Wah Cantonment

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For other uses, see Wah (disambiguation).

Wah Cantonment

واہ کینٹ
Cantonment
Central Mosque
Central Mosque
Wah Cantonment is located in Punjab, Pakistan
Wah Cantonment
Wah Cantonment
Wah Cantt
Coordinates: 33°46′17″N 72°45′06″E / 33.7714°N 72.7518°E / 33.7714; 72.7518Coordinates: 33°46′17″N 72°45′06″E / 33.7714°N 72.7518°E / 33.7714; 72.7518
Country Pakistan
ProvincePunjab, Pakistan Punjab
DistrictRawalpindi
TehsilTaxila Tehsil
Established1949
Area
 • City58.27 km2 (22.50 sq mi)
Elevation
471 m (1,545 ft)
Population
 (2017)[1]
 • City379,534
 • Rank22nd, Pakistan
 • Density6,500/km2 (17,000/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+5 (PST)
Postal code
47040
Area code(s)0514
Literacy rate100%

Wah Cantonment (Punjabi and Urdu: واہ کینٹ) (often abbreviated to Wah Cantt) is a military cantonment located in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is a part of Taxila Tehsil of Rawalpindi District. It is the 24th largest city of Pakistan by population.[2] It is located 30 km (19 mi) to the north west of Islamabad-Rawalpindi.

History[]

Wah Cantt is adjacent to ancient city of Taxila, a small town enriched with one of the most important archaeological sites of the world and the "First University of The World".[3]

The name 'Wah' has its roots in the Mughal era with the Mughal emperor Jehangir reported to have coined the name when he was camped at Wah village, originally called 'Jalal Sar', en-route to Lahore after a visit to Kashmir. Emperor Jehangir's army was tired and they were looking for a place to rest where there was a natural source of water. As soon as the emperor saw a place with a natural spring, he loudly said, "Wah" ("Wow"). Later people started calling the area 'Wah'.[3][4]

Wah Gardens in Wah cantt

The Mughal adventure in this area had a strong influence on the architecture of the village and surrounding area which is still visible to date, especially in the Wah Gardens. Some of the most popular places in Wah Cantt are Wah Ordnance Club and POF hotel besides the nearby Pakistan Ordnance Factory complex with 20 factories or industrial units producing artillery, tanks, and anti-aircraft ammunition for the Pakistan Armed Forces.[5][4][6]

Military[]

Wah Cantt is a military cantonment. It is completely locked down for traffic except through the barriers controlled by Pakistan Military Guards. All the entering cars have to have a pass or permit otherwise they can not enter the city. A temporary pass can be picked up at the entrance to the city by surrendering your ID card which you can pick up when you are leaving the city.

The city is governed by Cantonment Board Wah (CBWAH).[7]

Education[]

Wah has the highest literacy rate in all of Asia, effectively 100%.[5] This small city has two chartered universities, one medical college, one engineering college and many other technical schools and colleges. Students from Wah Cantt can be found studying at many of the top institutes of Pakistan and abroad. Historically, many surrounding places show links of the area to its past as the neighboring ancient town of Taxila had been a seat of learning for thousands of years.[5]

Apart from numerous private and government schools and colleges, foundations of professional universities have been laid down in the past five years, including the Wah Medical College, Wah Engineering College, the University of Wah and the COMSATS University Islamabad (Wah Campus).[5][8]

References[]

  1. ^ "PAKISTAN: Provinces and Major Cities". PAKISTAN: Provinces and Major Cities. Citypopulation.de website. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  2. ^ "Pakistan City & Town Population List". Tageo.com website. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  3. ^ a b History of Wah Cantt Wahcantt.com website, Retrieved 25 September 2021
  4. ^ a b "About Wah Cantt - Fact File". Wahcantt.com website. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d "Wah Cantonment". GlobalSecurity.org website. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  6. ^ Wah Cantt location and history Wahcantt.com website, Retrieved 25 September 2021
  7. ^ "Cantonment Board Wah". Cantonment Board, Wahcantt website. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  8. ^ "Wah Medical College website".

External links[]

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