Submitted From

Name Aleeha Zahid

Roll no F18-3006

Class BSCS 7th Evening

Submitted To
Syed Fazal Shah Abbas

Pak Studies

University Of Okara

History of Okara
After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the Muslim refugees settled in the Okara District.
In 1982, the city became the headquarters of the newly created Okara District. Okara has had a
railway line since 1892. Okara is known for its cattle breed known as Sahiwal and a water
buffalo breed known as Niliravi.

After the decline of the Mughal Empire, the Sikh Empire invaded and occupied Sahiwal. The
Muslims faced restrictions during the Sikh rule. During the period of British rule there was a
forest of Okaan where the city has been built. The city is a relatively new agricultural city. The
word "Okara" for this district was actually originated from word "Okan" (a lush green tree with
needle like leaves). The Okan Tree gave birth to word Okanwali (Land of Okan) which ultimately
finalized into Okara. During British rule the area was part of Montgomery District and contained
a large saltpeter refinery.[6] At independence in 1947, one of the two textile mills that Pakistan
got was in Okara. The mill was known as Sutlej textile mill and it was Asia's biggest textile mill at
that time but at present, it is closed down. In 1982 the city became the headquarters of the
newly created Okara District. Okara has had a railway line since 1892.

Mandir - Hindu
"Okara (Blocks)city was built in 1920s and 30s long after Sikh rule which ended in 1839. Before
partition Okara had a sizable chunk of Hindu population, Sikhs in Okara city were few, most of
them lived in villages around Okara. You also have mentioned that its architectural style is of
Mandirs, and I have asked around from people who know about history of Okara. It is a Mandir
undoubtedly."

This is where a Mandir - Hindu Temple used to be, since the inception of Pakistan in 1947.
Hindus migrated to India, but the Mandir was a historic site with a tall tower. A sizable
population of Hindus and Sikhs was settled in Okara who migrated to India, therefore no one
was left to worship here. Muslim immigrants who arrived from India started living in this
Mandir and made it their home.

Okara (Punjabi, Urdu: ‫)اوکاڑا‬, is the capital city of Okara District in the Punjab province of
Pakistan.[4] The name Okara is derived from Okaan, which is the name of a type of tree.[2][5] It
is the 23rd largest city of Pakistan by population.[6] The city is located southwest of the city of
Lahore and Faisalabad is 100 km bypassing away Ravi River. It is known for its agriculture-based
economy and cotton mills.

Safdar Shaheed Park

This park was very well maintained during 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. The South-western side of
the park had Tennis Courts, facing Tehsil Road and C.M.R. High School. The rest of the park had
beautifully maintained lush green grassy grounds, covered with eye catching plants, shrubs, and
flowerbeds, surrounded by well-trimmed hedges.

Safdar Shaheed Park is Located at Tehsil Road, Okara. It was originally called Company Bagh,
and was established before the partition of the subcontinent. In 1988, its name was changed to
Safdar Shaheed Park after the martyr Captain Safdar Shaheed. This park is overseen by Okara's
Municipal Corporation.

Capt Safdar Khan Shaheed SSG { Sitara-e-Jurrat } was Born in 1959 in Sawabi. After his Matric
from Govt High School Nawah Kalli, He Joined Pak Army as a solider in 1976. Passed the
Commission Exam in 1982 & got the Rank of 2nd Lt. Due to His Devotion & Bravery He is Called
as ''The ist Steel Man Of Pakistan''.

The park entrance on north-eastern side had a flower nursery with numerous varieties of
flowers. The surrounding of the park was full of flower-scented breeze, spreading aroma all
around the neighbourhood. This park had so many varieties of Gulab (Rose) flowers, which
were unthinkable. You could find multicoloured, white, yellow, pink, red, purple, orange, and
black roses on rose-shrubs and rose-vines climbing on wooden arches. During our childhood,
we used to chase titli (butterflies) and jUgnU (fireflies or lightning bugs) in this park.