Wah Cantonment

For the city, see Wah (city).

Wah Cantonment
  • واہ چھاونی
  • واہ کینٹ
Cantonment
Central Mosque
Wah Cantonment
Wah Cantt
Wah Cantonment
Wah Cantonment (Pakistan)
Coordinates: 33°46′17″N 72°45′06″E / 33.7714°N 72.7518°E / 33.7714; 72.7518
CountryPakistan
ProvincePunjab
DistrictRawalpindi
TehsilTaxila Tehsil
Established1949
Area
 • City
58.27 km2 (22.50 sq mi)
 • Land5,841 ha (14,433 acres)
Elevation
471 m (1,545 ft)
Population
 (2023)[1]
 • City
400,733
 • Rank24th, Pakistan
 • Density6,900/km2 (18,000/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+5 (PST)
Postal code
47040
Area code0514
Literacy rate95%

The Wah Cantonment (Punjabi: واہ چھاونی; Urdu: واہ کینٹ) (often abbreviated to Wah Cantt) is a Class I Civilian Cantonment in Punjab, Pakistan.[2] It is the 17th most populous city in Punjab and 24th most populous city in Pakistan with a population of 400,733 people[3][4] It has one of the highest literacy rates in Pakistan, likely exceeding 99%.[5] The cantonment spans over 14,433 Acres or 58 square kilometers.[2] The cantonment headquarters Pakistan Ordinance Factories (POF) and Air Weapons Complex (AWC). The cantonment is located 30 km (19 mi) northwest of the capital city of Islamabad.

Etymology

Previously known as Jalal Sar, Mughal Emperor Jahangir coined the term 'Wah' which translates to 'Wow' (Urdu: واہ). In his biography, Tuzk-e-Jahangiri, Mughal Emperor Jahangir recounts while returning from an expedition on 29th April 1607 he visited the natural springs at Mughal Gardens Wah and uttered the words 'Wah' as praise and admiration. Subsequently, people begain referring to the area as 'Wah'.[6][7]

The word 'Cantonment' (shortened as Cantt) was added in December of 1951 when Pakistan's second Prime Minister, Khawaja Nazimuddin, inaugurated the first four workshops of POF.[8][9]

History

Wah Cantt is located near the ancient city of Taxila, a small town enriched with one of the most important archaeological sites in the world and the “First University of the World”.[10]

Mughal Rule

The Mughal invasion of this area had a significant impact on the architecture of the village and surrounding areas which is visible in historic landmarks such as Wah Gardens.

British Rule

In 1849, as the aftermath of the Sikh Empire's deafeat in the Second Anglo-Sikh war, the region was brought under British rule.[11]

Pre-partition Refugee Camp

As a result of the 1947 Rawalpindi Massacares, multiple Sikhs & Hindus were left homeless and destitute.[12] Refugee camp was set-up at Wah Cantonment.[13] Plausibly at the Askari Cement Wah Plant (erstwhile Associated Cement Company) that was established in 1921.[14][15] Historical accounts suggest that the numbers of Refugees hosted by Wah Cantonment were up to 12,000. [16]

Post-partition Industrialization

At the time of partition in 1947, the Indian sub-continent had 16 ordinance factories. All those sixteen factories fell to Indian share during partition since none of them were located in Pakistan's territory. Newly created Pakistan with fragile state apparatus and fragmented Armed Forces, had absolutely no arms & ammunition manufacturing facility to meet the security challenges to its sovereignty.

Liaqat Ali Khan, who was the first Prime Minister of Pakistan, immediately realized this imbalance and issued a directive within four months of creation of Pakistan to establish an ordnance factory in collaboration with UK's Royal Ordnance factories to manufacture .303 in. calibre rifles and its ammunition in Rawalpindi. The second Prime Minister, Khawaja Nazim-ud-Din, later performed the groundbreaking ceremony on 28th December, 1951 for four workshops at Wah Cantonment[17]

Other notable locations include the Wah Ordnance Club and the POF hotel. The Pakistani Arms Manufacturing Company is a consortium of twenty manufacturing facilities that produce guns, armoured vehicles, and other weapons for the Pakistan Army.[18][19][20]

Demographics

Population

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
195132,823—    
196137,035+1.21%
1972107,510+10.17%
1981122,335+1.45%
1998198,891+2.90%
2017380,103+3.47%
2023400,733+0.88%
Sources:[21]

According to 2023 census, Wah Cantt had a population of 400,733. [18]

Administration

Cantonment Board Wah, under ML&C, oversees the management and organization of a city's affairs, encompassing the provision of public services, sanitation, infrastructure and overall civic beautification.[2]

Education

Wah Cantt boasts one of the highest literacy rates in Pakistan, reportedly exceeding 99.99%[22][23]. The city is home to a wide range of educational institutions, including universities, medical colleges, and technical institutes. Prominent establishments include the

Federal Government Educational Institutions (FGEI C/G)

The Federal Government Educational Institutions Directorate maintains its second-largest regional education network in Wah Cantt. Established in 1984, the Regional Office Wah oversees FGEI's institutions in Wah Cantt, Taxila Cantt, Kamra Cantt and Havelian Cantt. The region comprises 42 schools and 4 colleges serving a student population of over 33,000 with approximately 1,400 faculty members. [24] Prominent instituions of the FGEI (C/G) network are as follows

F.G. Degree College for Men, Wah Cantt [25]

The college was established as C.B. Intermediate College in 1964 and subsequently raised to the Degree level in 1978. Its administrative control was entrusted to the Federal Ministry of Education after Nationalization of Cantt Boards Educational Institutions in 1975. Subsequently the institute was given under the Army Education Directorate in 1977. All the Federal Government Educational Institutions have been handed over to the Ministry of Defence since 1992 and are controlled by the Directorate of Federal Government Educational Institutions, GHQ, Rawalpindi.[25]

Landmarks

Mughal Gardens Wah

Wah Gardens (Urdu: واہ باغ), also known as Mughal Garden Wah (Urdu: مغل گارڈن واہ), is a garden-complex dating created by Raja Man Singh, brother-in-law and court chief of Emperor Jahangir. These gardens have hosted multiple Mughal Emperors including Jahangir (1607), Shah Jahan (1639, 1646, 1647, 1649, 1654) and Aurangzeb (1676).

Losar Baoli

Sultan Sher Shah Suri, who built the famous Grand Trunk Road (GT Road), built a 'Baoli' or stepwell along side the historic Grank Trunk road. It is said that the 'Baoli' was built for Sher Shah's horses used to drink water. Currently, the Baoli stands preserved as a remanent of the Suri Empire in a park named Sher Shah Suri park in honour of the Suri Emperor. [26]

Incidents

2008 Wah Bombings

On 21st August, 2008, two suicide bombers blew themselves up at the gates of the Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) killing 70 people and injuring more than 100. [27] The bombers blew themselves up outside factory at 2.35 PM when hundreds of workers were leaving after a shift change. Most of the victims were civilian workers.[28]

The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan of Baitullah Mehsud claimed responsibility for the attack. Maulvi Omar, a spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, said his group the Tehrik-e-Taliban had carried out the attacks, which he said were in response to military operations against militants in the Bajaur region

The first explosion took place outside the gate and it was followed by an equally powerful blast at gatee located close to a bustling market. Witnesses said the bombers were on foot and they exploded themselves within a minute of each other. Another terrorist, Hameedullah, was arrested while trying to flee from the scene of the blasts in a taxi. Soon after the incident, law-enforcement agencies seized an explosive-vest that, hameedullah, had left in a toilet at a mosque located close to the POF.[29][27]

2015 Gernade attack on Police Pickets

During a routine checking of passenger vehicles, near Mughal Gardens Wah, by Police coming from Peshawar on the GT Road, a 25-year-old man tried to sneak out from a passenger van coming from the KP and tried to board a Rawalpindi-bound passenger bus. As policemen tried to search the man, he shouted “get away from me” and hurled a hand-grenade on the policemen, but it missed the target and exploded a few metres away, injuring three members of a family. As the bomber made a dash for nearby fields, policemen fired warning shots to stop him, but he ignored the shots and then ran towards Jhatla village. As policemen closed in on him, he blew himself up with a hand grenade.[30][31]

2015 Students help foil terror bid

A locally-made explosive, carrying half kilogram of explosive,ball bearings, metal pieces, a circuit and fire crackers was spotted by students at a bus stop near their school at around 7:30 AM. The Students swiftly reported the "bag" to their teacher who contacted local administration and police. Military officials arrived soon after and shifted the suspicious bag to a nearby ground. The bomb disposal squad personnel who were called from Rawalpindi reached the scene at around 10 AM and discovered explosives inside it which they managed to defuse.[32][33]

2021 Accidental Factory Blast

on 12th August, 2021, Pakistan Army Public Relations, ISPR, confirmed that an accident had occurred at the POF plant due to a "technical fault", that killed three employees and two others injured were shifted to a hospital. [34][35]

Notable people

Following is the list of Notable people from Wah cantonment

References

  1. ^ "PAKISTAN: Provinces and Major Cities". PAKISTAN: Provinces and Major Cities. Citypopulation.de website. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "ML&C - Wah Cantt".
  3. ^ "Statistics of Population".
  4. ^ "Pakistan City & Town Population List". Tageo.com website. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  5. ^ "Wah Cantt primary school: a picture of neglect".
  6. ^ "History of WahCantt".
  7. ^ "Wah Cantonment".
  8. ^ "Wah Cantonment".
  9. ^ "Wah Cantonment".
  10. ^ History of Wah Cantt Wahcantt.com website, Retrieved 25 September 2021
  11. ^ "Rawalpindi History".
  12. ^ "Remembering Rawalpindi".
  13. ^ Ishtiaq Ahmed The Punjab Bloodied, Partitioned And Cleansed Rupa & Co. p. 997. This is a big problem. we are planning eventually to form camps to take the whole number at wah and Kala (near jhelum).
  14. ^ "The 1947 Partition Archive". We stayed at Wah camp for almost two months.
  15. ^ "The 1947 Partition Archive". Some families took refuge in Wah Camp in a cement factory, while others went to Kala Camp in Jhelum district.
  16. ^ "Refugee camp, Rawalpindi district, March 1947".
  17. ^ "Pakistan Ordinance Factories - Our History". {{cite web}}: Check |archive-url= value (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. ^ a b "Wah Cantonment". GlobalSecurity.org website. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  19. ^ "About Wah Cantt - Fact File". Wahcantt.com website. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  20. ^ Wah Cantt location and history Wahcantt.com website, Retrieved 25 September 2021
  21. ^ "Population by administrative units 1951-1998" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
  22. ^ "Global Security org - Wah Cantonment".
  23. ^ "Federal Government Educational Institutions - Wah Region".
  24. ^ "Federal Government Educational Institutions - Wah region".
  25. ^ a b "FG Degree College for Men, Wah Cantt".
  26. ^ "Wah Cantonment".
  27. ^ a b "Taliban claim 'credit' for Wah carnage: At least 70 killed, 67 injured in twin suicide blasts".
  28. ^ "Death toll in Wah blasts climbs to 70".
  29. ^ ""Taliban backed by RAW trained Wah bombers"".
  30. ^ "Three injured in suicide blast near Wah picket".
  31. ^ "Suicide bomber blows himself up in Wah".
  32. ^ "Vigilant school boys help foil terror bid".
  33. ^ "Locally-made explosive device defused near Wah school".
  34. ^ "Three killed, two wounded in accidental explosion at POF in Wah Cantt: ISPR".
  35. ^ ""3 employees dead, 2 injured in accidental explosion in POF's Wah factory: ISPR"".
  36. ^ a b "Historical Old Houses of Pakistan".
  37. ^ "Olympian Zakir Hussain passes away".
  38. ^ "Malik Taimoor Masood - Punjab Assembly".
  39. ^ "Malik Fahad Masood".
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.