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Pathankot

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pathankot (Punjabi: ਪਠਾਨਕੋਟ, Pashto: پټان کوټ) is a city and a municipal committee in Gurdaspur district in the Punjab State of India. It is the fifth largest city in the state of Punjab in terms of population.

Pathankot is a meeting point of the Punjab region and considered a disputed territory by the United Nations. It is the last city in Punjab on the national highway that connects Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of Pakistan and India. This bestows strategic importance on the city. It is a major base for the defence forces, the Indian army and air force. It has the largest military base in the whole of Asia.[source?]

Due to its ideal location, Pathankot serves as a travel hub for the three northerly states. In the scenic foothills of Kangra and Dalhousie, with the river Chakki flowing close by, the city is often used as a rest-stop before heading into the Himalayan mountains of Kashmir, Dalhousie, Chamba, and Kangra.