Encyclopedia of District Abbottabad

Abbottabad District.......


Abbottabad (Urdu: ضلع ایبٹ آباد) is a district in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. The district covers an area of 1,969 km with the city of Abbottabad being the principal town of this district.[2] Neighbouring districts are Mansehra to the north, Muzaffarabad to the east, Haripur to the west, and Rawalpindi to the south..
The Abbottabad
— District —
Map of North-West Frontier Province with Abbottabad District highlighted
Country Pakistan
Province North-West Frontier Province
Capital Abbottabad
Established
Government
- District Nazim Sardar Haider Zaman
- District Naib Nazim Muhammad Junid Khan Tanoli[1]
Area
- Total 1,969 km2 (760.2 sq mi)
Population (1998)
- Total 881,000
- Density 448/km2 (1,160.3/sq mi)
Time zone PST (UTC+5)
District Council
Number of Tehsils 2

History

A picture of Abbottabad city taken in 1907.[edit] Origin of name
The district is named after Major James Abbott, the first deputy commissioner of Hazara (1849–1853). [3]

[edit] Hazara
During British rule Abbottabad became the capital of Hazara District, 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 head-quarters, and NAWASHAHR (4,114); and 359 villages. The land revenue and cesses amounted in 1903-4 to Rs. 97,000.[5] ”

As Hazara District covered a large area, the Government of the NWFP decided for administrative purposes to divide Hazara into Abbottabad, Mansehra, Kohistan, Haripur and Batagram districts. In 1981 Hazara was divided and Abbottabad was formed as a district with two tehsils. In 1981 the total area of District Abbottabad was 3,665 square miles (9,490 km2) with a population of 977,212. Tehsil Abbottabad (a sub division of the district) – had an area of 1,802-square-mile (4,670 km2) and a population of 667,328 including 51% of Circle Bakote. In 1990 the total population of the district was 1,425,032 including Circle Bakote 43%. Another important Hub of area is Lora which is 10 miles from Ghoragali( Murree)and 44 miles from Capital Islamabad.The other famous and big villages near Lora are Ghambir, Phallah,and Nagri. Phallah is the most populated and shinny village and located 6 miles form Lora towards Havelian-Abbottabad

Demography and Society
According to the 1998 census of Pakistan, the population of the district was 0.88 million – and according to an estimate this had risen to 1.05 million in 2008.[7] The main tribes are the Dhund Abbasies, Tanolis, Awans, Rajputs, Jadoons, Kashmiri, Maliar, Dhanyal, Sarrara, Qureshis, Karlals, Sheikhs, and the Syeds

Famous peaks
Miranjani (3,313m) and Mukeshpuri are the highest peaks in Nathia Gali in this district
Parks and protected areas
Under the NWFP 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]

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

Qalanderabad game reserve
Established in 1980 with an area of 8,940ha

Minerals
Some of the minerals mined within the district are barite, dolomite, granite, gypsum, limestone, magnesite, marble, phosphate, red ochre and red oxide

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. These are:
Abbottabad Tehsil
Abbottabad Central
Sheikh-ul-Bandi
Bagh
Bagnotar
Baldheri
Banda Pir Khan
Beerangali
Chamhad
Dhamtour
Jarral
Jhangi
Kakul
Kehal Urban
Kuthiala
Kuthwal
Malikpura Urban
Mirpur
Nagri Bala
Namli Maira
Nathia Gali
Nawansher Urban
Pawa
Phalkot
Pind Kargu Khan
Salhad
Sarbhana
Sherwan
Banda Said Khan


Bakote Circle (Prposed) Tehsil
Bakot
Birote
Boi
Chamhad
Dalola
Kukmang
Nambal
Palak
Pattan Kalan
Aliabad
Bold text===Havelian Tehsil===

Bandi Atti Khan
Rajoya Sharif
Dewal Manal
Ghari Phulgran
Goreeni
Haveliani Urban
Jhangra
Langra
Langrial
Lora (Famous Circle,Potential Tehsil and hub of area)
Mojohan
Nagri Totial
Nara
Chamnaka
Phallah Bigest village in area
Seer Gharbi
Seer Sharqi Bhattian
Tajwal



Places of interest
Abbottabad
Abbottabad
Abbottabad the capital city of the district was founded in 1853 by James Abbott, since then it has been an important military cantonment and sanatorium[14].

Bakote Circle
Main article: Bakote Circle
Bakote Circle or prposed Tehsil is a cluster of Union Councils in the eastern part of Abbottabad District in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. Bakote Circle is located on the upper and west bank of the Jhelum River at Kohalla Bridge. The region is somewhere between 65 kilometres and 90 kilometres northwest of Islamabad. "Bakote" means the "land of forts". The Kanhar and Jehlum rivers are the two main rivers in Circle Bakote. Famous hill stations in the area are Miran Jani, Mukeshpuri, Thandiani, Pather Gali, Ayubia, Khanas Pur and Nathia Gali. There are an emerging tourist point at near New Kohala Bridge on Karair Pull.

Bagnotar Circle
Template:Main/Bagnotar Circle

Bagnotar valley location starts from Dhamtaur (Thai)and Town is located on 15–20 kilometer on Abbottabad – Nathiagali – Murree new built National Highway with very lovely and beautiful views on the road sides. It is above 4000 ft above sea level and is surrounded by mountains full of forest and fruit trees. Bagnotar Town have a model police station recently re-constructed by ERRA with a Police Post at Harno Bazar (the summer picnic point), a higher secondary school (now being upgraded to Degree College), Girls Higher Secondary School, Hospital, Post Office, Family Planning Circle,Digitel Telephone Exchange and is a cluster of six Union Councils viz Bagnotar, Bagh, Sarbhana, Phalkot, Beerangali, Namli Maira. Bagnotar is a green and full of forest having a big Reserve Forest up to Barragali. Bagnotar valley have beautiful locations and gree hills surrounded by villages of Bandi Maira, Azizbang, Pangora, Sangli/Sabal, Malsa, Thiriati, Sangi Maira, Phalkot, Berangali and Namli Maira. Also there is several road links from Bagnotar (Karlaan) to Bagh Bandi(being carpetted) Bagnotar(Sherabad) to Bara Hotter (carpetted), Pangora via Dakhan, Beerangali, Bagnotar to Namli Maira(carpetted), Bagnotar(Gaiya)to Chattarnath (newly carpetted) and Bagnotar (Charrian) to Jastar. There are also several telephone companies towers for modern mobiles communications which gives very good sciene at night on its flashing lights on the towers.

In summer (May to August) lot of road accidents happened on this newly build National Highways due to rush, overspeeding and careless driving.

Ayubia Chair Lifts
Ayubia is 38 km east of Abbottabad. A cluster of four small hill stations of Khanspur, Khairagali, Changlagali and Ghora Dhaka, is called Ayubia and was named after former President of Pakistan, Field Marshal Muhammad Ayub Khan(27 October 1958 to 25 March 1969). The complex is spread over an area of 26 km. The central place has chair lifts.

Dungagali
Dungagali is a small resort situated on the slopes of the Mukshpuri hill (2,376 m). It commands a view of a series of wooded spurs projecting towards the river Jhelum on the western side. From Dungagali one can climb the 2,813 metres peak of Mukhshpuri, which is the highest point in the range. Natural springs abound on the slopes. It is 34 km from Abbottabad.

Nathiagali
Nathiagali is clad in pine, walnut, oak and maple trees. It can be approached both from Murree and Abbottabad. It is 32 km from Abbottabad as well as from Murree. Nathiagali is 2493 meter above sea level and is surrounded by mountains.

Thandiani
Thandiani meaning “cold” in the local language, It is one of the highest places of district Abbottabad at an altitude of 2,700 m. It is 31 km from Abbottabad City. The drive takes more or less 80 minutes from Abbottabad with lovely views on both sides of the road. The road rises more than 1,219 metres above Abbottabad. En route from Abbottabad (23 km), the main settlement is the village of Kalapani. Hule Ka Danna is about 2 km north of Thandiani.The Thandiani in on the way between Abbottab and Pattn Kalan.The view of Pattan Kalan and other adjioning area can be seen from Thandiani.

Marhes
Marhes is located some 14 kilometres from Thandiani, a mountain place from where Abbottabad, Mansehra and Muzaffarabad can be seen. Marhes is located in Boi, the border between Muzaffarabad and Abbottabad. The drive takes more than 2 hours from Abbottabad. This is forested area, with some wildlife near the bank of River Kunhar from Balakot to Boi and the 6 kilometres of mountainous areas.