Dinga

For the Romanian village, see Costeşti, Vaslui.

Dinga
Coordinates: 32°38′28″N 73°43′27″E / 32.641°N 73.7243°E / 32.641; 73.7243Coordinates: 32°38′28″N 73°43′27″E / 32.641°N 73.7243°E / 32.641; 73.7243
Country	Pakistan
Province	Punjab
Elevation	218 m (715 ft)
Time zone	PST (UTC+5)
Number of towns	1
Number of union councils	2

Dinga is a city of Gujrat District in the Punjab province of Pakistan.^[1] It lies between the rivers Jhelum and Chenab. The main highway that runs from Lahore to Rawalpindi is about 25 km northeast of Dinga. Dinga is about 100 km from the border that separates Pakistan and India, the city is famous in Pakistan for meethi saunf (sugar-coated aniseeds).

History

Dinga is an old city. There is evidence that this town was established in the 16th century,by Chaudhary Muqeem Khan.He came from the nearby village of bhalaisranwala and laid the foundation of a settlement,He started raiding the dacoits who at the time which were a persistent danger and established both peace and order.Before the partition in 1947, Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs used to live here in harmony. There was a Gurdwara for the Sikhs called NanakSar. There are still the ruins of pre-partition buildings here. The population of Dinga in 2008 was about 80,000.^{[citation needed]}

Political family

Mian brothers of Kolian Shah Hassain.Mian Muhammad Afzal Hayyat,Ex. chiefminister Punjab,embassadar Pakistan,MPA,President of bazame Iqbal Lahore.Mian Muhammad Asgher hayyat,Ex.distt.Nazam Gujrat.Mian Mobeen Hayyat,barrister high court Lahore.

Administration

The city of Dinga is part of Kharian Tehsil (a subdivision of Gujrat District) and is administratively subdivided into two union councils, Dinga-I and Dinga-II.^[1]

Transport

The easiest way to reach Dinga from abroad is to fly in to the airport at Islamabad, and then take a bus or some other means of transport to Dinga. Dinga is about 135 km from Islamabad. It takes 2 hours to reach Dinga from Islamabad by road and 3 hours from Lahore. Dinga is connected to Islamabad by the Grand Trunk Road - the main highway that runs from Rawalpindi to Lahore. At the city of Kharian on the highway, you will take a right turn onto Rasul road towards Dinga. Dinga is about 25 km from this point, which would take about half an hour to reach. The condition of the GT road from Rawalpindi/Islamabad to Kharian is excellent, and the road from Kharian to Dinga is reasonably good for travel. An alternate way to reach Dinga from abroad is to fly in to the airport at Lahore, and then take a train or some other means of transport to Dinga.Lalamusa-Dinga Road via JauraKarnana.Lalamusa-Dinga railway link via Akhtar Karnana.

Educational institutions

An old high school named Sardar Hakam Singh High School was replaced by Govt. Higher Secondary School Dinga in 1926 by a wealthy Indian man named Rai Bahadar Sundardas. The new school is situated in the same building with a new infrastructure.

Other schools in Dinga include Govt. Degree College for Boys Dinga, Govt. Degree College for Women Dinga, and Dar-ul-uloom-Jamia-Rizvia Zeya-ul-Quran and Kidsbeacon school Dinga (Abdullah Campus) [1] (an institute for Islamic education).

Notable people

• Muhammad Akram Shaheed, Nishan-e-Haider
• Chaudhary Muqeem Khan founded Dinga,Head of the Gujjar Clan
• Chaudhary Abdullah Khan (late)
• Chaudhary Fateh Muhammad zaildar of dinga
• Chaudhary Ghulam Sarwar Deputy Suprindent Of Police
• Chaudhary Imtiaz Ahmad a famous beaurecrat
• Syed Abid Hussain Shah (late)
• Chaudhary Muhammad Aslam
• Haji Abdul Razzaq Ansari (social worker)
• Mian Muhammad Deen Sahib R.A. (Sufi saint of Qalandari Silsila)^{[citation needed]}
• Hakeem Mian Zahoor Hussain(late) did his matriculation in 1912 and graduated in hikmat(traditional medicine) from Tibbiyah College Delhi. He participated very actively in Pakistan Movement and also attended Pakistan Resolution at Minar-e-Pakistan in 1940. He had the honor of meeting Allama Iqbal during one of his visits to the local shrine. He was a very close relative of Chaudhary Fazal IllaHi(Ex President) and Mian Afzal Hayat (Ex CM Punjab). He and his elders established a village (Yaqeen Pur) 2 Km from Dinga and own substantial land there. He was very highly respected among the local population.
• Muhammad Husnain Butt ( Director/ Niima International Import & Export / Niima Rice.www.niimarice.com)
• Haji Choudhary Muhammad Hussain Toppa (president of Aashqaan e Mustafa dinga, district head of human rights commission)
• Haji Sadiq Butt (former Nazim Dinga)
• Haji Shahid Mahmood Butt (General Secretary of Aashqan e Mustafa dinga)
• Mian Fahim Khadam S/o Mian Kahadam Hussain
• Habib Baswi(director foreign exchange)
• Mian Tariq mehmood (Member of Provincial Assembly)
• several well known personalities of India with a last name Sibal !
• Dr.Safdar Mahmood,a well known bureaucrat,retired as Federal Secretary.He wrote many books on Politics as well as on Pakistan Movement and on Constitutional History of Pakistan.

Main markets

Ghala Mandi Dinga is a major econmoic hub for the nearby villages thus have a very old Ghala Mandi,providing local farmers a platform to sell their products. Main Bazaar Main Bazzar,is the main town shop street of around 200 shops,you hace access to all the mod-cons here from Banks to a very well oiled Foreign Exchange market.

Local media

Local weekly publications include Apna Dehat, Deehat Times, Nai Haiqiq, Times of Dinga, Dinga Post and Muqabil. Monthly publications include Nawa-e-Mashhood, Mata-e-ilam (for children), and Gohar Guzashat.

Nearby villages

Nearby villages include:JauraKarnana, Amra Kalan, Bajjarwala, Barnali, Beknawala,Karariwala Khurd, Bhlaisranwala, Chak Jani, Buddhuwal, Channan, Dhakarr, Dhandala, Dhandali, Dhuleyan Sharif, Fatah Bandh, Ismaila Shareef, Jaurah, Khokhara, Kolian Shah Hussian, Noor Jamal, Rajo Bhand, Rakdand, Sandanwala, Shekhu Chak, Sikeryali, Sivya,Jhandu and Traduanwala.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Tehsils & Unions in the District of Gujrat - Government of Pakistan