Jhelum Cantonment

Jhelum Cantt. (Urdu/Punjabi: ) or Jhelum Cantonment is cantonment area in Jhelum adjacent to city area. It is one of the important cantonment(Army Base) of Pakistan, which was built during the British rule in 1849 which has grown up into a strong Garrison. It is the headquarters of the 23rd Infantry Division commanded by a Major General.

Location
Jhelum Cantonment is located on the GT Road(N-5) adjusent to the city of Jhelum at a distance of 121 km from Capital city of Islamabad and 167 km from provincial capital Lahore. Prominent nearby cities and towns include MirPur Azad Kashmir, Kharian Cantonment, Sarai Alamgir, and Gujrat. The cantonment area is well planned and aesthetically maintained with an array of evergreen trees, trees and seasonal flowers.

History


During British rule Jhelum was chosen as the site of a cantonment and as the head-quarters of the civil administration. For some years it was the seat of the Commissioner of the Division, but in 1859 his head-quarters were transferred to Rawalpindi. Under British rule Jhelum has steadily advanced in prosperity; and it is the entrepôt for most of the trade of the District, though, since the completion of the Sind-Sāgar branch of the North-Western Railway; the salt trade no longer passes through it. It is an important timber dépôt, the timber from the Kashmir forests which is floated down the river being collected here. A good deal of boat-building is carried on. The cantonment, which is three miles from the civil station, contains the church and post office. The normal strength of the garrison is one Native cavalry and four Native infantry regiments. The municipality was founded 1867. During the ten years ending 1902-03 the receipts averaged Rs. 32,100, and the expenditure Rs, 31,900. Receipts and expenditure from cantonment funds in the same period averaged Rs. 31,900 and Rs. 6,100 respectively. The chief income of the municipality in 1903-04 was Rs.34,200 chiefly from octroi; and the expenditure was Rs. 41,000. The town has two Anglo vernacular schools, a municipal high school, and a middle school maintained by the American Presbyterian Mission. Besides the civil hospital, the mission also maintains a hospital.".

During the Indian Rebellion of 1857 35 British soldiers of HM XXIV regiment were killed by the local resistance. A lectern inside St. John's Church Jhelum the church shows the names of those 35 soldiers. St. John's Church is located in Jhelum cantonment Pakistan beside the river Jhelum. It was built in 1860 and is a landmark of the city. It is a Protestant church and was in use during the British period. For forty years it remained closed. Now it has been renovated and opened and almost in good condition.

Education
Jhelum Cantt offers a number of quality education institutes for basic, intermediate as well as the higher education. These institutes benefit both the residents of cantonment and the people living in the neighboring towns and villages. the prominent schools and colleges include:
 * Army Public School and College Jhelum Cantt.
 * FG Intermediat College Jhelum Cantt.
 * Fauji Foundation Model School & College, Jhelum Cantt.
 * FG Boys Public Secondary School Jhelum Cantt
 * FG Girls Public Secondary School Jhelum Cantt
 * FG Boys High School Jhelum Cantt
 * Presentation Convent School, Jhelum Cantt
 * St. Thomas’ High School, Jhelum Cantt
 * Cantonment Board Public School

In addition there are number of good schools in the city of Jhelum and neighborhood of cantonment which include the Beaconhouse School Systems and The City School (Pakistan) etc. A famous Cadet College with a name of Military College Jhelum is located at a distance of 5 km at Sarai Alamgir.

Sports
The Jhelum Cantt has an eighteen-hole golf course called the River-View Golf Club, where national golf tournaments are held regularly. There are variety of sports facilities available within the cantonment which include Cricket fields Hockey fields, football fields, Tennis Courts, Squash courts and Swimming Pools are among many other sports facilities that are available. Zamir Jaffri Cricket Stadium is also adjacent to the Gul Afshan Colony Jhelum Cantt.

Parks
There are number of beautiful parks with exciting rides and activities for the children of all ages. There is a central park with number of attraction for the residents and people of neighbouring areas. The jogging and walking traks are a busy site at morning and in the evening by both men and women alike.

Health facilities
The cantonment has an "B" class standard, 500-bed teaching hospital known as Combined Military Hospital (CMH Jhelum). All the departments of the hospital are equipped with the latest and state of the art equipment and Facilities. The burn center is the largest and most advanced in the country. There is a plan to establish a medical college in the vicinity of the hospital.

Shopping
The cantonment has number of markets with small to medium shopping stores offering variety of products. These shopping areas are source of attrection for both locals and visitors alike.