Mianwali District - Places of Interest

Places of Interest

• Kalabagh Dam is located about 40 km north of Mianwali city. The proposed dam site is located between beautiful mountains narrowing down on the River Indus at an ancient town known as Kalabagh.
• Chahshma Barrage and Lake is located south of Mianwali city and is a beautiful lake.
• Jinnah Barrage
• Namal Lake: Namal or (Nammal) lake is a place of interest located at the foot of Namal mountain near Chakrala. It is a beautiful scenic place frequented by hikers and holiday-makers. In 2008, Namal College was established by Namal Lake at the base of the Salt Range.
• Thal Desert: It is a large area which is mostly desert and semi-arid. It is located between the Jhelum and Indus river (The Sindh-Saagar Doab). The boundaries of the old district established in 1901 included almost 70% of this great area, but after the separation of Layyah and then Bhakkar Tehsils, only about 20% remains in this district. First deputy commissioner A J O'Brien wrote in his memoirs: "In 1901 the District of Mianwali was formed out of the two Punjab halves of two older districts, and I had the good fortune to be put in charge. It was a lonely District with, as my Assistant Mr. Bolster called it, 'three white men in a wilderness of sand'."
• River Indus
• Kalabagh Old Town
• Ruins at Mari Indus and Mari City: At Mari in the Mianwali Tehsil, there is a picturesque Hindu ruin, crowning the gypsum hill, locally called Maniot (from Manikot, meaning fort of jewels), on which the Kalabagh diamonds are found. The ruins themselves must once have been extensive. It appears that the very top of the hill was built over with a large palace or fort.
• Architectural objects and remains: In the southern part of the district the general absence of antiquarian remains tends to prove that it can never have been the site of a rich and populous government. In the Kachhi tract, of course, such remains could not survive the action of river floods, and this tract must, at one time, have been much wider than it is now. The Thal, however, is admirably suited for the preservation of antiquarian relics, had any such ever existed, but there are none that date from earlier than the fourteenth century.
• Ruins of Sirkapp Fort: Overlooking the village site of Namal in the Khudri is a ridge of great natural strength, cut off on three sides by hill torrents. On the top of this ridge there are extensive ruins of what is said to have been the stronghold of Sirkapp, Raja of the country, who was a contemporary of Raja Risalu of Sialkot, by whom he was vanquished. The outer wall of the fort still exists in part in a dilapidated condition, but the enclosure, which must once have contained accommodation for a fairly large garrison, is now one mass of fallen houses and piles of hewn or chiselled stones. The series of lifts, made for carrying water from the bed of the stream to the top of the hill, have left their marks.
• Other antiquities: The above, together with two sentry-box like buildings, supposed to be dolmens, midway between Namal and Sakesar, and several massive looking tombs, constructed of large blocks of dressed stones in the Salt Range, comprise all the antiquities above ground in the district. No doubt many remain concealed beneath the surface. The encroachments of the Indus and even of the Kurram near Isakhel often expose portions of ancient masonry arches and wells. The only other antiquity worth mentioning is a monster baoli at Wanbhachran, said to have been built by order of Sher Shah Suri. It is well preserved and similar to those in Shahpur District.

Main political and religious party: Jamat-e-islami main and strong political & Islamic party of Distt. Mianwali. It is real party which have on grass root and inspaire thousands of people by his idiology. It is set up is present in 32 union councils from 56 of District. A Great Movement for the protection of Rights of peoples of distt.mianwali. (TEHREEK-E-HAQOOQ-E-MIANWALI). T.H.M was the only one and different movement for the rights of mianwali peoples which established by a merchant leader Haji falak shair awami and jamat e islami distt.mianwali. But this movement failed when thousands of people came to jahaz chok and protest but killed 2 by police and many injured. And police and distt. management was established a F.I.R against the 6067 persons under the ATA act.