Lalamusa is a small city of district Gujrat in Punjab province, Pakistan and is situated on the Grand Trunk Road (GT Road). The distance from Lalamusa to Lahore is 139 kilometers and to Rawalpindi is 143 Kilometers.  The name of the town is based on a name of person Musa and the word Lala is of Punjabi origin meaning brother thus called Lalamusa (Brother Musa). Nearby cities are Gujrat and Kharian and surrounding villages are Kotla Qasim, Khawas Pur, Miana Chack and Bhudo Kalas.

Although a small city of around 200,000 people, Lalamusa encompasses all the important necessities and facilities of life. From having a railway station of historical significance to hospitals, schools and markets, this city has them all.

Historical Background:

The construction of railway junction in 1880 by British played a pivotal role in advancement of the city (at that time a small village). Before the construction of railway junction, Lalamusa was almost a deserted area but after the construction many English families got settled here. That is why there exists a small English graveyard in the town.

Famous Personalities:

Lalamusa is the home of Ex-Information Minister and Ex-Governor of Gillgit Baltistan Qamar Zamaan Qaira. Lalamusa is also known for producing the most beautiful voices of music industry in Pakistan. Alam Lohar, a highly acclaimed Folk singer of Pakistan known for singing Waris Shah’s Heer and his son Arif Lohar, who followed the footsteps of his father also became a highly successful singer.

When it comes to Journalism, Lalamusa is known for producing one of the most respected and top notch journalist of Pakistan Javed Chaudhry, who comes from a nearby village called Shah Sharmust. He is known for his infamous column Zero Point which influenced masses and it is (according to a survey) the most read column in newspapers of Pakistan.

People:

People of Lalamusa are of very hospitable nature and live a simple life. Most people residing in Lalamusa are from lower middle class, some own small businesses and many have settled in Europe and Middle East, contributing a good share in foreign remittance.

Food:

When it comes to exquisite dishes and food items, there is no Parallel to the city of Lalamusa. Lalamusa’s Samosas are known for its spicy and excellent taste. The barfi of Nona Halwai is most famous in Pakistan and near Lalamusa, Mian-G Restaurant’s Daal is also a delicious dish to taste.

Clothes:

Commonly worn attire is shalwaar qameez. The elderly people prefer to wear shalwaar qameez but the younger generation now prefers to wear pant shirt as well. Most of the female population wears shalwaar qameez and wearing of jeans is not encouraged.

Sports:

Cricket and football are the most commonly played sports in Lalamusa but unfortunately the city lacks of sporting facilities. Therefore, youth have been forced to play in streets and school/college grounds. However, few initiatives have been taken to improve upon the situation and cricket clubs have been established including Riaz Cricket Club and Lalamusa cricket club. Bodybuilding is another popular sporting activity and there are many GYMs in Lalamusa both for males and females alike.

Education:

There are only two government and 3 private colleges in Lalamusa but students can also pursue their education in the neighbouring cities, Gujrat and Kharian. However, the encouraging thing is that there are sufficient number of schools in Lalamusa including both private and government schools. When it comes to university education, the students have to go to Gujrat, Rawalpindi or Lahore.

Market access:

Lalamusa is a central market for villages around the city. Villagers sell their crops in that wholesale market situated in centre of the city. Furthermore, despite there are wholesale markets in Gujrat and Kharian, people from nearby villages prefer to go to wholesale market of Lalamusa because of its easy accessibility.

As far as Retail Market is concerned, there is a main market in city where locals do shopping of the daily life products. The retail market includes every type of shop, from bakeries to electronic shops the market has every customer to cater.

Religious Harmony:

Hindus and Sikhs also used to live in Lalamusa before partition, however now they are considered as minority. Despite being a minority, there is religious freedom for them in the city. Currently there is a church and a temple in the town where minorities (Christians and Hindus) freely practice their religion. This is an interesting fact that despite Muslim majority, Lalamusa has strong emotional bond with their religion, the minorities have been given complete freedom to practice their religion and they are treated as equal citizens.

Healthcare Facilities:

As far as healthcare facilities are concerned, they are sufficient to fulfil the needs of citizens. Apart from many small private hospitals and number of medical stores, there is a Govt. Civil Hospital in the city where top of the line medical facilities are provided.