Why Layyah
Layyah, also spelled as Leiah, is a city located in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Serving as the administrative headquarters for both its namesake district and tehsil, it ranks as the 75th most populous urban center in the country. Based on 2023 census figures, the city has a population of 151,274 residents. The primary spoken languages across the community include Saraiki, Punjabi, and Urdu.
Geographically, Layyah is situated in the Indus Sagar Doab on a semi-rectangular tract of sandy terrain positioned between the Indus River and the Chenab River. The area rests at an average elevation of 143 meters above sea level, located between 30–45 and 31–24 degrees north latitude and 70–44 and 71–50 degrees east longitude. The surrounding district covers a total area of 6,291 square kilometers, measuring 88 kilometers from east to west and 72 kilometers from north to south.
The city was established around 1550 by Kamal Khan Mirani, a member of the Baloch Mirani dynasty and a direct descendant of Ghazi Khan, who founded Dera Ghazi Khan. Historically part of the Multan Subah within the Mughal Empire, the settlement came under the control of the Jaskani Baloch around 1610, who held it until 1787. Abdun Nabi Sarai was later named governor by Timur Shah Durrani, though administration soon passed to Muhammad Khan Sadozai, who shifted the regional seat to Mankera. Pathan groups also settled the region during the era of Afghan Durrani commander Jahan Khan.
In 1794, royal claimant Humayun Shah was captured near Layyah and brought to the town, where he was blinded on the orders of Zaman Shah. The town served as a local administrative center under Sikh governance, and following British occupation in 1849, it briefly became the headquarters of a Civil Administrative Division before being reduced to a tehsil under Dera Ismail Khan. The local municipality was created in 1875. Layyah was later assigned to Mianwali District in 1901 and subsequently to Muzaffargarh District, before being elevated back to district headquarters status in 1982 alongside the tehsils of Layyah, Karor, and Chaubara.
Cultural landmarks in the city include a branch of the Pak Tea House literary venue, which opened in February 2025. Layyah is also associated with notable historical figures such as Sufi saint Bahauddin Zakariya, industrialist Lala Harkishen Lal, philologist Mehr Abdul Haq, author Mohinder Pratap Chand, and various national sports figures and regional politicians.
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