Misplaced Pages

The economy of Rawalpindi and the surrounding district has a diverse industrial base. With a population exceeding 3.2 million, Rawalpindi is the third largest city of the Punjab province of Pakistan, and the fourth largest city in the country. It is located in the northernmost part of Punjab, strategically connecting the region with Kashmir to the east and the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the north. It also borders Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, of which it is considered a sister city of. It has historically been an important industrial and commercial center of the Punjab region. Besides having an important railroad junction, the city has been one of the most important military cantonment areas in South Asia since the British Raj era. The main industries of the city include oil refineries, gas processing, steel manufacturing, iron mills, railroad yards, a brewery, sawmills, tent factories, textiles, hosiery, pottery, leather goods production., transport and tourism.

Overview

After the decline of the Mughal Empire in the South Asia, the Sikhs invaded, sacked and occupied Rawalpindi. The land, houses and businesses belonging to the local Muslims were occupied and settled by the invading Sikhs in 1765 and they also invited the Hindu traders to settle in the city. Slowly the economy recovered as the Muslim traders returned to the city and this was significant economic milestone in the Rawalpindi's history, and the city gradually became a regional trade hub owing to its location between Punjab and Kashmir.

During the British Raj, a military cantonment was established in the area. The army township aided in promoting commercial activity.

References

1. ^ Economy of Rawalpindi, Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry
2. Mazumder, Rajit K. (2003). The Indian Army and the Making of Punjab. Orient Blackswan. pp. 62–65. ISBN 978-8-17-824059-6.

v t e Economy of Pakistan
Currency, governance, regulation	State Bank Governors Budget Ministry of Finance Finance Minister Rupee Banknotes Coins Taxes Board of Revenue Bureau of Statistics Securities and Exchange Commission Companies Government-owned companies
History	Numbering system Five-Year Plans Nationalisation Privatisation Corporate sector Islamic economics Liberalisation Medium Term Development Framework Stagflation National debt Circular debt IMF relations Foreign aid US aid Current economic crisis
Transport	Airlines Airports Bridges Motorways Highways Rail Stations Ports Vehicle plates
Industry	Resources and production Renewable energy Solar Wind Nuclear power Fuel extraction Food Agriculture Rice production Tea Livestock Fishery Forestry Mining Financial services Banking List Insurance KIBOR Pakistan Stock Exchange KMI 30 Index KSE 30 Index KSE 100 Index Other Education Media Cinema Newspapers Radio Television Music Healthcare AIDS Hospitals Manufacturing Aerospace Automotive Defence Pharmaceuticals Real estate Science and technology Internet Telecommunications Transport Books and publishing Cottage and small scale Forestry Information technology Textile Tobacco Tourism Medical tourism Mobile phones
People and labour	Billionaires Businesspeople Labour force Child labour Poverty Pensions Trade unions Unemployment
Domestic economies	Azad Kashmir Balochistan Gilgit-Baltistan Islamabad Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Punjab Faisalabad Lahore Rawalpindi Sindh (Karachi)
Business districts	I. I. Chundrigar Road Blue Area Gulberg, Lahore Saddar Serai Quarter
See also	Foreign trade International ranking Provinces by GDP Pakistanis by net worth Standard of living
Category

• Economy of Rawalpindi
• Rawalpindi District
• Economy of Punjab, Pakistan