Arif Wala

Ārifwāla (Punjabi and Urdu: عارفوالا) is a city and headquarters of Arif Wala Tehsil of Pakpattan District in the Punjab province of Pakistan.^[2]

Ārifwāla عارفوالا
City
Ārifwāla Show map of Punjab, Pakistan Ārifwāla Show map of Pakistan
Coordinates: 30°17′53″N 73°3′22″E
Country	Pakistan
Province	Punjab
Division	Sahiwal
District	Pakpattan
Tehsil	Arifwala
Population  (2023 Census of Pakistan)[1]
• Total population	157,063
• Rank	69th, Pakistan
Time zone	UTC+5 (PST)
Calling code	0457

It is the 69th most populous city in Pakistan. Arifwala is located to the southwest of Pakpattan.

During India-Pakistan conflict of 2025 India did a precision missile strike on Arifwala destroying an air defence radar. India`s Air marshall Awadhesh Kumar Bharti later did a press briefing showing sattelite images as proof.^[3]

Demographics

Population

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1951	11,537	—
1961	18,558	+4.87%
1972	28,171	+3.87%
1981	43,654	+4.99%
1998	74,174	+3.17%
2017	111,403	+2.16%
2023	157,063	+5.89%
Sources:[4]

According to 2023 census, Arifwala had a population of 157,063. The population of city in 1998 was 74,174 but according to the 2017 Census of Pakistan, the population has risen to 111,403 with a growth of about 50.19% in 19 years.^[5]

Road projects

The Provincial Development Working Party approved a scheme to rehabilitate a 17 km stretch of road from Bahawalnagar to Arifwala for Rs631.246 million in its 7th meeting. The PDWP, chaired by Abdullah Khan Sumbal, also approved seven other road schemes worth a total of Rs9 billion.^[6]