Abbottabad District

The district is named after Major James Abbott, the first deputy commissioner of Hazara (1849–1853).IUCN Pakistan (2004). Abbottabad – State of the environment and Development. IUCN Pakistan and Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa: Karachi, p. 2.

During British rule, Abbottabad became the capital of the 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.Hazara – Nordisk familjebok

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

{{cquote|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 {{convert|715|sqmi|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.[https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V05_009.gif Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 5, p. 1]}}

In 1976, the tehsils of Mansehra and Battagram were separated into the new Mansehra District, while the tehsil of Haripur became a separate district in 1991.{{Cite book| title = 1998 District census report of Abbottabad| location = Islamabad| publisher = Population Census Organization, Statistics Division, Government of Pakistan| series = Census publication | volume = 32| date = 1999}}{{rp|8}}

{{Pie chart

|thumb = left

|caption = Languages of Abbottabad district (2023 Pakistani census)

|label1 = Hindko |value1 = 87.43 |color1 = lightblue

|label2 = Pashto |value2 = 5.84 |color2 = olive

|label3 = Urdu |value3 = 3.05 |color3 = darkblue

|label4 = Kohistani |value4 = 0.84 |color4 = wheat

|label5 = Punjabi |value5 = 0.74 |color5 = red

|label6 = Others |value6 = 2.07 |color6 = grey

}}

At the time of the 2023 census, 87.43% (1,221,957) of the population spoke Hindko, 5.85% (81,731) Pashto, 3.06% (42,734) Urdu, 11,744 Kohistani, 10,401 Punjabi, 1,971 Shina, 1,722 Saraiki, 1,080 Kashmiri as their first language. Other languages, namely the Kohistani (11,744), are also spoken in this district.{{cite web |title=7th Population and Housing Census - Detailed Results: Table 11 |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/kp/dcr/table_11.pdf |website=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics}}

{{Historical populations

|align=center

|percentages=pagr

|1951 |318,775

|1961 |354,452

|1972 |524,826

|1981 |647,635

|1998 |880,666

|2017 |1,333,089

|2023 |1,419,072

|footnote= Sources:{{cite web |title=Population by administrative units 1951-1998 |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/1998/administrative_units.pdf |publisher = Pakistan Bureau of Statistics}}}}

As of the 2023 census, Abbottabad district has 236,789 households and a population of 1,419,072. The district has a sex ratio of 100.77 males to 100 females and a literacy rate of 77.34%: 86.20% for males and 68.42% for females. 334,274 (23.92% of the surveyed population) are under 10 years of age. 332,315 (23.42%) live in urban areas.{{cite web |title=7th Population and Housing Census - Detailed Results: Table 1 |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/kp/dcr/table_1.pdf |website=www.pbscensus.gov.pk |publisher=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics}}

{{bar box

|title=Religions in Abbottabad district (2023)

|titlebar=#FCD116

|left1=Religion

|right1=Percent

|float=left

|bars=

{{bar percent|Islam|green|99.56}}

{{bar percent|Christianity|dodgerblue|0.42}}

{{bar percent|Other or not stated|black|0.02}}

}}

The major language of the area is Hindko, which in the 1981 census, was the mother tongue of {{sigfig|94.58|2}}% of households.{{Cite book| title = 1981 District Census report of Abbottabad| location = Islamabad| publisher = Population Census Organization, Statistics Division, Government of Pakistan| series = District Census Report | volume = 24| date = 1983| page = 76}} The data is specifically for Abbottabad Tehsil; the only other tehsil of the district has since been promoted into the separate district of Haripur. The variety spoken in the city of Abbottabad has formed the basis of a literary language.{{Cite book| last = Rahman| first = Tariq| author-link = Tariq Rahman| title = Language and politics in Pakistan| date = 1996| publisher = Oxford University Press| isbn = 978-0-19-577692-8| pages = 211–14}} It is very close to the Hindko varieties of Mansehra: the two share 86% of their basic vocabulary.

The figure is from:

• {{Cite report| last1 = Lothers| first1 = Michael| last2 = Lothers| first2 = Laura| date = 2010| title = Pahari and Pothwari: a sociolinguistic survey| series = SIL Electronic Survey Reports| volume = 2010-012| url = https://www.sil.org/resources/publications/entry/9130| page = 24}}

The relative homogeneity of the Hindko dialects of Abbottabad and Manshehra is mentioned in:

• {{Cite book| last1 = Rensch| first1 = Calvin R.| editor1-last = O'Leary| editor1-first = Clare F.| editor2-last = Rensch| editor2-first = Calvin R.| editor3-last = Hallberg| editor3-first = Calinda E.| date = 1992| title = Hindko and Gujari| chapter = The Language Environment of Hindko-Speaking People| isbn = 969-8023-13-5| publisher = National Institute of Pakistan Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University and Summer Institute of Linguistics| location = Islamabad| series = Sociolinguistic Survey of Northern Pakistan| url = http://www.sil.org/resources/archives/38573| page = 56}} In the Galliat region in the southeast of the district, the language is still known as Hindko but becomes more distinct and gradually transitions into the dialects of Pahari.{{sfn|Lothers|Lothers|2010|pp=2, 5, 24ff}}

Other languages, such as Pashto, Urdu and Punjabi, are found more in urban than rural 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 Qalandarabad game reserve.IUCN Pakistan (2004). Abbottabad – State of the environment and Development. IUCN Pakistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Karachi, p. 50. Both areas cover only 6% of the landed area of the district.

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

The Qalandarabad game reserve was established in 1980 with an area of 8,940ha.

File:Abbottabad Union Councils.svg

Abbottabad district is divided into four tehsils, Abbottabad Tehsil, Havelian Tehsil, Lora Tehsil and Lower Tanawal Tehsil as well as one urban administration area – Nawanshehr. There are fifty-one Union Councils in the district, 38 in Abbottabad tehsil and 13 in Havelian.

With the announcement by the Election commission of Pakistan that elections would be held on 8 January 2008,[http://www.ecp.gov.pk/content/notification/nov2007/20.htm 2008 Elections – ELECTION COMMISSION OF PAKISTAN] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080117032835/http://www.ecp.gov.pk/content/notification/nov2007/20.htm |date=2008-01-17 }} more than a dozen candidates filed their nomination papers in Abbottabad.[http://www.app.com.pk/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=22190&Itemid=9 Election campaign starts in Abbottabad – Associated press of Pakistan]

Abbottabad was the centre of the Sooba Hazara movement that started after the national assembly passed the 18th amendment to change the name of the 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[http://www.dawn.com/2011/04/13/complete-strike-on-riots-anniversary-hazara-to-get-separate-identity-soon-baba.html Complete strike on riots anniversary: Hazara to get separate identity soon: Baba]

The district is represented in the provincial assembly by four elected MPAs (PK-36 to PK-39):[http://www2.ecp.gov.pk/vsite/ElectionResult/Search.aspx?constituency=NA&constituencyid=NA-18 PF-48 (Abbottabad-V) Result: Announced] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121115231147/http://www2.ecp.gov.pk/vsite/ElectionResult/Search.aspx?constituency=NA&constituencyid=NA-18 |date=2012-11-15 }}

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.The literacy rate of Abbottabad is 69%.{{cite web|url=http://www.data.com.pk/edurankings/district.php?distid=2055&proid=19&yearid=3|title=Individual district profile link, 2015|publisher=Alif Ailaan|access-date=2015-05-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160108221858/http://www.data.com.pk/edurankings/district.php?distid=2055&proid=19&yearid=3|archive-date=2016-01-08|url-status=dead}}

• 2005 Kashmir earthquake

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Category:Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa