Hyderabad, Sindh

Hyderabad
حيدرآباد سنڌ
—  City District  —
Hyderabad is located in Sindh
Hyderabad
Location in Sindh
Coordinates:
Country  Pakistan
Region Sindh
District Hyderabad District
Autonomous towns 5
Union councils 20
Government
 - D.C.O Aftab Khatri
Area
 - Total 3,198 km2 (1,234.8 sq mi)
Elevation 13 m (43 ft)
Population (2010)[1]
 - Total 1,628,367(2,010)
Time zone PST (UTC+5)
 - Summer (DST) PDT (UTC+6)
Area code(s) 022
Website www.hyderabad.gov.pk

Hyderabad (Sindhi: حيدرآباد سنڌ, Urdu: حیدرآباد Haidarābād) is the second largest city in the Sindh province of Pakistan. It is the sixth largest city in the country. The city was founded in 1768 by Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro upon the ruins of a Mauryan fishing village along the bank of the Indus known as Neroon Kot (Sindhi: نيرُون ڪوٽ). Formerly the capital of Sindh, it serves as the headquarters of the district of Hyderabad. Before the creation of Pakistan, it was known as the Paris of India, for its roads used to be washed with river water.

The political boundaries stage the city as a district and the region has seen major political turmoil. From the battles fought against the British occupation to the civilian unrest in the 1980s, the city has lost its glory of past and much of its cultural and architectural heritage lies in tattered ruins.

Hyderabad is a hot and humid city in the south of the nation and has been a staging point for literary campaigns particularly oriented towards the Sindhi language and a birthplace of a few influential poets and Sufi dervishes. Rich with culture and tradition, the city is the largest bangle producer in the world and serves as a transit between the rural and the urban Sindh.

Stationed close to important architectural digs like the pre-Harappan Amri at 110 km, the region holds extreme importance to palaeontologists world over. The city is also known for its medical and educational institutions. It is also home to one of the oldest universities in the region, the University of Sindh.

Contents

History

The Pacco Qillo built by Ghulam Shah still remains today but in a desolate state and a dire need of repair. The Muhajirs migrating from across the border in 1947 encroached the premises to make room for their residences.
An rare photograph of Hyderabad from the late 1800s. The triangular structures on the rooftops are wind catchers, funnelling the cool breeze into the homes below, called a moug.

Hyderabad is a city built on three hillocks cascading over each other. Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro of the Kalhora Dynasty founded the city in 1768 over the ruins of Neroon Kot (Nerun or Nerun Kot) (meaning the place of Neroon), a small fishing village on the banks of River Indus named after its ruler Neroon. A formal concept of the city was laid out by his son, Sarfraz Khan in 1782. When the foundations were laid, the city obtained the nickname Heart of the Mehran as the ruler Mian Ghulam Shah himself was said to have fallen in love with the city. In 1768 he ordered a fort to be built on one of the three hills of Hyderabad to house and defend his people. The fort was built using fire-baked bricks giving it the name Pacco Qillo (Sindhi: پڪو قلعو) meaning the strong fort.

After the death of the great Kalhoro, started the Talpur dynasty. Mir Fateh Ali Khan Talpur left his capital Khudabad, the Land of God and made Hyderabad his capital in 1789. He made the Pacco Qillo his residence and also held his courts there. Mir Fateh Ali Khan Talpur along with his three other brothers were responsible for the affairs that persisted in the city of Hyderabad in the years of their rule. The four were called char yar, Sindhi for the four friends.

The Baloch Talpur rule lasted almost over 50 years and in 1843, Talpurs faced a greater threat, the invasion of expanding British colonial empire. The British wanted to annex Sindh due to their strategic interests in the Punjab region and Afghanistan. The Talpur Amir signed an peace agreement that gave significant concessions to the British. After signing this peace agreement Amir Talpur demobised his volunteer army. The British General Napier also started to march his army back towards Bombay. When the General Napier heard that the Talpur Amir has demobilised his Baloch army he turned back his army and again threatened Hyderabad. The peace agreement with Talpur Amir was of no consequence compared to the strategic interests of the British colonial empire. The British came face-to-face with the Talpurs at the Battle of Miani on 17 February 1843. General Napier was firmly determined in conquering Sindh and plundering Hyderabad. The battle ended on 24 March 1843 when the Talpur Amirs lost and the city came into the hands of the British. The Amirs of Hyderabad suffered great loss, their Fort was plundered, thousands were killed and Amirs themselves were exiled to Rangoon, Burma - never to see Sindh again. The British made the city part of the Bombay Presidency of British colonial empire.

At the time of independence of Pakistan in 1947, many Muslims in India faced pogroms and genocide and they escaped to Pakistan and many settled in the city of Hyderabad. These refugee Muslim lost everything in India and were settled in refugee camps. This hostility translated into communal tension in Hyderabad between Muslim refugees and local Hindus. After independence of Pakistan, Hindus expected to remain in Sindh. However were forced to flee due to communal violence, leaving behind everything. Sindhi Hindus had expected to return to their Sindh, once the violence settled but it was not possible[2][3].

The massive migration of of Muslim refugees (Muhajirs) who escaped from the pograms and genocide in India after independence of Pakistan in 1947 raised the population levels of the city to extremes. The Government proposed the creation of two new suburban towns, Latifabad and Qasimabad. The 1980s saw a black period in the history of Hyderabad as riots erupted in the city between the Sindhis and the Muhajirs. Chaos led to bloodshed and as a result Sindhis retreated to settlements in Qasimabad and the Muhajirs settled down in Latifabad. The city being scarred thenceforth is ethnically divided to date.

Economy

Hyderabad is an important commercial centre where industries includes: textiles, sugar, cement, manufacturing of glass, soap, ice, paper, pottery, plastics, tanneries, hosiery mills and film. There are hide tanneries and sawmills. Handicraft industries, including silver and gold work, lacquer ware, ornamented silks, and embroidered leather saddles, are also well established. Hyderabad produces almost all of the ornamental glass bangles in Pakistan. Hyderabad is a major commercial centre for the agricultural produce of the surrounding area, including millet, rice, wheat, cotton, and fruit.[4] Pakistani government recently discovered a large gas deposit in Hyderabad which has not been put in production.

Government

A night view of Zila Nazim Office, Hyderabad.

The city of Hyderabad is where the district headquarters are located and the district government is seated. The current nazim for the Hyderabad district is Kanwar Naveed Jamil. Since his election as the official mayor, he had been successful in initiating major development projects throughout the city. The primary concerns that he had targeted as a result of these development efforts in 2007 were that of traffic congestion, supply of fresh drinking water, sewerage and garbage management, medical aid and schools for the poor.[5] The naib nazim is Zafar Ali Rajput.

Electronic Governance

The government of the city does not yet support fully functional e-governance and has no website but the District Government of Hyderabad liberally uses the television as a mode of communication with the people of the city instructing them on public issues and awareness about projects under way. As of 2008, the district Hyderabad enabled its e-governance platform to support people via the Internet and other new media platforms.

Administrative divisions

Before the government of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, the District Hyderabad included in the present-day District of Badin. Then in the 1990's it was again divided into four more districts Matairi, Tando Allahyar and Tando Mohammad Khan and present day Hyderabad. And this District Hyderabad was again subdivided into four talukhas of its own. These four districts are the smallest districts of the Sindh province.[6]

  1. Hyderabad City Taluka
  2. Hyderabad Taluka (rural)
  3. Latifabad
  4. Qasimabad

Current development projects

In light of the above development criteria, the Hyderabad Government has constructed flyover in Latifabad Unit # 7 to relieve the traffic congestion on the GCD road. Due to the success of this project, five more flyover projects has been started.

Two filter plants to filter fresh water have been installed costing about Rs. 80,000,000. Their inclusion in the water system would ensure continuous supply of clean drinking water. The filter plants at the time of writing are 90% complete and would be functional by mid-2008.

Police

While 19 police stations along with three police stations with own web development team Like 1) Police station Cantonment(www.pscant.4t.com) .2)Police station GOR(www.psgor.4t.com). 3) Police station Makki shah(www.psmakkishah.4t.com)are valuable addition to district police Hyderabad. Two new police stations 1)PS Air Port 2)PS Bhudhani have been formed to combat crime.

Demographics

A Sindhi woman on the banks of the River Indus on the outskirts of Hyderabad

Hyderabad is noteworthy in Sindh and Pakistan generally for its relative tolerance towards religious and ethnic affairs. During independence of Pakistan in 1947 a large Muslim refugees escaped from the pograms and genocide in India and settled in Hyderabad. Nowadays, native Sindhis and non-Sindhi speaking Sindhis live in harmony after a brief history of conflict. A large influx of Pakhtuns and Punjabis were attracted to Hyderabad after the Indus treaty settlement. Most Punjabis mixed with the local population however most Pakhtuns are distinct and separately living near the railway station and its vicinity. The city therefore has cosmopolitan atmosphere with multiethnic and multicultural communities.

Hindus account for the largest religious minority forming 8% of the total population of the city. While Christians account for just 1% of the total population, Hyderabad is the seat of a Diocese of the Church of Pakistan and has five churches and a cathedral.

Despite its strategic location and thrifty people the city is under the shadow of Karachi and yet to make its mark economically. One reason for this is the artificial factional and sectarian isolation imposed after the riots of late 1980s and early 1990s which cleft the urban population.

Noteworthy attractions

Tombs of the Talpur Mirs (Cubbas), now in Hirabad in Hyderabad, Sindh. These shrines are now in a desolate state.
The Pacco Qillo currently stands heavily encroached with shops and residential areas making it unfit for repair. Walls give way and fall rendering the nearby places dangerous for dwelling or commerce.
The ruins of an ancient civilisation at Agham Kot

Sport

Hyderabad is home to the Hyderabad Hawks who play at at the Niaz Stadium. It has a seating capacity of 25,000 known for the first ever hat-trick taken by a bowler in a one-day international (ODI) match in 1982. Many cricket test matches were played at Niaz Stadium. Nowadays many visiting test playing countries refuse to play in Hyderabad because of lack of 5 star hotel. Hyderabad also has a hockey stadium. There is another stadium in Latifabad called Board Stadium mostly catering to school sports under the supervision of BISE (Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education) Hyderabad.

Education

Before independence of Pakistan, the education opportunities were limited for Muslims of Hyderabad. Noor Mohammad High School was the only one high school for Muslim students could study. It was founded by famous Sindhi educationist Noor Mohammad. All other schools admitted only Hindu students.

The city being a gateway between the rural Sindh and the urban Sindh, attracts students from the lesser developed regions of Sindh. Hyderabad has a large number of schools, colleges and Universities.

A nerve center of Sindhi nationalist and literary movements, the city now have better education facilities and new universities, colleges and school established Model school, public school,. At one time a hub of economic, educational and cultural activities, a breeding ground of academicians, philanthropists, writers, lawyers, politicians, journalists, actors and actresses, Hyderabad also had its industrialists, trade unionists, political activists, bureaucrats, bankers and diplomats who made a significant contribution to Pakistani society. But this gracious city now seems to be slowly dying, although it still produces over a couple of dozen major and minor newspapers in both Sindhi and Urdu.[4]

Universities and colleges

The prestigious University of Sindh is located in Hyderabad

The University of Sindh [1] is the dominant player in educational reforms since its inception in 1947. The University of Sindh,the second oldest university of the country, was constituted under the University of Sindh Act. No. XVII of 1947 passed by the Legislative Assembly of Sindh. It was founded in Karachi and relocated to Hyderabad in 1951, only because the city was re-enacted as the capital of the province of Sindh. It has 32 colleges affiliated with it. Other universities like the Mehran University of Engineering and Technology and Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences serve the interests of a wide range of other specialized subjects. Whilst people prefer to go to this technological and medical universities in the city, universities like the Sindh Agriculture University in Tando Jam focusing primarily on agriculture and horticulture, are highly preferred as well. Other universities in the private sector include University of East and Isra University.

Most of the colleges are affiliated with the universities above but some enjoy repute built of time like the oldest being the Government Degree College now renamed Government College of Technology with its high- and secondary-school affiliations with the Government High School who celebrate alumni like Mirza Kalich Beg & best Collage in Hyderabad is Muslim Science Collage at Tower Market area.

Museums and libraries

The entrance to the Sindh Museum

Hyderabad is home to a few museums that store the cultural heritage of this land of religious and ethnic diversity. The Institute of Sindhology Museum and the Sindh Museum are a haven for Sindhi enthusiasts in ethnological contexts. Sindh Museum also hosts archæological treasures from Amri. Whilst there are a few libraries in the city, most of them are in a sad state. There is a children's library opposite Lady Duffrin Hospital on Station road, very few people know about its existence. Work is going on Moullana Hasrat Mohani library near pukka kila main gate in the homestead hall building. Allama Daudpota Library near Sindh Museum in Qasimabad stores literary work dating back to the earliest Sindhi text.

Transport

Serving as a socio-economic crossroad to the lesser developed cities and towns in Sindh and linking and networking them with the bigger towns and cities in the nation, Hyderabad holds importance as a vital transportation link via every service. It can be reached by every mean of transportation, be it air, land, water or rail.

The Hyderabad airport has now started functioning after 10 years of closure.

The city has a modestly good airport. The operation was stopped for some years but the airport has started operating again from late 2008. There are 2 flights every week from Hyderabad. Currently the national flag carrier, Pakistan International Airlines, operates prop aircraft into the city with flights to other cities within Pakistan.PIA is established in 1954, is the national carrier; until the mid-1990s it was the sole domestic carrier, but since then a number of small regional airlines and charter services have been established. (PIA also runs international flights to Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and East Asia, as well as to neighbouring Afghanistan.) The principal airports are located at Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Quetta, and Peshawar. Karachi, Port Qāsim, and Gwadar are the principal port cities; in addition, a number of small harbours along the Makran Coast handle the small boats that ply between Pakistan and the Persian Gulf states. In the early 1990s the limitations of the transportation system emerged as a major constraint on the modernization of the economy, prompting the government to undertake large-scale investments in the highway sector. Private entrepreneurs were invited to participate on the basis of a “build-operate-transfer” (BOT) approach, which subsequently became popular in other developing countries. (In the BOT system, private entrepreneurs build and operate infrastructure facilities such as ports, highways, and power plants and then recover their costs by charging tariffs from the users. Once the investors have recovered their outlay, the facility created is transferred to the government.

The Indus Highway provides an extensive road network for logistical and commuting possibilities to and from Hyderabad

Hyderabad has a decent road network, but most of the roads are being redone by the National Highway Authority. Hyderabad is deemed the most important milestone on the National Highway which passes through the city. The highway divides into Route N5 going southwest and M9 going north while it forks into the KLP (Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Faislabad) Road and the Hala Road. Over the years, the M9 has had massive construction work to include six lanes across its 136 km span being the most used highway in Pakistan while the N5 has two lanes to cater to its lesser traffic needs. However, the public has stressed to improve the conditions of the roads within Hyderabad.

There are seven large bus terminals within the city. Some of the most busiest are the Badin Bus Stop near SITE, Tando Bago Coach Stop, Jacobabad-Larkana Bus Stop at Pathan Colony, Nawab Shah Bus Stand at Halla Nakka, Sanghar Coach Stop near Civil Hospital, Karachi Bus Stand near Qasim Chowk and Sammi Daewoo Bus Service To Karachi at Auto-Bhan Road and Latifabad U7.

Hyderabad has a rich rail history. From the starting days of the Scinde Railways to the purchase of the private railway company by the North-Western Railway now Pakistan Railways, Hyderabad has been a major junction on the rail-line, where railway lines proceed in at least three directions: northwards (up-country), southwards (down-country) and eastwards. The railway station is called the Hyderabad Junction. It was built under the British rule in 1890. The city with increasing need of transport facility is still facing a real trouble with respect to the rail transport. One full fledged while two little stations in detha and tando jam are not satisfying the demands for rail travel.

With the city at the banks of the Indus River, the fishermen tend to use riverboats to fish and travel across the waters. Riverboats are not accessible to general public but local fishermen, in attempts of making money for their daily ration, sail people aboard their fishing ferries at Al-manzar, a restaurant at the banks of the Indus.

Buses and trucks have displaced rail as the principal long-distance carrier. A program of deregulation of the road transport industry was undertaken in 1970 and encouraged the entry of a large number of independent operators into the sector. Trucks and tractor-drawn trailers have largely displaced the traditional bullock cart for local transport of produce to markets, but in many rural areas animal power is still crucial to economic survival. Air transport of cargo and passengers has become increasingly important.

All the main cities are connected by major highways, and Pakistan is connected to each of its neighbours, including China, by road. The great majority of roads are paved. The country’s main rail route runs more than 1,000 miles (1,600 km) north from Karachi to Peshawar, via Lahore and Rawalpindi. Another main line branches northwestward from Sukkur to Quetta.

Media

Literature

As tradition goes, Sindh had always been a hub for Sufi poets. With a foothold on strong educational foundations, the city of Hyderabad was made into a refuge for thriving literary advocates. Of the few, Mirza Kalich Beg received education from the Government High School, Hyderabad and carried the banner of Sindhi literature across borders.[7] Modern novelists, writers, columnists and researchers like Musharraf Ali Farooqi, Dr. Syed Mehboob, Ghulam Mustafa Khan and Qabil Ajmeri also hail from Hyderabad.Dr.Syed Mehboob famous writer, reseracher, columnist and director research KCCI was also born in Hyderabad . He received early education from here and done graduation from Sindh University. Dr.Syed Mehboob is a multilingual writer who writes in English,Urdu, Hindko etc. He also helped Paktranslations to form Pakistan's first machine translation a unique project that intends to do this august job in different languages like Urdu, Sindhi, Punjabi, Hindko and Siraiki etc. Dr.Syed Mehboob's ervices were highly appreciated and lauded by literary circle.

Hyderabad has served many Sindhi literary campaigns throughout the history of Pakistan as is evident from the daily newspapers and periodicals that are published in the city. A few worth mention are the dailies Kawish,[8] Ibrat,[9] and Daily Sindh.[10]

Radio and television

With the inauguration of a new broadcasting house at Karachi in 1950, it was possible to lay the foundations for the Hyderabad radio station in 1951. The initial broadcast was made capable using 1 kW medium-wave transmitter. With the first successful transmissions on the FM 100 bandwidth in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad in October 1998, the Government decided on opening transmissions to other cities where Radio Pakistan had found success. This made available the FM 101 bandwidth transmissions to Hyderabad and other cities in Sindh.[11]

A relief from the regular broadcasts in other cities, entertainment content on the Hyderabad radio gave birth to many a star whose names became an attribute to Hyderabad's richer media content. Among them were actor Shafi Mohammad, a young man who had recently finished his postgraduate degree from the University of Sindh.[12] Such fresh and young talent became a trademark to entertainment in Hyderabad.

Whilst radio was gaining popularity, bulky television screens showed the broadcast of Neil Armstrong setting foot on the moon. Pakistan Television had only had half-a-decade broadcast success from 1963 to 1969 that people in the radio entertainment business felt destined to make a mark on the television circuits. Prominent radio personalities from the Hyderabad radio station like Shafi Muhammad Shah and Mohammad Ali left the airwaves to hone their acting skills on the television.[13] Television shows and content enriched with the inclusion of Hyderabadi names however PTV never opened a broadcasting station in Hyderabad.

While the year 2005 saw new FM regular stations set up at Gawadar, Mianwali, Sargodha, Kohat, Bannu and Mithi, private radio channels began airing in and around Hyderabad. Of late, stations like Sachal FM 105 and some others have gained popularity. But the unavailability of an up-to-date news and current affairs platform renders the services of such stations of not much value to the masses but nonetheless appealing to youngsters.

As the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (abbreviated as PEMRA) gave licenses to private radio channels, so were television channels owned privately given a right to broadcast from the year 2002,[14] and Daily Kawish,[8] a prominent Sindhi newspaper published from Hyderabad opened a one-of-its-kind private Sindhi channel Kawish Television Network. Many followed in its path namely Sindh TV, Dhoom TV and Kashish TV premièring Sindhi content.

Notable people

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Helders, Stefan. ""Hyderabad"". World Gazetteer. http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gpro&lng=en&dat=32&geo=-2944&srt=pnan&col=aohdq&pt=c&va=&geo=415392837. Retrieved 2007-10-08. 
  2. ↑ "Popati Hiranandani (1924-2005)". http://www.loc.gov/acq/ovop/delhi/salrp/popatihiranandani.html. Retrieved 2008-03-18. 
  3. ↑ Lakshmi, C.S.. "Life of dignity: Popati Hiranandani". http://www.hindu.com/lr/2006/03/05/stories/2006030500180400.htm. Retrieved 2008-03-18. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Pakistan Backgrounder". South Asia Terrorism Portal. http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/pakistan/backgrounders/index.html. Retrieved 2008-04-15. 
  5. ↑ "Hyderabad Pakistan Mega Projects". YouTube. http://youtube.com/watch?v=sAKJCRh8Nu4&feature=related. Retrieved 2008-03-19. 
  6. ↑ Local Govt. Department of Sindh - Hyderabad City District
  7. ↑ "Mirza Kalich Beg: Renowned scholar of Sindh". http://www.dawn.com/weekly/books/archive/011111/books5.htm. Retrieved 2008-03-18. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Read Daily Kawish online". Daily Kawish. http://www.dailykawish.com. Retrieved 2008-05-21. 
  9. ↑ "Read Daily Ibrat online". Daily Ibrat. http://www.dailyibrat.com. Retrieved 2008-05-21. 
  10. ↑ "Read Daily Sindh online". Daily Sindh. http://www.sindhhyd.com. Retrieved 2008-05-21. 
  11. ↑ "Radio Pakistan: Chronicle of Progress". Radio Pakistan. http://www.radio.gov.pk/chronicle.htm. Retrieved 2008-03-18. 
  12. ↑ "Actor Shafi Muhammad passes away". http://www.dawn.com/2007/11/18/top11.htm. Retrieved 2008-03-18. 
  13. ↑ "Pakistan's Top Film Star Muhammad Ali Dies". Pakistan Tribune. http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.shtml?137925. Retrieved 2008-03-18. 
  14. ↑ "PEMRA Ordinance 2002". Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority. http://www.pemra.gov.pk/pdf/ordinance1.pdf. Retrieved 2008-03-18. 

References

External links

Tehsils (Sub Divisions) of Hyderabad
Hyderabad  · Hyderabad Old City  · Qasimabad  · Latifabad
Million-plus cities in Pakistan

Faisalabad · Gujranwala · Hyderabad · Karachi · Lahore · Multan · Peshawar · Rawalpindi
Major cities in Pakistan
Islamabad Capital Territory
Punjab
Attock · Bahawalpur · Chakwal · Chiniot · Faisalabad · Gujar Khan · Gujranwala · Gujrat · Jhang · Jhelum · Kasur · Kharian · Lahore** · Mianwali · Multan · Murree · Rahim Yar Khan · Rawalpindi · Sadiqabad · Sahiwal · Sargodha · Sheikhupura · Sialkot · Taxila
Sindh
Badin · Hyderabad · Jacobabad · Karachi**  · Khairpur · Larkana · Nawabshah · Sukkur · Thatta
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Abbottabad · Chitral · Haripur · Kohat · Peshawar** · Mansehra · Mardan · Nowshera
Balochistan
Chaman · Gwadar · Khuzdar · Quetta** · Ziarat
Azad Kashmir
Bhimber · Kotli · Mirpur · Muzaffarabad** · Rawalakot
Gilgit-Baltistan
Gilgit** · Skardu
*Federal capital **Provincial/Territorial capitals