# Mian Channu

Mian Channu (Urdu / Punjabi: مِياں چَنُّوں), is the capital city of Mian Channu Tehsil in Khanewal District, Punjab province of Pakistan.

## Etymology

The city was named after a Sufi saint, Baba Mian Channu, who had lived there at one point and was buried here when he died. There is an urban legend about the name; it is believed that during the British rule, the administration attempted to change the name of the city. They painted all boards with the new name. However, an unknown vandal changed the boards back to the original name. They tried repeatedly in vain, and since then, the name of the city remained 'Mian Channu'.
Mian Channu has many services and areas for its inhabitants, as well as tourists.

## History

Mian Channu was part of the wider Multan region after the Islamic conquest of Punjab region in the 8th century CE by Arab Umayyads. Mian Channu was considered a village, and by 1938, it was considered a town of Multan region. Its limits were last extended in the year 1950. Since then, no extension has been made, and the development of the town from 1947 to 1961 remained slow. A municipal council was established in 1975, as Mian Channu had grown into small urban centre by that time. After that, the town began developing, and major growth has been taking place, from 1972 to 1984. The trend of growth in this period has largely been along G.T Road, and in the northern direction.
It has been the headquarters of the Mian Channu Tehsil of Khanewal District since 1985, and is administratively subdivided into three Union councils.
For more than a century, Mian Channu was part of Multan District. With the raising of status of Mian Channu to a tehsil headquarters, and the creation of Khanewal District on 1 July 1985, Mian Channu Tehsil became a part of Khanewal District.
An accidentally fired BrahMos missile from India that landed in Mian Channu in 2022, is referred to as the 2022 India–Pakistan missile incident.

## Demographics

Mian Channu has approximately 90,130 residents per the 2017 census, and is located on the Grand Trunk Road (250 km southwest of Lahore, and 1,050 km northeast of Karachi), and the KLP (Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar) railway line.
* Faisal Town, residential area

## Economy

The city is one of the major contributor to agricultural production. Cotton, wheat, and mangoes are the major agricultural products. Major crops of the town are wheat, grain, peas, barley are the important crops of Rabi season, while Kharif crops are cotton, sugarcane, jawar, bajra, oil seeds which are shipped by rail and road to other parts of the country.
The city is also known for their local specialty, Khushi Barfi, which is a kind of condensed milk.

## Notable people

* Ghulam Haider Wyne - Pakistani Politician (Former Chief Minister Punjab)
* Arshad Nadeem - Olympic Gold Medalist Athlete (Javelin thrower)
* Maulana Tariq Jameel - Pakistani Islamic television preacher, scholar.
* Iftikhar Thakur - Pakistani actor and stand up comedian.
* Pir Muhammad Aslam Bodla - Pakistani Politician
* Rana Babar Hussain - Pakistani Politician
* Begum Majeeda Wyne - Pakistani Politician
* Ayub Ommaya - Pakistani-American neurosurgeon (NIH USA)
* Humza Yousaf - former First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP)