Karnana, Gujrat

Karnana, also known as Akhtar Karnana, is a town and the 73rd Union Council Gujrat District in the Punjab Province of Pakistan. The town has a population of over 20,000 people. It is located at 32°39'35"N, 73°52'0"E and has an elevation of 233 metres (767 feet) above sea level.

History
After the decline of the Mughal Empire, the Sikhs invaded and occupied Gujrat District. During the period of British rule, Hafiz Ghulam Muhammad Ch. was a landlord. He was a political, religious, spiritual and herbal practitioner of Karnana. Hafiz had helped and defended poor Karnanians against the powerful Hindu Khuttri Gujrat District, that had increased in population and importance.

After the division of the Indian subcontinent in 1947, the minority Hindus and Sikhs migrated to India and Muslim refugees from India settled in the Gujrat District. Today, mainly Muslim families live in Akhtar Karnana.

Geography
On the north side of the village is the Lalamusa-Dinga Road, which connects Karnana to these two cities.

On the east side of Karnana are the small villages of Lambor, Bhola, Umar Chak and Jalaldin, and Lalamusa City are Sukh Chainah are to the north. Rakdand, Miana Chak, Jaura, Ghurko, Dhola, Pir Jand and mainly Dinga City are to the west of Karnana. To the south of the town are Chechian, Babanian, Ranian and Paal.

Transportation
The Shorkot–Lalamusa Branch Line of Pakistan Railways passes through Akhtar Karnana railway station, linking Lalamusa, Dinga, Mandi Bahauddin, Bhalwal, Sargodha and Shorkot. Karnana is also connected to Peshawar and Karachi via Pakistan Railways.

Ch Akhtar Ali Karnana and Muhammad Munir Mughal had constructed the railway station  in 1984, and are still taking care of it, even though the train service is available.

Nowadays, people prefer to travel on rickshaws or using their personal vehicles.

Mosques
There are approximately fourteen mosques in Karnana, with two mosques not yet constructed.

Grand (Jamia) mosques

 * Central Mosque
 * Al–Madina Mosque
 * Quba Mosque

Other mosques

 * Ghosia Al-Rehmat Mosque
 * Habib Mosque
 * Husnain Tayyaban Mosque
 * Ali Mosque
 * Abu-Bakr Siddque Mosque
 * Noor Mosque
 * Mustafa Mosque
 * Nasib Mosque (work in progress)
 * Mosque of High School

Government schools

 * Govt. Boys High School Karnana
 * Govt. Boys Primary School Karnana
 * Govt. Girls Elementary School Karnana

Private schools

 * The Educators (Abdul Shakoor campus)
 * Noor Public Girls Model High School Karnana
 * Kinza Public Girls High School Karnana
 * Mustafai Public Girls High School

Notable people
Ch. Akhtar Ali Khatana is from Karnana. Former Chief Minister of Punjab Mian Muhammad Afzal Hayat's forefathers were from Karnana as well.