The PAF Base, a critical British Royal Air Force Base, was set up in 1925. The Drigh Road Cantonment, meant for civilians, was also founded nearby that same year, as stated in the Government of Bombay Revenue Department Notification No.4840/24 dated November 4, 1925. In 1947, it was renamed Faisal Cantonment. The boundaries of the Cantonment Board changed twice, once in 1988 and again in 1995. The Board earned a Class I classification in 2002 and, according to the 2017 census, it has a population of 292,196.
The area is not just home to the first airfield established by the Royal Air Force in the sub-continent, it also reflects a small-scale version of Pakistan. The population is a diverse blend from all provinces, including descendants of the initial settlers (mohajirs) who arrived after independence in 1947.[2]