Dina, Pakistan


Dina, is a city in Jhelum District of Punjab the province of Pakistan. Dina is one of the oldest towns in Punjab.
According to the 2017 census, the Dina had a population of 56,885 of which 31.48% were urban. Dina provided many soldiers to the British and later the Pakistan armed forces and is known as city of soldiers or land of martyrs and warriors.
The Jhelum Campus of the University of the Punjab is located in Dina Tehsil, three miles from Dina City.
Surrounding Villages of Dina are Mota Gharbi,Khukha,Natain,Khojki,Dhok Padhal,Dhok Gujral.

Location

Dina is located near Pothohar Plateau, in the north of the Punjab province. It is heart of Jhelum district. It is bordered by Jhelum and Sohawa to its south, Rohtas City to its south west, Garh Mahal to its south and east, Mirpur to its east, Chakwal to its west, Mangla Cantt to its north east, and Domeli to its north. The district of Jhelum stretches from the River Jhelum almost to the Indus.
Dina is about far from Jhelum and about far from Sohawa northwest of Lahore, southeast of Rawalpindi and around southeast of Islamabad, at the junction of roads, one leading to the Mangla Dam and Mirpur, and another to Rohtas Fort and Tilla Jogian mountain. The historic Grand Trunk Road passes through the centre of the city.

Economy

There is limited industrial activity including woodworking, ironworking and marble processing. The main source of income for residents is remittances from relatives working in the UK and the Gulf states. Many residents join the Pakistan Army. Most of the people's are Gujjar & Jutt. There is some small-scale agriculture with wheat and pulses as the main crops.
Salt is quarried at the Mayo mine in the Salt Range hills. The chief centre of the salt trade is Pind Dadan Khan. There are two coal mines in the district that supply the North-Western Railway. They are the only working coal mines in Punjab province.

History

Dina is the nearest town to the Pothohar Plateau which is rich in archaeological sites of the ancient Soanian culture.

Culture

The main languages spoken in Dina are Punjabi and Urdu. English is widely understood.
Several poets and famous personalities were born in Dina, including TV presenter Kamran Pirzada, the popular Pakistani poet Zamir Jafri and the Indian poet Gulzar. Gulzar wrote the following lines for his birthplace:

Transport

Dina is about 1.5 hour by car from Islamabad and 3.5 hours from Lahore.
The district is crossed by the main line of the North-Western railway of Pakistan Railways, and traversed along the south by a branch line.

Education