Sialkot سیالکوٹ |
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City | ||
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Nickname(s): City of Iqbal | ||
Coordinates: 32°29′33″N 74°31′52″E / 32.49250°N 74.53111°ECoordinates: 32°29′33″N 74°31′52″E / 32.49250°N 74.53111°E | ||
Country | Pakistan | |
Province | Punjab | |
District | Sialkot | |
Tehsil | Sialkot | |
Government | ||
• Type | Municipal Corporation | |
• Mayor | Toheed Akhtar Chaudhary | |
• Deputy Mayor | Chaudhary Bashir Ahmed | |
• Chief Officer | Muhammad Zafar Qureshi | |
Area | ||
• Total | 19 km2 (7 sq mi) | |
Elevation | 256 m (840 ft) | |
Population (2017) | ||
• Total | 655,852 | |
• Density | 35,000/km2 (89,000/sq mi) | |
• Municipal Corporation | 591,668 | |
• Cantonment | 64,184 | |
Time zone | PST (UTC+5) | |
Postal code | 51310 | |
Calling code | 052 | |
Old name | Sagala or Sakala | |
Number of Union councils | 152 | |
Website | Municipal Corporation Sialkot |
Sialkot (Punjabi and Urdu: سيالكوٹ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan. Sialkot is Pakistan's 12th most populous city, and is located in north-east Punjab — one of Pakistan's mostly highly industrialised regions. Along with the nearby cities of Gujranwala and Gujrat, Sialkot forms part of the so-called Golden Triangle of industrial cities with export-oriented economies.
Sialkot is believed to be site of ancient Sagala, a city razed by Alexander the Great in 326 BCE, and then made capital of the Indo-Greek kingdom by Menander I in the 2nd century BCE – a time during which the city greatly prospered as a major centre for trade and Buddhist thought. Sialkot continued to be a major political centre, until it was eclipsed by Lahore around the turn of the first millennium. The city rose again in prominence during the British era, and is now one of Pakistan's most important industrial centres.
Sialkot is wealthy relative to other cities in South Asia, with an estimated 2014 per capita income of $2800 (nominal). The city has been noted by The Economist for its entrepreneurial spirit, and productive business climate that have made Sialkot an example of a small Pakistani city that has emerged as a "world-class manufacturing hub." The relatively small city exported approximately $2 billion worth of goods in 2015, or about 10% of Pakistan's total exports. Sialkot is also home to the Sialkot International Airport – Pakistan's first privately owned public airport.