Haripur, Pakistan

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Haripur (Urdu: ہری پور) is a city in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan, 65 km north of Islamabad and 35 km south of Abbottabad, in a hilly plain area.

1 History
2 Famous People
3 Geographical Features
4 Famous Poets from Haripur
5 External links
6 See also

[edit] History

Haripur was founded as a military cantonment by the Sikh general Hari Singh Nalwa around the year 1821. Hari Singh Nalwa was appointed by Raja Ranjit Singh as the second Nazim of Hazara after the first Nazim Amar Singh Majithia was killed by the local populace.

Haripur was built as a fortress surrounded by a wall which was four yards thick and sixteen yards high and had only four openings. Drinking water was provided by digging a tank. Many small drains were dug to carry sullage water. Baron Hugal visited the town on December 23, 1835, and he found the town humming with activity.

[edit] Famous People

Haripur has produced numerous famous scions including the first native Pakistani Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Ayub Khan who later became the president of Pakistan and gave the country its second constitution in 1962.

Air Chief Marshal Muhammad Anwar Shamim, also from Haripur, was the Chief of Pakistan Air Force from 23rd July, 1978 to 5th March, 1985.

Several federal and provincial ministers as well Chief Ministers of North West Frontier Province have come from Haripur and its surrounding villages.

Qateel Shafai, one of the famous Urdu language poets of Pakistan and poet/journalist Fazil Jamili are also the scions of the Haripur city.

[edit] Geographical Features

To the south of Haripur only miles away lie the ancient Buddhist university town of Taxila. To the north within miles is the world's largest rockfilled dam, Tarbela Dam, the bulwark of Pakistani power generation and irrigation system. Also to the south lies the picturesque Khanpur dam which supplies drinking water to Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Close to the city of Haripur also lies the industrial area of Hattar. Another major industrial complex lying at the outskirts of the main Haripur city is the Telephone Industries of Pakistan or TIP.

Haripur is a green valley rich in fruits and vegetables and serves as the base market for the mountainous cities of Abbottabad and Mansehra and rest of Hazara Division. It is currently the major city of the Haripur district, one of the five districts that used to comprise Hazara Division namely Haripur, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Batagram and Kohistan.