division)

Royal High Court of Bhutan

Court of High Commission (ecclesiastical court in England)

High Court (Fiji)

High Court (Germany)

High Court (Guyana)

High Court (Hong Kong)

High Courts of India, several courts

High Court (Ireland)

High Court (Isle of Man)

Supreme Court of Israel (serves as an Appellate court and as the High Court of Justice)

High Courts of Japan

Haute Cour of Jerusalem

High Court of Lesotho

High Courts of Malaysia

High Court of Maldives (Not the supreme Court)

High Court of Morocco

High Court (Myanmar)

High Court of New Zealand

High Courts of Nigeria

High Courts of Pakistan, several courts

High Court of Cassation and Justice (Romania)

High Court of Singapore

High Court of Sri Lanka

High Court of South Africa

High Courts of Spain, several courts

High Court (Sweden)

High Court of Trinidad & Tobago

Supreme Court of Uganda

High Court of Justice (United Kingdom: England and Wales)

High Court of Justiciary (United Kingdom: Scotland)

References[link]

Category:Court systems +

ko:고등법원 ur:عدالت_عالی zh:高等法院

Name	Yousaf Raza Gillani
Office	Prime Minister of Pakistan
President	Pervez MusharrafMuhammad Mian Soomro (Acting)Asif Ali Zardari
Term start	25 March 2008
Predecessor	Muhammad Mian Soomro
Office2	Speaker of the National Assembly
Term start2	17 October 1993
Term end2	16 February 1997
Predecessor2	Gohar Ayub Khan
Successor2	Elahi Bux Soomro
Birth date	June 09, 1952
Birth place	Karachi, Pakistan
Party	Pakistan Peoples Party
Spouse	Fauzia Gillani
Children	5
Alma mater	Forman Christian CollegeGovernment College UniversityUniversity of the Punjab
Religion	Islam }}

Yousuf Raza Gilani MP (Urdu, Saraiki: ; English IPA: jusæf ɾæzə ɡillɑnɪ̈ ; b. June 9, 1952) is the 16th and current Prime Minister of Pakistan and the vice-chairman of the democratic socialist party, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). and also the longest serving prime minister with a period span of 45 months, chairing more than 100 cabinet and parliamentary sessions; the most any successive democratic government in the political history of the country.

He first successfully contested 1988 parliamentary elections and has been a senior member of parliament for the Multan-IV constituency since 1988, heading the Ministry of Tourism under the government of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. After his party wining the plurality in 1990 parliamentary elections, Gillani was nominated by Benazir Bhutto to become the 15th Speaker of the National Assembly, serving until 16 February 1997. On 11 February 2001, Gillani was imprisoned by military court instituted under by then-CMLA and President Pervez Musharraf

Gillani's Pakistan Peoples Party won a considerable victory in the 2008 parliamentary elections, and with the consent of coalition government, Gillani was nominated for the office of Prime minister, taking the oath from President Pervez Musharraf on 25 March 2008. In a first inaugural session, Gillani announced the formation of the Truth and reconciliation commission, reducing the federal budget deficits, reconstruction of the troubled tribal belt, education, land, and agriculture reforms, and lifting the bans on elected labor and students' unions, followed by new energy and nuclear policy to reduce the level of the loadshedding in the country. In 2009, Gillani was ranked as the 38th most powerful person in the world by ''Forbes''. On 25 April, 2012, the Supreme Court of Pakistan convicted Gillani for violating the Article 63(1) (g) of the Constitution of Pakistan. The verdict was given after the Supreme Court of Pakistan founded the prime minister guilty of contempt of court for refusing to reopen corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari, but gave him only a symbolic sentence "till the rising of the court" in the courtroom, a sentence lasting 30 seconds.

Background [link]

Gillani is of the Iranian descent, with his father being a descendant of Syed Musa Pak, a spiritual figure of the Shia Muslim Sufism order which traces its origins to Abdul-Qadir Gilani of Iran. Yousaf Raza's paternal grandfather came from Paktia Province, Afghanistan, but settled in Iran after marrying an Iranian woman. His eldest son, Abdul Qadir Gillani, started his own political career from Multan, and in 2008 he married the granddaughter of Pir Pagara Shah Mardan Shah II, an influential political and religious leader of Sindh. His three other sons Ali Qasim Gillani, Ali Musa Gillani and Ali Haider Gillani are triplets. Qasim Gillani is currently doing his undergraduate from Brunel University of London whereas Musa Gillani completed his Masters from Queen Mary University of London in 2009. Ali Haider Gillani is studying at School of Economics in Lahore. Ali Musa Gillani after completing his studies is now actively participating in politics. Yousaf Raza Gillani's daughter is Fiza Gillani.

Public servant [link]

Yousaf Raza Gillani's political career took off in the military government of President General Zia-ul-Haq in 1978, after first joining the as the member of the Central Working Committee (CWC) of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML), alongside with industrialist Navaz Sharif. But soon left the PML, due to political differences with the PML's leadership.

He first contested in non-partisan and technocratic 1985 general elections and elected as the Member of the National Assembly (MNA) of Parliament The NAB claimed that Gillani inflicted a loss of Rs 30 million annually on the national exchequer. He was convicted by an anti-corruption court headed by active-duty officer formed by General Musharraf and spent nearly six years in prison.

The legal proceedings were perceived by many as politically motivated; his party, the PPP, was in opposition to Musharraf, who had embarked on a campaign to coerce party members to switch sides. Thus his conviction by General Musharraf-backed courts and subsequent prison sentence are seen as marks of loyalty within the PPP. His imprisonment was widely condemned by various individuals across the country, including Mushahid Hussain Syed, a senior leader of the PML-Q. He was released on 7 October 2006 from infamous Adiala Jail, after spending more than five years in captivity. On 26 April 2012, Prime minister Gillani was convicted on the charges of Contempt of Court, becoming Pakistan's first Prime Minister to be convicted while holding office. He was sentenced to be held in custody till the rising of court, a symbolic sentence lasting 30 seconds.

Prime Minister of Pakistan[link]

On 22 March 2008, the PPP nominated Gillani for the post of Prime Minister. PPP completed consultations with coalition partners about the Prime Minister and its allies endorsed the nomination. The formal announcement of the name of Prime Minister was expected to be made that night.

On 22 March at 9:38 pm Islamabad, (1638 GMT), he was officially announced by PPP as its candidate for the premiership of the country. Many analysts said that they would not be surprised if Zardari succeeded Gillani after a few months. It was reported on 24 March 2008, that Zardari said he was not interested in the job of Prime Minister and that Gillani would serve until 2013 in the position. Speculation that Zardari might be gunning for the premiership grew stronger when he picked the less popular Gillani over Ameen Faheem, President of the PPP. Fahmida Mirza, the newly-elected Speaker of the Assembly, insists there is no plan to replace Gillani. She added, however, that if Gillani did not do a good job, all options were open. On 24 March 2008, Gillani was elected as Prime Minister by Parliament, defeating his rival, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi of the PML-Q, by a score of 264 to 42. He was sworn in by Musharraf on the next day. On 29 March, he won a unanimous vote of confidence in Parliament. On the same day, following the vote of confidence, Gillani announced the programme for the first 100 days of his administration. Some of the points he announced were:

Frontier Crimes Regulations and Industrial Relations Order repealed

A "truth and reconciliation commission" proposed

PM House budget cut by 40 percent

Special counters at airports for parliamentarians to be removed

No money to be spent on the renovation of government buildings and residences

A freedom of information law to be framed, while PEMRA will be made a subsidiary of the information ministry

Talks will be initiated with extremists who lay down arms and ‘adopt the path of peace’

A new package for tribal areas promised

Employment commission to be set up

Madressah authority to implement a uniform curriculum

One million housing units to be built annually for low-income groups

Irrigation channels to be bricklined.

Appointed Prof. Ghulam Hussain Saleem and Wazir Ibadat adviser to the Prime Minister for Gilgit Baltistan Affairs.

A lifting of the bans on elected labor and students' unions.

The first part of Gillani's Cabinet was sworn in on 31 March. Of the 24 ministers sworn in on this occasion, 11 were members of the PPP, nine were members of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N), two were members of the Awami National Party, one was from Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, and one came from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. Other appointments were expected to follow.

On 13 May 2008, the PML (N) ministers resigned from Gillani's government due to a disagreement related to the reinstatement of judges whom Musharraf removed from office in 2007. Zardari, hoping to preserve the coalition, told Gillani to reject the resignations. At the close of 2008, Pakistan's ''The Financial Daily'' conducted a public poll on its website; respondents entered the names of their favorite personalities for the year, and Gillani was named among the top 50.

Energy Policy[link]

In April 2010, Gillani announced the energy policy to deal with the severe electricity shortage facing Pakistan. In 2010, Gillani went on to attend the Nuclear Security Summit held in Washington, D.C. where he issued a statement saying Pakistan would like to act as a provider and "participate in any non-discriminatory nuclear fuel cycle assurance mechanism. His government tightened the nuclear safety programme, and expanded the role of Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA). His government announced the approval the safeguards agreements of the two commercial civil nuclear power plants, and inagurated the ''CHASNUPP-III'' nuclear power plant in Chasma. In 2012, Gillani gave approval of establishing two civilian nuclear power plant in Karachi to meet the future energy needs of financial and economical development. As part of the federal government’s energy conservation plan, Gillani had ordered that air-conditioners of the Prime Minister House and Prime Minister’s Secretariat could not be switched on before 11am.

Financial and Economic policy[link]

The privatization and deregulation continues under his government. Gillani appointed Abdul Hafeez Shaikh as Economic and Finance minister, previously he served as the minister of privatization and investment in the government of General Pervez Musharraf and Shaukat Aziz. The nationalization policies were disbanded by Gillani's government instead moved the country on "capitalization mode". The state-owned corporations were set off to privatization menu and his government approved a new menu of privatization based on public private partnership (PPP) with transfer of management control and 26% shares of 21 state owned enterprises (SOEs). In the parliament, Gillani pointed out that the fiscal deficit had come down from 9.4% to 7.6% and inflation that had reached 25% had been reduced to 9.7% during December 2011. In a policy statement, Gillani stated that the "country's GDP growth rate will be 4% basically due to the enhanced agricultural production and the web of taxation has been increased". An adviser of TI acknowledged that "Pakistan does not need even a single penny from the outside world if it effectively checks the menace of corruption and ensures good governance". when unidentified gunmen fired shots at his motorcade near the garrison city of Rawalpindi, officials said. The shooting occurred shortly after Gillani was returning from an official visit to the eastern city of Lahore. His motorcade was going to Islamabad from the high-security Chaklala military airbase in Rawalpindi. A spokesman for the Prime Minister's House said Gillani and members of his staff had escaped unhurt and were safe. He said police had been put on high alert and an investigation launched into the incident. The unidentified assailants fired at Gillani's motorcade on a highway. At least two shots hit the Prime Minister's bulletproof vehicle, TV channels quoted officials as saying. State-run PTV beamed footage of the damage caused by the bullets to the window of the driver's door of the vehicle. Reports said the incident occurred at a spot where former premier and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif's motorcade was fired at on 27 December last year, shortly before Pakistan People's Party (PPP) chairperson Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in a suicide bombing in Rawalpindi.

According to Gillani's press secretary, Zahid Bashir, a car carrying Gillani was hit by 10 bullets in an attack near Islamabad on 3 September 2008; Bashir said that Gillani was unharmed. The Pakistan-based Taliban group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Role in Chief Justice restoration[link]

During the judicial crisis of March 2009, Gillani played vital role in ending the judicial crises and is widely given credit with playing a central role in convincing President Asif Ali Zardari to restore Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. This, according to some analysts, has strengthened his role as Prime Minister.

Constitutional amendments[link]

Since 2008, his government and the Parliament has carried out major constitutional amendments to enhance and strengthened the parliamentary democracy in the country. In April 2010, the Parliament unanimously passed the XVIII Amendment which removed the presidential powers, limiting the role of presidency in the politics, and turned the political systemof Pakistan from a semi-presidential to a parliamentary republic. In December 2010, the XIX and XX amendments were passed which gave more power, responsibilities and strengthened the position of the office of prime minister.

Foreign policy[link]

Afghanistan[link]

Since assuming office of the premier, Gillani was planning to visit neighboring Afghanistan, but some unresolved issues like absence of a joint platform to discuss bilateral issues, border conflicts, and different views on the war on terror prevented the trip. Gillani visited Afghanistan with Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and ISI Director-General Lieutenant-General Ahmed Shuja Pasha. After successful dialogue, it was mutually decided to form a Reconciliation Committee headed by foreign ministers of both the countries.

On 22 December 2011, Gillani told an audience at the National Gallery that conspirators were plotting to bring down his government.

India[link]

The Mumbai attack nearly pushed the two countries to the war-like situation; Gillani promoted to his counter-part to punished and brought the punish perpetrators of such heinous attack to justice. In 2011, Indian Prime minister Manmohan Singh described Gillani as "Man of Peace".

United States[link]

Although, the attempts were made to enhance relations with the United States, the relations with the United States went sour, fractured and cold after the Abbotabad Operation, a daring operation to kill the al-Qaeda supremo Usama Bin Laden. Gillani and President Zardari chaired a high level meeting with the senior military leadership in Islamabad. Gillani said: "We will not allow our soil to be used against any other country for terrorism and therefore I think it's a great victory, it's a success and I congratulate the success of this operation." Later Gilani blamed the world for their failure to capture bin Laden. The relationship between Pakistan and the United States fell to a new low following the Salala Incident, with his government and the elite military establishment reassessing their diplomatic, political, military and intelligence relationship with the United States.

All major NATO supply lines were immediately closed leaving the blockaded supply trucks vulnerable to attacks. On 26 November, 2011, Gillani's government ordered the U.S. to shut down and vacate the PAF Base Shamsi in the southwestern Balochistan province within a deadline of 15 days. On December 10, the troops from the Frontier Corps took full control of the air force base as scheduled, and by December 11 all remaining American staff were evacuated.

Domestic challenges[link]

The Memo Gate Scandal and subsequent conflicts[link]

On 10 October 2011, US-based businessman Mansoor Ijaz wrote in an opinion piece in ''The Financial Times'' that he acted as an intermediary between the Pakistani Government and US administration, with the former requesting the help of the latter to avert a military coup in wake of the unilateral US raid that killed Osama bin Laden. He said that a senior Pakistani diplomat telephoned him with an urgent request early on 9 May, exactly a week after the raid against bin Laden.

Though the Pakistani Government subsequently rejected his claims, it triggered a storm in the country's political circles, especially between the civil government and the military. A judicial commission was subsequently appointed to investigate the matter.

Meanwhile, Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani's request to the apex court for an independent probe into the matter was accepted. The court rejected the government’s contention that the issue should be investigated by a parliamentary panel.

Tensions between the government and the military reached a peak after Gillani said the army and intelligence chiefs had acted in an “unconstitutional and illegal” manner by filing affidavits on the memo issue in the Supreme Court without getting the government’s approval. The military reacted within days through a strongly worded statement that said the premier’s remarks could have “grievous consequences”.

Gillani retaliated by sacking Defence Secretary Lt Gen (retired) Khalid Naeem Lodhi, a confidant of Kayani. He reiterated that the Defence Secretary was removed in accordance with the law as he had made a mistake by not following the government’s rules. He maintained that he was only answerable to the Parliament.

Disqualification petition [link]

On 29 March 2012, a civilian resident of Johar Town Lahore, Tariq Ahmed, filed a court petition in the Lahore High Court, seeking to hear the case of disqualification of Yousaf Raza Gillani. The plea was filed in the High Court in which the petitioner took the stance that "Fauzia Gillani— spouse of Prime minister Gilani received loans of millions of rupees from the Agriculture Development Bank Ltd (ADB) and the National Bank of Pakistan for the two mega-corporation owned by the Gillani family of which Fauzia Gillani served both megacorporation's executive director. None of the loans of millions of rupees were paid back to the banks.. He was sentenced to be held in custody till the rising of court, a symbolic sentence lasting 30 seconds. The verdict was a short order and the full verdict of the court has been reserved, and shall be handed over in a few days' time. Gillani's lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan announced that the Prime Minister shall file an appeal against the Supreme Court's verdict once the full verdict is handed over. Meanwhile, a defiant Yousuf Raza Gilani refused to step down.

See also [link]

Cabinet of Yousaf Raza Gillani

Pakistan Peoples Party

References[link]

External links[link]

Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani official Pakistan government site

Yousaf Raza Gilani – a profile, ''Daily Times'', 23 March 2008

Profile: Yousuf Raza Gilani, Syed Shoaib Hasan, ''BBC News'', 17 June 2009

Profile at PakistaniLeaders.com

Website devoted to Yousuf Raza Gilani

Poem on Yusuf Raza Gilani

Poem on Yusuf Raza Gilani And Parvaiz Musharraf on YouTube

Musa Gillani Wedding

16 March 2009 Mp3 and text of Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani’s Address To The Nation

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Category:1952 births Category:Current national leaders Category:Forman Christian College alumni Category:Living people Category:Members of the National Assembly of Pakistan Category:Pakistan Peoples Party politicians Category:Pakistani people of Iranian descent Category:Pakistani politicians Category:Pakistani Sunni Muslims Category:People from Islamabad Category:People from Karachi Category:People from Multan Category:Prime Ministers of Pakistan Category:Government College University, Lahore alumni Category:Seraiki people Category:Speakers of the National Assembly of Pakistan Category:University of the Punjab alumni Category:Prisoners and detainees of Pakistan ar:يوسف رضا جيلاني az:Yusuf Reza Gilani cy:Yousaf Raza Gillani da:Yousaf Raza Gillani de:Yousaf Raza Gilani et:Yousaf Raza Gillani el:Γιουσάφ Ραζά Γκιλάνι es:Yousaf Raza Gillani eo:Jusuf Raza Gillani fa:یوسف رضا گیلانی fr:Youssouf Raza Gilani ko:유사프 라자 길라니 hi:युसूफ राजा गिलानी id:Yousaf Raza Gillani it:Yousaf Raza Gillani he:יוסוף רזא גילאני hu:Júszaf Raza Gíláni mr:युसफ रझा गिलानी mzn:یوسف رضا گیلانی ms:Yousaf Raza Gillani nl:Yousaf Raza Gilani ne:युसूफ राजा गिलानी ja:ユースフ・ラザー・ギーラーニー no:Yousaf Raza Gillani nn:Yousaf Raza Gillani pnb:یوسف رضا گیلانی pl:Yousaf Raza Gilani pt:Yousuf Raza Gillani ksh:Yousaf Raza Gilani ru:Гилани, Юсуф Реза simple:Yousaf Raza Gillani sh:Yousaf Raza Gillani fi:Yousaf Raza Gilani sv:Yousaf Raza Gilani tl:Yousaf Raza Gillani ta:யூசஃப் ரசா கிலானி tr:Yusuf Rıza Gilani uk:Юсуф Реза Гілані ur:یوسف رضا گیلانی vi:Yousaf Raza Gillani yo:Yousaf Raza Gillani zh:优素福·拉扎·吉拉尼