Isakhel

Isakhel is a town of Mianwali District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The town is the headquarters of Isakhel Tehsil, an administrative subdivision of the district [ [http://www.nrb.gov.pk/lg_election/union.asp?district=19&dn=Mianwali Tehsils & Unions in the District of Mianwali - Government of Pakistan] ] and is located at 32°40'29N 71°16'52E [ [http://www.fallingrain.com/world/PK/4/Isa_Khel2.html Location of Isa Khel - Falling Rain Genomics] ] .

Isakhel is an important town located in the west of Mianwali District. It is a historical town named after Isa Khan, a famous Niazi chief. Until November 1901 Isa Khel was tehsil headquarters of Bannu District - however after the North-West Frontier Province was created from Punjab province, Bannu district was included in the NWFP without the Isakhel tehsil. Isa Khel which was trans-Indus tehsil became part of the newly formed Mianwali district of the Punjab.

History

The town was founded about 1830 by Ahmad Khan, ancestor of the present Khans of Isa Khel, who are the acknowledged heads of the trans-Indus Niazai; andit takes its name from Shah Isa Khel, a religious teacher, whose descendants still live in the town. The municipality was created in 1875. [http://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V13_377.gifIsa Khel Town - Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 13, p. 371.] ]

In 1901, during British rule, when the tehsil became part of Mianwali, the population the town was 7,630 [ [http://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V13_376.gifIsa Khel Tahsīl - Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 13, p. 370] . The income and expenditure during the ten years ending 1902-3 averaged Rs. 4,400. In 1903-4 the income was Rs. 5,100, chiefly derived from octroi; and the expenditure was Rs. 4,6oo. A small cattle market is held weekly. The town contains a dispensary and a municipal vernacular middle school.

Isa Khel is also famous for the Feudal Niazi chiefs who were designated Nawabs during the British colonial era. Some of them got the title of "Khan Bahadur" during that period. Isa Khel remains the first Niazi stronghold in the district after they left the Marwat plains.

Notable People

Notable Isakhelvis are:
* Late Col. Aslam Khan Niazi, Raees of Isakhel
*Maulana Abdus-Sittar Khan Niazi, involved in the Pakistan Movement and a religious icon.
* Talok Chand Mehroom
* Jagannath Azad
* Late Maqbool Khan Niazi
* Haji Altaf Khan Niazi
* Abdul Rehman Babli Khan
* Jamal Khan Niazi
* Maj Gen (R) Inayat Ullah Khan Niazi Jhangikhel
* Brig (R) Asmat Ullah Khan Niazi Jhangikhel
* Ubaid Ullah Khan Shadi Khel
* Malik Aasim nawaz sheikh mehmood
* saqib nazir

References