Pir Mahal

Pir Mahal (Punjabi: پیر محل) is a city and headquarters of Pir Mahal Tehsil of Toba Tek Singh District in the Punjab province of Pakistan.^[3][2][4]

Pir Mahal
City
پیر محل
Pir Mahal Show map of Punjab, Pakistan Pir Mahal Show map of Pakistan
Coordinates: 30°45′50″N 72°25′52″E
Country	Pakistan
Province	Punjab
Division	Faisalabad
District	Toba Tek Singh
Elevation [1]	152 m (499 ft)
Population  (2017 Census of Pakistan)[2]
• Total	44,219
Time zone	UTC+5 (PST)
Calling code	046
Number of Towns	4
Number of Union councils	16

In March 2024, media reported that the Punjab government had approved funds to construct five expressways to connect major districts of the province. The five included approval of Rs 66 billion for the 199-km Chichawatni to Pir Mahal- Shorkot to Garhmahraja- Chowk Azam to Layyah Expressway.^[5]

History

Pir Mahal’s history is closely tied to the canal colonization of Punjab during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when agricultural lands were systematically settled by migrants from districts such as Ludhiana and Jalandhar. The town developed around a local shrine and settlement believed to be associated with a “Pir” (saint), from which it derives its name, meaning “abode of the saint.” Over time, villages known as "chaks" were established in the surrounding fertile lands, creating a network of agrarian communities that fed into Pir Mahal’s growth as a market town. During British rule, the area gained importance due to its agricultural output and connectivity through the railway line, which facilitated trade and movement. After Pakistan’s independence in 1947, Pir Mahal continued to expand, eventually being upgraded from a sub-tehsil of Kamalia to a full tehsil on 1 February 2013, marking its recognition as an administrative and economic center in Toba Tek Singh District.