Rahim Yar Khan

For the district, see Rahim Yar Khan District. For the tehsil, see Rahim Yar Khan Tehsil.

Rahim Yar Khan (Urdu: رحیم یار خان, romanized: Rahīm Yār Khān; Urdu pronunciation: [ɾəɦiːm jɑːɾ xɑːn]) is a city in the Punjab, Pakistan. It is the 21st most populous city in Pakistan and is the capital of the Rahim Yar Khan District. The city's administration is divided into nine union councils.^[2] Originally named Noshehra, it was renamed to Rahim Yar Khan in honour of the son of Sadeq Mohammad Khan IV.

Rahim Yar Khan رحیم یار خاں
City
Rahim YAR Khan
Bhong Mosque
Rahim Yar Khan Location of Rahim Yar Khan Show map of Punjab, Pakistan Rahim Yar Khan Rahim Yar Khan (Pakistan) Show map of Pakistan
Coordinates: 28°25′12″N 70°18′0″E
Country	Pakistan
Province	Punjab
District	Rahim Yar Khan
Area
• Total	210.2 km2 (81.2 sq mi)
Elevation	83 m (272 ft)
Population (2023 Census)[1]
• Total	519,261
• Rank	21st, Pakistan 14th, Punjab
• Density	2,500/km2 (6,400/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+5 (PST)
Postal code	64200
Calling code	068
Number of tehsils	4
Number of Union councils	139
Website	rykhan.punjab.gov.pk

History

People have lived near this area for a very long time. The ancient tower of Pattan Minara stands 8 km to the east of the city center, and is believed to be the remains of a 5,000-year-old monastery, with the minara built during the Hakrra valley civilization of the Mauryan period (250 BC).^[3]

Rahim Yar Khan was founded in 1751 as Noshehra.^[4] Its region was part of Multan province of Mughal Empire.^[5] Railway administrators wanted to change the name of the town due to its similar name to Nowshera. In 1881, Sadeq Mohammad Khan IV renamed the area to Rahim Yar Khan in honour of his son.^[6]

Rahim Yar Khan was a part of Bahawalpur State until 1943, when it became a separate district.^[7]

Climate

One-fourth of the city is within the Cholistan Desert.^[4]

Economy

65% of the population is employed in agricultural work.^[4]

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1941	...	—
1951	14,919	—
1961	43,548	+191.9%
1972	74,262	+70.5%
1981	119,036	+60.3%
1998	233,537	+96.2%
2017	477,100	+104.3%
2023	519,261	+8.8%
Sources:[8]

The population of the city is 519,261 during the 2023 census.^[1]

Transport

Flyover in Rahim Yar Khan City

Rahim Yar Khan railway station

Shaikh Zayed International Airport is located in Rahim Yar Khan. It serves the people of city with domestic and international flights.^[4] There are daily flight from this airport to Karachi, twice in a week to/from Lahore, and once a week to Islamabad. This airport was partially damaged in 2025 India-Pakistan conflict.^[9][10]

Notable people

• Aima Baig, singer
• Asim Saleem Bajwa, Lieutenant general (Pakistan)
• Talha Chahour, actor
• Saima Akram Chaudhry, Pakistani screenwriter
• Abdullah Darkhawasti, Pakistani Sunni Islamic scholar
• Fida-Ur-Rehman Darkhawasti, Islamic scholar, academic person and politician
• Muniba Mazari, social activist

See also

• Patan minara
• Islamgarh Fort