Punjab, Pakistan

2022-05-02T06:16:55Z

37.154.226.149:

{{short description|Province of Pakistan}}
{{About |the Pakistani province of Punjab|the geographical region|Punjab|other uses of the name|Punjab (disambiguation)}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Punjab
| official_name =
| native_name =
| type = [[Province (Pakistan)|Province]]
| image_skyline = {{Photomontage
| photo1a = Royal mosque Lahore.jpg
| photo2a = Noor mahal.jpg
| photo2b = Shah Rukn-e-Alam Shrine.jpg
| photo3a = Derawar Fort, Bahawalpur I.jpg
| photo3b = Clock Tower Faisalabad by Usman Nadeem.jpg
| photo4a = Khewra Salt Mines landscape IMG 3127.jpg
| spacing = 1
| color_border = white
| color = white
| size = 280
}}
| image_caption = <div style="background:#fee8ab;">Top left to right (anti-clockwise): [[Badshahi Mosque]], [[Noor Mahal]], [[Derawar Fort]], [[Khewra Salt Mines]], [[Faisalabad Clock Tower]], [[Tomb of Shah Rukn-e-Alam]]</div>
| image_flag = Flag of Punjab.svg
| image_seal = Coat of arms of Punjab.svg
| image_map = Punjab in Pakistan (claims hatched).svg
| map_caption = Location of Punjab in Pakistan
| image_map1 =
| map_caption1 =
| coordinates = {{coord|31|72|type:adm1st_region:PK_dim:1000000|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name = {{PAK}}
| parts_style = para
| parts_type = Largest city
| p1 = [[Lahore]]
| established_title = Established
| established_date = [[Legal Framework Order, 1970|1 July 1970]]
| seat_type = Capital
| seat = [[Lahore]]
| blank_name_sec1 = [[Languages of Pakistan|Main Language(s)]]
| blank_info_sec1 = {{unbulleted list|[[Punjabi language|Punjabi]], [[Saraiki language|Saraiki]], [[Urdu]], [[Pothohari language|Pothohari]]}}
| blank1_name_sec1 = Notable sports teams
| blank1_info_sec1 = [[Lahore Qalandars]] [[Multan Sultans]] [[Lahore Lions]] [[Rawalpindi Rams]] [[Sialkot Stallions]] [[Bahawalpur Stags]] [[Multan Tigers]] [[Faisalabad Wolves]] [[Central Punjab cricket team|Central Punjab]] [[Southern Punjab cricket team (Pakistan)|Southern Punjab]]
| blank2_name_sec1 = [[List of administrative units of Pakistan by Human Development Index|HDI]] (2019)
| blank2_info_sec1 = 0.594 {{increase}}<ref name="Subnational HDR">{{Cite web|url=https://hdi.globaldatalab.org/areadata/shdi/|title=Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab|website=hdi.globaldatalab.org|language=en|access-date=8 August 2021}}</ref> {{color|#fc0|Medium}}
| blank3_name_sec1 = [[National Assembly of Pakistan|Seats in National Assembly]]
| blank3_info_sec1 = 183
| blank_name_sec2 = [[Provincial Assembly of Punjab|Seats in Provincial Assembly]]
| blank_info_sec2 = 371<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.pap.gov.pk/index.php/members/stats/en/19|title= Provincial Assembly – Punjab|url-status= live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090201061549/http://pap.gov.pk/index.php/members/stats/en/19|archive-date= 1 February 2009|df= dmy-all}}</ref>
| blank1_name_sec2 = [[Divisions of Punjab (Pakistan)|Divisions]]
| blank1_info_sec2 = 9
| blank2_name_sec2 = [[Districts of Punjab (Pakistan)|Districts]]
| blank2_info_sec2 = 37
| blank3_name_sec2 = [[List of tehsils of Punjab, Pakistan|Tehsil]]s
| blank3_info_sec2 = 146
| blank4_name_sec2 = [[Union Councils of Pakistan|Union Councils]]
| blank4_info_sec2 = 7602
| government_type = [[Autonomy|Self-governing Province]] subject to the [[Government of Pakistan|Federal Government]]
| governing_body = [[Government of Punjab, Pakistan|Government of Punjab]]
| leader_title = [[Governor of Punjab, Pakistan|Governor]]
| leader_name = [[Omar Sarfaraz Cheema]]
| leader_title1 = [[Chief Minister of Punjab (Pakistan)|Chief Minister]]
| leader_name1 = [[Hamza Shahbaz]] [[Pakistan Muslim League (N)|(PMLN)]]
| leader_title2 = [[Chief Secretary Punjab|Chief Secretary]]
| leader_name2 = Kamran Ali Afzal<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bolnews.com/business/2022/01/punjab-chief-secretary-directs-timely-utilisation-of-funds/|title=Punjab chief secretary directs timely utilisation of funds|date=17 January 2022|access-date=20 January 2022|work=[[Bol News]]}}</ref>
| leader_title3 = [[Legislature]]
| leader_name3 = [[Provincial Assembly of Punjab|Provincial Assembly]]
| leader_title4 = [[High Courts of Pakistan|High Court]]
| leader_name4 = [[Lahore High Court]]
| unit_pref = Metric
| area_total_km2 = 205344
| area_rank = 2nd
| population_footnotes = <ref name=population>[http://www.pbscensus.gov.pk 2017 Census] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171015113737/http://www.pbscensus.gov.pk/ |date=15 October 2017 }}</ref>
| population_total = 110012442
| population_as_of = 2017
| population_rank = 1st
| population_density_km2 = auto
| timezone1 = [[Time in Pakistan|PKT]]
| utc_offset1 = +05:00
| website = {{url|www.punjab.gov.pk}}
| iso_code = [[ISO 3166-2:PK|PK-PB]]
}}

'''Punjab''' ([[Urdu]] & {{lang-pa|{{Nastaliq|پنجاب}}|Panjāb}}) is a [[Province (Pakistan)|province]] of [[Pakistan]]. It has a population of about {{sigfig|110012442|3}}, according to the 2017 Pakistan Census. It is the most populous of the four provinces of [[Pakistan]].

Forming the bulk of the transnational [[Punjab region]] of Pakistan and India, it is bordered by the Pakistani provinces of [[Sindh]], [[Balochistan, Pakistan|Balochistan]], and [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]], the enclave of [[Islamabad Capital Territory|Islamabad]], and Pakistan-administered [[Azad Kashmir]]. It also shares borders with the Indian territories of [[Punjab, India|Punjab]], [[Rajasthan]], and [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]]. The capital is [[Lahore]], a cultural, historical, economic and cosmopolitan centre of Pakistan where [[Lollywood|the country's cinema industry]], and much of its fashion industry, are based.<ref>{{cite news|title=The pulse of Pakistan's growing fashion industry|url=http://www.thenational.ae/lifestyle/fashion/the-pulse-of-pakistans-growing-fashion-industry|access-date=14 July 2016|agency=The National (UAE)|date=11 December 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817001752/http://www.thenational.ae/lifestyle/fashion/the-pulse-of-pakistans-growing-fashion-industry|archive-date=17 August 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Malik|first1=Abdul-Rehman|title=Bollywood to Lollywood|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2007/aug/17/bollywoodtolollywood|access-date=14 July 2016|agency=The Guardian|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826004507/https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2007/aug/17/bollywoodtolollywood|archive-date=26 August 2016}}</ref> Other major cities include [[Gujranwala]], [[Faisalabad]], [[Multan]], [[Rawalpindi]], and [[Sialkot]]. Punjab is also the world's fifth-most populous subnational entity, and the most populous outside China or India.

Punjab has been inhabited since ancient times. The [[Indus Valley Civilization]], dating to 2600 BCE, was first discovered at [[Harappa]].<ref>{{cite book | last = Beck | first =Roger B. | title = World History: Patterns of Interaction | url = https://archive.org/details/mcdougallittellw00beck | url-access = registration | publisher = McDougal Littell | year = 1999 | location = Evanston, IL | isbn = 0-395-87274-X }}</ref> Punjab features heavily in the [[Sanskrit]] epic, the [[Mahabharata]], and is home to [[Taxila]], site of what is considered by many to be the oldest university in the world.<ref name=Needham>{{cite book |first=Joseph |last=Needham |author-link=Joseph Needham |year=2004 |title=Within the Four Seas: The Dialogue of East and West |publisher=Routledge |isbn= 0-415-36166-4}}</ref><ref name="Kulke 2004">{{cite book|last1=Kulke |first1=Hermann |author-link=Hermann Kulke |last2=Rothermund |first2=Dietmar |year=2004 |edition=4th |title=A History of India |publisher=Routledge |isbn= 0-415-32919-1|quote=In the early centuries the centre of Buddhist scholarship was the University of Taxila.}}</ref><ref name="entrepreneurship2007">[[Balakrishnan Muniapan]], [[Junaid M. Shaikh]] (2007), "Lessons in corporate governance from Kautilya's [[Arthashastra]] in ancient India", ''World Review of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development'' '''3''' (1): {{blockquote|"Kautilya was also a [[Professor]] of Politics and Economics at Taxila University. Taxila University is one of the oldest known universities in the world and it was the chief learning centre in ancient India."}}</ref><ref name="autogenerated478">[[Radha Kumud Mookerji]] (2nd ed. 1951; reprint 1989), ''[[Ancient Indian Education: Brahmanical and Buddhist]]'' (p. 478), Motilal Banarsidass Publ., {{ISBN|81-208-0423-6}}: {{blockquote|"Thus the various centres of learning in different parts of the country became affiliated, as it were, to the educational centre, or the central university, of Taxila which exercised a kind of intellectual [[suzerain]]ty over the wide world of letters in India."}}</ref><ref name="autogenerated479">Radha Kumud Mookerji (2nd ed. 1951; reprint 1989), ''Ancient Indian Education: Brahmanical and Buddhist'' (p. 479), Motilal Banarsidass Publ., {{ISBN|81-208-0423-6}}: {{blockquote|"This shows that Taxila was a seat not of elementary, but higher, education, of colleges or a university as distinguished from schools."}}</ref> In 326 BCE, [[Alexander the Great]] defeated [[King Porus]] at the [[Battle of the Hydaspes]] near [[Mong, Punjab|Mong]], Punjab. Subsequently, it formed part of the [[Mauryan empire|Mauryan]], [[Kushan empire|Kushan]] and [[Gupta empire|Gupta]] empires. The [[Muslim conquests on the Indian subcontinent#Umayyad expansion in Al Hind|Umayyad empire conquered Punjab]] in the 8th century CE. In the subsequent centuries, Punjab was invaded and conquered by the [[Hindu Shahi]]s, [[Ghaznavids]], [[Ghurid dynasty|Ghurids]], [[Delhi Sultanate]], [[Mughal Empire|Mughals]], [[Durrani Empire|Durranis]] and the [[Sikh Empire|Sikhs]]. Punjab reached the height of its splendour during the reign of the [[Mughal Empire]], which for a time ruled from Lahore. During the 18th century, [[Nader Shah's invasion of the Mughal Empire]] caused Mughal authority in the Punjab to fall apart and it thus fell into chaos. The Durrani Afghans under [[Ahmad Shah Durrani]] wrested control of Punjab but lost it to the Sikhs after a successful rebellion which allowed Sikh armies to claim Lahore in 1759. The [[Sikh Empire]] was established in 1799 under the rule of [[Ranjit Singh]] with his capital based in Lahore, until its defeat by the [[British Empire|British]]. Punjab was central to the independence movements of both India and Pakistan, with Lahore being the site of both the [[Purna Swaraj|Declaration of Indian Independence]], and the [[Lahore Resolution|resolution calling for the establishment of Pakistan]]. The province was formed when the [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab province of British India]] was divided along religious boundaries in 1947 by the [[Radcliffe Line]] after [[Partition of British India|Partition]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Dalrymple|first1=William|title=THE GREAT DIVIDE|url=http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/06/29/the-great-divide-books-dalrymple|access-date=14 July 2016|agency=The New Yorker|date=29 June 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160714094330/http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/06/29/the-great-divide-books-dalrymple|archive-date=14 July 2016}}</ref>

Punjab is [[Pakistan]]'s most [[Industrialisation|industrialised]] province, with the [[Secondary sector of the economy|industrial sector]] making up 24% of the province's [[gross domestic product]].<ref name="auto">{{cite web|author1=Government of the Punjab – Planning & Development Department|title=PUNJAB GROWTH STRATEGY 2018 Accelerating Economic Growth and Improving Social Outcomes|url=http://www.theigc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Punjab-Growth-Strategy-2018-Full-report.pdf|access-date=14 July 2016|date=March 2015|quote=The industrial sector of Punjab employs around 23% of the province's labour force and contributes 24% to the provincial GDP|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170329053001/http://www.theigc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Punjab-Growth-Strategy-2018-Full-report.pdf|archive-date=29 March 2017}}</ref> Punjab is known in Pakistan for its relative prosperity,<ref name="tribune.com.pk">{{cite news|last1=Farooqui|first1=Tashkeel|title=Northern Punjab, urban Sindh people more prosperous than rest of country: report|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/1126363/people-living-northern-punjab-urban-sindh-prosperous-rest-country-report/|access-date=14 July 2016|agency=The Express Tribune|date=20 June 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160724134711/http://tribune.com.pk/story/1126363/people-living-northern-punjab-urban-sindh-prosperous-rest-country-report/|archive-date=24 July 2016}}</ref> and has the lowest rate of poverty amongst all Pakistani provinces.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Arif|first1=G. M.|title=Poverty Profile of Pakistan|url=http://www.bisp.gov.pk/PIDEReports/poverty.pdf|website=Benazir Income Support Programme|publisher=Government of Pakistan|access-date=14 July 2016|quote=Among the four provinces, the highest incidence of poverty is found in Sindh (45%), followed by Balochistan (44%), Khyber Pakhtukhaw (KP) (37%) and Punjab (21%)|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161213111826/http://www.bisp.gov.pk/PIDEReports/poverty.pdf|archive-date=13 December 2016}}</ref><ref>[[Islamabad Capital Territory]] is Pakistan's least impoverished administrative unit, but ICT is not a province. [[Azad Kashmir]] also has a rate of poverty lower than Punjab, but is not a province.</ref> A clear divide is present between the northern and southern portions of the province;<ref name="tribune.com.pk"/> with poverty rates in prosperous northern Punjab amongst the lowest in Pakistan,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Arif|first1=G. M.|title=Poverty Profile of Pakistan|url=http://www.bisp.gov.pk/PIDEReports/poverty.pdf|website=Benazir Income Support Programme|publisher=Government of Pakistan|access-date=14 July 2016|quote=See Table 5, Page 12 "Sialkot District"|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161213111826/http://www.bisp.gov.pk/PIDEReports/poverty.pdf|archive-date=13 December 2016}}</ref> while some in south Punjab are amongst the most impoverished.<ref name="auto1">{{cite web|last1=Arif|first1=G. M.|title=Poverty Profile of Pakistan|url=http://www.bisp.gov.pk/PIDEReports/poverty.pdf|website=Benazir Income Support Programme|publisher=Government of Pakistan|access-date=14 July 2016|quote=See Table 5, Page 12 "Rajanpur District"|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161213111826/http://www.bisp.gov.pk/PIDEReports/poverty.pdf|archive-date=13 December 2016}}</ref> Punjab is also one of [[South Asia]]'s most [[Urbanization|urbanised]] regions with approximately 40% of people living in urban areas.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Government of the Punjab – Planning & Development Department|title=PUNJAB GROWTH STRATEGY 2018 Accelerating Economic Growth and Improving Social Outcomes|url=http://www.theigc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Punjab-Growth-Strategy-2018-Full-report.pdf|access-date=14 July 2016|date=March 2015|quote=Punjab is among the most urbanized regions of South Asia and is experiencing a consistent and long-term demographic shift of the population to urban regions and cities, with around 40% of the province's population living in urban areas|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170329053001/http://www.theigc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Punjab-Growth-Strategy-2018-Full-report.pdf|archive-date=29 March 2017}}</ref> Its [[human development index]] rankings are high relative to the rest of Pakistan.

The province has been strongly influenced by [[Sufism]], with numerous Sufi shrines spread across Punjab, which attract millions of devotees annually.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Gilmartin|first1=David|title=Empire and Islam: Punjab and the Making of Pakistan|date=1988|publisher=University of California Press|pages=40–41}}</ref> The founder of the [[Sikhism|Sikh faith]], [[Guru Nanak]], was born in the Punjab town of [[Nankana Sahib]] near Lahore.<ref name=Macauliffe>{{cite book | last=Macauliffe | first=Max Arthur | author-link=Max Arthur Macauliffe | year=2004 | orig-year=1909 | title=The Sikh Religion – Its Gurus, Sacred Writings and Authors | publisher=Low Price Publications | location=India | isbn = 81-86142-31-2}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last=Singh | first=Khushwant | author-link=Khushwant Singh | year=2006 | title=The Illustrated History of the Sikhs | publisher=Oxford University Press | location=India | isbn = 0-19-567747-1 | pages=12–13}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Malik|first1=Iftikhar Haider|title=The History of Pakistan|date=2008|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group}}</ref> Punjab is also the site of the [[Katasraj Temple]], which features prominently in Hindu mythology.<ref>{{cite web|title=Katas Raj Temples|url=http://www.templedarshan.in/katas-raj-temples-katas-chakwal-punjab-pakistan/|website=Temple Darshan|access-date=14 July 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818090252/http://www.templedarshan.in/katas-raj-temples-katas-chakwal-punjab-pakistan/|archive-date=18 August 2016}}</ref> Several UNESCO [[World Heritage Sites]] are located in Punjab, including the [[Shalimar Gardens, Lahore|Shalimar Gardens]], the [[Lahore Fort]], the archaeological excavations at [[Taxila]], and the [[Rohtas Fort]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Properties inscribed on the World Heritage List (Pakistan)|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/pk|website=UNESCO|publisher=UNESCO|access-date=14 July 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160704110025/https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/pk|archive-date=4 July 2016}}</ref>

==Etymology==
{{See|Punjab#Etymology}}

== History ==
{{main|History of Punjab}}

===Ancient history===
The oldest evidence of human life in Pakistan has been found in [[Soanian|Soan]] River valley, discovered during the excavations of prehistoric mounds.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/707009|title=Soan River – witness to rise and fall of many civilisations|last=Newspaper|first=the|date=31 March 2012|work=DAWN.COM|access-date=25 November 2018|language=en-US}}</ref> Tools up to two million years old have been recovered in the [[Potohar plateau]]. In the Soan River, many fossil bearing rocks are exposed on the surface.

Punjab was part of the [[Indus Valley Civilization]], more than 5000 years old.<ref name="whereincity.com2">[http://www.whereincity.com/india/punjab/punjab-history.php Punjab History – history of Punjab]</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Indus Valley Civilization|url=https://www.worldhistory.org/Indus_Valley_Civilization/|access-date=8 June 2021|website=World History Encyclopedia|language=en}}</ref> The main site in Punjab was the city of [[Harrapa]]. The Indus Valley Civilization spanned much of what is today Pakistan and eventually evolved into the [[Indo-Aryans|Indo-Aryan]] civilization.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Aryan|url=https://www.worldhistory.org/Aryan/|access-date=8 June 2021|website=World History Encyclopedia|language=en}}</ref> The arrival of the Indo-Aryans led to the flourishing of the [[Vedic civilization]] along the length of the [[Indus River]]. Punjab during the [[Mahabharat]]a times was known as Panchanada.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0bkMAAAAIAAJ&q=abhiras|title=Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency ...|year=1896|access-date=22 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610130333/https://books.google.com/books?ei=uG2RTb3xCYXQcZeeuUA&ct=result&id=0bkMAAAAIAAJ&dq=abhira+yadav&q=abhiras|archive-date=10 June 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency ..., Volume 1, Part 1-page-11</ref> This civilization shaped subsequent cultures in [[South Asia]]. The Vedic civilization also flourished in the ancient city of [[Taxila]] in [[Gandhara]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Guide to Historic TaxilabyProfessor Dr|url=http://www.heritage.gov.pk/html_Pages/guide_to_historic_taxila.htm|access-date=8 June 2021|website=www.heritage.gov.pk}}</ref>[[File:Map of Vedic India.png|thumb|left|Punjab was part of the [[Vedic Civilization]]]]According to historians, this region was ruled by many small kingdoms and tribes around 4th and 5th BCE. The earliest known notable local king of this region was known as [[King Porus]], who fought the famous [[Battle of the Hydaspes]] against [[Alexander the Great]] in [[326 BC|326 BCE]] near the [[Jhelum River|river Jhelum]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Battle of Hydaspes {{!}} Summary|url=https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-the-Hydaspes|access-date=8 June 2021|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en}}</ref> His kingdom, known as [[Pauravas]], was situated between the river Hydaspes (modern [[Jhelum River|Jhelum]]) and Acesines (modern day [[Chenab]]).

Punjab was also part of other empires including the [[Achaemenid Empire|Achaemenids]], [[Macedonia (ancient kingdom)|Macedonians]], [[Maurya Empire|Mauryans]], the [[Indo-Scythians]], [[Gupta Empire|Guptas]], [[Kushan Empire|Kushans]], and [[Hindu Shahi]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Pakistan - EARLY CIVILIZATIONS|url=http://countrystudies.us/pakistan/4.htm|access-date=8 June 2021|website=countrystudies.us}}</ref>

Due to its location, the Punjab region came under constant attack and influence from the west and witnessed centuries of foreign invasions by the [[Greeks]], [[Kushans]], [[Scythians]], [[Turkic peoples|Turks]], [[Arabs]] and [[Mughal Empire|Mughals]].

The city of [[Taxila]], founded around 1000 BCE,<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Allchin|first1=Bridget|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r4s-YsP6vcIC|title=The Rise of Civilization in India and Pakistan|last2=Allchin|first2=Raymond|date=29 July 1982|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9780521285506|language=en}}</ref> was reputed to house one of the earliest universities in the world, the [[Takshashila University]].<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Allchin|first1=Bridget Gordon|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r4s-YsP6vcIC|title=The Rise of Civilization in India and Pakistan|last2=Allchin|first2=Bridget|last3=Allchin|first3=Raymond|date=29 July 1982|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-28550-6|language=en}}</ref> One of its instructors was the [[Vedic period|Vedic]] statesman and philosopher [[Chanakya]]. Taxila was a major centre of political control, intellectual discourse and trade between the [[Hellenistic kingdoms]] and the [[Maurya Empire]]. Taxila is a [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]], valued for its archaeological and religious history.

===Gandhara civilisation (750 BC to 518 BC)===
[[Gandhāra]] was an ancient kingdom situated in the northwestern region of Pakistan, in the [[Peshawar valley]] and [[Potohar plateau]] with its capital at [[Taxila]] in modern northwestern Pakistan. Gandhara's existence is attested since the time of the [[Rigveda]] ({{circa|1500|1200 BCE}}),<ref name="sacred-texts.com">{{cite web|title=Rigveda 1.126:7, English translation by Ralph TH Griffith|url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rigveda/rv01126.htm}}</ref><ref name="Macdonell1997">{{cite book|author=Arthur Anthony Macdonell|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8wM-dNOa7fMC&pg=PA130|title=A History of Sanskrit Literature|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|year=1997|isbn=978-81-208-0095-3|pages=130–}}</ref> as well as the Zoroastrian [[Avesta]], which mentions it as ''Vaēkərəta'', the sixth most beautiful place on earth created by [[Ahura Mazda]]. Gandhara was conquered by the [[Achaemenid Empire|Persian Achaemenid Empire]] in the 6th century BCE, [[Alexander the Great]] in 327 BCE, and later became part of the [[Maurya Empire]] before being a centre of the [[Indo-Greek Kingdom]]. The region was a major centre for [[Greco-Buddhism]] under the [[Indo-Greek Kingdom|Indo-Greeks]] and [[Gandharan Buddhism]] under later dynasties. Gandhara also a central location for the spread of Buddhism to Central Asia and East Asia.<ref>[http://www.washington.edu/uwpress/search/books/SALANC.html "UW Press: Ancient Buddhist Scrolls from Gandhara"]. Retrieved April 2018.</ref> The primary cities of Gandhara were Puruṣapura ([[Peshawar]]), Takṣaśilā ([[Taxila]]), and Pushkalavati ([[Charsadda]]). Gandhara's language was a [[Prakrit]] or "Middle Indo-Aryan" dialect, usually called Gāndhārī. The language used the Kharosthi script, which died out about the 4th century.[[File:IVC-major-sites-2.jpg|right|thumb|Location of Punjab, Pakistan and the extent of the Indus Valley Civilisation sites in and around it]]

===Achaemenid Persian and Macedonian Greek Empires===
The [[Achaemenid]] Persian empire included Gandhara and western Punjab, administered through the satrapies of [[Gandāra]], [[Hindush]] and [[Sattagydia]].
[[File:AlexanderConquestsInIndia.jpg|thumb|Alexander's Indian Campaign]]
Having conquered [[Drangiana]], [[Arachosia]], [[Gedrosia]] and [[Seistan]] in ten days, [[Alexander the Great]] (known in Urdu as [[Sikandar-e-Azam|'Sikander-e-Azam']]) crossed the [[Hindu Kush]] and was thus fully informed of the magnificence of the country and its riches in gold, gems and pearls. However, Alexander had to encounter and reduce the tribes on the border of Punjab before entering the luxuriant plains. Having taken a northeasterly direction, he marched against the Aspii (mountaineers), who offered vigorous resistance, but were subdued.{{citation needed|date=May 2015}} Alexander then marched through [[Ghazni]], blockaded Magassa, and then marched to Ora and Bazira. Turning to the northeast, Alexander marched to Pucela, the capital of the district now known as Pakhli. He entered Western Punjab, where the ancient city of Nysa (at the site of modern-day [[Mong, Punjab|Mong]]) was situated. A coalition was formed against Alexander by the Cathians, the people of [[Multan]], who were very skilful in war. Alexander invested many troops, eventually killing 17,000 Cathians in this battle, and the city of Sagala (present-day [[Sialkot]]) was razed to the ground. The [[Battle of the Hydaspes]] was fought astride the [[Jhelum River]] in western Punjab against the regional chieftain Porus, and the [[Mallian Campaign|Siege of the Malli Tribe]] which occurred at the confluence of the Indus and Hydaspes Rivers near modern [[Multan]] (during which Alexander suffered a near-fatal arrow wound). Alexander left Punjab in 326 B.C. and continued to campaign down the course of the Indus River in modern-day Sindh and Baluchistan.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}

===Indo-Greek Kingdom (180 BC to 10 AD)===
The [[Indo-Greek Kingdom]] or Graeco-Indian Kingdom was a Hellenistic kingdom covering most of the Punjab. The [[Indo-Greek Kingdom|Indo-Greek kingdom]] founded by [[Demetrius I of Bactria|Demetrius]] (180-165 BC) included Gandhara and Punjab and reached its greatest extent under [[Menander I|Menander]] (165-150 BC), with its capital in [[Sagala]] (present-day [[Sialkot]]), thriving the [[Greco-Buddhism|greco-buddhist]] culture in the region.<ref name="Singh">{{Cite book|last=Singh|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wsiXwh_tIGkC|title=The Pearson Indian History Manual for the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination|publisher=Pearson Education India|isbn=978-81-317-1753-0|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Antoniadis|first=Christos|date=30 March 2019|title=Indo-Greeks — The Greek Buddhist Kings|url=https://medium.com/@christoss200/indo-greeks-the-greek-buddhist-kings-5813b839ba56|access-date=8 June 2021|website=Medium|language=en}}</ref> Agriculture flourished and trading cities (such as [[Multan]] and [[Lahore]]) grew in wealth.

=== Indo-Scythian Kingdom (150 BC to 400 AD) ===
The [[Indo-Scythian]] king [[Maues]] invaded Indo-Greek territories in Punjab and established an Indo-Scythian empire. Maues first conquered Gandhara and Taxila around 80 BCE, but his kingdom disintegrated after his death. The Indo-Scythians ultimately established a kingdom in the northwest south Asia, based near Taxila, with two great Satraps, one in [[Mathura]] in the east, and one in Surastrene (Gujarat) in the southwest. The Indo-Scythians seem to have been followers of Buddhism, and many of their practices apparently continued those of the Indo-Greeks.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}

===Indo-Parthian Kingdom (19 AD to 226 AD) ===
The [[Indo-Parthian Kingdom]] was ruled by the Gondopharid dynasty with its capital at [[Taxila]], Punjab. [[Gondophares]], founder of the Indo-Parthian kingdom, was a ruler of Seistan in what is today eastern Iran, probably a vassal or relative of the Apracarajas. Around 20–10 BCE, he made conquests in the former Indo-Scythian kingdom, perhaps after the death of the important ruler [[Azes]]. Gondophares became the ruler of areas comprising Arachosia, Seistan, Sindh, Punjab, and the Kabul valley. The temple of [[Jandial]], Taxila is usually interpreted as a Zoroastrian fire temple from the period of the Indo-Parthians.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}

=== Kushan Empire (30 AD to 375 AD) ===
The [[Kushan Empire]] was a syncretic empire, formed by the Yuezhi, in the Bactrian territories in the early 1st century. Around 75 CE under the leadership of Kujula Kadphises they gained control of Gandhara and other parts of what is now Pakistan. The Kushan period is considered the Golden Period of Gandhara. Gandhara's culture peaked during the reign of the Kushan ruler [[Kanishka the Great]] (128–151). The cities of Taxila (Takṣaśilā) at Sirsukh and Peshawar were built. Kanishka was a great patron of the Buddhist faith; Buddhism spread to Central Asia and the Far East across Bactria and [[Sogdia]], where his empire met the [[Han dynasty|Han Empire]] of China.

=== Hephthalite Empire ===
{{main|kidarites}}
The [[Hephthalite|Hephthalite Huns]] captured Gandhara around 451, and did not adopt Buddhism, but in fact "perpetrated frightful massacres." [[Mihirakula]] became a "terrible persecutor" of the Buddhist religion.<ref name="Rene2">{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/empireofsteppesh00prof/page/69|title=The Empire of the Steppes|last=Grousset|first=Rene|publisher=Rutgers University Press|year=1970|isbn=0-8135-1304-9|pages=[https://archive.org/details/empireofsteppesh00prof/page/69 69–71]}}</ref> During their rule, [[Hinduism]] revived itself and the Buddhist civilisation in Gandhara declined.

=== Arrival of Islam ===
[[File:BullehShah.jpg|thumb|left|Modern painting of [[Bulleh Shah]] (1680–1757), a Punjabi Muslim Sufi poet who has hugely impacted the region]]
Before the arrival of Islam, the Punjab region was home to a diverse plethora of faiths, mainly [[Hinduism]], [[Buddhism]] or [[Greco-Buddhism]].<ref name="Singh"/>

The [[Umayyad Caliphate|Arab Umayyad]] army brought Islam to the region led by [[Muhammad bin Qasim]] who conquered Sindh and Southern Punjab in 712, by defeating [[Raja Dahir]]. The Umayyad Caliphate was the second Islamic caliphate established after the death of [[Muhammad]]. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from [[Umayya ibn Abd Shams]], the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph.

Islam was introduced into Northern Punjab during the reign of [[Mahmud of Ghazni]] in the 11th century and the region subsequently became part of various [[Turco-Persian|Turko-Persian]] and [[Turco-Mongol|Turko-Mongol]] Muslim empires.

The [[Ghaznavids]], a [[Persianate society|Persianate]] [[Muslim]] dynasty of [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]] ''[[mamluk]]'' origin,{{sfn|Levi|Sela|2010|p=83}}{{efn|The Ghaznavids were a dynasty of Turkic slave-soldiers...{{sfn|Levi|Sela|2010|p=83}}}}{{sfn|Bosworth|1963|p=4}} had earlier conquered and converted many Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms of Afghanistan. The province of Punjab was made part of the [[Ghaznavids|Ghaznavid Empire]] with [[Lahore]] as its second capital. The region became predominantly [[Muslim]] due to missionary [[Sufi]] saints whose [[dargah]]s dot the landscape of the [[Punjab region]]. The famous Sufi mystic [[Ali Hujwiri]] arrived from [[Ghazni]] and settled in Lahore during the reign of Ghaznavids in 11th century.

Over the next millennium Islam flourished in Punjab as it became part of different Muslim empires including the [[Ghurids]], [[Delhi Sultanate]] and [[Mughals]]. In cooperation with local Punjabi tribes and others, a millennium long Islamic dominance was achieved across South Asia and with its peak during the [[Mughal Empire]].

==== Mughal Empire ====
The Punjab region rose to significance in the [[Mughal Empire]] when [[Lahore]] became the capital for the royal family in 1585,<ref>{{cite book|last1=Ring|first1=Trudy|title=International Dictionary of Historic Places: Asia and Oceania|date=1994|publisher=Taylor & Francis|page=522}}</ref> the legacy of which is seen today in its rich display of [[Mughal architecture]] all over modern day Punjab, Pakistan.

The Mughals left an indelible mark on the landscape of Punjab from 1556 to 1739 by commissioning the construction of great gardens, forts, tombs, baths and mosques such as the [[Shalimar Gardens (Lahore)|Shalimar Gardens]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mughalgardens.org/html/shalamar.html |title=Shalamar Garden |website=Gardens of the Mughal Empire |access-date=1 July 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160724112652/http://www.mughalgardens.org/html/shalamar.html |archive-date=24 July 2016 }}</ref> [[Lahore Fort]], [[Tomb of Jahangir]], [[Tomb of Nur Jahan]], [[Shahi Hammam]], [[Akbari Sarai]], [[Wazir Khan Mosque]], and the [[Badshahi Mosque]], all situated in Lahore, as well as [[Hiran Minar]] and others elsewhere in Punjab. [[Akbar]] established two of his original twelve [[subah]]s (imperial top-level provinces) in Punjab:
* (northern) [[Lahore Subah]], bordering Kabul (Afghanistan), (later) split-off Kashmir, (Old) Delhi and Multan subahs
* (southern) [[Multan Subah]], bordering Kabul, Lahore, (Old) Delhi, Ajmer, Thatta (Sindh) subahs, the Persian [[Safavid empire]]{{citation needed|date=September 2017}} and shortly Qandahar subah.

==== Later Mughals ====
After the death of the last great Mughal emperor [[Aurangzeb]], in 1707, Mughal authority significantly weakened but didn't totally vanish despite [[Nader Shah's invasion of India|Nadir Shah's invasion]] in 1739. The centralised authority that had existed during Aurangzeb's rule and the rule of his predecessors was now largely in the hands of governors and Nawabs (semi autonomous rulers) who gave their nominal allegiance to the Mughal emperor at Delhi.

This would change, however, in 1752, when Nader Shah's general [[Ahmad Shah Durrani]] who founded the [[Durrani Empire]], defeated Mir Mannu, the last Mughal governor of Punjab. The Mughal emperor ceded control of the subahs that constituted Punjab namely the Lahore and Multan subahs over to Ahmad Shah Durrani.

=== Durranis and Marathas ===
{{Main|Maratha conquest of North-west India}}
In 1758 [[Raghunath Rao]], a general of the Hindu [[Maratha Empire]], conquered Lahore and [[Attock]]. [[Timur Shah Durrani]], the son and viceroy of [[Ahmad Shah Abdali|Ahmad Shah Durrani]], was driven out of Punjab. [[Lahore Subah|Lahore]], [[Multan Subah|Multan]] and [[Kashmir Subah|Kashmir]] provinces were under Maratha rule for the most part.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=d1wUgKKzawoC&pg=PA224 Advanced Study in the History of Modern India: 1707 – 1813 – Jaswant Lal Mehta – Google Books] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160623232653/https://books.google.com/books?id=d1wUgKKzawoC&pg=PA224 |date=23 June 2016 }}. Books.google.co.in. Retrieved on 12 July 2013.</ref> In Punjab and Kashmir, the Marathas were now major players.<ref name=K.RoyIHB>{{cite book | last=Roy |first=Kaushik |title=India's Historic Battles: From Alexander the Great to Kargil |publisher=Permanent Black, India |pages=80–1 |isbn=978-81-7824-109-8|year=2004 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book| first=Mountstuart |last=Elphinstone |title=History of India | url=https://archive.org/details/historyindia02elphgoog |publisher=John Murray, Albermarle Street |year=1841 |page=[https://archive.org/details/historyindia02elphgoog/page/n318 276]}}</ref>

The Third Battle of Panipat took place in 1761, [[Ahmad Shah Abdali]] defeated the Marathas and reversed their gains in the regions of [[Punjab region|Punjab]] and [[Kashmir]] by re-consolidating control over them. Battles with Powerful [[Maratha empire]] weakened the Afghan dominance over the region and created a partial power vacuum in the region<ref>For a detailed account of the battle fought, see Chapter VI of ''[http://emotional-literacy-education.com/classic-books-online-a/tfmeh10.htm The Fall of the Moghul Empire of Hindustan] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710191356/http://emotional-literacy-education.com/classic-books-online-a/tfmeh10.htm |date=10 July 2011 }}'' by [[Henry George Keene (1826–1915)|H. G. Keene]].</ref>

===Sikh Empire===
{{Main|Sikh Empire}}
[[File:Court of Lahore.jpg|thumb|[[Maharaja Ranjit Singh]]’s court at [[Lahore Fort]], by August Schoefft]]
[[File:Sikh Empire.JPG|thumb|The Sikh Empire (Sarkar-e-Khalsa)]]
In the mid-fifteenth century, the religion of [[Sikhism]] was born. During the [[Mughal empire]], many Hindus increasingly adopted [[Sikhism]]. The Sikhs became a formidable military force after the death of [[Aurangzeb]] in 1707 and challenged the Mughals and later the Durrani Afghans for power in Punjab. After fighting [[Ahmad Shah Durrani]] in the later eighteenth century, the Sikh Misls took control of Punjab and its capital Lahore was captured by the [[Bhangi Misl]]. In 1799 [[Ranjit Singh]], ruler of the [[Sukerchakia Misl]], defeated the Bhangi Misl and captured Lahore thereby proclaiming himself as the "Maharaja of Punjab" at the age of 21. Ranjit Singh made Lahore his capital and formed a sophisticated [[Sikh Empire]] which lasted from 1799 to 1849. Ranjit Singh modernized his Sikh Khalsa army by using Franco-British principles and by employing veterans of the Napoleonic Wars to train the infantry in European style. Ranjit Singh expanded his empire so that by his death in 1839 his empire included most of [[Punjab]], [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]] and [[Kashmir]].

Ranjit Singh was not without opponents who challenged his authority in the regions he had conquered. He faced huge opposition from [[Nawab Muzaffar Khan]], [[Azim Khan]], [[Syed Ahmad Barelvi]] and [[Mir Painda Khan]]. In 1818 Nawab Muzaffar Khan was killed by the Sikhs at the [[Battle of Multan]] after putting up stout resistance for many years. Azim Khan was the governor of Kashmir from 1812 until 1819 when Ranjit Singh captured it for himself. In 1823 Azim Khan took control of Peshawar and with support from Pashtun tribesmen faced off against the encroaching Khalsa army in the [[Battle of Nowshera]]. He abandoned his troops whilst they regrouped to continue fighting until they were defeated. Azim Khan retreated to Kabul where he died shortly thereafter due to grief. Syed Ahmad Barelvi was an Indian Muslim who declared Jihad against the Sikhs by garnering support from local Pashtun tribesmen and attempted to create an Islamic state with strict enforcement of Sharia.<ref name="Mortimer, Edward 1982 p.68-70">Mortimer, Edward, Faith and Power, (1982), p.68-70</ref> In 1821 Syed Ahmad Barelvi spent two years organizing popular and material support for his Punjab campaign. In December 1826 Sayyid Ahmad Barelvi and his followers clashed with Sikh troops at [[Akora Khattak]], with no decisive result. Barelvi's movement weakened after there was infighting with his Pashtun followers and in a major battle near the town of [[Balakot]] in 1831, Syed Ahmad Barelvi and [[Shah Ismail Shaheed]] with volunteer Muslims were defeated and killed by the Sikh Army.<ref name="Grey1993">{{cite book|last=Grey|first=C.|title=European Adventures of Northern India|year=1993|publisher=Asian Educational Services|isbn=978-81-206-0853-5|pages=343–}}</ref> Only Mir Painda Khan was able to maintain his independence at [[Tanawal]] in [[Hazara, Pakistan|Hazara]] from the Sikh Empire. From about 1813 he began a series of rebellions against the Sikhs which continued throughout his lifetime inflicting defeats on the Sikhs {{Citation needed|date=November 2021}} whilst also losing territory to them before being poisoned in 1844. [[James Abbott (Indian Army officer)|James Abbott]], British officer and deputy commissioner at Hazara in 1851, described Mir Painda Khan as "a chief renowned on the border, a wild and energetic man who was never subjugated by the Sikhs".<ref>{{Cite book|title=A Collection of Papers relating to the History, Status and Powers of the Nawab of Amb|publisher=Punjab Secretariat|year=1874|pages=58}}</ref>

===British Empire===
[[File:Kenta Kerr.JPG|thumb|The [[Faisalabad Clock Tower]] was built during the rule of the British Empire]]
{{Main|Punjab Province (British India)}}
Maharaja Ranjit Singh's death in the summer of 1839 brought political chaos and the subsequent battles of succession and the bloody infighting between the factions at court weakened the state. Relationships with neighbouring British territories then broke down, starting the [[First Anglo-Sikh War]]; this led to a British official being resident in Lahore and the annexation in 1849 of territory south of the Satluj to [[British India]]. After the [[Second Anglo-Sikh War]] in 1849, the Sikh Empire became the last territory to be merged into British India. In [[Jhelum]] 35 British soldiers of the HM XXIV regiment were killed by the local resistance during the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]].<ref>''Freedom fighters of India'' {{ISBN|8-18205-468-0}} pp. 40-41</ref>

===Pakistani Independence===
In 1947 the Punjab province of [[British Raj|British India]] was divided along religious lines into [[West Punjab]] and [[East Punjab]]. Western Punjab was assimilated into the new country of [[Pakistan]], while East Punjab became a part of [[modern-day India]]. This led to massive rioting as both sides committed atrocities against fleeing refugees.

The part of [[Punjab region|the Punjab]] now in Pakistan once formed a major region of British Punjab, and was home to a large minority population of [[Punjabi people|Punjabi]] [[Hindus]] and [[Sikhs]] up to 1947 apart from the Muslim majority.<ref>The Punjab in 1920s – A Case study of Muslims, Zarina Salamat, Royal Book Company, [[Karachi]], 1997. table 45, pp. 136. {{ISBN|969-407-230-1}}</ref>

Migration between Eastern and Western Punjab was continuous before [[Partition of India|independence]]. By the 1900s Western Punjab was predominantly Muslim and supported the [[All-India Muslim League|Muslim League]] and [[Pakistan Movement]]. After independence, the minority [[Hindu]]s and [[Sikh]]s fled massacres and violence and migrated to [[India]] while [[Muslim]] refugees from [[India]] settled in the Western Punjab and across [[Pakistan]], having fled [[pogroms]] that almost entirely depopulated Eastern Punjab of its Muslim population,<ref>Dube, I. &. S. (2009). From ancient to modern: Religion, power, and community in India hardcover. Oxford University Press.</ref> while Western Punjab was left with virtually no Hindus and Sikhs.

===Recent history===
{{Unreferenced section|date=February 2019}}
[[File:Pakistani Ranger.jpg|thumb|At the [[Wagah border ceremony]]]]
Since the 1950s, Punjab industrialised rapidly. New factories were established in [[Lahore]], [[Sargodha]], [[Multan]], [[Gujrat city|Gujrat]], [[Gujranwala]], [[Sialkot]], [[Wah]] and [[Rawal Pindi|Rawalpindi]].

Agriculture continues to be the largest sector of Punjab's economy. The province is the breadbasket of the country as well as home to the largest ethnic group in Pakistan, the [[Punjabis]]. Unlike neighbouring India, there was no large-scale redistribution of agricultural land. As a result, most rural areas are dominated by a small set of feudalistic [[Zamindar|land-owning families]].

In the 1950s there was tension between the eastern and western halves of Pakistan. To address the situation, a new formula resulted in the abolition of the province status for Punjab in 1955. It was merged into a single province [[West Pakistan]]. In 1972, after [[East Pakistan]] seceded and became [[Bangladesh]], Punjab again became a province.

Punjab witnessed major battles between the armies of [[Indian Army|India]] and [[Pakistan Army|Pakistan]] in the wars of [[1965 War|1965]] and [[1971 War|1971]]. Since the 1990s Punjab hosted several key sites of Pakistan's nuclear program such as [[Kahuta]]. It also hosts major military bases such as at [[Sargodha]] and [[Rawalpindi]]. The peace process between India and Pakistan, which began in earnest in 2004, has helped pacify the situation. Trade and people-to-people contacts through the [[Wagah]] border are now starting to become common. Indian Sikh pilgrims visit holy sites such as [[Nankana Sahib]].

==Geography==
Punjab is Pakistan's second largest province by area after [[Balochistan (Pakistan)|Balochistan]] with an area of {{convert|205344|km2|abbr=off}}.<ref name="Punjab">{{cite web|title=Punjab|url=http://www.smeda.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=69&Itemid=174|publisher=Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority|access-date=14 July 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160625202613/http://www.smeda.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=69&Itemid=174|archive-date=25 June 2016}}</ref> It occupies 25.8% of the total landmass of [[Pakistan]].<ref name="Punjab"/> Punjab province is bordered by [[Sindh]] to the south, the province of [[Balochistan, Pakistan|Balochistan]] to the southwest, the province of [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]] to the west, and the [[Islamabad Capital Territory]] and [[Azad Kashmir]] in the north. Punjab borders [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]] in the north, and the Indian states of [[Punjab, India|Punjab]] and [[Rajasthan]] to the east.

The capital and largest city is Lahore which was the historical capital of the wider Punjab region. Other important cities include [[Faisalabad]], [[Rawalpindi]], [[Gujranwala]], [[Sargodha]], [[Multan]], [[Sialkot]], [[Bahawalpur]], [[Gujrat city|Gujrat]], [[Sheikhupura]], [[Jhelum]] and [[Sahiwal]]. The undivided Punjab region was home to six rivers, of which five flow through Pakistan's Punjab province. From west to east, the rivers are: the [[Indus River|Indus]], [[Jhelum River|Jhelum]], [[Chenab River|Chenab]], [[Ravi River|Ravi]] and [[Sutlej]]. It is the nation's only province that touches every other province; it also surrounds the [[Islamabad Capital Territory|federal enclave]] of the [[national capital]] city at [[Islamabad]]. In the [[acronym]] ''[[Punjab region|P]]-[[Afghania|A]]-[[Kashmir region|K]]-[[Indus|I]]-[[Sindh|S]]-[[Balochistan (Pakistan)|T-A-N]]'', the [[Pakistan|P]] is for ''[[Punjab region|Punjab]]''.<ref name="Now or Never">{{cite journal|author=Choudhary Rahmat Ali|title=Now or Never. Are we to live or perish forever?|date=28 January 1933|url=http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Now_or_Never;_Are_We_to_Live_or_Perish_Forever%3F|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080630210551/http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Now_or_Never;_Are_We_to_Live_or_Perish_Forever|archive-date=30 June 2008|journal=—|access-date=6 October 2014}}</ref><ref name="Ikram1995">{{cite book|author=S. M. Ikram|title=Indian Muslims and partition of India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7q9EubOYZmwC&pg=PA177|access-date=23 December 2011|date=1 January 1995|publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Dist|isbn=978-81-7156-374-6|pages=177–|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130521150524/http://books.google.com/books?id=7q9EubOYZmwC&pg=PA177|archive-date=21 May 2013|author-link=S. M. Ikram}}</ref>

===Topography===
[[File:Murree scene.jpg|thumb|Punjab features mountainous terrain near the [[hill station]] of [[Murree]].]]
Punjab's landscape consists mostly consists of fertile alluvial plains of the [[Indus River]] and its four major tributaries in Pakistan, the [[Jhelum River|Jhelum]], [[Chenab River|Chenab]], [[Ravi River|Ravi]], and [[Sutlej]] rivers which traverse Punjab north to south – the fifth of the "five waters" of Punjab, the [[Beas River]], lies exclusively in the Indian state of Punjab. The landscape is amongst the most heavily irrigated on earth and [[canal]]s can be found throughout the province. Punjab also includes several mountainous regions, including the [[Sulaiman Mountains]] in the southwest part of the province, the [[Margalla Hills]] in the north near [[Islamabad]], and the [[Salt Range]] which divides the most northerly portion of Punjab, the [[Pothohar Plateau]], from the rest of the province. Sparse [[deserts]] can be found in southern Punjab near the border with [[Rajasthan]] and near the Sulaiman Range. Punjab also contains part of the [[Thal Desert|Thal]] and [[Cholistan Desert|Cholistan]] deserts. In the South, Punjab's elevation reaches {{convert|2327|m|ft|0}}{{citation needed|date=June 2017}} near the hill station of [[Fort Munro]] in Dera Ghazi Khan.

===Climate===

[[File:Punjab sunset.JPG|thumb|Sunset in Punjab, during summer]]
Most areas in Punjab experience extreme weather with foggy winters, often accompanied by rain. By mid-February the temperature begins to rise; springtime weather continues until mid-April, when the summer heat sets in.
[[File:Road Block due to landslide at Girdu.JPG|thumb|The route from [[Dera Ghazi Khan]] to [[Fort Munro]]]]
The onset of the southwest [[monsoon]] is anticipated to reach Punjab by May, but since the early 1970s, the weather pattern has been irregular. The spring monsoon has either skipped over the area or has caused it to rain so hard that floods have resulted. June and July are oppressively hot. Although official estimates rarely place the temperature above 46 °C, newspaper sources claim that it reaches 51 °C and regularly carry reports about people who have succumbed to the heat. Heat records were broken in [[Multan]] in June 1993, when the [[Temperature measurement|mercury]] was reported to have risen to 54 °C. In August the oppressive heat is punctuated by the [[wet season|rainy season]], referred to as ''barsat'', which brings relief in its wake. The hardest part of the summer is then over, but cooler weather does not come until late October.

Recently the province experienced one of the coldest winters in the last 70 years.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.dawn.com/2007/01/06/nat47.htm|title= Mercury drops to freezing point – Dawn Pakistan|date= 6 January 2007}}</ref>

Punjab's region temperature ranges from −2° to 45 °C, but can reach 50 °C (122 °F) in summer and can touch down to −10 °C in winter.

Climatically, Punjab has three major seasons:<ref name="ReferenceB">{{cite web |url=http://punjabgovt.nic.in/punjabataglance/SomeFacts.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=23 November 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051123230402/http://punjabgovt.nic.in/PUNJABATAGLANCE/SomeFacts.htm |archive-date=23 November 2005 }}</ref>

* Hot weather (April to June) when temperature rises as high as {{convert|123|°F|°C|abbr=on}}.
* Rainy season (July to September). Average rainfall annual ranges between 96 cm sub-mountain region and 46 cm in the plains.
* Cold / Foggy / mild weather (October to March). Temperature goes down as low as {{convert|35.6|°F|°C|abbr=on}}.
{{clear}}
Weather extremes are notable from the hot and barren south to the cool hills of the north. The foothills of the [[Himalayas]] are found in the extreme north as well, and feature a much cooler and wetter climate, with snowfall common at higher altitudes.

== Population and society ==
{{See also|Punjabi Muslims|List of populated places in Punjab (Pakistan){{!}}List of populated places in Punjab}}

=== Demographics ===
{| class="toccolours" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="float:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em; font-size:95%;"
|-
! colspan="4" style="background:#ccf; text-align:center;"| Historical population figures<ref>The figures for 1998 are from [http://www.statpak.gov.pk/depts/pco/statistics/pop_by_province/pop_by_province.html_Pages/statpak.gov.pk/depts/pco/statistics/pop_by_province/pop_by_province pop by province – statpak.gov.pk]{{dead link|date=July 2018|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}. The estimates for 2012 are from [http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-13-13514-Population-shoots-up-by-47-percent-since-1998 Population shoots up by 47 percent since 1998] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120701193658/http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-13-13514-Population-shoots-up-by-47-percent-since-1998 |date=1 July 2012 }}. Thenews.com.pk. Retrieved on 12 July 2013.</ref>
|-
! Census !! style="text-align:right;"| Population || Urban || Rural
|-
| colspan=4|
----
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 1951 || style="text-align:right;"| 20,540,762 || 3,568,076 || 16,972,686
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 1961 || style="text-align:right;"| 25,463,974 || 5,475,922 || 19,988,052
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 1972 || style="text-align:right;"| 37,607,423 || 9,182,695 || 28,424,728
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 1981 || style="text-align:right;"| 47,292,441 || 13,051,646 || 34,240,795
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 1998 || style="text-align:right;"| 73,621,290 || 23,019,025 || 50,602,265
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2017 || style="text-align:right;"| 110,012,615 || 70,008,451 || 40,401,164
|}

{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|caption = Ethnicity in Punjab, Pakistan (2020)
|label1 = [[Punjabis]]
|value1 = 69.7
|color1 = Green
|label4 = [[Pashtuns]]
|value4 = 2
|color4 = Red
|label2 = [[Saraikis]]
|value2 = 20.7
|color2 = Maroon
|label3 = [[Muhajir (Urdu-speaking people)|Muhajirs]]
|value3 = 4.9
|color3 = DarkGreen
|label5 = [[Balochis]]
|value5 = 0.8
|color5 = White
|label6 = Others
|value6 = 1.9
|color6 = Grey
}}

The province is home to over half the population of [[Pakistan]], and is the world's fifth-most populous [[Administrative division|subnational entity]], and the most populous outside [[China]] or [[India]]. Punjabis are a [[heterogeneous]] group comprising different [[tribe]]s, [[clan]]s ({{lang-ur|{{Nastaliq|برادری}}}}) or [[Community|communities]]. In Pakistani Punjab, non-tribal social distinctions are primarily based on traditional occupations such as [[blacksmith]]s or [[artisan]]s, as opposed to rigid [[social stratification]]s.<ref>Muslim peoples: a world ethnographic survey / Richard V. Weekes, editor-in-chief Greenwood Press 1978</ref>

Punjab has the lowest poverty rates in Pakistan, although a divide is present between the northern and southern parts of the province.<ref name="tribune.com.pk"/> [[Sialkot District]] in the prosperous northern part of the province has a poverty rate of 5.63%,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Arif|first1=G. M.|title=Poverty Profile of Pakistan|url=http://www.bisp.gov.pk/PIDEReports/poverty.pdf|website=Benazir Income Support Programme|publisher=Government of Pakistan|access-date=14 July 2016|quote=See Table 5, Page 12|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161213111826/http://www.bisp.gov.pk/PIDEReports/poverty.pdf|archive-date=13 December 2016}}</ref> while [[Rajanpur District]] in the poorer south has a poverty rate of 60.05%.<ref name="auto1"/>

=== Languages ===
{{see also|Languages of Pakistan}}
{{more information|Punjabi dialects|Punjabi Language Movement}}
{{bar box
|float = left
|title = Languages of Punjab (2017 Census)<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1410447|access-date=2 April 2020|title=CCI defers approval of census results until elections}}</ref>
|bars =
{{bar percent|[[Punjabi language|Punjabi]]|Green|69.67}}
{{bar percent|[[Saraiki language|Saraiki]]|Blue|20.68}}
{{bar percent|[[Urdu]]|DarkSlateGray|4.87}}
{{bar percent|[[Pashto]]|Violet|1.98}}
{{bar percent|[[Balochi language|Balochi]]|Yellow|0.83}}
{{bar percent|[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]|Red|0.15}}
}}
{{clear}}
The major native language spoken in the Punjab is [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]], representing the largest ethnic group in the country. Punjabi is recognized as the provincial language of Punjab but is not given any official recognition in the [[Constitution of Pakistan]] at the national level.

[[Saraiki language|Saraiki]] is mostly spoken in south Punjab,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ethnologue.com/language/skr |title=Saraiki, a Language of Pakistan |publisher=Ethnologue |access-date=25 September 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924061905/http://www.ethnologue.com/language/SKR |archive-date=24 September 2015 }}</ref> and [[Pashto]], spoken in some parts of north west Punjab, especially in [[Attock District]] and [[Mianwali District]] near Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
[[File:Punjabi prachar demand.jpg|thumb|A demonstration by Punjabis at Lahore, Pakistan, demanding to make Punjabi as official language of instruction in schools of the Punjab.]]The use of Urdu and English as the near exclusive languages of broadcasting, the public sector, and formal education have led some to fear that Punjabi in Pakistan is being relegated to a low-status language and that it is being denied an environment where it can flourish. Several prominent educational leaders, researchers, and social commentators have echoed the opinion that the intentional promotion of Urdu and the continued denial of any official sanction or recognition of the Punjabi language amounts to a process of "Urdu-isation" that is detrimental to the health of the Punjabi language<ref name="apnaorg">{{cite web|url=http://apnaorg.com/articles/ishtiaq8/|publisher=apnaorg.com|title=Punjabis Without Punjabi|access-date=13 January 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525144848/http://apnaorg.com/articles/ishtiaq8/|archive-date=25 May 2017}}</ref><ref>"Inferiority complex declining Punjabi language: Punjab University Vice-Chancellor". PPI News Agency
*{{cite web|url=http://ppinewsagency.com/inferiority-complex-declining-punjabi-language-punjab-university-vice-chancellor/|publisher=ppinewsagency.com|title=Inferiority complex declining Punjabi language: Punjab University Vice-Chancellor | Pakistan Press International|access-date=13 January 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161127220151/http://ppinewsagency.com/inferiority-complex-declining-punjabi-language-punjab-university-vice-chancellor/|archive-date=27 November 2016}}
</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/880483/urdu-isation-of-punjab/|title=Urdu-isation of Punjab - The Express Tribune|date=4 May 2015|newspaper=The Express Tribune|language=en-US|access-date=30 December 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161127215535/http://tribune.com.pk/story/880483/urdu-isation-of-punjab/|archive-date=27 November 2016}}</ref> In August 2015, the Pakistan Academy of Letters, International Writer's Council (IWC) and World Punjabi Congress (WPC) organised the ''Khawaja Farid Conference'' and demanded that a Punjabi-language university should be established in [[Lahore]] and that Punjabi language should be declared as the medium of instruction at the primary level.<ref name="The Nation 2011">{{cite web|url=http://nation.com.pk/lahore/21-Feb-2011/Rally-for-ending-150yearold-ban-on-education-in-Punjabi|title=Rally for ending 150-year-old 'ban on education in Punjabi|date=21 February 2011|website=The Nation|access-date=15 September 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307142807/http://nation.com.pk/lahore/21-Feb-2011/Rally-for-ending-150yearold-ban-on-education-in-Punjabi|archive-date=7 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://nation.com.pk/lahore/26-Aug-2015/sufi-poets-can-guarantee-unity|title=Sufi poets can guarantee unity|date=26 August 2015|magazine=The Nation|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151030021751/http://nation.com.pk/lahore/26-Aug-2015/sufi-poets-can-guarantee-unity|archive-date=30 October 2015}}</ref> In September 2015, a case was filed in [[Supreme Court of Pakistan]] against [[Government of Punjab, Pakistan]] as it did not take any step to implement the Punjabi language in the province.<ref name="The Nation 2015">{{cite web|url=http://nation.com.pk/blogs/15-Sep-2015/supreme-court-s-urdu-verdict-no-language-can-be-imposed-from-above|title=Supreme Court's Urdu verdict: No language can be imposed from above|date=15 September 2015|website=The Nation|access-date=15 September 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150916165410/http://nation.com.pk/blogs/15-Sep-2015/supreme-court-s-urdu-verdict-no-language-can-be-imposed-from-above|archive-date=16 September 2015}}</ref><ref name="Business Recorder 2015">{{cite web|url=http://www.brecorder.com/top-news/109-world-top-news/254518-two-member-sc-bench-refers-punjabi-language-case-to-cjp.html|title=Two-member SC bench refers Punjabi language case to CJP|date=14 September 2015|website=Business Recorder|access-date=15 September 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151021133224/http://www.brecorder.com/top-news/109-world-top-news/254518-two-member-sc-bench-refers-punjabi-language-case-to-cjp.html|archive-date=21 October 2015}}</ref> Additionally, several thousand Punjabis gather in [[Lahore]] every year on [[International Mother Language Day]].

[[Hafiz Muhammad Saeed|Hafiz Saeed]], chief of Jama'at-ud-Da'wah (JuD) has questioned Pakistan's decision to adopt Urdu as its national language in a country where majority of people speak Punjabi language, citing his interpretation of Islamic doctrine as encouraging education in the mother-tongue.<ref>"Pakistan should have adopted Punjabi as national language: Hafiz Saeed" ''Zee News''. 6 March 2016
*{{cite web|url=http://zeenews.india.com/news/south-asia/pakistan-should-have-adopted-punjabi-as-national-language-hafiz-saeed_1862842.html|publisher=Zee News|title=Pakistan should have adopted Punjabi as national language: Hafiz Saeed | Zee News|access-date=13 January 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525141615/http://zeenews.india.com/news/south-asia/pakistan-should-have-adopted-punjabi-as-national-language-hafiz-saeed_1862842.html|archive-date=25 May 2017|date=6 March 2016}}
</ref> The list of thinktanks, political organisations, cultural projects, and individuals that demand authorities at the national and provincial level to promote the use of the language in the public and official spheres includes:
* Cultural and research institutes: Punjabi Adabi Board, the Khoj Garh Research Centre, Punjabi Prachar, Institute for Peace and Secular Studies, Adbi Sangat, Khaaksaar Tehreek, Saanjh, Maan Boli Research Centre, Punjabi Sangat Pakistan, Punjabi Markaz, Sver International
* Trade unions and youth groups: Punjabi Writers Forum, National Students Federation, Punjabi Union-Pakistan, Punjabi National Conference, National Youth Forum, Punjabi Writers Forum, National Students Federation, Punjabi Union, Pakistan, and the Punjabi National Conference.
* Notable activists include Tariq Jatala, Farhad Iqbal, Diep Saeeda, Khalil Ojla, Afzal Sahir, Jamil Ahmad Paul, Mazhar Tirmazi, Mushtaq Sufi, Biya Je, Tohid Ahmad Chattha and Bilal Shaker Kahaloon, Nazeer Kahut<ref>"Mind your language—The movement for the preservation of Punjabi". ''The Herald''. 2 September 2106.
*{{cite web|url=http://herald.dawn.com/news/1153482|publisher=herald.dawn.com|title=Mind your language—The movement for the preservation of Punjabi - People & Society - Herald|access-date=13 January 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161223065731/http://herald.dawn.com/news/1153482|archive-date=23 December 2016|date=4 August 2016}}</ref><ref>"Punjabi in schools: Pro-Punjabi outfits in Pakistan threaten hunger strike". ''The Times of India''. 4 October 2015.
*{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Punjabi-in-schools-Pro-Punjabi-outfits-in-Pakistan-threaten-hunger-strike/articleshow/49214265.cms|publisher=timesofindia.indiatimes.com|title=Punjabi in schools: Pro-Punjabi outfits in Pakistan threaten hunger strike - Times of India|access-date=13 January 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927231834/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Punjabi-in-schools-Pro-Punjabi-outfits-in-Pakistan-threaten-hunger-strike/articleshow/49214265.cms|archive-date=27 September 2016}}
</ref><ref>"Rally for Ending the 150-year-old Ban on Education in Punjabi" ''The Nation.'' 21 February 2011.
*{{cite web|url=http://nation.com.pk/lahore/21-Feb-2011/Rally-for-ending-150yearold-ban-on-education-in-Punjabi|publisher=nation.com.pk|title=Rally for ending 150-year-old 'ban on education in Punjabi|access-date=13 January 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307142807/http://nation.com.pk/lahore/21-Feb-2011/Rally-for-ending-150yearold-ban-on-education-in-Punjabi|archive-date=7 March 2016|date=21 February 2011}}
</ref>

=== Religions ===
{{see also|Christianity in Punjab, Pakistan|Hinduism in Punjab, Pakistan}}

The [[Punjabi people]] first practiced [[Hinduism]], the oldest recorded religion in the Punjab region.<ref name="Nayar">{{Cite book |last=Nayar |first=Kamala Elizabeth |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q7pO-IZY218C&pg=PA7 |title=The Punjabis in British Columbia: Location, Labour, First Nations, and Multiculturalism |date=2012 |publisher=McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP |isbn=978-0-7735-4070-5 |language=en}}</ref> An ancient Indian law book called the [[Manusmriti]], developed by Brahmin Hindu priests, shaped Punjabi religious life from 200 BC onward.<ref name="Nayar"/> The [[History of Buddhism in India|spread of Buddhism]] and Jainism in India saw many Hindu Punjabis adopting the Buddhist and Jain faith though the [[decline of Buddhism in the Indian subcontinent]] resulted in Punjab becoming a Hindu society again, though Jainism continued as a minority religion.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Rambo |first1=Lewis R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U03gAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA490 |title=The Oxford Handbook of Religious Conversion |last2=Farhadian |first2=Charles E. |date=6 March 2014 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-971354-7 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Chhabra |first=G. S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vF9DAAAAYAAJ |title=Advanced History of the Punjab: Guru and post-Guru period upto Ranjit Singh |date=1968 |publisher=New Academic Publishing Company |page=37 |language=en}}</ref> The [[Muslim conquests in the Indian subcontinent|arrival of Islam in medieval India]] resulted in the conversion of some Hindu Punjabis to Islam,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lord |first=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VW4BAAAAMAAJ |title=The Maharajahs |date=1972 |publisher=Hutchinson |isbn=978-0-09-111050-5 |pages=7–8 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Nayar"/> and the rise of [[Sikhism]] in the 1700s saw some Punjabis, both Hindu and Muslim, accepting the new Sikh faith.<ref name="Nayar"/><ref>{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Pritam |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lQpswqcdDLIC&pg=PA25 |title=Federalism, Nationalism and Development: India and the Punjab Economy |date=19 February 2008 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-04946-2 |language=en}}</ref> A number of Punjabis during the [[colonial India|colonial period of India]] became Christians, with all of these religions characterizing the religious diversity now found in the Punjab region.<ref name="Nayar"/>

{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|caption = Religion in Punjab, Pakistan (2017 Census)<ref>{{cite web |title=Population by Religion |url=http://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/tables/POPULATION%20BY%20RELIGION.pdf |website=pbs.gov.pk |publisher=[[Pakistan Bureau of Statistics]]}}</ref><ref name="2017 Census">{{cite web|title=SALIENT FEATURES OF FINAL RESULTS CENSUS-2017|url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files//population_census/sailent_feature_%20census_2017.pdf|access-date=20 May 2021}}</ref>
|label1 = [[Islam]]
|value1 = 97.2
|color1 = Green
|label2 = [[Christianity]]
|value2 = 2.5
|color2 = Blue
|label3 = Hinduism(incl.scheduled caste)
|value3 = 0.2
|color3 = Orange
|label4 = Others
|value4 = 0.1
|color4 = Brown

}}
The population of Punjab (Pakistan) is estimated to be 110,012,442, of which as per as 2017 census, 107,559,164 i.e. (97.2%) [[Muslim]] with a [[Sunni]] [[Hanafi]] majority and a [[Shia]] [[Ithna 'ashariyah]] minority. The largest non-Muslim minority is [[Christianity in Pakistan|Christians]] and make up 2,068,233 i.e. (2.5%) of the population. Hindus form about 220,024 I.e (0.2%) of the population. The other minorities include [[Sikhs]], [[Parsis]] and [[Baháʼí Faith|Baháʼís]].<ref name="2017 Census">{{cite web|title=SALIENT FEATURES OF FINAL RESULTS CENSUS-2017|url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files//population_census/sailent_feature_%20census_2017.pdf|access-date=20 May 2021}}</ref>

==Provincial government==
{{Main|Government of Punjab, Pakistan}}
{{See also|Provincial Assembly of the Punjab|Chief Minister of Punjab, Pakistan|Governor of Punjab, Pakistan}}
[[File:Beautiful view of Punjab Assembly Lahore - panoramio.jpg|thumb|200px|Punjab assembly, Lahore]]
The Government of Punjab is a provincial government in the federal structure of Pakistan, is based in [[Lahore]], the capital of the Punjab Province. The Chief Minister of Punjab (CM) is elected by the [[Provincial Assembly of the Punjab]] to serve as the head of the provincial government in Punjab, Pakistan. The current Chief Minister is [[Sardar Usman Buzdar]] He got elected as a result of 25 July 2018 elections. The Provincial Assembly of the Punjab is a unicameral legislature of elected representatives of the province of Punjab, which is located in Lahore in eastern Pakistan. The Assembly was established under Article 106 of the Constitution of Pakistan as having a total of 371 seats, with 66 seats reserved for women and eight reserved for non-Muslims.

There are 48 departments in Punjab government. Each Department is headed by a Provincial Minister (Politician) and a Provincial Secretary (A civil servant of usually BPS-20 or BPS-21). All Ministers report to the Chief Minister, who is the Chief Executive. All Secretaries report to the Chief Secretary of Punjab, who is usually a BPS-22 Civil Servant. The Chief Secretary in turn, reports to the Chief Minister. In addition to these departments, there are several Autonomous Bodies and Attached Departments that report directly to either the Secretaries or the Chief Secretary.

===Divisions===
{{Main|Divisions of Pakistan#The Divisions|l1=Divisions of Pakistan}}
[[File:Punjab (Pakistan) Divisions.png|thumb|Map of the Pakistani Punjab divisions]]
{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
! Sr. No.
! Division
! Headquarters
! Area (km2)
! Population (2017)
|-
|1
|[[Bahawalpur Division|Bahawalpur]]
|[[Bahawalpur]]
|45,588
|11,464,031
|-
|2
|[[Dera Ghazi Khan Division|Dera Ghazi Khan]]
|[[Dera Ghazi Khan]]
|38,778
|11,014,398
|-
|3
|[[Faisalabad Division|Faisalabad]]
|[[Faisalabad]]
|17,917
|14,177,081
|-
|4
|[[Gujranwala Division|Gujranwala]]
|[[Gujranwala]]
|17,206
|16,123,984
|-
|5
|[[Lahore Division|Lahore]]
|[[Lahore]]
|16,104
|19,398,081
|-
|6
|[[Multan Division|Multan]]
|[[Multan]]
|21,137
|12,265,161
|-
|7
|[[Rawalpindi Division|Rawalpindi]]
|[[Rawalpindi]]
|22,255
|10,007,821
|-
|8
|[[Sahiwal Division|Sahiwal]]
|[[Sahiwal]]
|10,302
|7,380,386
|-
|9
|[[Sargodha Division|Sargodha]]
|[[Sargodha]]
|26,360
|8,181,499
|}

When the divisions were restored as a tier of government in 2008, a tenth division – Sheikhupura Division – was created from part of Lahore Division.

===Districts===
{{Main|List of districts of Pakistan#Punjab|l1=Districts of Pakistan}}
[[File:Districts of Punjab (Pakistan).png|right|350px]]

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Sr. No.
! District
! Headquarters
! Area (km2)
! Population (2017)
! Density (people/km2)
! Division
|-
|1
|[[Attock District|Attock]]
|[[Attock]]
|align="right"|6,858
|align="right"|1,883,556
|align="right"|274
|[[Rawalpindi Division|Rawalpindi]]
|-
|2
|[[Bahawalnagar District|Bahawalnagar]]
|[[Bahawalnagar]]
|align="right"|8,878
|align="right"|2,981,919
|align="right"|335
|[[Bahawalpur Division|Bahawalpur]]
|-
|3
|[[Bahawalpur District|Bahawalpur]]
|[[Bahawalpur]]
|align="right"|24,830
|align="right"|3,668,106
|align="right"|147
|[[Bahawalpur Division|Bahawalpur]]
|-
|4
|[[Bhakkar District|Bhakkar]]
|[[Bhakkar]]
|align="right"|8,153
|align="right"|1,650,518
|align="right"|202
|[[Sargodha Division|Sargodha]]
|-
|5
|[[Chakwal District|Chakwal]]
|[[Chakwal]]
|align="right"|6,524
|align="right"|1,495,982
|align="right"|229
|[[Rawalpindi Division|Rawalpindi]]
|-
|6
|[[Chiniot District|Chiniot]]
|[[Chiniot]]
|align="right"|2,643
|align="right"|1,369,740
|align="right"|518
|[[Faisalabad Division|Faisalabad]]
|-
|7
|[[Dera Ghazi Khan District|Dera Ghazi Khan]]
|[[Dera Ghazi Khan]]
|align="right"|11,922
|align="right"|2,872,201
|align="right"|240
|[[Dera Ghazi Khan Division|Dera Ghazi Khan]]
|-
|8
|[[Faisalabad District|Faisalabad]]
|[[Faisalabad]]
|align="right"|5,856
|align="right"|7,873,910
|align="right"|1344
|[[Faisalabad Division|Faisalabad]]
|-
|9
|[[Gujranwala District|Gujranwala]]
|[[Gujranwala]]
|align="right"|3,622
|align="right"|5,014,196
|align="right"|1384
|[[Gujranwala Division|Gujranwala]]
|-
|10
|[[Gujrat District|Gujrat]]
|[[Gujrat City|Gujrat]]
|align="right"|3,192
|align="right"|2,756,110
|align="right"|863
|[[Gujranwala Division|Gujranwala]]
|-
|11
|[[Hafizabad District|Hafizabad]]
|[[Hafizabad]]
|align="right"|2,367
|align="right"|1,156,957
|align="right"|488
|[[Gujranwala Division|Gujranwala]]
|-
|12
|[[Jhang District|Jhang]]
|[[Jhang]]
|align="right"|8,809
|align="right"|2,743,416
|align="right"|311
|[[Faisalabad Division|Faisalabad]]
|-
|13
|[[Jhelum District|Jhelum]]
|[[Jhelum]]
|align="right"|3,587
|align="right"|1,222,650
|align="right"|340
|[[Rawalpindi Division|Rawalpindi]]
|-
|14
|[[Kasur District|Kasur]]
|[[Kasur]]
|align="right"|4,796
|align="right"|3,454,996
|align="right"|720
|[[Lahore Division|Lahore]]
|-
|15
|[[Khanewal District|Khanewal]]
|[[Khanewal]]
|align="right"|4,349
|align="right"|2,921,986
|align="right"|671
|[[Multan Division|Multan]]
|-
|16
|[[Khushab District|Khushab]]
|[[Khushab]]
|align="right"|6,511
|align="right"|1,281,299
|align="right"|196
|[[Sargodha Division|Sargodha]]
|-
|17
|[[Lahore District|Lahore]]
|[[Lahore]]
|align="right"|1,772
|align="right"|11,126,285
|align="right"|6278
|[[Lahore Division|Lahore]]
|-
|18
|[[Layyah District|Layyah]]
|[[Layyah]]
|align="right"|6,291
|align="right"|1,824,230
|align="right"|290
|[[Dera Ghazi Khan Division|Dera Ghazi Khan]]
|-
|19
|[[Lodhran District|Lodhran]]
|[[Lodhran]]
|align="right"|2,778
|align="right"|1,700,620
|align="right"|612
|[[Multan Division|Multan]]
|-
|20
|[[Mandi Bahauddin District|Mandi Bahauddin]]
|[[Mandi Bahauddin]]
|align="right"|2,673
|align="right"|1,593,292
|align="right"|596
|[[Gujranwala Division|Gujranwala]]
|-
|21
|[[Mianwali District|Mianwali]]
|[[Mianwali]]
|align="right"|5,840
|align="right"|1,546,094
|align="right"|264
|[[Sargodha Division|Sargodha]]
|-
|22
|[[Multan District|Multan]]
|[[Multan]]
|align="right"|3,720
|align="right"|4,745,109
|align="right"|1275
|[[Multan Division|Multan]]
|-
|23
|[[Muzaffargarh District|Muzaffargarh]]
|[[Muzaffargarh]]
|align="right"|8,249
|align="right"|4,322,009
|align="right"|523
|[[Dera Ghazi Khan Division|Dera Ghazi Khan]]
|-
|24
|[[Narowal District|Narowal]]
|[[Narowal]]
|align="right"|2,337
|align="right"|1,709,757
|align="right"|731
|[[Gujranwala Division|Gujranwala]]
|-
|25
|[[Nankana Sahib District|Nankana Sahib]]<ref name="nankana">{{in lang|en}} {{cite web| url=http://www.dawn.com/2005/05/10/nat43.htm| title=Nankana becomes district| first=Dawn Newspaper| last=Internet Edition| access-date=14 April 2006| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051001033405/http://www.dawn.com/2005/05/10/nat43.htm| archive-date=1 October 2005| df=dmy-all| date=10 May 2005}} No data is yet available on the recently created district of Nankana.</ref>
|[[Nankana Sahib]]
|align="right"|2,960
|align="right"|1,356,374
|align="right"|458
|[[Lahore Division|Lahore]]
|-
|26
|[[Okara District|Okara]]
|[[Okara, Pakistan|Okara]]
|align="right"|4,377
|align="right"|3,039,139
|align="right"|694
|[[Sahiwal Division|Sahiwal]]
|-
|27
|[[Pakpattan District|Pakpattan]]
|[[Pakpattan]]
|align="right"|2,724
|align="right"|1,823,687
|align="right"|669
|[[Sahiwal Division|Sahiwal]]
|-
|28
|[[Rahim Yar Khan District|Rahim Yar Khan]]
|[[Rahim Yar Khan]]
|align="right"|11,880
|align="right"|4,814,006
|align="right"|405
|[[Bahawalpur Division|Bahawalpur]]
|-
|29
|[[Rajanpur District|Rajanpur]]
|[[Rajanpur]]
|align="right"|12,319
|align="right"|1,995,958
|align="right"|162
|[[Dera Ghazi Khan Division|Dera Ghazi Khan]]
|-
|30
|[[Rawalpindi District|Rawalpindi]]
|[[Rawalpindi]]
|align="right"|5,286
|align="right"|5,405,633
|align="right"|1322
|[[Rawalpindi Division|Rawalpindi]]
|-
|31
|[[Sahiwal District|Sahiwal]]
|[[Sahiwal]]
|align="right"|3,201
|align="right"|2,517,560
|align="right"|786
|[[Sahiwal Division|Sahiwal]]
|-
|32
|[[Sargodha District|Sargodha]]
|[[Sargodha]]
|align="right"|5,854
|align="right"|3,703,588
|align="right"|632
|[[Sargodha Division|Sargodha]]
|-
|33
|[[Sheikhupura District|Sheikhupura]]
|[[Sheikhupura]]
|align="right"|5,960
|align="right"|3,460,426
|align="right"|580
|[[Lahore Division|Lahore]]
|-
|34
|[[Sialkot District|Sialkot]]
|[[Sialkot]]
|align="right"|3,016
|align="right"|3,893,672
|align="right"|1291
|[[Gujranwala Division|Gujranwala]]
|-
|35
|[[Toba Tek Singh District|Toba Tek Singh]]
|[[Toba Tek Singh]]
|align="right"|3,252
|align="right"|2,190,015
|align="right"|673
|[[Faisalabad Division|Faisalabad]]
|-
|36
|[[Vehari District|Vehari]]
|[[Vehari]]
|align="right"|4,364
|align="right"|2,897,446
|align="right"|663
|[[Multan Division|Multan]]
|}

{{Districts of Punjab (Pakistan)|Districts of Punjab (Pakistan) Map}}

==Major cities==
{{Main|List of cities in Punjab (Pakistan)|List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population}}
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 70%; font-size: 85%; border: #999 solid 1px; text-align: lcenter; margin-bottom: 0; margin: 1em auto 1em auto"
|-
! colspan="5" style="text-align:center; background:YellowGreen;"| '''List of major cities in Punjab'''
|-
! style="text-align:center; background:YellowGreen;"| Rank
! style="text-align:center; background:YellowGreen;"| City
! style="text-align:center; background:YellowGreen;"| District
! style="text-align:center; background:YellowGreen;"| Population
! style="text-align:center; background:YellowGreen;"| Image

|-
| style="text-align:center; background:YellowGreen;"| 1 ||align=left | '''[[Lahore]]''' ||align=left | [[Lahore District|Lahore]] || 11,126,285 || [[File:Badshahi Mosquee, Lahore.jpg|200px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:YellowGreen;"| 2 ||align=left | '''[[Faisalabad]]''' ||align=left | [[Faisalabad District|Faisalabad]] || 3,204,726 || [[File:Clock Tower Faisalabad by Usman Nadeem.jpg|200px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:YellowGreen;"| 3 ||align=left | '''[[Rawalpindi]]''' ||align=left | [[Rawalpindi District|Rawalpindi]] || 2,098,231 || [[File:Rawal Lake Eastern Bank.jpg|200px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:YellowGreen;" | 4 || align="left" | '''[[Gujranwala]]'''|| align="left" |[[Gujranwala District|Gujranwala]]|| 2,027,001 || [[File:Nishan-E-Manzil Gujranwala 20140925.jpg|200px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:YellowGreen;" | 5 || align="left" | '''[[Multan]]'''|| align="left" |[[Multan District|Multan]]|| 1,871,843 || [[File:Shah Rukn e Alam by M Ali Mir 03.jpg|200px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:YellowGreen;" | 6 || align="left" | '''[[Bahawalpur]]'''|| align="left" |[[Bahawalpur District|Bahawalpur]]|| 762,111 || [[File:Front Elevation of Noor Mahal.jpg|200px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:YellowGreen;"| 7 ||align=left | '''[[Sargodha]]''' ||align=left | [[Sargodha District|Sargodha]] || 659,862 || [[File:Central Library of University of Sargodha.jpg|200px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:YellowGreen;" | 8 || align="left" | '''[[Sialkot]]'''|| align="left" |[[Sialkot District|Sialkot]]|| 655,852 || [[File:Clock Tower, Sialkot 21.jpg|200px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:YellowGreen;" | 9 || align="left" | '''[[Sheikhupura]]'''|| align="left" |[[Sheikhupura District|Sheikhupura]]|| 473,129 || [[File:Hiran Minar- monument to Mansraj.jpg|200px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:YellowGreen;" | 10 || align="left" | '''[[Rahim Yar Khan]]'''|| align="left" |[[Rahim Yar Khan District|Rahim Yar Khan]]|| 420,419 || [[File:Bhong Mosaue Main Building.jpg|200px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:YellowGreen;"| 11 ||align=left | '''[[Jhang]]''' ||align=left | [[Jhang District|Jhang]] || 414,131 || [[File:Shrine of Sufi Saint Sultan Bahu, Jhang .jpg|200px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:YellowGreen;" | 12 || align="left" | '''[[Dera Ghazi Khan]]'''|| align="left" |[[Dera Ghazi Khan District|Dera Ghazi Khan]]|| 399,064 || [[File:Statue of horses, D.G. Khan.jpg|200px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:YellowGreen;" | 13 || align="left" | '''[[Gujrat city|Gujrat]]'''|| align="left" |[[Gujrat District|Gujrat]]|| 390,533 || [[File:Mosque in Gujrat Pakistan.JPG|200px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:YellowGreen;" | 14 || align="left" | '''[[Sahiwal]]'''|| align="left" |[[Sahiwal District|Sahiwal]]|| 389,605 || [[File:Ravi bridge.jpg|200px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:YellowGreen;" | 15 || align="left" | '''[[Wah Cantonment]]'''|| align="left" |[[Rawalpindi District|Rawalpindi]]|| 380,103 || [[File:Central Mosque (Markai Jamia Masjid), Wah Cantt.jpg|200px]]
|-
| colspan="5" style="text-align:center; background:#f5f5f5;"| '''Source: pbscensus 2017'''<ref name="DISTRICT WISE CENSUS RESULTS CENSUS 2017">{{cite web|url=http://www.pbscensus.gov.pk/sites/default/files/DISTRICT_WISE_CENSUS_RESULTS_CENSUS_2017.pdf|title=DISTRICT WISE CENSUS RESULTS CENSUS 2017|publisher=www.pbscensus.gov.pk|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829164748/http://www.pbscensus.gov.pk/sites/default/files/DISTRICT_WISE_CENSUS_RESULTS_CENSUS_2017.pdf|archive-date=29 August 2017}}</ref>
|-
| colspan="5" style="text-align:center; background:#f5f5f5;"| '''This is a list of city proper populations and does not indicate metro populations.'''
|}

==Economy==
{{Main|Economy of Punjab, Pakistan}}

[[File:GDP by Province.jpg|thumb|right|GDP by Province]]
Punjab has the [[List of Pakistani provinces by GDP|largest economy]] in Pakistan, contributing most to the national GDP. The province's economy has quadrupled since 1972.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://siteresources.worldbank.org/PAKISTANEXTN/Resources/293051-1241610364594/6097548-1257441952102/balochistaneconomicreportvol2.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501074227/http://siteresources.worldbank.org/PAKISTANEXTN/Resources/293051-1241610364594/6097548-1257441952102/balochistaneconomicreportvol2.pdf|url-status=dead|title=World Bank Document|archive-date=1 May 2011|access-date=19 December 2019}}</ref> Its share of Pakistan's GDP was 54.7% in 2000 and 59% as of 2010. It is especially dominant in the service and agriculture sectors of Pakistan's economy. With its contribution ranging from 52.1% to 64.5% in the Service Sector and 56.1% to 61.5% in the agriculture sector. It is also a major manpower contributor because it has the largest pool of professionals and highly skilled (technically trained) manpower in Pakistan. It is also dominant in the manufacturing sector, though the dominance is not as huge, with historical contributions ranging from a low of 44% to a high of 52.6%.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.spdc.org.pk/pubs/nps/nps5.pdf|title=Provincial Accounts of Pakistan: Methodology and Estimates 1973–2000|access-date=19 December 2019}}{{Dead link|date=December 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> In 2007, Punjab achieved a growth rate of 7.8%<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=152370|title=The News International: Latest, Breaking, Pakistan, Sports and Video News|access-date=22 April 2015|archive-date=28 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728093450/https://www.thenews.com.pk/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and during the period 2002–03 to 2007–08, its economy grew at a rate of between 7% to 8% per year.<ref>A PricewaterhouseCoopers study released in 2009, surveying the 2008 GDP of the top cities in the world, calculated Faisalabad's GDP (PPP) at $35 billion. The city was third in Pakistan behind Karachi ($78 billion) and Lahore ($40 billion). Faisalabad's GDP is projected to rise to $37 billion in 2025 at a growth rate of 5.7%, higher than the growth rates of 5.5% and 5.6% predicted for Karachi and Lahore.[2][ "PricewaterhouseCoopers Media Centre". Ukmediacentre.pwc.com. 1 June 2005.][http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/in-paper-magazine/economic-and-business/micro-credit,-income-distribution,-poverty-789 – Last Paragraph]{{Dead link|date=December 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and during 2008–09 grew at 6% against the total GDP growth of Pakistan at 4%.

Despite the lack of a coastline, Punjab is the most industrialised province of Pakistan;<ref name="auto"/> its manufacturing industries produce textiles, sports goods, heavy machinery, electrical appliances, surgical instruments, vehicles, auto parts, metals, sugar mill plants, aircraft, cement, agricultural machinery, bicycles and rickshaws, floor coverings, and processed foods. In 2003, the province manufactured 90% of the paper and paper boards, 71% of the fertilizers, 69% of the sugar and 40% of the cement of Pakistan.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://203.215.180.58/portal/docimages/9327manufacturing.pdf|title= Punjab Gateway|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070705111033/http://203.215.180.58/portal/docimages/9327manufacturing.pdf|archive-date= 5 July 2007|df= dmy-all}}</ref>
[[File:Industrial Zones Punjab.jpg|190px|thumb|right|Industrial Zones Punjab, Source:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.findpk.com/yp/Biz_Guide/html/industrial_zones_punjab.html|title=Industrial Zone Punjab, Pakistan|first=ZAHID IKRAM|last=ceo@cybercity-online.net|website=findpk.com|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711003615/http://www.findpk.com/yp/Biz_Guide/html/industrial_zones_punjab.html|archive-date=11 July 2011}}</ref>]]
Despite its [[tropical wet and dry climate]], extensive irrigation makes it a rich agricultural region. Its canal-irrigation system established by the British is the largest in the world. Wheat and cotton are the largest crops. Other crops include rice, [[sugarcane]], [[millet]], [[maize|corn]], [[oilseeds]], [[Pulse (legume)|pulses]], vegetables, and fruits such as [[kinoo]]. Livestock and poultry production are also important. Despite past animosities, the rural masses in Punjab's farms continue to use the Hindu calendar for planting and harvesting.

Punjab contributes about 76% to annual food grain production in the country. Cotton and rice are important crops. They are the [[cash crops]] that contribute substantially to the national exchequer. Attaining self-sufficiency in agriculture has shifted the focus of the strategies towards small and medium farming, stress on barani areas, farms-to-market roads, electrification for tube-wells and control of water logging and salinity.

Punjab has also more than 68 thousand industrial units. There are 39,033 small and cottage industrial units. The number of textile units is 14,820. The ginning industries are 6,778. There are 7,355 units for processing of agricultural raw materials including food and feed industries.

Lahore and Gujranwala Divisions have the largest concentration of small light engineering units. The district of Sialkot excels in sports goods, surgical instruments and cutlery goods. Industrial estates are being developed by Punjab government to boost industrialization in province, [[Quaid e Azam Business Park Sheikhupura]] is one of the industrial area which is being developed near Sheikhupura on Lahore-Islamabad motorway.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://pie.com.pk/quaid-e-azam-business-park | title=PIEDMC - Punjab Industrial Estate Development and Management Company}}</ref>

Punjab is also a mineral-rich province with extensive mineral deposits of coal, iron, gas, petrol, [[rock salt]] (with the second largest salt mine in the world), [[Dolomite (mineral)|dolomite]], [[gypsum]], and silica-sand. The Punjab Mineral Development Corporation is running over a hundred economically viable projects. Manufacturing includes machine products, cement, plastics, and various other goods.

The incidence of poverty differs between the different regions of Punjab. With Northern and Central Punjab facing much lower levels of poverty than Western and Southern Punjab. Those living in Southern and Western Punjab are also a lot more dependent on agriculture due to lower levels of industrialisation in those regions.

==Education==
[[File:Government College University Tower in Lahore.jpg|thumb|[[Government College University, Lahore]]]]
The literacy rate has increased greatly over the last 40 years (see the table below). Punjab has the highest [[List of administrative units of Pakistan by Human Development Index|Human Development Index]] out of all of Pakistan's provinces at 0.564.<ref name="Subnational HDR"/>

{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
! Year || Literacy Rate
|-
| 1972 || 20.7%
|-
| 1981 || 27.4%
|-
| 1998 || 46.56%
|-
| 2009 || 59.6%
|-
| 2018 || 64.7%<ref>{{cite news |last1=Razzaque |first1=Ayesha |title=The road to school |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/738566-the-road-to-school |access-date=30 November 2020 |work=The International News |date=4 November 2020}}</ref>

|}

Sources:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0014/001459/145959e.pdf|title=Pakistan: where and who are the world's illiterates?; Background paper for the Education for all global monitoring report 2006: literacy for life; 2005|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091223003430/http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0014/001459/145959e.pdf|archive-date=23 December 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/119101/rural-women-uphold-pakistans-literacy-rate/|title=Rural women uphold Pakistan's literacy rate|date=15 February 2011|work=The Express Tribune|access-date=22 April 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015023752/http://tribune.com.pk/story/119101/rural-women-uphold-pakistans-literacy-rate/|archive-date=15 October 2014}}</ref>

This is a chart of the education market of Punjab estimated by the government in 1998.
{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
! Qualification || Urban || Rural || Total || Enrollment Ratio(%)
|-
| – || '''23,019,025''' || '''50,602,265''' || '''73,621,290''' || —
|-
| Below Primary || 3,356,173 || 11,598,039 || 14,954,212 || 100.00
|-
| Primary || 6,205,929 || 18,039,707 || 24,245,636 || 79.68
|-
| Middle || 5,140,148 || 10,818,764 || 15,958,912 || 46.75
|-
| Matriculation || 4,624,522 || 7,119,738 || 11,744,260 || 25.07
|-
| Intermediate || 1,862,239 || 1,821,681 || 3,683,920 || 9.12
|-
| BA, BSc... degrees || 110,491 || 96,144 || 206,635 || 4.12
|-
| MA, MSc... degrees || 1,226,914 || 764,094 || 1,991,008 || 3.84
|-
| Diploma, Certificate... || 418,946 || 222,649 || 641,595 || 1.13
|-
| Other qualifications || 73,663 || 121,449 || 195,112 || 0.26
|}

===Public universities===
[[File:University of Sargodha.jpg|thumb|Main entrance to The university of [[Sargodha]]]]
[[File:Government college for Women Dhoke Kala Khan.JPG|thumb|A women's college in [[Rawalpindi]]]]
[[File:June21-2004-ThePunjabUniversity-OldCampusBuilding-1.jpeg|thumb|University of the Punjab]]
[[File:Agricultural unive fsd.jpg|thumb|University of Agriculture, Faisalabad]]
[[File:Patialamain.png|thumb|King Edward Medical University, Lahore]]
*[[Allama Iqbal Medical College]], [[Lahore]]
*[[Bahauddin Zakariya University]], [[Multan]]
*[[COMSATS Institute of Information Technology]], Lahore
*[[COMSATS Institute of Information Technology]], Sahiwal
*[[Fatima Jinnah Women University]], [[Rawalpindi]]
*[[Ghazi University D.G.Khan]], D.G.Khan
*[[Government College University, Lahore]]
*[[Government College University, Faisalabad]]
*[[Gujranwala Medical College]], Gujranwala
*[[Khawaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology]], Rahim Yar Khan
*[[King Edward Medical University|King Edward Medical College]], Lahore
*[[Kinnaird College for Women]], Lahore
*[[Lahore College for Women University]], Lahore
*[[Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture]], Multan
*[[Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Engineering & Technology]], Multan
*[[National College of Arts]], Lahore
*[[National Textile University]], Faisalabad
*[[NFC Institute of Engineering and Technology]], Multan
*[[Nishtar Medical College]], Multan
*[[Sargodha Medical College]], Sargodha
*[[Rawalpindi Women University]]
*[[The Islamia University of Bahawalpur]], [[Bahawalpur]]
*[[University College of Agriculture]], [[Sargodha]]
*[[University of Agriculture, Faisalabad|University of Agriculture]], Faisalabad
*[[University of Arid Agriculture]], Rawalpindi
*[[University of Education]], Lahore
*[[University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore]]
*[[University of Engineering and Technology, Taxila]]
*[[University of Gujrat]], [[Gujrat city|Gujrat]]
*[[University of Health Sciences, Lahore]]
*[[University of Sahiwal]]
*[[University of Sargodha]], [[Sargodha]]
*[[University of the Punjab]], Lahore
*[[University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences]], Lahore
*[[Virtual University of Pakistan]], Lahore
*[[Women University Multan]], Multan

===Private universities===
[[File:Badshahi Masjid at night on July 20 2005.jpg|thumb|[[Badshahi Masjid]] in [[Lahore]]]]
*[[Beaconhouse School System|Beaconhouse National University]], Lahore
*[[Forman Christian College]], Lahore
*[[GIFT University]], Gujranwala
*[[Hajvery University, Lahore]]
*[[Imperial College of Business Studies]], Lahore
*[[Institute of Management Sciences, Lahore]], [[Pak-AIMS]], Lahore
*[[Lahore School of Economics]], Lahore
*[[Lahore University of Management Sciences]], Lahore
*[[Minhaj International University]], Lahore
*[[National University of Computer & Emerging Sciences]], [[Lahore]]
*[[Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design]], Lahore
*[[Sargodha Institute of Technology]], [[Sargodha]]
*[[University of Central Punjab]], Lahore
*[[University of Faisalabad]], Faisalabad
*[[University of Health Sciences, Lahore]]
*[[University of Lahore]], Lahore
*[[University of Management and Technology (Pakistan)|University of Management and Technology]], Lahore
*[[University of South Asia, Lahore]]
*[[University College Lahore]], Lahore
*[[University of Wah]], Wah Cantonment
*[[HITEC University]], Taxila Cantonment
*[[Institute of Southern Punjab]], Multan
*[[Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Technology]], Multan
*[[Multan Medical and Dental College]], Multan
*[[Lahore Garrison University]], Lahore<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.lgu.edu.pk/ |title = Lahore Garrison University}}</ref>

==Culture==
{{Main|Punjabi culture}}
[[File:Tomb of Shah Rukn-e-Alam 2014-07-31.jpg|thumb|[[Tomb of Shah Rukn-e-Alam]], [[Multan]] (1320 AD)]]
[[File:Baba ram thaman temple in kasur.jpg|thumb|[[Baba Ram Thaman Shrine]]]]

Punjab has been the cradle of civilisation since time immemorial. The ruins of [[Harappa]] show an advanced urban culture that flourished over 8000 years ago. [[Taxila|Ancient Taxila]], another historic landmark also stands out as a proof of the achievements of the area in learning, arts and crafts. The ancient Hindu [[Katasraj temple]] and the Salt Range temples are regaining attention and are in need of repair.

Mosques abound all over Punjab and vary in architectural style. Calligraphic inscriptions from the Quran decorate mosques and mausoleums in Punjab. The inscriptions on bricks and tiles of the mausoleum of Shah Rukn-e-Alam (1320 AD) at [[Multan]] are outstanding specimens of architectural calligraphy. The earliest existing building in South Asia with enamelled tile-work is the tomb of Shah Yusuf Gardezi (1150 AD) at Multan. A specimen of the sixteenth century tile-work at Lahore is the tomb of Sheikh Musa Ahangar, with its brilliant blue dome. The tile-work of Emperor [[Shah Jahan]] is of a richer and more elaborate nature. The pictured wall of Lahore Fort is the last line in the tile-work in the entire world.

==Fairs and festivals==
{{Main|Punjabi festivals (Pakistan)}}
The culture of Punjab derives its basis from the institution of [[Sufism|Sufi saints]], who spread Islam and preached and lived the Muslim way of life. People have festivities to commemorate these traditions. The fairs and festivals of Punjab reflect the entire gamut of its folk life and cultural traditions. These mainly fall in the following categories:

===Religious and seasonal fairs and festivals===
Religious fairs are held on special days of Islamic significance like [[Eid ul-Adha]], [[Eid-ul-Fitr]], [[Milad al-Nabi|Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi]], [[Shahb-e-Barat]], [[Day of Ashura|Ashura]], [[Laylat al-Qadr]] and [[Jumu'ah-tul-Wida]]. The main activities on these special occasions are confined to congregational prayers and rituals. Melas are also held to mark these occasions.

===Devotional fairs (Urs)===
[[File:Data Durbar night view.jpg|220px|thumb|Punjab is famous for various shrines of [[Sufi]] saints and [[Data durbar]] in particular]]
The fairs held at the shrines of [[Sufi]] saints are called [[urs]]. They generally mark the death anniversary of the saint. On these occasions, devotees assemble in large numbers and pay homage to the memory of the saint. Soul inspiring music is played and devotees dance in ecstasy. The music on these occasions is essentially folk and appealing. It forms a part of the folk music through mystic messages. The most important urs are: urs of Data [[Ali Hujwiri|Ganj Buksh]] at [[Lahore]], urs of [[Sultan Bahu]] at [[Jhang]], urs of Shah Jewna at [[Jhang]], urs of [[Mian Mir]] at Lahore, urs of [[Baba Farid]] Ganj Shakar at [[Pakpattan]], urs of Bahaudin Zakria at [[Multan]], urs of Sakhi Sarwar Sultan at [[Dera Ghazi Khan]], urs of [[Shah Hussain]] at Lahore, urs of [[Bulleh Shah]] at [[Kasur]], urs of Imam Bari (Bari Shah Latif) at [[Rawalpindi]]-Islamabad and urs of Shah Inayat Qadri (the murrshad of [[Bulleh Shah]]) in Lahore.

A big fair/mela is organised at [[Jandiala Sher Khan]] in district [[Sheikhupura]] on the mausoleum of Syed [[Waris Shah]] who is the most loved Sufi poet of Punjab due to his classic work, [[Heer Ranjha]]. The shrine of [[Heer Ranjha]] in [[Jhang]] is one of the most visited shrines in Punjab.
[[File:Badshahi Mosque, Lahore.JPG|220px|thumb|right|[[Badshahi Mosque]], built by Mughal Emperor [[Aurangzeb]] at [[Lahore]]]]

===Industrial and commercial fairs===
Exhibitions and annual horse shows in all districts and a national horse and cattle show at Lahore are held with the official patronage. The national horse and cattle show at Lahore is the biggest festival where sports, exhibitions, and livestock competitions are held. It not only encourages and patronises agricultural products and livestock through the exhibitions of agricultural products and cattle but is also a colourful documentary on the rich cultural heritage of the province with its strong rural roots.

===Other festivals===
Vaisakhi, also called Besakhi, is a harvest festival to celebrate harvesting the wheat crop. Colourful festivals are held at the time of Besakhi when farmers are free to enjoy their leisure time.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DsRjAAAAMAAJ&q=attract|title=As memories come|first=M. Siddiq|last=Kalim|date=29 December 2017|publisher=Ferozsons|isbn=9789690020062|via=Google Books|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171229113053/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=DsRjAAAAMAAJ&dq=besakhi+pakistan+as+memories+come&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=attract|archive-date=29 December 2017}}</ref> Various literary festivals and fairs are organised in many places.<ref>Pakistan Today (8 April 2016) [http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2016/04/08/promoting-peace-with-punjabi-at-visakhi-mela/ Punjabi Parchar spreads colours of love at Visakhi Mela] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170520050639/https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2016/04/08/promoting-peace-with-punjabi-at-visakhi-mela/ |date=20 May 2017 }}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/953015|title=A fair dedicated to animal lovers|date=20 April 2009|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170412062615/https://www.dawn.com/news/953015|archive-date=12 April 2017}}</ref><ref>Agnes Ziegler, Akhtar Mummunka (2006) The final Frontier: unique photographs of Pakistan. Sang-e-Meel Publications {{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AhNuAAAAMAAJ&q=besakhi+mela+sakhi |title=The final Frontier: Unique photographs of Pakistan |access-date=15 May 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170412062735/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=AhNuAAAAMAAJ&q=besakhi+mela+sakhi&dq=besakhi+mela+sakhi&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiQ67W705zTAhVrKsAKHZ5iBJIQ6AEIHDAA |archive-date=12 April 2017 |isbn=9789693517736 |last1=Ziegler |first1=Agnes |last2=Mummunka |first2=Akhtar |year=2006 }}</ref>

[[Basant Kite Festival (Punjab)|Basant]] is a seasonal festival and is celebrated as a spring festival of kites.<ref name="autogenerated1">The Sikh World: An Encyclopedia Survey of Sikh Religion and Culture: Ramesh Chander Dogra and Urmila Dogra; {{ISBN|81-7476-443-7}}</ref> The day is marked by wearing yellow, eating food with yellow colouring such as potatoes with turmeric and saffron rice, and holding parties.<ref>Khawar Mumtaz, Yameema Mitha, Bilquis Tahira (2003) Pakistan: Tradition and Change. Oxfam [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=NrnRZQGklwMC&pg=PA19&dq=basant+pakistan+wearing+yellow&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjB-rv8l_DTAhVDJcAKHUJKDMQQ6AEIIjAA#v=onepage&q=basant%20pakistan%20wearing%20yellow&f=false] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180106073433/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=NrnRZQGklwMC&pg=PA19&dq=basant+pakistan+wearing+yellow&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjB-rv8l_DTAhVDJcAKHUJKDMQQ6AEIIjAA|date=6 January 2018}}</ref>

==Arts and crafts==
The crafts in the Punjab are of two types: the crafts produced in the rural areas and the royal crafts. [[File:A riding saddle for camel.jpg|thumb|[[Camel]] saddle created in [[Multan]] or in other parts of Pakistan. It is very different from [[Multani Khussa]]]]
[[Multan]] is one of the oldest regions in Pakistan where artisans create or decorate objects traditionally. Camel skin is used to produce camel-lamps, whereas camel bone is used to produce jewellery and decorative pieces. Wood crafts and blue pottery are commonly used by the artisans. "Multani Khussa", a type of shoes is created by crafting leather.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/1318785/handicraft-makers-multan-chamber-seeks-support-artisans/|title=Handicraft-makers: Multan chamber seeks support for artisans|date=7 February 2017|website=The Express Tribune}}</ref> [[Hyderabad, Sindh]] is particularly producing wooden furniture, sports goods and embroidery items.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/magazine/you/397653-the-vibrancy-of-our-culture|title=The vibrancy of our culture|website=www.thenews.com.pk}}</ref>
[[File:Wooden horse statue.jpg|thumb|[[Sillanwali]] woodworking, a wooden horse]]
The artisans of [[Sillanwali]] town of Punjab, Pakistan produce several types of jars which are created from wooden candy and other traditional containers. Unlike other cities of Pakistan, it is known for woodwork handicrafts.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nation.com.pk/12-May-2011/Sillanwali-admired-for-grooming-handicrafts|title=Sillanwali admired for grooming handicrafts|date=12 May 2011|website=The Nation}}</ref>

[[File:Aug26 07 (7) (Large).JPG|thumb|[[Matki (earthen pot)|Matki earthen pot]], a clay vase exhibition]]
[[Matki (earthen pot)|Matki earthen pot]] is one of the handicrafts of Pakistan, especially in [[Rawalpindi]] and [[Islamabad]] are the main regions in country where people use and craft "matki" pots.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/1996186/1-trend-earthen-water-pitchers-persists-twin-cities/|title=Trend of earthen water pitchers persists in twin cities|date=20 June 2019|website=The Express Tribune}}</ref>

== Tourism ==
{{Main|Tourism in Punjab, Pakistan}}
{{more citations needed section|date=June 2021}}

[[File:Lahore Fort.jpg|thumb|The [[Lahore Fort]], a landmark built during the Mughal era, is a [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]]]]
The province is home to several historical sites, including the [[Shalimar Gardens (Lahore)|Shalimar Gardens]], the [[Lahore Fort]], the [[Badshahi Mosque]], the Rohtas Fort and the ruins of the ancient city of [[Harrapa]]. The [[Anarkali|Anarkali Market]] and [[Jahangir]]'s Tomb are prominent in the city of [[Lahore]] as is the [[Lahore Museum]], while the ancient city of [[Taxila]] in the northwest was once a major centre of [[Buddhist]] and [[Hindu civilization|Hindu]] influence. Several important [[Sikh]] shrines are in the province, including the birthplace of the first [[Guru]], [[Guru Nanak]]. (born at [[Nankana Sahib]]). There are a few famous hill stations, including [[Murree]], [[Bhurban]], [[Patriata]] and [[Fort Munro]].

Katasraj Mandir is a [[Hindu]] temple complex situated in Katas village near [[Choa Saidanshah]] in the [[Chakwal District]]. Dedicated to [[Shiva]], the temple has, according to Hindu legend, existed since the days of [[Mahābhārata]] and the [[Pandava]] brothers spent a substantial part of their exile at the site and later [[Krishna]] himself laid the foundation of this temple.{{citation needed|date=March 2016}}

The [[Khewra Salt Mine]] is a tourist attraction. Tours are accompanied by guides as the mine itself is very large and the complex interconnected passages are like a maze. There is a small mosque inside the mine made from salt stone. A clinical ward with 20 beds was established in 2007<ref>{{cite news|title=Salt mine resort for asthma patients|url=http://archives.dawn.com/2007/03/27/nat18.htm|access-date=14 April 2012|newspaper=Dawn|date=27 March 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Shahzad|first=Khurram|title=Asthma treatment in Pakistani salt mine|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatnews/7527907/Asthma-treatment-in-Pakistani-salt-mine.html|access-date=6 April 2012|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=26 March 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120710015656/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatnews/7527907/Asthma-treatment-in-Pakistani-salt-mine.html|archive-date=10 July 2012}}</ref> for the treatment of [[asthma]] and other respiratory diseases using [[salt therapy]].

==Music and dance==
{{Main|Music of Punjab|Punjabi dance}}
[[File:Culture of province punjab.jpg|left|thumb|Various festivals in rural Punjab]]
Classical music forms, such as [[Pakistani classical music]], are an important part of the cultural wealth of the Punjab. The Muslim musicians have contributed a large number of ragas to the repository of classical music. The most common instruments used are the [[tabla]] and [[Pump organ|harmonium]].

Amongst the Punjabi poets, the names of [[Baba Farid]], [[Shah Hussain]], [[Sultan Bahu]], [[Bulleh Shah]], [[Waris Shah]] and [[Mian Muhammad Bakhsh|Mian Muhammad Baksh]] are well known. Amongst folk singers the likes of [[Inayat Hussain Bhatti]], [[Tufail Niazi]], [[Alam Lohar]], Sain Marna, Mansoor Malangi, Allah Ditta Lonawala, Talib Hussain Dard, [[Attaullah Khan Essa Khailwi]], Gamoo Tahliwala, Mamzoo Gha-lla, Akbar Jat, [[Arif Lohar]], Ahmad Nawaz Cheena and Hamid Ali Bela are well-known. In the composition of classical ragas, there are such masters as ''Malika-i-Mauseequi'' (Queen of Music) Roshan Ara Begum, Ustad Amanat Ali Khan, Salamat Ali Khan and Ustad Fateh Ali Khan. Alam Lohar has made significant contributions to folklore and Punjabi literature, by being a very influential Punjabi folk singer from 1930 until 1979.

For the popular taste however, light music, particularly Ghazals and folk songs, which have an appeal of their own, the names of [[Mehdi Hassan]], [[Ghulam Ali (Ghazal singer)|Ghulam Ali]], [[Noor Jehan|Nur Jehan]], [[Malika Pukhraj]], [[Farida Khanum]], Roshen Ara Begum, and [[Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan]] are well-known. Folk songs and dances of the Punjab reflect a wide range of moods: the rains, sowing and harvesting seasons. Luddi, Bhangra and Sammi depict the joy of living. Love legends of Heer Ranjha, Mirza Sahiban, Sohni Mahenwal and Saiful Mulk are sung in different styles.

For the most popular music from the region, [[Bhangra (music)|Bhangra]], the names of [[Abrar-Ul-Haq]], [[Arif Lohar]], [[Attaullah Khan Essa Khailwi]], [[Jawad Ahmed]], [[Sajjad Ali]], Legacy, and [[Malkoo]] are renowned.

==Folklore==
{{main|Punjabi folklore|Rai Ahmad Khan Kharal|Dulla Bhatti}}
Folklore songs, ballads, epics and romances are generally written and sung in the various [[Punjabi dialects]]
[[File:4094w sain-zahoor.jpg|thumb|Punjabi folk.]]

There are a number of folk tales that are popular in different parts of the Punjab. These are the folk tales of [[Mirza Sahiban]], [[Sayful Muluk]], [[Yusuf Zulekha]], [[Heer Ranjha]], [[Sohni Mahiwal]], [[Dulla Bhatti]], and [[Sassi Punnun]].
The mystic folk songs include the ''Kafees'' of Khwaja Farid in Saraiki, Punjabi and the ''Shalooks'' by [[Baba Farid]]. They also include ''Baits'', ''Dohas'', ''Lohris'', ''Sehra'', and ''[[Jugni]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.punjabilok.com/pakistan/pak_punjab.htm|title=punjabilok.com|access-date=22 April 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080920082514/http://www.punjabilok.com/pakistan/pak_punjab.htm|archive-date=20 September 2008}}</ref>

The most famous of the romantic love songs are ''Mayhiah'', ''Dhola'' and ''Boliyan''. Punjabi romantic dances include [[Bhangra (dance)|Bhangra]], [[Giddha]], [[Jhumar]], [[Dhola (dance)|Dhola]], and [[Sammi (dance)|Sammi]].

==Social issues==
One social/educational issue is the status of Punjabi language. According to Manzur Ejaz, "In Central Punjab, Punjabi is neither an official language of the province nor it is used as medium of education at any level. There are only two daily newspapers published in Punjabi in the Central areas of Punjab. Only a few monthly literary magazines constitute Punjabi press in Pakistan".<ref>Sarah Veach, Katy Williamson, [http://languagemanuals.weebly.com/uploads/4/8/5/3/4853169/punjabi.pdf Punjabi Culture and Language Manual] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304113700/http://languagemanuals.weebly.com/uploads/4/8/5/3/4853169/punjabi.pdf |date=4 March 2016 }} ([https://archive.org/stream/Punjabi-CultureAndLanguageManual#page/n0/mode/2up archived]), Texas State University, p. 6, retrieved 14 May 2016.</ref>

==Notable people==
*[[List of people from Punjab, Pakistan]], also includes people born in what is today Indian Punjab but moved to Pakistan after partition
*[[List of Punjabi people]], also includes people of Punjabi ethnicity from India and elsewhere

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Lahore Fort.jpg|[[Lahore Fort]], a [[UNESCO World Heritage]] Site
File:Jungle in Punjab.JPG|Jungle in Sahiwal, Punjab
File:Main chamber of Badshahi Mosque 2006.jpg|[[Badshahi Mosque]], Lahore
File:Tomb of Jahangir and gardens 3.jpg|[[Tomb of Jahangir]], Lahore
File:Katasraj Temple by Aizad Sayid.jpg|[[Katas Raj Temples]] (Sardar of Hari Singh's Haveli)
File:Lahore Museum, Lahore.jpg|[[Lahore Museum]]
File:Sacred Heart Cathedral, Lahore.jpg|[[Sacred Heart Cathedral, Lahore|Sacred Heart Cathedral]], Lahore
File:Beautiful pavilion of Faiz Baksh terrace.jpg|[[Shalimar Gardens, Lahore|Shalimar Gardens]]
File:Asif Khan's Mausoleum.jpg|[[Asaf Khan IV|Asaf Khan's Mausoleum]]
File:Minar -e Pakistan at Night.jpeg|[[Minar e Pakistan]]
File:GPO Mall Road Lahore.jpg|[[General Post Office|GPO]], Lahore
File:Government College University, Lahore - Tower1.jpg|Clock Tower at Govt College University, Lahore
File:Clock Tower Faisalabad by Usman Nadeem.jpg|[[Faisalabad Clock Tower]]
File:Entrance to the Chenab Club, Faisalabad.jpg|Chenab Club, Faisalabad
File:Faisalabad Railway Station (Lyallpur).jpg|[[Faisalabad Railway Station]]
File:Nusrat Fathe Ali Khan Auditorium Faisalabad.JPG|Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Auditorium in Faisalabad
File:Clock Tower, Sialkot 21.jpg|[[Clock Tower, Sialkot|Clock Tower]] in Sialkot.
File:M2-2.JPG|Faisalabad Pindi Battian Interchange
File:Irrigation Faisalabad, Pakistan (PSSP).jpg|Irrigation canals in [[Faisalabad]]
File:Hindus mandar faisalabad.jpg|Hindu temple in Faisalabad
File:Dhan Gali Bridge.jpg|Dhan Gali Bridge
File:Mosque in Jhelum Cantonment Pakistan.jpg|CMH Mosque, Jhelum Cantt
File:Taxila Pakistan juillet 2004.jpg|Taxila is a [[World Heritage Site]]
File:Government college for Women Dhoke Kala Khan.JPG|Government college for Women, Rawalpindi
File:Samadhi of Ranjit Singh July 1 2005.jpg|[[Samadhi of Ranjit Singh]]
File:Major Akram Memorial.jpg|Major Akram Memorial, [[Jhelum]]
File:WheatFieldsPandjab.jpg|Wheat Fields
File:A beautiful view of Murree, Pakistan.jpg|A view of Murree, a famous hill station of Punjab
File:Clay pots in punjab pakistan-2.jpg|Different shapes of clay pots mostly made in [[Gujrat District|Gujrat]]
File:Sadwal kalan1.JPG|A Fields View from North Punjab
File:Tilla Jogian.jpg|[[Tilla Jogian]] Jhelum, scenic peak in Punjab considered sacred by [[Hindus]]
</gallery>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Pakistan|Geography|Punjab
}}

* [[Punjab]]
* [[List of people from Punjab, Pakistan]]
{{Clear}}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
* {{citation |author=Pakistan Narcotics Control Board|author-link=Pakistan Narcotics Control Board|title=National survey on drug abuse in Pakistan|date=1986|publisher=[[The University of Michigan]]|ref={{sfnref|Pakistan Narcotics Control Board|1986}}}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|voy=Punjab (Pakistan)}}
{{commons|Punjab (Pakistan)}}
*{{Official website|http://www.punjab.gov.pk}}
*{{curlie|Regional/Asia/Pakistan/Provinces/Punjab}}
* Guide to [https://web.archive.org/web/20170919203232/http://dmoz.pk/Provinces/Punjab/ Punjab, Pakistan]

{{Punjab, Pakistan topics}}
{{Five rivers of the Punjab|state=collapsed}}
{{Administrative units of Pakistan}}
{{Districts of Punjab, Pakistan|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Punjab, Pakistan| ]]
[[Category:Provinces of Pakistan]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1970]]
[[Category:Punjabi-speaking countries and territories]]

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Punjab, Pakistan