Mianwali

Mianwali is the capital city of Mianwali District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It lies to the east of the Indus River and is irrigated by the Thal Canal. According to local tradition the name, which means land of the Mian, was first given to a hamlet by the Sufi saint Shaikh Mian Ali, who came from Baghdad and settled in the area in the 16th century. A municipality was created in 1875 under British rule, and in 1901 the town became the headquarters of the new Mianwali District. The 2023 census counted 129,500 urban residents. The Chashma Nuclear Power Plant and Namal University lie in the surrounding area.