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Sialkot Travel & Hotels Information.

Sialkot, Pakistan's export capital has the highest per capita exports in Pakistan. Three industries dominate Sialkot - Surgical goods, Sports goods, and Leather goods. Sialkot produces over 2000 different surgical instruments for worldwide export. Sialkot was selected to supply footballs for the 1998 World Cup. Sialkot industry holds many lessons for the rest of Pakistan's economy.

The sights and smells of Sialkot are of a different order than lahore's. Horse drawn tongas are in plentiful supply as they ease down thin alleyways purportedly referred to as streets. Sialkot prides itself as the birthplace of Allama Iqbal. The city's pragmatism becomes evident when viewing its industrial area: workshop upon workshop of boys and men, laboring together, making balls, gloves, bats, all sorts of sporting goods. This is a city at work, which moves about briskly in the morning, and closes up early in the evening.

Located 130 kilometers northwest of the provincial capital Lahore, and with a population of about 600,000, Sialkot is in many ways a unique city in Pakistan. A strong export and entrepreneurial culture combined with widespread availability of subcontracting arrangements has resulted in low barriers to entry and a proliferation of small and medium scale enterprises.

Detailed Page about History of Sialkot

SIALKOT HOTELS:

Hotel One Sialkot Sialkot

Hotel Javson Sialkot

TOURS:

Half Day Sialkot Tour.
Vist the shrine of the Sufi Saint Hazrat Imam Ali-ul-Haq later visit Sialkot bazaar witness the sports goods made in Sialkot and the famous bagpipes of Sialkot, drive to The Iqbal Manzil the residence of the greatest poet and philosopher of Pakistan Allama Iqbal the one who gave the idea of 2 nations in India and also the one who depicted a character contemporary to Netche's "Superman" The "Mard-e-Momin", later visit the Sialkot fort which is now in the shape of merely a mound. Return to your hotel. More details and reservations .

Full day Lahore Excursion.
While staying in Sialkot it is worth to have an excursion to Lahore the capital of Punjab province driver 125 Kilometers via the country side of Punjab stop at several places for pictures In Lahore Visit the Lahore museum the largest museum in Pakistan houses the articles from Moen Jo Daro Harrappa, Taxila, Peshawar, Swat and other areas. Also a well organized ethnological gallery and the British Raj history gallery are worth a visit. Later drive to Delhi gate visit the Delhi gate bazaar and Wazir Khan mosque one of the most beautiful mosques in the country. Decorated with frescos, Glazed tiles minarets arches and domes. Later drive back to Salkot.

Transfers.
Airport to hotel.
The Sialkot airport is only 15 minutes away from the main down town. During this short drive from airport to hotel you can enjoy some of the beautiful modern buildings and squares of Lahore.

Sialkot - Lahore
125 Kilometers via Gujranwala a beautiful road from Silkot to Gujranwala then follow the Industrial GT road to Lahore 4 Hours.

Sialkot - Rawalpindi
Via old Grand trunk road 275 Kms. There are many small & big towns on the way with a lot of cultural activity. You can also visit Rohtas fort on the way.

Places to visit

The old city has a fascinating labyrinth of narrow streets and crowded bazaars. Down a small side street in the old part of the city is the shrine of Hazrat Imam Ali-ul-Haq (Imam Sahib). The path leading to the tomb is often lined with numerous prostrating pilgrims. The mausoleum complex is a maze of narrow corridors leading to several shrines of pirs (holy men). The tomb of Imam Ali-ul-Haq is to the right, through a mirrored gateway tiled with Koranic inscriptions and geometric designs. The courtyard is a fascinating place to sit and absorb the atmosphere. To the rear is a small graveyard where drumming, devotional singing and dancing takes place. The market outside is very photogenic and a large flat roof at the entrance to the shrine offers a panoramic view of the deals being struck. On a low hill in the centre of the old city are the few remains of the Sialkot Fort. The shrine of the pir (saint) Muradala Shah is also on the hill.

Other places of interest include the tomb of the great Muslim scholar, Mian Abdul Hakim and Hafiz Muhammad Alim, on Khadim Ali Road and the former residence of Dr. Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938) which has been turned into a small museum containing some of his personal belongings and named Iqbal Manzil (Iqbal House).

Head Works Marala

Chenab is a 1086 km long river which originates in the Kulu and Kangra Districts of Himachal Pradesh in India and is fed by the tributaries - Chandra and Bagha as it enters Jammu & Kashmir near Kishtwar. After cutting across the Pir Panjal range, it enters the Sialkot District in Pakistan that built the Marala Barrage across the river in 1968 with a maximum discharge of 1.1 million cusecs. Two major water channels originate at Marala headworks - the Marala-Ravi Link Canal and the Upper Chenab Canal.

This resulted in the loss of Choapala village that was cut away by the river. It was one of the biggest and most well-built villages of Pakistan and its people were later relocated to a new place where new Choapala village now stands.

Sialkot-Lahore Motorway

A 6-lane motorway from Sialkot to Lahore, the two important industrial centers of Punjab, has been planned which will give impetus to economic activities in the province. The proposed motorway will pass through Gujranwala and will be linked with Wazirabad, Muridke and other industrial centers through highways. Gujrat will be linked with the Sialkot-Lahore Motorway by constructing a bridge on river Chenab near Shahbazpur. This motorway will be called "Shahrah-e-Sanat". It will reduce the distance between Sialkot and Lahore to just 45 minutes. The purpose of the mega project is to facilitate export of products grown or produced in Punjab which will have a positive impact on the country?s economy. The project will be completed by 2008

Sialkot-Rawalpindi RailCar Train Service to Lahore

From September 06 2008, Pakistan Railway extended the Sialkot-Rawalpindi 'RailCar' train service to Lahore through Narowal. Efforts are also being made to launch a direct train service from Sialkot to Faisalabad.

Sialkot District Brief Description

Sialkot District is spread over an area of 3,016 square kilometres and comprises the following four administrative units (tehsils).

Sialkot
Daska
Sambrial
Pasrur
Gujrat District and the State of Jammu and Kashmir lie in the North of Sialkot whereas Gujranwala District is situated on its West and Narowal District touches Sialkot in the South.

Climate and General Soil Conditions

Sialkot District is cold during winters and hot and humid during summers. June and July are the hottest months. The temperature during winter may drop to 4C. The land is, generally, plain and fertile. The average annual rainfall is about 1000 mm.

District at a Glance
1 Population (000 Numbers) = 3.000
2 Area Square Kilometers) = 3,016
3 Population Density (per square km) = 903
4 Tehsils = Sialkot, Daska, Sambrial and Pasrur.
5 Main Towns = Chowinda, Begowala, Kotli Loharan and Mitranwali
6 Main Crops = Wheat and Rice.
7 Main Fruits = Guava and Citrus
8 Main Vegetables = Potato, Turnip, Garlic, Cauliflower, Peas and Onion.
9 Forest (Area in Acres) = 15,078
10 Total Metalled Roads (km) = 12295
11 No. of Grid Stations = 12
12 No. of Telephone Exchanges = 45
13 Number of Industrial Units = 3229
14 Most Costly Piece of Land = Sadar Bazar Near Cantt
15 Major Industries = Beverages, Cutlery, Cycle Tyres/Tubes, Diesel Engines, Drugs & Pharmaceuticals, Earthen Ware, Flour Mills, Fruit Juices, Hand Tools, Hosiery Products, Iron & Steel Re-Rolling Mills, Leather Garments, Leather Products, Locks, Musical Instruments, Ready-made Textile Garments, Rice Mills, Sanitary Fittings, Sanitary Ware, Sports Goods, Sugar, Surgical Instruments, Tannery and Vegetable Ghee / Cooking Oil .
16 Best Hotels = Hotel Taj Palace, RT Hotel
17 Best Restaurants/Cafes = Vivo Cafe(Ghazi Road, Cantt) Cafe 24(Kashmir Road)