Hafizabad District

Hafizabad district (Urdu: حافظ آباد) is one of the districts in the province of Punjab, Pakistan. It consists of two tehsils: Hafizabad and Pindi Bhattian Admin List. Hafizabad was made a district in 1991; formerly, it was a tehsil of Gujranwala District. It is situated in the central Punjab and is known for its rice industry.

Hafizabad is known as "Sheraz-e-Hind" as many a poets and scholars of international repute were born in the area.

Political representation

Hafizabad has two constituencies in Pakistan's National Assembly, and five constituencies in the Punjab's provincial assembly. Normally Bhatty and Tarar families go for election. Mehdi Hussan Bhatti and Afzal Hussain Tarar are the main political leaders in this district, both national assembly seats are with Bhatti brothers and their nephew District Nazim. The Sheikh family have a provincial seat and one by Gujjars.

Administration

Hafizabad

Hafizabad was built by Mughal emperor Akbar for strengthening administration of the Punjab District. Today it has all kinds of facilities, some of these including schools, colleges, mosques, as well as shopping centres and parks. The main families settled here are Taheem, Virk, Tarar, Rajput Bhatti, Mangat, Insari and Kharls. Hafizabad is famous for its high quality rice. About 50% of the country's rice exports are from Hafizabad.

Other towns of interest

Jalalpur Bhattian, Wanekey Tarar, Sukhekey Kaleky are also renown for their rice market.

Demographics

The district had a population of 832,980, of which 26.73% were urban, in 1998

Famous People

Hazrat Mian Muhammad Moosa is a famous saint from the village Fateh Pur Sharif near Jalal Pur Bhuttian.
Hazrat Mian Akbar (Saint)
Hazrat Mian Muhammad Alam (Saint)
Hazrat Mian Abdul Aatif (Saint)

Business

White Pearl Rice Mills
Hasan Corporation
Mazco
Ali Rice Mills

Notable People

• (Late) Ch. Saif Ullah Khan Tarar (Ex. Legislative Assembly United India, Politician, Landlord) Village Kolo Tarar, Tehsil & Dist. Hafizabad
• Ch. Afzal Hussain Khan Tarar (Politician, Ex. MNA, Landlord) Village Kolo Tarar, Tehsil & Dist. Hafizabad
• M. Shahid Hussain Bhatti (Plitician, former chairman of district board Gujranwala) village Jalal Pur Bhattian Tehsil Pindi Bhattian Dist. Hafizabad
• Ch. Jafer Hussain Khan Tarar (Politician) Village Kolo Tarar, Tehsil & Dist. Hafizabad
• Mr. M. H. Sufi (Ex. Federal Secretary, Philanthropist) Kot Ishaque, Tehsil & Dist. Hafizabad
• Ch. Mehdi Hassan Bhatti (Politician, MNA) Village Burj Dara, Tehsil & Dist. Hafizabad
• Ch. Shoukat Ali Bhatti (Politician, MPA, Provincial Minister) Village Burj Dara, Tehsil & Dist. Hafizabad