Gadani Tehsil
{{Short description|Pakistani administrative area}}
{{Use Pakistani English|date=May 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Gadani
| other_name = Gaddani
| native_name = {{langx|bal|{{Nastaliq|تحصیل گڈانی}}}}
| settlement_type = Tehsil of Hub District
| image_skyline =
| imagesize =
| image_caption =
| pushpin_map = Balochistan Pakistan#Pakistan
| coordinates = {{coord|25|07|0|N|66|44|0|E|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{Pak}}
| subdivision_type1 = Province
| subdivision_name1 = Balochistan
| subdivision_type2 = District
| subdivision_name2 = Hub District
| subdivision_type3 = Headquarter
| subdivision_name3 = Gadani
| area_total_km2 = 419
| area_metro_km2 =
| elevation_m =
| elevation_ft =
| elevation_footnotes =
| population_total = 29,215
| population_as_of = 2023
| population_density_km2 = 69.73
| population_footnotes = {{cite web |title=Table 1: Area, Population by Sex, Sex Ratio, Population Density, Urban Population, Household Size and Annual Growth Rate, Balochistan |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/table_1_balochistan_districts.pdf |website=pbs.gov.pk |publisher=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Census |access-date=27 May 2025 |language=en |date=2023}}
| population_urban = 17,540 (60.04%)
| population_density_urban_km2 =
| population_rural = 11,675 (39.96%)
| demographics_type1 = Literacy
| demographics1_title1 = Literacy rate
| demographics1_info1 = 48.57%{{cite web |title=Table 12 - Population (10 years and above) by Literacy Rate, Enrolment and Out of School Population by Sex and Rural/Urban, Census 2023
|url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/table_12_balochistan_district.pdf |website=pbs.gov.pk |publisher=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics |access-date=27 May 2025}}
| timezone = PST
| utc_offset1 = +5
| area_code =
| blank1_name_sec1 = Main languages
| blank1_info_sec1 = 28,001 Balochi{{cite web |title=Table 11: Population by Mother Tongue, Gender, and Rural/Urban Residence (Census 2023) |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/table_11_balochistan_districts.pdf |website=pbs.gov.pk |publisher=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics |access-date=27 May 2025 |language=en}}
}}
Gadani, also Gaddani ({{langx|bal|{{Nastaliq|گڈانی}}}}, {{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|گڈانی}}}} {{IPA|ur|ɡəɖːaːni|pron|}}) is an administrative subdivision (tehsil) of Hub District in the province of Balochistan, Pakistan. In 2023, the tehsil had a population of 29,215, more than half residing in urban areas, including its administrative centre of Gadani. The tehsil was part of Lasbela District until 2022, when administrative reforms led to the creation of Hub District.{{cite news |last1=Shahid |first1=Saleem |title='Hub' becomes 35th district of Balochistan |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1708293 |access-date=27 May 2025 |work=Dawn.com |publisher=Dawn |date=4 September 2022 |language=en}} The new district includes Gadani, along with Dureji, Hub, Sakran, and Sonmiani tehsils.{{cite web |title=Lasbela bifurcated, Hub made new district |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1673011/lasbela-bifurcated-hub-made-new-district |work=Dawn |date=3 February 2022 |access-date=27 May 2025}}
Location
Gadani tehsil spans an area of approximately 419 square kilometres and encompasses the southeastern coastal edge of Balochistan's arid, hilly terrain. While the majority of the landscape is dry and rugged, scattered patches of arable land support limited agricultural activity. Gadani shares its northern boundary with Sonmiani Tehsil and its western coastal edge with the Sonmiani Bay along the Arabian Sea. To the south, it lies north of the Hub River delta, bordering Hub Tehsil and the Keamari District of Sindh.{{cite web |title=Lasbela (District, Balochistan) |url=https://citypopulation.de/en/pakistan/balochistan/admin/215__lasbela/ |website=citypopulation.de |access-date=27 May 2025 |language=en |date=26 August 2024}} Gadani Tehsil is situated approximately {{convert|25|km|mi}} from the outskirts of Hub Chowki and about {{convert|50|km|mi}} west of Karachi.{{cite news |last1=Masood |first1=Shahmeer |title=Gadani's Beautiful Coastline Is Deprived Of Basic Amenities |url=https://thefridaytimes.com/10-Aug-2024/gadani-s-beautiful-coastline-is-deprived-of-basic-amenities |access-date=27 May 2025 |work=thefridaytimes.com |publisher=The Friday Times |date=10 August 2024 |language=en}}
Population
{{Historical populations|1951|...|1961|3210|1972|7104|1981|12452|1998|18957|2017|24,593|2023|29,215|align=left|percentages=pagr|footnote=Sources:Source: Pakistan Bureau of Statistics:{{cite web |title=Table 4: Area and Population of Administrative Units by Rural/Urban: 1951–1998 Censuses
|url=https://repository.lahoreschool.edu.pk/xmlui/bitstream/handle/123456789/13673/Administrative%20Units.pdf |publisher=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics |website=Lahore School of Economics |access-date=3 June 2025}}}}
As per the 2023 national census, the tehsil has a total population of 29,215, comprising 11,675 rural and 17,540 urban residents. The town of Gadani serves as the tehsil's headquarters. The tehsil includes 6,578 households, of which 2,676 are in rural and 3,902 in urban areas.{{cite web |title=Table 24: Housing Characteristics, Facilities of Toilet and Washroom Used by Households, Rural/Urban: Census 2023 |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/table_24_balochistan_districts.pdf |website=pbs.gov.pk |publisher=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics |access-date=27 May 2025 |language=en |date=2023}}
The overall literacy rate is 48.57%, with a male literacy rate of 59.85% and a female literacy rate of 37.19%. These figures highlight ongoing challenges in access to education, particularly for women.
Languages
In Gadani Tehsil, Balochi is the predominant language, spoken by approximately 28,001 individuals (95.9% of the population). Other languages include Pashto (506 speakers, 1.7%), Sindhi (488 speakers, 1.7%), Brahui (53 speakers, 0.2%), with the remaining population speaking various other languages. It is important to note that the Sindhi reported in this context largely refers to Lasi, a distinct local dialect of Sindhi also spoken in the costal region of Balochistan.{{cite journal |last1=Rasheed |first1=Abdul |last2=Ali* |first2=Zahid |last3=Khan |first3=Khursheed Ahmed |title=A Morphosyntatic Analysis of Suffixation in Lasi and Sindhi |journal=Pakistan Journal of Society, Education and Language (PJSEL) |date=19 June 2023 |volume=9 |issue=2 |pages=334–346 |url=https://pjsel.jehanf.com/index.php/journal/article/view/1177/873 |access-date=8 June 2025 |language=en |issn=2523-1227}}
Economy
In addition to the well-known Gadani Ship Breaking Yard{{cite news |last1=Hasnain |first1=Subuk |last2=Rashid |first2=Ayesha binte |last3=Dastageer |first3=Ghulam |title=Wasteland: The ugly side of Gadani's ship-breaking industry |url=https://herald.dawn.com/news/1153615 |access-date=27 May 2025 |work=Herald Magazine |issue=12/2016 |publisher=Dawn |date=22 December 2016 |language=en}} and the Gadani Power Project, the tehsil is home to several major industrial developments, including Pakistan's largest Isomerization unit located at a plant in Mauza Kund.{{cite news |last1=Brelsford |first1=Robert |title=Byco commissions Pakistan's largest isom plant |url=https://www.ogj.com/refining-processing/refining/operations/article/17297239/byco-commissions-pakistans-largest-isom-plant |access-date=27 May 2025 |work=ogj.com |publisher=Oil & Gas Journal |date=20 July 2018 |language=en}} The government has also announced plans to promote maritime tourism in the area, with initiatives to be undertaken by the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC).{{cite news |title=Gadani set to have a tourist resort |url=https://www.nation.com.pk/23-Mar-2023/gadani-set-to-have-a-tourist-resort |access-date=27 May 2025 |work=nation.com.pk |publisher=The Nation |date=23 March 2023}}