Dewal

Dewal Sharif
—  Union council  —
Dewal Sharif is located in the north of Murree Tehsil
Country	Pakistan
Province	Punjab
District	Rawalpindi
Tehsil	Murree
Government
- MNA	Shahid Khaqan Abbasi
Population
- Total	11,052

Dewal also known as Dewal Sharif is a Union council of Murree Tehsil (a sub division), of Rawalpindi District in the Punjab province of Pakistan.^[1] Dewal Sharif has the distinction of having the highest literacy rate out of all the Union Councils of Pakistan.^{[citation needed]} According to the 1998 census of Pakistan it had a population of 11,052.^[2]

Notable people

Dewal is renowned all over the Rawalpindi District in general and Tehsil Murree in particular for producing various people of notable decree; who have served the country in their respective fields of work. Some of these include:

• Pir Abdul Majid Ahmed (Pir Sahib Dewal Shareef) late
• Pir Rohal-ul-Husnain Moeen ( Spirtual And islamic Scholar )
• Air Cdr (R) Muhammad Khaqan Abbasi - MNA, Minister of Production,
• Brig. (R) Muhammad Taj Khan
• Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, MNA PML(N)
• Zulfiqar Ameen Abbasi, Advocate
• Brig Akhlaq Ahmed Abbasi(Sitara-e-Jurrat)

Dewal and Dewal Shareef

Dewal is a Sanskrit word means a small temple, but Pir Abdul Majid (Pir Sahib Dewal Shareef) who migrated to Rawalpindi in mid fifties last century and established a shrine with the sport of Ex-President of Pakistan General Ayub Khan ^[3] , in Faizabad between Islamabad and Rawalpindi translated and Islamized Hindu small temple common noun Dewal into Dewal Shareef ^[4].

Dewal history

Dewal was a big business center in Kohsar of Musiarhi (now Murree), Circle Bakote and Gallies. There was a Sheva Temple ^[5] there en rout to Mokashpuri, Thoba (now Barhean ^[6]), Lora Highway before advancement of Islam as a complete code of life by Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani ^[7] and Arab Islamic Tribes as Dhund Abbasies, Alvi Awans and Sadats. There was Kethwal Rajpoot tribe who converted themselves from non Muslim to followers of the Islamic prophet Mohammed and recited “there is no God but Allah and Mohammed is the Prophet of Allah”. This temple was long lived till partition of Subcontinent in 1947

References

1. ^ Official Website of City District Government of Rawalpindi
2. ^ 1998 Census of Pakistan
3. ^ http://www.murreehill.com/polhis.html
4. ^ http://murreehills.sitesled.com/places/places_dewal.htm
5. ^ http://www.satyamfoundation.org/shivmandir/
6. ^ http://www.imagesofasia.com/html/pakistan/bazaar.html
7. ^ http://www.koausa.org/Nature/Shrines/shrines1.html