Sahiwal is a growing city in southeastern Punjab province of Pakistan and the administrative centre of Sahiwal District. Founded in 1865, the town was formerly known as Montgomery after Sir Robert Montgomery, then Lieutenant-Governor of Punjab. It took its current name in 1966. Sahiwal lies approximately 180 km. from the major city of Lahore. The population is 207,388 (1998 Pakistan Census). Sahiwal District is included in the former Multan Division and lies between 30-40 north latitude and 73-10 longitude. It is approximately 500 ft. above sea level. It roughly forms a parallelogram lying generally NE-SW along the Ravi River. It is approximately 100 km. from east to west and 45 km. from the northwestern boundary of the district of Sahiwal, Faisalabad, Toba Tak Sing. The dead River Khushak Bias separates it from the district of Pakpattan. On the eastern side, Okara District is situated. While on the district the boundaries of Khanewal and Vehari District and on the southern side is Pakpattan district. Sharif exists where is shrine of one of the famous sufi Hazrat Baba Fareed Shaker Gunj.

Sahiwal District now consists of 531 villages in two subdivisions. Sahiwal District is spread over an area of 3201 square km. and comprises two tehsils, Sahiwal and Chichawatni. Sahiwal District also contains many subtowns like Qadirabad, Yousafwala, Iqbalnagar, Kassowal, Noorshah, Harappa and Ghaziabad. There are transport connections via road and Pakistan railways to Lahore, and a regional airport under construction, Sahiwal Airport. Agriculture is important to the local economy, particularly the growing of cotton and grain. Cattle are also kept and Sahiwal is famous for its water buffalo milk and one of the ancient civilization on archeological evidence dated 3000 to 5000 B.C. 15 miles southwest from downtown in suburb of Harapa which was the northern city of Indus Valley Civilization.

The Sahiwal Dairy Cattle breed

The Sahiwal breed is the best dairy breed of zebu or humped cattle (Bos indicus), followed by the very similar Red Sindhi and Butana breeds. See photos [Synthetic Dairy Breed Proposal]. It originated in the dry Punjab region which lies along the Indian-Pakistani border. They were once kept in large herds by professional herdsmen called "Junglies". However, with the introduction of irrigation to the region they began to be kept in smaller numbers by the farmers of the region, who used them as draft and dairy animals. The Sahiwal is one of the best dairy breeds in India and Pakistan. It is tick-resistant, heat-tolerant and noted for its high resistance to parasites, both internal and external. Cows average 2270 kg. of milk during a lactation while suckling a calf and much higher milk yields have been recorded. Due to their heat tolerance and high milk production they have been exported to other Asian countries as well as Africa and the Caribbean. As oxen they are generally docile and lethargic, making them more useful for slow work. Their color can range from reddish brown through to the more predominant red, with varying amounts of white on the neck, and the underline. In males the color darkens towards the extremities, such as the head, legs and tails. Sahiwal breed arrived in Australia via New Guinea in the early 1950’s. In Australia, the Sahiwal breed was initially selected as a dual-purpose breed. It played a valuable role in the development of the two Australian tropical dairy breeds, the Australian milking zebu and the Australian Fresian Sahiwal. Sahiwal breeds are now predominantly used in Australia for beef production, as crossing high-grade Sahiwal sires with Bos taurus animals produced a carcass of lean quality with desirable fat cover.

The Sahiwal breed is the heaviest milker of all zebu breeds and displays a well-developed udder. It demonstrates the ability to sire small, fast-growing calves and is noted for its hardiness under unfavorable climatic conditions. (Reference: 1-Handbook of Australian Livestock, Australian Meat & Livestock Corporation,1989, 3rd Edition 2-Genus Bos: Cattle Breeds of the World, 1985, MSO-AGVET (Merck & Co., Inc.), Rahway, N.J. 3-Mason, I.L. 1996. A World Dictionary of Livestock Breeds, Types and Varieties. Fourth Edition. C.A.B International. 273 pp.

Weather

The climate of Sahiwal district is extremely hot, reaching 47ºC in summer, and cold in winter, down to 2ºC. The soil of the district is very fertile. The average rainfall is about 177 mm.

People

The only Pakistani Nobel laureate, Dr. Abdus Salam, was born in District Sahiwal, according to his elder sister. He was brought up in Jhang, therefore it is erroneously assumed that he was also born there. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for his achievements in the field of Theoretical Physics in 1979. He is buried at Rabwah city of Jhang district.

One of the founding forefathers of modern Urdu, Majeed Amjad, was born in Sahiwal and got his education from Govt. College Lahore. He was inspired by the greenery of Sahiwal and wrote about the trees.