Hazrat Baba Farid-ud-Din Ganj Shakar R.A
District Pakpattan is famous in the world due to Sufi Saint Hazrat Baba Farid-ud-Din (R.A). The city was renamed Pakpattan (meaning "Clean Land" in old Punjabi) after the arrival of Sufi Saint Baba Farid-ud-Din whose shrine is located here. Today people from all over the world come to pass through a gate called "Bahishti Darwaza" or "Heaven's Gate" to the shrine from the 1st of Muharram to the 5th of Muharram every year. Hazrat Baba Farid, was married to the daughter of the King of that era, Ghayyas-ud-Din Balban. The founder of the Sikh Faith Guru Nanak had reverence to Baba Farid and hence Sikhs also come here to pay tribute. In 1770 after a battle between Mubarak Khan II of Bahawalpur and Hari Singh, it was agreed that the neutral town of Pakpattan, held by a Muslim saint of eminence, should be the common boundary.
Hazrat Baba Farid-ud-Din Ganj Shakar died on the 5th of Muharram 664 A.H. corresponding to 17 October 1265 C.E. Baba Farid settled down in a place very next to his current shrine. Once this place was marked with a tall flag that can be seen from the entrance of the main mosque of the shrine. He started preaching to the Hindus about Islam. In a short time, a huge number of Hindus in the region embraced Islam. Those who did not become ardent followers of Baba Farid, still often visited him to seek spiritual guidance.
Dewan Madood Masood Chishti (Sajjada Nasheen)
Pakpattan remained under the heavy influence of the local Gadi/Sajjada Nasheen of Shrine Baba Farid, for centuries. These Gadi/Sajjada Nasheens were mostly bogeymen and worked as agents of the rulers. But all of these rulers, kings and government executives had respect for the Saint Farid. Many of them visited the shrine and gave charity and lands for the shrine. King Balban and Mughal King Akbar along with his son came to visit the shrine. Sikh ruler Ranjit Singh had much respect for the Saint Farid and was always sending money and gifts for the shrine and its caretakers.
Mian Nawaz Sharif (Ex. Prime Minister), Benazir Bhutto (Ex. Prime Minister), Pervez Musharaf (Ex. President of Pakistan), and Prime Minister Imran Khan also visited the shrine of Baba Farid-ud-Din Ganj Shakar.
Politicians
Pakpattan proved barren in the field of politics. It could not give birth to any significant national political leader except some turncoats. Some local politicians are:
- Mian Farrukh Mumtaz Maneka
- Pir Muhammad Shah Khaga
- Pir Ahmad Shah Khaga
- Muhammad Naeem Ibraheem
- Mian Amjad Joia
- Mian Atta Muhammad Maneka
- Mian Ahmad Raza Maneka
- Mian Navid Ali
- Rana Iradat Ali
- Dewan Azmat Said Chishti
- Dr. Farrukh Javaid
Badar Miandad
Badar Miandad was born in 1960 in a noted family of qawwals in Pakpattan. His father Miandad and grandfather Din Muhammad were reputed qawwals. He was also cousin of the late maestro Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. The late Badar started enthralling qawwali lovers in 1975 and by the mid-80s he had earned fame.
Wahdat Rameez
Wahdat Rameez is a young talent in Pakistani Music. He is a folk and classical singer. He showed his performance on many Sufi kalams and created his name in the music industry of Pakistan. He has shown his performance on different Punjabi poetry.
Shahbaz Qamar Faridi
Shahbaz Qamar Faridi is a famous naat khawan and sings beautiful naats in the history of Pakistan. He belongs to Pakpattan, Pakistan, where the shrine of Hazrat Baba Farid-ud-Din Ganj Shakar (R.A) is located. Shahbaz Qamar Faridi is one of the best Naat Khawans and one of his very famous Naat is "Mere Aqa Ao ke Mudat Hoi hai, Jithe Madni Da Dera Ae".
Ayesha Bakhsh
Ayesha Bakhsh is a Pakistani television news anchor and journalist. She is known for her work on Pakistan's news channel, Geo News. Ayesha Bakhsh was born in Pakpattan District, Punjab, Pakistan. She is the daughter of Mian Mohammad Bakhsh and Rubina Bakhsh. She has three siblings: two brothers, Zeeshan Bakhsh (a journalist associated with Dawn News, Lahore) and Osman Bakhsh, and a sister Saima Bakhsh. Ayesha Bakhsh received schooling at St. Mary Convent School, Sahiwal. She later studied at Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi, and earned a master's degree in Communication Sciences.