Abbottabad District

Abbottabad
ایبٹ آباد
District

A picture of Abbottabad city taken in 1907
Coordinates: 34°00′N 73°00′E / 34.000°N 73.000°E / 34.000; 73.000Coordinates: 34°00′N 73°00′E / 34.000°N 73.000°E / 34.000; 73.000
Country Pakistan
Province Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Headquarters Abbottabad
Area
  Total 1,969 km2 (760 sq mi)
Population (2014)
  Total 1,182,000
  Density 600/km2 (1,600/sq mi)
Time zone PKT (UTC+5)
Number of Union Councils 51
Number of Tehsils 2
Languages (1981) 92.32% Punjabi (Hindko dialect)
3.68% Pashto[1]
Website www.abbottabad.gov.pk

Abbottabad District (Urdu: ضلع ایبٹ آباد) also spelled Abbotabad is in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The district covers an area of 1,969 km2 with the city of Abbottabad being the principal town.[2] Neighbouring districts are Mansehra to the north, Muzaffarabad to the east, Haripur to the west, and Rawalpindi to the south.[3]

History

Origin of name

The district is named after Major James Abbott, the first deputy commissioner of Hazara (1849–1853).[3]

Hazara

During British rule Abbottabad became the capital of Hazara division, which was named after and contained the Hazara valley, a small valley in the outermost Himalayas, between the Indus in the west and Kashmir in the east.[4]

The current Abbottabad District was originally a tehsil of Hazara, the Imperial Gazetteer of India described it as follows:

Tahsīl of Hazāra District, North-West Frontier Province, lying between 33°49' and 34° 22' N. and 72°55' and 73° 31' E., with an area of 715 square miles (1,850 km2). It is bounded on the east by the Jhelum, which divides it from Pūnch and the Punjab District of Rawalpindi; and it comprises part of the mountain valleys drained by the Dor and Harroh rivers, together with the hill country eastward. The hill-sides to the north and north-east are covered with timber forest. The population in 1901 was 194,632, compared with 175,735 in 1891. It contains the towns of ABBOTTABAD (population, 7,764), the tahsil and District headquarters, and NAWASHAHR (4,114); and 359 villages. The land revenue and cesses amounted in 1903-4 to Rs. 97,000.[5]

Demography

According to latest information the population of the district is 1,182,000.[6] According to an estimate this had risen to 1.05 million in 2008.[7] according to the old Hazara gazetteers the main tribes here are the Dhunds, Dilazaks, Tanolis, Awans, Jadoons, Kashmiris, Shilmani, Sarrara (a section of the Dhund-Abbasi), Karlals, Qureshi, Mughals, Gujjars, Syed and Satti.[8]

According to 1981 census, 92.32% of district residents spoke Hindko dialect of Punjabi language while Pashto was native language of 3.68% residents.[1]

First Languages of Abbottabad district in 1981

  Punjabi (Hindko) (92.32%)
  Pashto (3.68%)
  Others (4%)

Parks and protected areas

Under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) Act of 1975, two areas have been designated with the district: Ayubia National Park and Qalanderabad game reserve.[9] Both areas cover only 6% of the landed area of the district.[9]

The Ayubia National Park was established in 1984, this park covers an area of over 3,312 ha.[9]

The Qalanderabad game reserve was established in 1980 with an area of 8,940ha.[9]

Subdivisions

Map showing the administrative subdivisions of Abbottabad District, the Union Councils of Havelian Tehsil are highlighted in green, whilst those of Abbottabad Tehsil are highlighted in red (the names neighbouring districts to Abbottabad are also shown).

Abbottabad district is divided into two tehsils, Abbottabad and Havelian as well as one urban administration area – Nawanshehr. There are fifty-one Union Councils in the district, 35 in Abbottabad tehsil and 16 in Havelian.

Election 2008

With the announcement by the Election commission of Pakistan that elections would be held on 8 January 2008[10] more than a dozen candidates filed their nomination papers in Abbottabad.[11]

Political campaigns

Abbottabad was the centre of the Sooba Hazara movement that started after national assembly passed 18th amendment to change the name of province from North West Frontier Province (NWFP) to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The former governor of the province has been vocal in this opposition to the new name[12]

Provincial assembly

The district is represented in the provincial assembly by five elected MPAs:[13]

Education

According to the Alif Ailaan Pakistan District Education Rankings 2015, Abbottabad is ranked 31 out of 148 districts in terms of education. For facilities and infrastructure, the district is ranked 72 out of 148.[14]

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Abbottabad district.
  1. 1 2 Stephen P. Cohen (2004). The Idea of Pakistan. Brookings Institution Press. p. 202. ISBN 0815797613.
  2. Geography of District Abbottabad
  3. 1 2 IUCN Pakistan (2004). Abbottabad – State of the environment and Development. IUCN Pakistan and Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa: Karachi, p. 2.
  4. Hazara – Nordisk familjebok
  5. Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 5, p. 1
  6. "Abbottabad District at a Glance". Islamabad: Population Census Organization. Archived from the original on January 2, 2012. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
  7. District Profile: Northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – Abbottabad Archived May 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  8. ELECTIONS 2002 (Hazara Division) – Daily times Pakistan Archived June 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
  9. 1 2 3 4 IUCN Pakistan (2004). Abbottabad – State of the environment and Development. IUCN Pakistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Karachi, p. 50.
  10. 2008 Elections – ELECTION COMMISSION OF PAKISTAN
  11. Election campaign starts in Abbottabad – Associated press of Pakistan
  12. Complete strike on riots anniversary: Hazara to get separate identity soon: Baba
  13. PF-48 (Abbottabad-V) Result: Announced
  14. "Individual district profile link, 2015". Alif Ailaan. Retrieved 2015-05-07.
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