HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF SHORKOT CANTONMENT

                      Till today in the map and official record, the area now consisting of Shorkot Cantonment is known as Shorkot Road because of the road which connected the Railway Junction to the Shorkot Town. The Railway Junction was established in 1912. As per Revenue Record the place consists of Chak No. 634 GB whose total area is 550 acre. The growth of this area started in 1947, due to migration of the Indian Muslims from the District of Ludhiana, Hoshrarpur and Jalindhar. The major attraction was the availability of the state land to build residences. It was despite the facts that the subsoil water was saline and therefore not potable. Today this area is known as the Katchi Abadi Chak No. 634 GB Shorkot Cantt. (one of the oldest Katchi Abadis). The locals of this area started a “Panchayat” in the 1956, and its first demand was the settlement of Muhajirs on permanent basis. So the struggle for proprietary rights started in 1956. This is the only Cantonment in Pakistan which comprises entirely of a Katchi Abadi. The Cantonment Board Office shifted from the old Town Committee to the present building in 1976.

2.                The events of historical significance in this area are the establishment of Railway Junction in 1912, creation of Rafiqui Air Base in 1966 and the erection of two canals in 1950 under the Indus water basin treaty. While a event of social significance are the annual “Urs”of Hazrat Sultan Bahoo at Garmaharaja.

ESTABLISHMENT OF PAF BASE RAFIQUI

               The Sarfraz Rafiqui airbase is located here, which is the third biggest in Pakistan. Squadron Leader Sarfraz Ahmed Rafiqui (18 July 1935 - 6 Sep 1965) is a well-known pilot in the Pakistan Air Force. He is recognised for services to his country during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, and is a recipient of both the Hilal-i-Jurat (Medal of Courge) and the Sitara-i-Jurat (Medal of Honour).Pakistan's third biggest air base, Rafiqui (Shorkot Cantonment) is named after him. One of the largest roads of the Lahore Cantonment is named Sarfraz Rafiqui Road in his honour. Rafiqui Shaheed Road in Karachi is also named after him in 1966.

ESTABLISHMENT OF SHORKOT CANTONMENT

  Growth in population resulted in the establishment of “Town Committee” in 1964 under the basic democracies system of General Ayub Khan. In 1967 (Nearly three year after the Town Committee), owing to the creation of the Rafiqui Air Base, the Cantonment Board Shorkot stepped in to the shoes of the old “Town Committee” in 1967 vide gazette Notification No. 805/67 dated 31-03-1967

ROITS OF 1988.

                        The year 1988 witnessed the wrath/revenge of the local public who were extremely annoyed with the Cantonment Board, as this was the agency which frustrated there design to encroach the entire area as quickly as possible. Two points aggravated the already explosive scenario.

                        At the eve of elections, the applicants were asked to clear their taxes prior to the filling of nomination papers. On 27^th January 1988 Cantonment Board Office was set on fire and the entire establishment alongwith building and office record was reduced to ashes. Octroi/ Toll tax posts were taken over by the public, with demand that they do not behest of the President Cantonment Board tried to take over the Octroi Posts to re-establish their authority, the staff was beaten very badly and the Cantt. House (having no boundary was or any gate) was set on fire on 13^th March 1988. Mr. Altaf Ahmed Khan, the then Cantonment Executive Officer Multan with Addl. Charge negotiated with the public reps and succeeded in developing rapprochement after withdrawing all the cases against the officials.

                        Since then the behavior of public at this place   is offensive and demand a lot of patience to deal with them. But transparency and impartially have re-established the writ of the Office to a great extent.

SHORKOT CANTONMENT BOARD BASIC DETAILS:-