Kharian Cantonment

Kharian Cantt. or Kharian Cantonment is one of the largest cantonment (Army Base) of Pakistan. It is located near Kharian city in Gujrat district of Punjab province of the Pakistan.The Cantonment was built in late 50's with the support of the US as part of the military assistance to Pakistan. Its construction was supervised by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and was built according to American standards. The population of cantonment is 90,462 whereas the population of the parent city Kharian is around 30,000.GeographyKharian Cantonment is located on the GT Road at a distance of 125 km from Capital city of Islamabad and 145 km from provincial capital Lahore. Prominent nearby cities and towns include Jhelum, Lalamusa, gulyana, Dinga, Sarai Alamgir, and district city of Gujrat.HistoryThe construction of Kharian Cantonment was completed in 1958 with the assistance of the US as part of the military assistance to Pakistan. Its construction was supervised by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and it was built according to American standards which differed considerably from the standards laid down by the British for Indian and British troops. The master plan of the cantonment is a planned grid like network of roads. It was one of the few cantonments which was established post partition era. It was constructed to station US troops in Pakistan, a plan which was partly reversed because of the U2 spy plane crash scandal. It was one of the biggest army bases and the home of BURAK, (the Armoured division of Pakistan Army Reserve North) until 2008.