The Punjab The Punjab The Punjab (pronounced or ; Punjabi: ਪੰਜਾਬ, The Punjab (pronounced or ; [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]]: [[Gurmukhī script|ਪੰਜਾਬ]], The Punjab (pronounced or ; [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]]: [[Gurmukhī script|ਪੰਜਾਬ]], [[Shahmukhi script|, ), also spelled Panjab ' onMouseout='HidePop("9241")' href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Abbottabad_(poem)">Abbottabad
"Abbottabad" is a poem by Major James Abbott who wrote the work about his experience of living in the area before leaving it. He was impressed by beauty of the area...
", prior to his departure back to
BritainThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
, in which he wrote of his fondness for the town and his sadness at having to leave it. Abbottabad became and is still an important military
cantonmentA cantonment is a temporary or semi-permanent military quarters. The word cantonment is derived from the French word canton meaning corner or district. In Southern Asia, the term cantonment also describes permanent military stations. Cantonments can be found in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, South...
and sanatorium, being the headquarters of a brigade in the Second Division of the Northern Army Corps. The garrison consisted of four battalions of native infantry (Gurkhas) and four native mountain batteries. In 1901 the population of the town and cantonment was 7764 and the income averaged around Rs. 14,900. This increased to Rs. 22,300 in 1903, chiefly derived from
octroiOctroi is a local tax collected on various articles brought into a district for consumption.-Antiquity:Octroi taxes have a respectable antiquity, being known in Roman times as vectigalia...
. During this time chief public institutions were built such as the Albert Victor unaided Anglo-Vernacular High School, the Municipal Anglo-Vernacular High School and the Government dispensary.. In 1911 the population had risen to 11,506 and the town also contained four battalions of Gurkhas. In June 1948, the
British Red CrossThe British Red Cross Society is the United Kingdom branch of the worldwide impartial humanitarian organisation the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The society was formed in 1870, and is a registered charity with over 31,000 volunteers and 2,600 staff. At the heart of their...
opened a hospital in Abbottabad to deal with thousands of patients who were being brought in from the Kashmir fighting areas.
Geography
The city is bounded at all four sides by the Sarban hills, from which residents and tourists can see breathtaking views of the region and city. The location of the city and the hills allows Abbottabad to experience pleasant weather in the summer, and cold winters. Neighbouring districts are
MansehraMansehra city is located at in Mansehra District, North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan. It is very near to Abbottabad city. It is a major stop for tourists on the Karakoram Highway which leads to China...
to the north,
MuzaffarabadMuzaffarabad is the capital of Azad Kashmir. It is located in Muzaffarabad District on the banks of the Jhelum and Neelum rivers. The district is bounded by North-West Frontier Province in the west, by the Kupwara and Baramulla districts of on the Indian side of the Line of Control in the east, and...
to the east,
HaripurHaripur is a city in Haripur District in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan, some north of Islamabad and south of Abbottabad, in a hilly plain area at altitude of...
to the west and
Rawalpindi' Rāwalpindī) is a city in the Potwar Plateau near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad. Locally known as Pindi, the area was home to the pre-historic Soanian culture indigenous to...
to the south.
Tarbela Dam Tarbela Dam is a large dam on the Indus River in Pakistan. It is located in Haripur district of Hazara Division of North-West Frontier Province about northwest of Islamabad,at height of above the river bed. Reservoir size of some makes it the largest earth filled dam in the world...
is situated just west of Abbottabad.
Topography
Abbottabad is situated in the Orash Valley lying between 34°09′N latitude and 73°13′E longitude at an altitude of 1250m.
Climate
Abbottabad's climate is cold during winters and mild during summers with humid temperatures during June and July. During the winter, the temperature may drop to below 0°C and snowfall is common, especially in January. Most rainfall occurs during the monsoon season in summer, stretching from May to August, and can sometimes cause flooding.
Demographics
According to the 1998 Census, of the 81,000 who resided in Abbottabad, Hindko was spoken by 94.26% of the population, followed by Potohari at 2.30%, Pashto at 2.22% and
UrduUrdu is a Central Indo-Aryan language of the Indo-Iranian branch, belonging to the Indo-European family of languages. It is one of the two official languages of Pakistan. It is also one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of five Indian states...
at 1.05%. Although the first language of most people in Abbottabad is Hindko,
UrduUrdu is a Central Indo-Aryan language of the Indo-Iranian branch, belonging to the Indo-European family of languages. It is one of the two official languages of Pakistan. It is also one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of five Indian states...
is understood and spoken fluently by majority of the residents and commonly used in the markets, offices and formal functions.
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
is widely used in business and education.
The majority of the residents identify themselves as either Qazis,
KarlalThe Karlal are a tribe found in the Abbottabad and Haripur districts of the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan...
s,
Sadozai,
JadoonThe Jadoon is an acknowledged Pashtun tribe located in the South of the North-West Frontier Province in Pakistan, partly in Gadoon area in Swabi on the southern slopes of Mahaban Mountains, and partly in Abbottabad and Haripur of Sarhad, Pakistan...
s, Kashmiris,
TanoliThe Tanoli are a tribe of the Tanawal valley region in the Hazara region of Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province and AfghanistanAlthough "not usually acknowledged as Pathans, the Tanoli have by long association become assimilated with them in manners, customs, and character." "The tribal and...
s,
MughalThe term Mughal is simply the Persian form of the word Mongol, and large number of groups use the name Mughal in Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and India. In theory, the Mughal of South Asia and Iran are descended from the various Mongol armies that at one point or other conquered and...
s,
AbbasiAbbasi is a prominent Muslim family name.- Origin :The name denotes descent from Abbas ibn Abd-al-Muttalib, the paternal uncle of Prophet Muhammad...
s,
AwanAwan and Awans may refer to:*the Awan dynasty, an Elamite dynasty of Iran*Awan , a South Asian tribe*Awan *Awan languages, spoken in South America*The Awan are a group of snakes who appear as falling stars in Balinese mythology...
s, Qureshis,
UtmanzaiUtmanzai is a town in Charsadda District in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. It is located at 34°22'24N 71°45'33E with an altitude of 390 metres and lies to the north of Charsadda city. Utmanzai is famous for being the birth place of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan who opposed British rule....
, Syeds and
GujjarThe Gujjar or Gurjar are an ethnic group in India, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Alternative spellings include Gurjara, Gujar, Gujur and Goojar.-Origin:...
s.
Government
Abbottabad is the headquarter (capital) of Hazara Division and Abbottabad District. The District Nazim, Commissioner, Inspector General, Forest Conservator all reside in Abbottabad. Abbottabad is divided into union councils, localities, towns, colonies and neighbourhoods.
Union Councils
Abbottabad city consists of three Union Councils. Prior to the Devolution Plan of 2001, Abbottabad city was administratated by a municipal committee however in August 2001, elections for three union councils of city were held and a new set up of city nazims were introduced.
- Malikpura
- City Urban
- Kehal
- Phalkot Sharif
- Beerangalli
- Sarbhanna
- Glli Bannyan
Localities
- Old City
- Kunj
- Kehal
- Kanshipura
- Karimpura
- Upper and Lower Malikpura
- Cantonment
- Mandian
Mandian is the northern part of Abbottabad city, located in Abbottabad District in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. The population of this area is 80,000.- Origin of name :...
- Kakul
Kakul is a town situated in the Kakul Valley at an elevation of 1300 metres, 5 km north of Abbottabad city near the Thandiani Hills, in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. The population is around 30,000.-History:...
- Supply
- Beerangalli
- Indersery
Tourism
Abbottabad has been attracting tourists to the city since the colonial era, as it is a major transit point to all major tourist regions of Pakistan such as Nathiagali and
NaranNaran is a 2005 Malayalam movie which tells the story of Mullankolli Velayudhan, a homeless ruffian with a good heart....
. According to the Imperial Gazetteer of India, "the town is picturesquely situated at the southern corner of the Rash (Orash) plain, above the sea". Like much of the mountainous
Northern AreasGilgit-Baltistan is an autonomous region in northern Pakistan. It was formerly known as the Northern Areas . It is the northernmost political entity within the Pakistani-controlled part of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir...
, tourism is one of the important sources of income in Abbottabad. In the summer when temperatures rise to well above 45 degrees Celsius in
PunjabThe Punjab province of Pakistan. It is the country's most populous region with about 45% of Pakistan's total population. The Punjab is home to the Punjabis and various other groups...
and NWFP, a large number of tourists travel north to Abbottabad. The
Karakoram HighwayThe Karakoram Highway is the highest paved international road in the world. It connects China and Pakistan across the Karakoram mountain range, through the Khunjerab Pass, at an altitude of as confirmed by both SRTM and multiple GPS readings. It connects China's Xinjiang region with Pakistan's...
, which traces one of the paths of the ancient
Silk RoadThe Silk Road is an extensive interconnected network of trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean world, as well as North and Northeast Africa and Europe...
, starts from
Hasan AbdalHasan Abdal is an historic town in Northern Punjab, Pakistan. It is located where the Grand Trunk Road meets the Karakoram Highway near the North-West Frontier Province province, northwest of Wah. It is 40 km northwest of Rawalpindi. It has a population of about over 50,000. It is famous for...
on the
N5The National Highway 05 or the N-5, part of the Grand Trunk Road, runs from Karachi to Torkham. It is 1756 km and runs north from the port city of Karachi located in Sindh province to Hyderabad, Moro and Khairpur before crossing into Punjab province where it passes through Multan, Sahiwal, Lahore,...
and heads north passing through the city eventually reaching
Khunjerab PassKhunjerab Pass is a high mountain pass in the Karakorum Mountains on the northern border of Pakistan and the Xinjiang Autonmous Region of China. The name is derived from Wakhi for Blood Valley.- Sino-Pakistani Border Crossing :...
. The Karakorum Highway is a major attraction itself for its views. The
KarakoramKarakoram is a large mountain range spanning the borders between Pakistan, India and China, located in the regions of Gilgit-Baltistan , Ladakh , and Xinjiang...
,
HimalayasThe Himalaya Range or Himalayas for short , meaning "abode of snow", is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
and the
Hindu KushThe Hindu Kush is a mountain range stretching between and north-western Pakistan and eastern and central Afghanistan. The highest point in the Hindu Kush is Tirich Mir in the Chitral region of the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan.It is the westernmost extension of the Pamir Mountains, the...
ranges can be approached from Abbottabad and it continues to be a transit city for tourists, serving as a base for visiting numerous nearby places, such as
HunzaHunza may refer to*Hunza Valley*Former State of Hunza*Hunza River*Hunza Peak*Hunza people*Hunza is the Muisca name of the city of Tunja, Colombia...
,
GilgitGilgit is a city in Northern PakistanGilgit may refer to other terms related with the area of the city:* Gilgit River* Gilgit Valley* Gilgit District* Gilgit Agency * Gilgit Airport...
,
SkarduSkardu , is the principal town of the region Baltistan and the capital of Skardu District, one of the districts making up Pakistan's Northern Areas....
and Indus Kohistan, of the Karakoram Range.
Economy
The economy of Abbottabad mainly relies on tourism as well as income generated from the various military and educational institutes.
Thandiani is also a well known Tourists place which is about 7000 meters altitude.
Education
Abbottabad attracts people from all over Pakistan to its high standard educational institutions. Abbottabad is sometimes referred to "The City of Schools" and is home to a number of schools, colleges and training institutes.
Military institutes
- Pakistan Military Academy
Pakistan Military Academy is the Military Academy of Pakistan Army . It is located at Kakul near Abbottabad in NWFP, Pakistan. The Pakistan Military Academy is similar in function to Sandhurst, Saint-Cyr or West Point and provides training to the officers of Pakistan Army. The academy has three...
- Army Physical Training School
- Army School of Music
- Regimental Training Centers of the Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is a branch of the Pakistan military that protects the state borders and territories.The Pakistan Army, combined with the Navy and Air Force, makes Pakistan's armed forces the sixth largest military in the world. The Army is modelled on the United Kingdom armed forces and came...
- Baloch Regiment
- Frontier Force Regiment (PIFFERS)
Medical institutes
- Ayub Medical College
Ayub Medical College is one of the medical schools affiliated to Khyber Medical University. It is a prestigious Pakistani medical school located in Abbottabad, North-West Frontier. As of January 2008, AMC is home to approximately 1250 students in the MBBS program...
- Women Medical College
- Frontier Medical College
Engineering institutes
- COMSATS Abbottabad campus
- UET Peshawar - Abbottabad campus
NWFP University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar, commonly referred to as UET Peshawar is a public, coeducational university located in Peshawar, Pakistan. The university's degrees are highly regarded and its Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering departments...
Public transport
Abbottabad's main public transport consists of modified
Suzukiis a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...
s, which can accommodate anywhere from 8 to 13 people at one time. Taxis are also available as well as wagons which connect Abbottabad to the surrounding cities and towns (ex. Nathiagali,
SherwanSherwan is a Union council of Abbottabad District in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan, it is located 35 km west of Abbottabad.-People:...
, Dobather, Dhamtour,
HaripurHaripur is a city in Haripur District in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan, some north of Islamabad and south of Abbottabad, in a hilly plain area at altitude of...
,
MansehraMansehra city is located at in Mansehra District, North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan. It is very near to Abbottabad city. It is a major stop for tourists on the Karakoram Highway which leads to China...
) in the region. Abbottabad is also served by
Daewoo ExpressDaewoo Express or Sammi Daewoo Express is an inter-city common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 30 destinations in Pakistan and is headquartered in Rawalpindi. It is operated by a Korean company, Sammi. Sammi Daewoo Express is a ground breaker in the transport industry of Pakistan as it...
, a national bus service which connects over 50 cities in Pakistan.
Rail
Railway service is not available in Abbottabad. The nearest railway station Hawalian Railway Station is situated in Abbottabad.This Railway station is about thirty minutes drive from Abbottabad city. One railway reservation office is situated in Abbottabad near to Fwara Chok to facilitate the people of Abbotabad for advance booking of railway tickets.
Automotive
Apart from its cultural, educational and military importance, this city also has the credit of holding the popular "Automotive" car exhibition and car racing event which promotes professional racing, safe driving and charity in Pakistan. The most recent event was held on 14 August 2008 at
Ayub Medical CollegeAyub Medical College is one of the medical schools affiliated to Khyber Medical University. It is a prestigious Pakistani medical school located in Abbottabad, North-West Frontier. As of January 2008, AMC is home to approximately 1250 students in the MBBS program...
where more than 2000 people came to see the custom designed and modified from many parts of Pakistan. Dr. Ehsen Naveed Irfan, organizer of the event, called it "a positive effort in progression in the field of car racing in Pakistan". The local press called it a good and safe effort which provided the best entertainment on the Independence day of Pakistan. There are many sports clubs that are working to promote their respective sports. One of them is District Badminton Association of Abbottabad. In the month of June, the same Association arranged the provincial championship. Peshawar District Won Men's singles and Doubles and Boys singles competition. District Abbottabad won Ladies singles and doubles titles.
Notable people
- Athletes
- Yasir Hameed
Yasir Hameed Qureshi is a Pakistani cricketer. He scored two centuries on his Test debut against Bangladesh, becoming only the second player to do so...
- a Pakistani national team cricket player, and recipient of "Fakhr-e-Hazara"
- Qanita Jalil - a Pakistani female national cricket player
- Politicians
- Khan Jalal-ud-Din Khan((jalal Baba)) - senior leader of All-India Muslim League, former Interior Minister of West Pakistan (jalal baba is the 1st political Ledar in Abbottabad)
- Sardar Ghulam Nabi Khan ex MPA , ex Minister (Thrice) and the uncle of senior Supreme Court Judge, Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza
- Muhammad Ayub Khan Tanoli - ex-minister of law & education and also a famous lawyer
- Abdullah Muntazir - former spokesman of Jamat-ud-Dawah and its central leader
- Noor-ud-din Qureshi - founder of the All India Muslim League
The All-India Muslim League , founded at Dhaka, Bengal, in 1906, was a political party in British India that played a role in the Indian independence movement and developed into the driving force behind the creation of Pakistan as a Muslim state on the Indian subcontinent...
in Hazara in 1936, elected vice president of municipal committee Abbottabad 1922-1943
- Iqbal Khan Jadoon
Iqbal Khan Jadoon was a Pakistani politician from the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. He was born in 1942 in Abbottabad. He was the 13th Chief Minister of the province from the 4 April 1977 to 5 July 1977.-References:...
- former Chief Minister NWFP
- Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan- former Chief Minister of NWFP
- Abdul Jamil Khan
Dr A.J Khan was born on 12 January 1930 in a small village of Ahl in the district of Mansehra. He received his early education from Forman Christian College Lahore. Later he did his MBBS from King Edward Medical College Lahore, Pakistan. For further studies he went to Britain and did his DCH,...
- a former Federal Minister
- Omar Asghar Khan
Omar Asghar Khan was a Pakistani social activist, economist and politician.-Early life:The son of Amina Shamsi and Air Marshal Mohammad Asghar Khan, Omar belonged to an Afridi family from Tirah Khyber Agency which settled in Kashmir, and then after partition, in Abbottabad, Pakistan...
- former Federal Minister, and founder of SUNGI, PILER and SEBCON
- Sardar Haider Zaman Khan- District Nazim, ex-minister and NWFP MPA
- Entertainment
- Ali Azmat
Ali Azmat is a Pakistani musician born on April 20, 1970 in Abbottabad, Pakistan,Gained recognition as the lead vocalist of the Pakistani pop/rock band Junoon.-Early career:...
- a Pakistani rock artist and former lead singer of JunoonJunoon was Pakistan's most popular rock band from Lahore. It was formed in 1990 by guitarist, songwriter and medical doctor Salman Ahmad...
- Manoj Kumar
Disambiguation: For RJD politician from Palamau, see Manoj Kumar Manoj Kumar is an Indian actor and director in the Bollywood film industry...
- a HindiStandard Hindi, also known as High Hindi, Nagari Hindi or Literary Hindi is a standardised register of Hindi. It is one of the 22 languages with official status in India, and is used, along with English, for administration of the central government.Standard Hindi is a sanskritised register derived...
film actor
- Military and civil service
- Asghar Khan
Asghar Khan is a Pakistani politician. At the age of 36 he served as the youngest head of the Pakistan Air Force . Later on he was appointed as the head of the National flag carrier PIA . He is considered an honest politician who did not achieve all his political goals due to the principled...
- first Pakistani C-in-C of Pakistan Air ForcePakistan Air Force is the air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role to provide air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role to provide strategic air transport and logistics...
- Justice Sardar Raza Khan
Sardar Raza Khan is the most senior judge of Supreme Court in Pakistan and looks likely to become the next chief justice of Pakistan. He has already served as Acting Chief Justice, a position he had in September 2008 - at the time in an interview with the media he said he was missing the deposed...
- Senior Judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan
- Qazi Mohammad Farooq - ex-Chief Justice Peshawar High Court, ex-Chief Election Commissioner
- Major General (R) Raza Khan Tanoli
- sp cid karachi Aslam Khan Tanoli
- Others
- Ali Imran Shaheen - editor of Weekly Ghazwah Lahore and a leader of Jamat-ud-dawah Pakistan
- Abdul Wahid Mir - Director General Students' Quality Circles Pakistan & Director of Pak-Irish Rehabilitation Center
- Syed Mehboob
Dr. Syed Mehboob is a researcher, educationist, columnist, story writer and author from Sindh, Pakistan. He has been working in Gul Ahmed Textile Mills Ltd, the largest value-added exporter of Pakistan for 14 years. He is multilingual writer, writing in English, Hindko, Punjabi, Urdu and Sindhi...
- a Pakistani writer, columnist and researcher
- Sardar Mohammad Yaqoob - former Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly
- Mohammad Iqbal Qureshi - Godfather of SDL- Halliburton Energy Services. Great contribution to Hazara and Pakistan.
See also
- Major James Abbott
- Pakistan Military Academy
Pakistan Military Academy is the Military Academy of Pakistan Army . It is located at Kakul near Abbottabad in NWFP, Pakistan. The Pakistan Military Academy is similar in function to Sandhurst, Saint-Cyr or West Point and provides training to the officers of Pakistan Army. The academy has three...
- Mandian
Mandian may refer to:* Mandian, Pakistan* Mandian, China * Mandaeism...
- Kakul
Kakul is a town situated in the Kakul Valley at an elevation of 1300 metres, 5 km north of Abbottabad city near the Thandiani Hills, in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. The population is around 30,000.-History:...
- Ayub Medical College
Ayub Medical College is one of the medical schools affiliated to Khyber Medical University. It is a prestigious Pakistani medical school located in Abbottabad, North-West Frontier. As of January 2008, AMC is home to approximately 1250 students in the MBBS program...
- Noor-ud-din Qureshi
Mian Noor ud-din Qureshi was a leader within the Muslim community in North-West Frontier Province in the early 20th Century, which was then part of British India. He was involved in the All India Muslim League...
External links