dhoke

Dhoke is a toponym widely used in Pakistan to designate a small settlement or neighborhood. The term is rooted in Urdu and Punjabi linguistic usage and is applied to clusters of houses, often situated along a road or near a landmark. In practice, a dhoke can develop into a locally recognized community within a larger town or rural area, functioning as a distinct residential limit even when it lacks formal administrative status.

Geographically, dhokes are found across Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and are frequently incorporated into the fabric of district towns or tehsils. Administratively, a dhoke is typically part of a union council or sub-tehsil and may be treated as a neighborhood within a city for planning and governance purposes. Population size and amenities vary; some dhokes are densely built urban pockets while others are rural settlements.

Notable examples include Dhoke Syedan in the Rawalpindi District, among many other dhokes named after local landmarks, families, or historical associations. As a toponym, 'dhoke' functions as a practical label in everyday speech and maps, rather than a formal, uniform administrative unit across Pakistan.