Okara District

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 an Okan forest where the city has been built. The city is a relatively new agricultural city. The settlement's name "Okara" 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 became Okara.^[5][6] During British rule, the area was part of Montgomery District and contained a large saltpeter refinery.^[7] 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 the time but at present, it has closed down. In 1982, the city became the headquarters of the newly created Okara District. Okara has had a railway line since 1892.^[4]

In 2015, a jail was established in Okara which is named as Okara District Jail. The 52-acre prison has the capacity to hold 750 prisoners.^[8][9]

Okara, Pakpattan, Sahiwal, Khanewal, Vehari and Multan combined produce more than 60% of the potatoe harvest of Pakistan.^[10][11] The whole area was barren land till the introduction of canal system. However, Lower Bari Doab Canal (LBDC) from river Ravi in 1913, and later Depalpur and Pakpattan canals, brought the entire district under the command of irrigation system.^[12]

As of the 2023 census, Okara district has 549,724 households and a population of 3,515,490. The district has a sex ratio of 103.73 males to 100 females and a literacy rate of 60.25%: 66.52% for males and 53.71% for females.^[2][15] 958,545 (27.36% of the surveyed population) are under 10 years of age.^[16] 1,187,504 (33.78%) live in urban areas.^[2]

More information Religious group, 1941: 42 ...

Religion in contemporary Okara District

Religious group	1941[17]: 42		2017[18]		2023[14]
	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
Islam	414,437	73.02%	2,995,995	98.53%	3,446,579	98.38%
Hinduism [a]	78,751	13.87%	214	0%	214	0%
Sikhism	65,749	11.58%	—N/a	—N/a	44	0%
Christianity	8,602	1.52%	43,636	1.44%	55,735	1.59%
Ahmadi	—N/a	—N/a	956	0.03%	594	0.02%
Others[b]	60	0.01%	25	0%	285	0.01%
Total Population	567,599	100%	3,040,826	100%	3,503,451	100%
Note: 1941 census data is for Okara and Depalpur tehsils of the former Montgomery District, which roughly corresponds to contemporary Okara district. District and tehsil borders have changed since 1941.

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At the time of the 2023 census, 94.16% of the population spoke Punjabi and 4.64% Urdu as their first language.^[19] The main Punjabi dialects of the district are Jhangvi (or Rachnavi), and the standard Majhi dialect.

There are many tribes and clans settled in the Okara District. The majority of the population of Okara are Punjabi speaking Muslims. The main tribes and clans include: Syed, Malik, Jhujh, Channar, Wattus, Mungun, Jhakhar, Klaason, Dhall Jutt, Rajputs, Shaikhs, Lodhis, Kharals, Kamyanas, Kumbohs, Khanzadas, Noons, Arains, Chaudhary and Baloch are prominent. However, the Jat population is less compared to other communities.^[20]

According to the 2023 census conducted by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, 98.47 % population of Okara district is Muslim.^[21]

Okara is also known for its cattle breed known as Sahiwal and a Water buffalo breed known as Niliravi. It is very rich in livestock population and production. The Livestock Production Research Institute (LPRI) Bahadar Nagar Farm is a very large Government farm near Okara city (18.5 km on Faisalabad road from DepalPur Chowk Okara). The farm has a large number of cows, buffalos, bulls (for reproduction), goats and sheep. Okara is a major milk producing city of Pakistan. There is also a large military dairy farm in Okara district originally set up in 1913.^[22] After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the 'battai system' (sharing-partners in crop yields) continued in all military-owned farms in Pakistan, with the farmers taking their respective shares in the crop yields.^[23][22]

Since 2005 the Okara Bypass (30.786887° 73.459238°), with a length of 12.7 km, on GT road (N-5) was opened.^[4]

Towns in the district include:

• Depalpur^[24]
• Renala Khurd
• Basirpur
• Haveli Lakha
• Hujra Shaah Moqeem
• Ghaziabad
• Jaboka
• Chak 14 Gd Tehsildar
• Naul Plot
• Satghara

The following is a table of the Tehsils & Union Councils of Okara District:

The district is also represented in the National Assembly, by 4 elected members who represent the following constituencies:

• Bushra Bibi – wife of Imran Khan^[28]
• Syed Samsam Bukhari – Politician
• Aftab Iqbal – Journalist
• Younis Iqbal^[29] – Social Activist and Founder/Chairman Anjuman Muzareen Movement
• Rao Sikandar Iqbal – Politician
• Zafar Iqbal – Poet and Columnist
• Ajmal Kasab – 2008 Mumbai Attacks terrorist
• Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi – Lashkar e taiba terrorist
• Rai Ahmad Khan Kharal – Historic Hero
• Ghulam Ali Okarvi – Scholar
• Indrias Rehmat – Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Faisalabad.^[30]
• Manzoor Wattoo – Politician, Former Chief Minister of Punjab^[20]
• Saieen Zahoor – Sufi Musician
• Mian Yawar Zaman – Politician
• Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan Okarvi – Scholar
• Samina Noor – Politician

Thatta Ghulamka Doll Village of Pakistan in Okara