Shalimar, Pakistan

Shalimar Town (Urdu: شالیمار ٹاؤن) is one of the oldest towns in Lahore, Pakistan It is located on the Grand Trunk Road. The town is named after The Shalimar Gardens built by Emperor Shah Jehan in 1640 AD. The Mela Chiraghan festival used to take place in the Shalimar Gardens, until President Ayub Khan ordered against it in 1958.

History

The colonization of the area date back to the 1400's under the Mughal rule of India. The area was a bustling community with a large concentration of gold shops and jewellers. After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the Hindu residents migrated to India. The area became mainly a residential quarter, heavily populated with Muslims. Shalimar town was officially declared a township of Pakistan in the year 1962 when the main attraction of the area, the Shalimar Gardens were nationalised by General Ayub Khan.

Today

Today Shalimar town is a semi-commercial area with all major banks located within the vicinity. The south west part of the town is residential while the rest is commercial and industrial.

Demographics

The majority of the town is Sunni with 35%, 30% is Shia, 25% is Ahmadi and 10% is other including Christians, Hindus and Sikhs

Schools

There are 4 government schools, 5 private schools, and 1 Madrassa located in Shalimar Town.

University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, commonly referred to as UET Lahore is one of the leading engineering universities of Pakistan, and the oldest of them all, offering Bachelor, Master, and Doctoral degrees in a variety of disciplines. UET is a state university and the Governor of Punjab is the Chancellor of the university. The Vice-Chancellor is the executive head and manages the university functions. It is located on Grand Trunk Road, on the Border of Shalimar Town and Baghbanpura, Lahore. It is within a distance of few kilometers from Shalimar Gardens.

Hospitals

Shalimar Hospital is one of the oldest hospitals located in Lahore. It was founded by the donations of Businessmen in the area, In the 1960's It is still run jointly by public donations and government support. It provides treatment to all citizens of Lahore at minimal cost. It also provides free coverage to all families in Shalimar Town. There are several private clinics and ambulatory care centers across the town.

Major Public Companies

The Major government establishments in the town include:
* WAPDA
* State Bank of Pakistan Mint

Major Private Companies

Private companies in the town include:
* Mapco
* Safina Soap
* UNIICO - The Injection Molding Company.

Industry

Plastic manufacturing and processing is the main industry in Shalimar Town, Soap, Oil and Biscut come in second.

Key People

The following is a list of notable people in Shalimar Town.
* Munir Ahmad Babar

Town Nazim

Begum Shafquatun Nisa, the recently elected town nazim of Shalimar Town, is the only female town nazim in Lahore. She is the wife of Mian Ikhlaq Ahmed Guddoo who is a very well-known figure in Baghbanpura. Shafquatun Nisa has done her bachelors from Queen Mary College, Lahore. She says she is well aware of the problems faced by the people of his area as she has remained union council nazim for the last four years.

Politics

Shalimar town is the most liberal town of Lahore. The majority of the town supports the "Pakistan Muslim League" Quaid (PML-Q) the Perwez Musharaff party in power.