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The word Punjab was formally introduced by the Mughals in the early 17th Century CE. It is a combination of the Persian words punj (five) and āb (water), thus the (land of) five rivers.[7] The five rivers are the tributaries of the Indus River namely Chenab, Jhelum, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej. From the Himalayas they all end up in the down-stream of Panjnad, eventually to the Arabian Sea. Geography Punjab is Pakistan's second largest province in terms of Land area at 205,344 km2 (79,284 sq mi) after Balochistan and is located at the north western edge of the geologic Indian plate in South Asia. The province is bordered by Kashmir (Azad Kashmir, Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir, India) to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the south, the province of Balochistan to the southwest, the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the west, and the Islamabad Capital Territory to the north. The capital and largest city is Lahore which was the historical capital of the wider Punjab region. Other important cities include Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Multan, Sialkot, Bahawalpur, Sargodha, Gujrat, Sheikhupura and Jhelum. Undivided Punjab is home to six rivers, of which five flow through Pakistani Punjab. From west to east, these are: the Indus, Jhelum, Beas, Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej. Nearly 60% of Pakistan's population lives in the Punjab. It is the nation's only province that touches every other province; it also surrounds the federal enclave of the national capital city at Islamabad. This geographical position strongly influence Punjab's outlook on National affairs and induces in Punjab a keen awareness of the problems of the Pakistan's other important provinces and territories. In the acronym P-A-K-I-S-T-A-N, the P is for PUNJAB. The province is a mainly a fertile region along the river valleys, while sparse deserts can be found near the border with Rajasthan and the Sulaiman Range. The region contains the Thal and Cholistan deserts. The Indus River and its many tributaries traverse the Punjab from north to south. The landscape is amongst the most heavily irrigated on earth and canals can be found throughout the province. Weather extremes are notable from the hot and barren south to the cool hills of the north. The foothills of the Himalayas are found in the extreme north as well. Language For more information, see Punjabi dialects. The main language of the province is Punjabi.[8] History Main article: History of Punjab Ancient history Location of Punjab, Pakistan in the Indus Valley and extent of Indus Valley Civilization (green). Punjab during Mahabharata times was known as Panchanada.[9][10] Punjab was part of the Indus Valley Civilization, more than 4000 years old.[11] The main site of the Indus Valley Civilization in Punjab was the city of Harrapa. The Indus Valley Civilization spanned much of what is today Pakistan and eventually evolved into the Indo-Aryan civilization. The arrival of the Indo-Aryans led to the flourishing of the Vedic civilization along the length of the Indus River. This civilization shaped subsequent cultures in South Asia and Afghanistan. Although the archaeological site at Harappa was partially damaged in 1857 when engineers constructing the Lahore-Multan railroad used brick from the Harappa ruins for track ballast, an abundance of artifacts have nevertheless been found. Punjab was part of the great ancient empires including the Gandhara Mahajanapadas, Achaemenids, Macedonians, Mauryas, Kushans, Guptas and Hindu Shahi. Agriculture flourished and trading cities (such as Multan and Lahore) grew in wealth. Punjab was part of the Vedic Civilization Due to its location, the Punjab region came under constant attack and influence from the west. Invaded by the Persians, Greeks, Kushans, Scythians, Turks, and Afghans, Punjab witnessed centuries of foreign invasions. The city of Taxila, founded by son of Taksh the son Bharat who was the brother of Ram. It was reputed to house the oldest university in the world[citation needed], Takshashila University, one of the teachers was the great Vedic thinker and politician Chanakya. Taxila was a great centre of learning and intellectual discussion during the Maurya Empire. It is a UN World Heritage site, valued for its archaeological and religious history. Central Asian, Greek, and Persian Empires Mahmud and Ayaz The Sultan is to the right, shaking the hand of the sheykh, with Ayaz standing behind him. Mahmud of Ghazni appointed Malik Ayaz as the ruler of Lahore, Punjab during the Ghaznavid era. The northwestern part of the South Asia, including Punjab, was repeatedly invaded or conquered by various foreign empires, such as those of Tamerlane, Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan. Having conquered Drangiana, Arachosia, Gedrosia and Seistan in ten days, Alexander crossed the Hindu Kush and was thus fully informed of the magnificence of the country and its riches in gold, gems and pearls. However, Alexander had to encounter and reduce the tribes on the border of Punjab before entering the luxuriant plains. Having taken a northeasterly direction, he marched against the Aspii (mountaineers), who offered vigorous resistance, but were subdued. Alexander then marched through Ghazni, blockaded Magassa, and then marched to Ora and Bazira. Turning to the northeast, Alexander marched to Pucela, the capital of the district now known as Pakhli. He entered Western Punjab, where the ancient city of Nysa (at the site of modern day Mong) was situated. A coalition was formed against Alexander by the Cathians, the people of Multan, who were very skillful in war. Alexander invested many troops, eventually killing seventeen thousand Cathians in this battle, and the city of Sagala (present-day Sialkot) was razed to the ground. Alexander left Punjab in 326 B.C. and took his army to Persia and Susa. Arrival of Islam Bulleh Shah (1680–1757), a Muslim Sufi poet The Punjabis followed a diverse plethora of faiths, mainly comprising Hindus, when the Muslim Umayyad army led by Muhammad bin Qasim conquered Sindh and Southern Punjab in 712, by defeating Raja Dahir. The Umayyad Caliphate was the second Islamic caliphate established after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph. Although the Umayyad family originally came from the city of Mecca, their capital was Damascus. Muhammad bin Qasim was the first to bring message of Islam to the population of Punjab. Over the next millennium Punjab was part of Muslim Empires consisting of Afghans, Pashtoon, and Turkic in cooperation with local Punjabi tribes and others, which facilitated a millennium long Islamic dominance across South Asia and with its peak during large parts of the Mughal Empire . During the reign of Mahmud of Ghazni, the province became an important centre with Lahore as its second capital of the Ghaznavid Empire based out of Afghanistan. Mughal Empire Badshahi Masjid in Lahore The Mughals controlled the region from 1524 until around 1739 and would also lavish the province with building projects such as the Shalimar Gardens and the Badshahi Mosque, both situated in Lahore. Muslim soldiers, traders, architects, theologians and Sufis flocked from the rest of the Muslim world to the Islamic Sultanate in South Asia and some may have settled in the Punjab. Following the decline of the Mughals, the Shah of Iran and founder of the Afsharid dynasty in Persia, Nader Shah crossed the Indus and sacked the province in 1739. Later, the Afghan conqueror Ahmad Shah Durrani, incidentally born in Panjab, in the city of Multan made the Punjab a part of his Durrani Empire lasting until 1762. Afghan Empire See also: Pathans of Punjab Rohtas Fort, Jhelum built by the Afghan ruler, Sher Shah Suri The founder of Afghanistan, Ahmad Shah Durrani, an ethnic Pashtun (Afghan) established the first united Afghan Kingdom (Greater Afghanistan) that during its greatest extent included modern-day Afghanistan, some western fringes of Punjab and northeastern Iran. Many ethnic Afghan or Pashtun tribes have made Pakistan's Punjab their home over the centuries. These tribes include the Khugyanis known as Khakwanis, Alizais, Tareens, Durranis, Mullazais, Niazis, Khattaks, Yousafzais, Sadozais, Tahirkheli, Utmanzais, Bangash, Mashwani, Lodhis, Kakars, Kakazais, and Barakzais, to name a few. Maratha Empire Main article: Maratha conquest of North-west India "Zamzama" displayed in front of the Lahore Museum, was used at Third Battle of Panipat (1761) The Millennium long period of Muslim Empires were coming to an end, and a turbulent period would follow. In 1758, the general of the Hindu Maratha Empire, Raghunath Rao invaded Lahore and Attock.Timur Shah Durraniwho was the son and viceroy of Ahmad Shah Abdali and was already weakened by Sikh army, and was drove out of Punjab with the important and necessary help of Sikhs. Lahore, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Kashmir and other subahs on the south and eastern side of Peshawar, were under the Maratha rule for the most part.[12] In Punjab and Kashmir, the Marathas were now major players.[13][14] The Third Battle of Panipat took place on 1761, Ahmad Shah Abdali invaded the Maratha territory of Punjab and captured remnants of the Maratha Empire in Punjab and Kashmir regions and re-consolidated control over them.[15] Sikh Empire Main article: Sikh Empire Ranjit Singh's Empire In mid fifteenth century, the religion of Sikhism was born. During the Mughal empire, due to the strong and righteous approach many Hindus increasingly adopted Sikhism. These became a formidable military force against the Mughals and later against the Afghan Empire. After fighting Ahmad Shah Durrani in the later eighteenth century, the Sikhs took control of Punjab and managed to establish the Sikh Empire under Maharaja Ranjit Singh, which lasted from 1799 to 1849. The capital of Ranjit Singh's empire was Lahore, and the empire also extended into Afghanistan and Kashmir. British Empire Main article: Punjab Province (British India) Maharaja Ranjit Singh's death in the summer of 1839 brought political chaos and the subsequent battles of succession and the bloody infighting between the factions at court weakened the state. Relationships with neighbouring British territories then broke down, starting the First Anglo-Sikh War; this led to a British official being resident in Lahore and the annexation in 1849 of territory south of the Satluj to British India. After the Second Anglo-Sikh War in 1849, the Sikh Empire became the last territory to be merged into British India. Some parts of Pakistani Punjab also served as the centre of resistance in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Independence Partition of Punjab. Religious percentage by Tehsils (1947) Migration between India and Pakistan was continuous and traces back before the partition. By the 1900s Western Punjab was predominantly Muslim and supported the Muslim League and Pakistan Movement. After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the minority Hindus and Sikhs migrated to India while Muslim refugees from India settled in the Western Punjab and across Pakistan.[16] In 1947 the Punjab province of British India was divided along religious lines into West Punjab and East Punjab. Western Punjab was assimilated into the new country of Pakistan, while East Punjab became a part of modern-day India. This led to massive rioting as both sides committed atrocities against fleeing refugees. Punjab (Pakistan), which once formed a major region of British Punjab, was home to a large minority population of Punjabi Sikhs and Hindus up to 1947 apart from the Muslim majority.[17] At the time of independence in 1947, due to the ensuing horrendous exchange of populations, the Punjabi Sikhs and Hindus migrated to India[18] Punjabi Muslims were uprooted similarly from their homes in East Punjab which now forms part of India.[19] Recent history At the Wagah border ceremony Since the 1950s, Punjab industrialized rapidly. New factories were established in Lahore, Multan, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Sialkot and Wah. In the 1960s the new city of Islamabad was built near Rawalpindi. Agriculture continues to be the largest sector of Punjab's economy. The province is the breadbasket of the country as well as home to the largest ethnic group in Pakistan, the Punjabis. Unlike neighbouring India, there was no large-scale redistribution of agricultural land. As a result most rural areas are dominated by a small set of feudalistic land-owning families. In the 1950s there was tension between the eastern and western halves of Pakistan. In order to address the situation, a new formula resulted in the abolition of the province status for Punjab in 1955. It was merged into a single province West Pakistan. In 1972, after East Pakistan seceded and became Bangladesh, Punjab again became a province. Punjab witnessed major battles between the armies of India and Pakistan in the wars of 1965 and 1971. Since the 1990s Punjab hosted several key sites of Pakistan's nuclear program such as Kahuta. It also hosts major military bases such as at Sargodha and Rawalpindi. The peace process between India and Pakistan, which began in earnest in 2004, has helped pacify the situation. Trade and people-to-people contacts through the Wagah border are now starting to become common. Indian Sikh pilgrims visit holy sites such as Nankana Sahib. Starting in the 1980s, large numbers of Punjabis migrated to the Middle East, Britain, Spain, Canada and the United States for economic opportunities, forming the large Punjabi diaspora. Business and cultural ties between the United States and Punjab are growing. Climate Tilla Jogian, considered sacred by Hindus and scenic peak in Punjab Sunset in Punjab, during summer Most areas in Punjab experience extreme weather with foggy winters, often accompanied by rain. By mid-February the temperature begins to rise; springtime weather continues until mid-April, when the summer heat sets in. The route from Dera Ghazi Khan to Fort Munro The onset of the southwest monsoon is anticipated to reach Punjab by May, but since the early 1970s the weather pattern has been irregular. The spring monsoon has either skipped over the area or has caused it to rain so hard that floods have resulted. June and July are oppressively hot. Although official estimates rarely place the temperature above 46°C, newspaper sources claim that it reaches 51°C and regularly carry reports about people who have succumbed to the heat. Heat records were broken in Multan in June 1993, when the mercury was reported to have risen to 54°C. In August the oppressive heat is punctuated by the rainy season, referred to as barsat, which brings relief in its wake. The hardest part of the summer is then over, but cooler weather does not come until late October. Recently the province experienced one of the coldest winters in the last 70 years. Experts are suggesting that this is because of global warming.[20] Punjab's region temperature ranges from −2° to 45°C, but can reach 47°C (117°F) in summer and can touch down to −5°C in winter. Climatically, Punjab has three major seasons:[21] Hot weather (April to June) when temperature rises as high as 110°F. Rainy season (July to September). Average rainfall annual ranges between 96 cm sub-mountain region and 46 cm in the plains. Cooler / Mild weather (October to March). Temperature goes down as low as 40°F. Demographics and society Historical populations Census Population Urban Rural 1951 20,540,762 3,568,076 16,972,686 1961 25,463,974 5,475,922 19,988,052 1972 37,607,423 9,182,695 28,424,728 1981 47,292,441 13,051,646 34,240,795 1998 73,621,290[22] 23,019,025 50,602,265 2012 91,379,615[23] 45,978,451 45,401,164 The population of the province is estimated to be 93,963,240[1] in 2010 and is home to over half the population of Pakistan. The major language spoken in the Punjab is Punjabi (which is written in a Shahmukhi script in Pakistan) and Punjabis comprise the largest ethnic group in country. Punjabi is the provincial language of Punjab. The language is not given any official recognition in the Constitution of Pakistan at National level. Punjabis themselves are a heterogeneous group comprising different tribes, clans (Urdu: برادری)) and communities. In Pakistani Punjab these tribes have more to do with traditional occupations such as blacksmiths or artisans as opposed to rigid social stratifications.[24] The biradari, which literally means brotherhood is an important unit of Punjabi society, and includes people claiming descent from a common ancestor. The biradaris collectively form larger units known as tribes. Historically, these tribes were endogamous, but latterly, especially in the large cities, there is considerable intermarriage between members of different tribes, and differences are getting blurred. Important within the Punjab include Jats, Arains, Gujjars, Awans, Rajputs, Gakhars, Khokhars, Sheikhs, Aheers, Kambohs, Mughals, Maliks, Niazis, Khosas, Dogars, Ranghars, mirani, Qureshis, and Syeds. Other smaller tribes are the Rawns, Khetran, and Rehmanis (Muslim Labana)[25] Religion Religions in Punjab Religion Percent Islam 97.21% Christianity 2.31% Others† 0.48% Distribution of religions †Includes Sikhs, Parsis, Hindus . The population of Punjab (Pakistan) is estimated to be 97.21% Muslim with a Sunni Hanafi majority and Shia Ithna 'ashariyah minority. The largest non-Muslim minority is Christians and make up 2.31% of the population. The other minorities include Ahmedi, Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis and Bahá'í.[26] Provincial government Provincial symbols of Punjab (unofficial) Provincial animal Punjab Urial Wiesbaden Fasanerie Mufflon.JPG Provincial bird Peacock Peacock front02 - melbourne zoo.jpg Provincial tree "Shisham" (Dalbergia sissoo) Dalbergia-sissoo-20080401-2.JPG Provincial flower Bhekkar Justicia adhatoda 1.jpg Main article: Government of Punjab (Pakistan) See also: Provincial Assembly of the Punjab, Chief Minister of Punjab, Pakistan and Governor of Punjab, Pakistan The Government of Punjab is a provincial government in the federal structure of Pakistan, is based in Lahore, the capital of the Punjab Province. The Chief Minister of Punjab (CM) is elected by the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab to serve as the head of the provincial government in Punjab, Pakistan. The current Chief Minister is Shahbaz Sharif, who became the Chief Minister of Punjab as being restored after Governor's rule starting from February 25, 2009 to March 30, 2009. Thereafter got reelected as a result of May 11, 2013 elections. The Provincial Assembly of the Punjab is a unicameral legislature of elected representatives of the province of Punjab, which is located in Lahore in eastern Pakistan. The Assembly was established under Article 106 of the Constitution of Pakistan as having a total of 371 seats, with 66 seats reserved for women and eight reserved for non-Muslims. Divisions and Districts Map of the Pakistani Punjab Divisions Map of Pakistani Punjab Districts Main article: Districts of Pakistan § Punjab There are 36 Districts[27] districts in Punjab, Pakistan.[28] Sr. District Headquarters Area (km²) Population (1998) Density (people/km²) 1 Attock Attock 6,858 1,274,935 186 2 Bahawalnagar Bahawalnagar 8,878 2,061,447 232 3 Bahawalpur Bahawalpur 24,830 2,433,091 98 4 Bhakkar Bhakkar 90000 1,051,456 129 5 Chakwal Chakwal 6,524 1,083,725 166 6 Chiniot Chiniot 965,124 7 Dera Ghazi Khan Dera Ghazi Khan 11,922 2,043,118 138 8 Faisalabad Faisalabad 5,856 5,429,547 927 9 Gujranwala Gujranwala 3,622 3,400,940 939 10 Gujrat Gujrat 3,192 2,048,008 642 11 Hafizabad Hafizabad 2,367 832,980 352 12 Jhang Jhang 8,809 2,834,545 322 13 Jhelum Jhelum 3,587 936,957 261 14 Kasur Kasur 3,995 2,375,875 595 15 Khanewal Khanewal 4,349 2,068,490 476 16 Khushab Khushab 6,511 905,711 139 17 Lahore Lahore 1,772 6,318,745 3,566 18 Layyah Layyah 6,291 1,120,951 178 19 Lodhran Lodhran 2,778 1,171,800 422 20 Mandi Bahauddin Mandi Bahauddin 2,673 1,160,552 434 21 Mianwali Mianwali 5,840 1,056,620 181 22 Multan Multan 3,720 3,116,851 838 23 Muzaffargarh Muzaffargarh 8,249 2,635,903 320 24 Narowal Narowal 2,337 1,265,097 541 25 Nankana Sahib[29] Nankana Sahib 2,960 1,410,000 26 Okara Okara 4,377 2,232,992 510 27 Pakpattan Pakpattan 2,724 1,286,680 472 28 Rahim Yar Khan Rahim Yar Khan 11,880 3,141,053 264 29 Rajanpur Rajanpur 12,319 1,103,618 90 30 Rawalpindi Rawalpindi 5,286 3,363,911 636 31 Sahiwal Sahiwal 3,201 1,843,194 576 32 Sargodha Sargodha 5,854 2,665,979 455 33 Sheikhupura Sheikhupura 5,960 3,321,029 557 34 Sialkot Sialkot 3,016 2,723,481 903 35 Toba Tek Singh Toba Tek Singh 3,252 1,621,593 499 36 Vehari Vehari 4,364 2,090,416 479 [hide] v t e Districts of Punjab, Pakistan Attock Bahawalnagar Bahawalpur Bhakkar Chakwal Chiniot Dera Ghazi Khan Faisalabad Gujranwala Gujrat Hafizabad Jhang Jhelum Kasur Khanewal Khushab Lahore Layyah Lodhran Mandi Bahauddin Mianwali Multan Muzaffargarh Narowal Nankana Sahib Okara Pakpattan Rahim Yar Khan Rajanpur Rawalpindi Sahiwal Sargodha Sheikhupura Sialkot Toba Tek Singh Vehari Punjab administrative1.PNG See also: Districts of Punjab, India Major cities Main article: List of cities in Punjab (Pakistan) List of major cities in Punjab Rank City District Population Lahore Gumti.jpg Faisalabad Rwp train1.jpg Rawalpindi 1 Lahore Lahore 10,500,000 2 Faisalabad Faisalabad 5,280,000 3 Rawalpindi Rawalpindi 3,391,656 4 Multan Multan 2,606,481 5 Gujranwala Gujranwala 2,569,090 6 Sargodha Sargodha 600,501 7 Bahawalpur Bahawalpur 543,929 8 Sialkot Sialkot 510,863 9 Sheikhupura Sheikhupura 426,980 10 Jhang Jhang 372,645 11 Gujrat Gujrat 530,645 12 D.G.Khan D.G.Khan 630,645 Source: World Gazetteer 2010[30] This is a list of each city's urban populations and does not indicate total district populations Economy Main article: Economy of Punjab, Pakistan GDP by Province Punjab has the largest economy in Pakistan, contributing most to the national GDP. The province's economy has quadrupled since 1972.[31] Its share of Pakistan's GDP was 54.7% in 2000 and 59% as of 2010. It is especially dominant in the Service & Agriculture sectors of the Pakistan Economy. With its contribution ranging from 52.1% to 64.5% in the Service Sector and 56.1% to 61.5% in the Agriculture Sector. It is also major manpower contributor because it has largest pool of professionals and highly skilled (technically trained) manpower in Pakistan. It is also dominant in the Manufacturing sector, though the dominance is not as huge, with historical contributions raging from a low of 44% to a high of 52.6%.[32] In 2007, Punjab achieved a growth rate of 7.8%[33] and during the period 2002–03 to 2007–08, its economy grew at a rate of between 7% to 8% per year.[34] and during 2008–09 grew at 6% against the total GDP growth of Pakistan at 4%. Irrigated land of Punjab Despite lack of a coastline, Punjab is the most industrialized province of Pakistan; its manufacturing industries produce textiles, sports goods, Heavy machinery, electrical appliances, surgical instruments, Cement, Vehicles, Auto Parts, I.T, metals, Sugar mill plants, Aircraft, Cement Plants, Agriculture Machinery, bicycles and rickshaws, floor coverings, and processed foods. In 2003, the province manufactured 90% of the paper and paper boards, 71% of the fertilizers, 69% of the sugar and 40% of the cement of Pakistan.[35] Industrial Zones Punjab, Source:[36] Former Administrative Divisions of Punjab Despite its tropical wet and dry climate, extensive irrigation makes it a rich agricultural region. Its canal-irrigation system established by the British is the largest in the world. Wheat and cotton are the largest crops. Other crops include rice, sugarcane, millet, corn, oilseeds, pulses, vegetables, and fruits such as kinoo. Livestock and poultry production are also important. Despite past animosities, the rural masses in Punjab's farms continue to use the Hindu calendar for planting and harvesting. Punjab contributes about 76% to annual food grain production in the country. Cotton and rice are important crops. They are the cash crops that contribute substantially to the national exchequer. Attaining self-sufficiency in agriculture has shifted the focus of the strategies towards small and medium farming, stress on barani areas, farms-to-market roads, electrification for tube-wells and control of water logging and salinity. Punjab has also more than 68 thousand industrial units. The small and cottage industries are in abundance. There are 39,033 small and cottage industrial units. The number of textile units is 14,820. The ginning industries are 6,778. There are 7,355 units for processing of agricultural raw materials including food and feed industries. Lahore and Gujranwala Divisions have the largest concentration of small light engineering units. The district of Sialkot excels in sports goods, surgical instruments and cutlery goods. Punjab is also a mineral-rich province with extensive mineral deposits of Coal, Iron, Gas, Petrol, Rock salt (with the second largest salt mine in the world), Dolomite, gypsum, and silica-sand. The Punjab Mineral Development Corporation is running over a hundreds economically viable projects. Manufacturing includes machine products, cement, plastics, and various other goods. The incidence of poverty differs between the different regions of Punjab. With Northern and Central Punjab facing much lower levels of poverty than Western and Southern Punjab. Those living in Southern and Western Punjab are also a lot more dependant on agriculture due to lower levels of industrialisation in those regions. As of June 2012, Pakistan's electricity problems were so severe that violent riots were taking place across Punjab. According to protesters, load shedding was depriving the cities of electricity 20–22 hours a day, causing businesses to go bust and making living extremely hard. Gujranwala, Toba Tek Singh, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Bahawalnagar and communities across Khanewal District saw widespread rioting and violence on Sunday 17 June 2012, with the houses of several members of parliament being attacked as well as the offices of regional energy suppliers Fesco, Gepco and Mepco being ransacked or attacked.[37] Punjab (Urdu: پنجاب, Shahmukhī Punjabi: پنجاب, panj-āb, "five waters": About this sound listen (help·info)), also spelled Panjab, is the most developed and populous province of Pakistan with approximately 56% of the country's total population.[3][4][5] Lahore is the provincial capital and Punjab's main cultural, historical, administrative and economic center.[6] |
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