Paniala, Dera Ismail Khan

The name Paniala originated from "Panjh Naala", which means 5 Naalas, stemming from Oobo Sir (in Pashto), which means "head of water", and then combines into one form. The water is then supplied to whole of the village and nearby towns for feeding and cultivating the fields. And then from passage of time the name Panjh Naala changed into Paniala. Another origin of the name Paniala is attributed to the meaning of combination of Urdu words, pani and wala. Pani wala thus meant "a place with water". This was the only oasis town in the surrounding desert area of about 30 km radius where even drinking water was not available to the population around, and the habitat around would fetch drinking water from the natural fountains/springs and KAREZs of Paniala. Thus the name Pani wala became Paniala with the passage of time. Water is, nonetheless, still supplied to numerous villages on the east, west and south from Paniala even now through pipelines, though. The green grassland comprises sandy area and a population of 120,000 citizens. The inhabitant comprises Marwats, Khels, Hashmis and Qureshis. The local language spoken is Pashto with soft and sweet dialect. The prominent shrine of Haji Baba and two important graves of Sahabis (RA) are also situated. Famous fruits of the town are Mangoes and Dates. “Dhakki” is one of the famous and delicious amongst all dates and is a major part of export. The famous nearby picnic spots are TOY (a natural water resort and play ground)and the mountainous hilly region of Sheikh Badin that comprises lush green forest, an old non-functioning post office and police station of British time.