Rahim Yar Khan District
ضلع رحیم یار خان
District of Punjab
Rahim Yar Khan
Top: Bhong Masjid
Bottom: Cholistan Desert
Map of Rahim Yar Khan district is highlighted in red
Map of Rahim Yar Khan district is highlighted in red
Coordinates: 28°25′12″N 70°18′00″E / 28.42000°N 70.30000°E / 28.42000; 70.30000
Country Pakistan
Province Punjab
DivisionBahawalpur
Founded byNawab of Bahawalpur
HeadquartersRahim Yar Khan
Tehsils4
Government
 • TypeDistrict Administration
 • Deputy CommissionerShakeel Ahmad Bhatti[1]
Area
 • Total11,880 km2 (4,590 sq mi)
Population
 (2023)[2]
 • Total5,564,703
 • Density470/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
 • Gender ratio
60.2 male / 39.8 female
Time zoneUTC+5 (PST)
Websiterykhan.punjab.gov.pk

Rahim Yar Khan District (Urdu: ضلع رحیم یار خان) is a district in the province of Punjab, Pakistan. Its headquarters is the city of Rahim Yar Khan.

Administrative

The district of Rahim Yar Khan is subdivided into four tehsils:

History

The entire district was a part of the Bahawalpur State. Rahim Yar Khan has had the status of a separate district since 1943. The district derives its name from its headquarters, the city of Rahim Yar Khan, which was known as "Naushehra" until 1881. To avoid confusion with the similarly named city of Nowshera, the ruler of Bahawalpur, Nawab Sadiq Khan IV, renamed it after his first son, Rahim Yar Khan.

Geography

The district lies between 27°40'-29°16' north latitudes and 60°45'-70°01' east longitudes. The riverain area of the district lies close to eastern bank of the river Indus and Panjnad. The Rahim Yar Khan District is bounded on the north by Muzaffargarh District, on the east by Bahawalpur District, on the south by Jaisalmer district (India) and Ghotki District of Sindh province, and on the west by Rajanpur District.

This district is divided into three main physical features: (a) Riverside area, b) canal-irrigated area, and (c) desert area which is called Cholistan. The Riverside area of the district lies close on the southern side of the Indus river mainly falling in the river bed. The canal-irrigated area lies on the south and is separated by main Minchan Bund. The approximate height of the irrigated area is 150 to 200 meters (490 to 655 ft) above sea level. The third part of the area, called Cholistan, lies in the south of the irrigated tract up to the Indo-Pak border. The surface of the desert consists of a succession of sand dunes rising at places to a height of 150 meters (492 ft) and covered with the vegetation peculiar to sandy tracts.

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1951 664,234—    
1961 1,015,715+4.34%
1972 1,398,879+2.95%
1981 1,841,451+3.10%
1998 3,141,053+3.19%
2017 4,807,762+2.27%
2023 5,564,703+2.47%
Sources:[4]

At the time of the 2017 census, Rahim Yar Khan district had 700,183 households and a population of 4,807,762. Rahim Yar Khan had a sex ratio of 953 females per 1000 males and a literacy rate of 46.62% - 55.30% for males and 37.60% for females. 1,030,983 (21.44%) lived in urban areas. 1,449,813 (30.16%) were under 10 years of age.[5] In 2023, the district had 827,525 households and a population of 5,564,703.[2]

Religion

Religion in Rahim Yar Khan district (2017)[5]
Religion Percent
Islam
 
 96.50%
Hinduism
 
 3.12%
Other or not stated
 
 0.38%

Muslims were the predominant religious community with 96.50% of the population while Hindus (including Scheduled Castes) were 3.12% of the population. The Bhagwan Shri Krishna Mandir in Sadiqabad is one of the main Hindu temple in Rahim Yar Khan district.[6] Other minorities like Christians, Ahmadi etc. are very small in number. The proportion of population of Muslims is higher in urban than rural areas.

Languages

Languages of Rahim Yar Khan district (2017)[5]

  Saraiki (64.91%)
  Punjabi (24.89%)
  Urdu (2.99%)
  'Others' (2.01%)
  Sindhi (1.85%)
  Balochi (1.49%)
  Others (1.86%)

At the time of the 2017 census, 64.91% of the population spoke Saraiki, 24.89% Punjabi, 2.99% Urdu, 1.85% Sindhi and 1.49% Balochi as their first language. 2.01% of the population recorded their language under 'Others'.[5]

The local dialect (see Riasti) belongs to the southern dialect group of Saraiki.[7] Other languages spoken are Bagri/Cholistani and Haryanvi.

Education

The literacy rate in the district is 98% total for the 1st grade level school, locally known as 'graduating the MA full Examination'.[8] Regarding medical education, There is Sheikh Zaid medical college affiliated with Sheikh Zaid hospital. The top ranked universities in Punjab, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology and Islamia University of Bahawalpur Rahim Yar Khan Campus are also located in Rahim Yar Khan District.

Sugarcane

Rahim Yar Khan District has recently embraced growing sugarcane. The area under cultivation of sugarcane increased to 430,000 acres in 2020 from 310,000 acres in 2014-15. Six sugar mills are located in the district.[9]

Notable people

See also

    References

    1. ↑ "Anti-Polio campaign launched in Rahim Yar Khan". Associated Press of Pakistan. 27 November 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
    2. 1 2 "TABLE 1 : HOUSEHOLDS, POPULATION, HOUSEHOLD SIZE AND ANNUAL GROWTH RATE" (PDF). www.pbscensus.gov.pk. Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. 2023.
    3. 1 2 3 "Tehsils & Unions in the District of Rahim Yar Khan". National Reconstruction Bureau, Government of Pakistan website. Archived from the original on 9 February 2012. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
    4. ↑ "Population by administrative units 1951-1998" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
    5. 1 2 3 4 "District Wise Results / Tables (Census - 2017)". www.pbscensus.gov.pk. Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
    6. ↑ Dharmindar Balach (17 August 2017). "Pakistani Hindus celebrate Janmashtami with fervour". Daily Times (newspaper). Retrieved 15 May 2023.
    7. ↑ Wagha, Muhammad Ahsan (1997). The development of Siraiki language in Pakistan (Ph.D.). School of Oriental and African Studies. pp. 229–31. (requires registration).
    8. ↑ Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement Survey (2014-2015) Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Government of Pakistan website, Published March 2016, Retrieved 15 May 2023
    9. ↑ Khan, Ahmad Fraz (7 December 2020). "Rahim Yar Khan: riding the sugarcane bandwagon". Dawn (newspaper). Retrieved 15 May 2023.
    10. ↑ "Member Profile, National Assembly of Pakistan". National Assembly of Pakistan website. Archived from the original on 30 September 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
    11. ↑ "Member Profile, National Assembly of Pakistan". National Assembly of Pakistan website. Archived from the original on 18 September 2016. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
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