Punjab-Rahimyar Khan - (2025)

Economic ActivityEconomic Infrastructure

Economic Activity; Rahim Yar Khan District

The economy of district RYK is based on agriculture. The major industrial occupations in the district, as per the 1998 Census, include (2017 Census data has not been made public yet):

  • Agriculture with its Allied Livestock Breeding, Fishing etc (56.3%)
  • Manufacturing (1.7%)
  • Construction (17.6%)
  • Wholesale/ Retail Trade, Hotel/ Restaurant (7.6%)
  • Community, Social & Personal Services (14.2%)
  • Transport, Storage & Communication (1.8%)
  • Others (0.8%)

Land Use; Rahim Yar Khan (RAK) District

The following table shows the major land use statistics of RYK district as per Punjab Development Statistics 2018-19:

Total Area1,188,000HAReported Area817,000HA
Cultivated Area639,000HANet Sown area560,000HA
Current Fallows79,000HAUn-Cultivated Area178,000HA
Culturable Waste92,000HAForest Area8,000HA

Table 1.7 RYK Land Use Statistics

Irrigation Network; Rahim Yar Khan District

The main sources of irrigation in the district are canals and tube wells. The Abbasia canals and Panjnad canals off-taking from the Panjnad Headworks irrigate RYK district.

The following table shows the mode of irrigation and the area irrigated by each mode as per Punjab Development Statistics 2018-19:

Total Area Sown733,000HAIrrigated Area726,000HA
Un-Irrigated Area7,000HACanal Irrigated355,000HA
Dug Wells–HATube Well Irrigated17,000HA
Canal Well Irrigated9,000HACanal Tube Wells344,000HA
Others1,000HA

Table 1.11 RYK Irrigation Statistics

Agriculture; Rahim Yar Khan district

The district belongs to the Southern Irrigated Plains Agro-Ecological Zone of Pakistan. Agriculture is the dominant sector of the economy, with 56.3% of the population engaged in agriculture. Irrigated area is irrigated through tube wells and non-perennial canals.

Major crops of the district are cotton, sugarcane, and wheat. Rice, maize, tobacco, bajra, moong, maash, masoor and oilseeds such as rape/ mustard and sunflower are also grown in minor quantities in the district.

Fruits of the district include mangoes, citrus, guavas, and pomegranate as main fruits grown in the district; dates, jaamun, pears, phalsa, and banana are grown in minor quantities.

Main vegetables are potatoes, onion, and cauliflower. Vegetables grown in minor quantities include bottle gourd, bitter gourd, chilies, carrot, cauliflower, peas, and garlic.

Punjab-Rahimyar Khan - (1)

Figure 1.3 Sunflower Fields, RYK

Livestock Breeding; Rahim Yar Khan District

Livestock breeding is the second most important economic activity of the district.

The following table shows the livestock population as of the 2010 Census of Livestock (quoted in Punjab Development Statistics 2018-19):

Cattle560,000 HeadsBuffaloes691,000 HeadsSheep139,000 Heads
Goats1,347,000 HeadsCamels4,469 HeadsHorses3,425 Heads
Mules1,018 HeadsAsses45,155 Heads

Table 1.8 RYK Livestock Statistics

Kohistani breed of cows, cross breed cattle, khadali sheep, and marecha/ mehra camels are indigenous to the district.

Poultry Farms; Rahim Yar Khan District

According to Table 17 (Number of Commercial Poultry Farms and Number of Birds by Size of Flock) there are 872 poultry farms in the District. Number of privately owned poultry farms as per Punjab Development Statistics are 583 broiler, 27 layer and 10 poultry breeding farms in the District.

Fishing; Rahim Yar Khan District

Fishing is carried out in Rivers Indus and Chenab, as well as canals and dhands like the Minchan Branch Canal, Abbasia Canal, and Malkani Dhand; most of this fish is consumed locally.

Bee Keeping/Apiary; Rahim Yar Khan District

In Pakistan, honey bee colonies were introduced in the 1980s, and since then, more than 300,000 honey bee colonies have been successfully established in Pakistan. In RYK, bee keeping is taken up on a commercial basis but the honey collected is sold in raw form.

Minerals and Mining; Rahim Yar Khan district

There are prospects of salt mining in RYK district due to saline areas of the district. The Government awarded mining licenses to OGDCL (Oil and Gas Development Corporation of Pakistan) to explore oil and gas deposits in RYK in 2006.

Industry and Manufacturing; Rahim Yar Khan district

RYK is a commercial and industrial center; it is connected with the rest of the country, including the other industrial hubs such as Lahore, Karachi, Quetta, and Faisalabad, through road, rail, and air. Industries include fertilizer, cosmetics, glass manufacturing, cotton production and processing, large textile units, flour mills, sugar and oil mills, large-scale power generation plants, edible oil, cottonseed oil, soap, beverage making, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural implement making.

Cottage industry includes cotton ginning, pottery/ clay products, electric desert coolers, agricultural machinery, handicrafts, and embroidery.

The major industrial companies in RYK include Uni Lever, Fauji Fertilizer Co., and Coca Cola, among others.

There is 1 Industrial Estate in the district. It houses 280 small, medium, and large enterprises. The following table shows the type and number of industry in the district as per Directorate of Industries Punjab, Pre-Investment Study RYK District 2012 (latest available):

IndustryNo.IndustryNo.
Beverage02Chemical01
Cold Storage04Cotton Ginning and Pressing180
Dairy Product10Drugs & Pharmaceuticals01
Glycerin01GI/ MS Pipes01
Fertilizer02Flour Mills43
Ice cream01Industrial Burn Gases01
Paper & Paper Board01Poultry Feed03
Rice mills03Seed Processing04
Solvent Oil Extraction01Sugar05
Textile Spinning03Textile Weaving12
Sulphuric Acid01

Table 1.9 RYK Industries

Trade (Import/Export); Rahim Yar Khan district

Sadiqabad is a major local trading hub; it has a number of cotton mills and a large plant that produces fertilizers. A Grain Market was established in 1948 that has provided employment and prosperity to the area. Mango is the major export item from the district, followed closely by cotton, sugarcane, and fertilizers.

Handicrafts; Rahim Yar Khan district

The handicrafts of the district include engraved metal utensils and lightweight pottery embellished with geometrical designs. Utensils engraved with flowers are produced at Khanpur and are considered a fine specimen of workmanship. The lightweight pottery making is concentrated at Khanpur and Garhi Ikhtiar Khan, and generally comprises piyalas (bowls) and double walled surahis (long-necked clay vessels) ornamented with symmetrical holes and raised flower designs. Gun-making is another traditional craft practiced at Ghari Ikhtiar Khan; Collyrium eye-wash boxes, cauldrons, and other brass and copper articles (like copper dishes) are also being produced in the region.

Embroidered handmade shoes known as khussas are also a very popular handicraft

Economic Infrastructure; Rahim Yar Khan District

The district is linked by road, rail, and air to other parts of Punjab and Pakistan as well as the global community.

Road Statistics; Rahim Yar Khan district

The following table shows the road statistics of the district as per Punjab Development Statistics 2018-19:

Total Road Length4,276.6km
National Highways157.0km
Motorways– km
Provincial Highways3737.8km
Sugar Cess Roads381.8km

Table 1.10 RYK Road Statistics

Some of the important roads of the district include

  • National Highway N5, which passes through RYK district
  • Khanpur Road
  • Kacha Shahi Road
  • Taranda Swa-e-Khan Road
  • Sadiqabad-Rahim Yar Khan Road

Rail and Airways; Rahim Yar Khan district

The main Peshawar-Karachi railway line passes through RYK district. The district is linked with Bahawalpur and Sukkur through the Pakistan Railway network. In all, there are 20 Railway Stations in the district.[1]

There is an airport called Rahim Yar Khan or Sheikh Zaid International Airport in the district. This is located in RYK city.

Radio and Television; Rahim Yar Khan district

There is a FM radio broadcasting station in RYK city. Even though there is no TV station in the district, TV can be viewed through boosters and cable.

Telecommunications; Rahim Yar Khan district

Pakistan Telecommunication Ltd. has established a network of telephone lines. In all, there are 61 telephone exchanges[2] operating in the district, ranging in capacity from 200 lines to 20,150 lines. In addition, a number of cellular companies also provide their services in the district.

Post Offices/ Courier Services; Rahim Yar Khan district

There is a Pakistan General Post Office in RYK city with its allied night office. There are a total of 189 branches[3] of Pakistan Post with 69 branch offices in RYK tehsil, 66 in Sadiqabad, 30 in Khanpur, and 24 branch offices in Liaqatpur.

Banking/ Financial Institutions; Rahim Yar Khan district

There are a total of 187 branches[4] of various banks in the district, with 60 in RYK tehsil, 45 in Sadiqabad, 42 in Khanpur, and 40 in Liaqatpur.

According to the List of Reporting Bank Branches 2019 by State Bank of Pakistan, following banks have their branches in the district:

  • Al Baraka Bank Ltd.
  • Allied Bank Ltd.
  • Askari Bank Ltd.
  • Bank Al Habib Ltd.
  • Alfalah Bank Ltd.
  • Bank Islami Pakistan Ltd.
  • Dubai Islamic Bank Pakistan Ltd.
  • Faysal Bank Ltd.
  • First Women Bank Ltd.
  • Habib Bank Ltd.
  • Habib Metropolitan Bank Ltd.
  • JS Bank Ltd.
  • KASB Bank Ltd.
  • Muslim Commercial Bank Ltd.
  • Meezan Bank Ltd.
  • National Bank of Pakistan Ltd.
  • National Investment Bank Ltd.
  • Silk Bank Ltd.
  • Sindh Bank Ltd.
  • Soneri Bank Ltd.
  • Standard Chartered Bank Ltd.
  • Summit Bank Ltd.
  • The Bank of Khyber Ltd.
  • Bank of Punjab
  • United Bank Ltd.
  • Zarai Taraqiati Bank Ltd.

In all there are 192 branches of various conventional banks and 31 branches of different Islamic banks in the District.

Electricity and Gas; Rahim Yar Khan district

There are 9 grid stations[5] in the district each of 132 KV capacity.

Natural gas is supplied through the main gas supply pipeline in RYK, Sadiqabad, and Khanpur towns.

[1] Directorate of Industries, Punjab. Pre-Investment Study Rahim Yar Khan District 2012; Latest available.

[2] Directorate of Industries, Punjab. Pre-Investment Study Rahim Yar Khan District 2012; Latest available.

[3] Directorate of Industries, Punjab. Pre-Investment Study Rahim Yar Khan District 2012; Latest available.

[4] Directorate of Industries, Punjab. Pre-Investment Study Rahim Yar Khan District 2012; Latest available.

[5] Directorate of Industries, Punjab. Pre-Investment Study Rahim Yar Khan District 2012; Latest available.

Educational Institutions; Rahim Yar Khan district

The following table shows the details of educational facilities of the district as per Punjab Development Statistics 2018-19:

InstitutionBoys/GirlsInstitutionBoys/Girls
Primary Schools1,032/1,175Middle Schools191/190
Secondary Schools135/87Higher Secondary20/30
Degree Colleges20/24Other Higher Secondary[1]02/01
Other Degree Colleges[2]11/11Technical Training Institutes[3]04/01[4]
Vocational Institutes[5]-/03Commercial Training Institutes[6]04/01
Universities[7]01Govt. Mosque Schools186/08
Medical Schools[8]01Engineering Schools[9]02

Table 1.12 RYK Educational Institutions

Punjab-Rahimyar Khan - (2)

Figure 1.12 Sheikh Zaid Public School, RYK

Healthcare Facilities; Rahim Yar Khan district

The District Health Officer (DHO) is overall in charge of health services provided in the district. The DHO is supported by doctors, paramedics, technicians, and other support staff. The following table shows the number of health care institutions in the district as per Punjab Development Statistics 2018-19:

InstitutionNo./BedsInstitutionNo./Beds
Government Hospitals08/1,889Dispensaries64/-
Rural Health Centers19/396Basic Health Units108/208
T B Clinics02/-Mother Child Health Centers07/-
Sub-Health Centers-/-Private Hospitals268/NA
Private Health Care Providers[10]268/NA

Table 1.13 RYK Health Institutions

Policing; Rahim Yar Khan district

Deputy Inspector General Police (DIGP) looks after Bahawalpur region which comprises of Bahawalpur, RYK, and Bahawalnagar districts. RYK district is subdivided into 5 subdivisions, with 27 police stations[11] in total. The police force in each region is headed by the District Police Officer (DPO) who is assisted by a varying number of Superintendents and Deputy Superintendents of Police.

[1] Includes Private, Federal and Schools owned by PAF etc.

[2] Includes Private, Federal and Schools owned by PAF etc.

[3] Directorate of Industries, Punjab. Pre-Investment Study Rahim Yar Khan District 2012; Latest available.

[4] Co-Education.

[5] Directorate of Industries, Punjab. Pre-Investment Study Rahim Yar Khan District 2012; Latest available.

[6] Directorate of Industries, Punjab. Pre-Investment Study Rahim Yar Khan District 2012; Latest available.

[7] Campus of Islamia University Bahawalpur

[8] Sarfraz Medical & Dental College

[9] Khawaja Farid University of Engineering & IT (Newly established); Swedish College of Engineering and Technology, RYK

[10] Three Years Rolling Plan RYK (Number of Hospitals/ Beds Not available) ; Latest available.

[11] Punjab Development Statistics 2018-19

Punjab-Rahimyar Khan - (2025)

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