Bannu (Urdu: بنوں; Pashto: بنو [ˈbanu], Bana or Bani Gul) is the principal city of the Bannu District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan. It is an important road junction and market city. Bannu is a very old city, founded in ancient times; however, the present location of the downtown Bannu was founded by Sir Herbert Edwardes in 1848, and was formerly called Edwardesabad and Dhulipnagar. It lies in the north-west corner of the district, in the valley of the Kurram River and was a British military base, especially in actions against Afghan border tribes.[1] The town is located 1 mile (1.6 km) south of the Kurram river, 79 miles (127 km) south of Kohat, 27 km north of Serai Naurang,[2] and 89 miles (143 km) north of Dera Ismail Khan.
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The earliest know village settlement in the Bannu region is the archaeological site of Sheri Khan Tarakai.
Bannu formed the base for all punitive expeditions by troops of the British empire to the Tochi Valley and the Waziristan frontier. A military road led from Bannu town towards Dera Ismail Khan[1] This was built by military engineering services under the supervision of a Bannu Engineer Ram N. Mullick who graduated from Banaras Engineering College.[3] Mr.Mullick served in Iraq and Lahore before Partition as an expert in heavy earth moving machinery. They moved to New Delhi after partition of India.
The Imperial British Gazetteer:
| “ | The population in 1901 was 14,291, including cantonment and civil lines (4,349). It was founded in 1848 by Lieutenant (afterwards Sir Herbert) Edwardes, who selected the site for political reasons. The fort, erected at the same time, bore the name of Dhulipgarh (Dalipgarh), in honour of the Maharaja of Lahore; and the bazar was also known as Dhulipnagar (Dalipnagar). A town gradually grew up around the bazar, and many Hindko speaking Hindu traders removed hither from Bazar Ahmad Khan, which had formed the commercial centre of the Bannu valley prior to annexation. The Church Missionary Society supports a small church and a high school founded in 1865. The cantonment centres in the fort of Dhulipgarh. Its garrison consists of a mountain battery, a regiment of native cavalry, and two regiments of infantry. The municipality was constituted in 1867.
The municipal receipts and expenditure during the ten years ending 1903-4 averaged Rs. 46,000. In 1903-4 the income was Rs. 47,000, chiefly derived from octroi; and the expenditure was Rs. 55,000. The receipts and expenditure of cantonment funds during the ten years ending 1902-3 averaged Rs. 4,200 and Rs. 3,700. The profuse irrigation and insufficient drainage of the surrounding fields render Bannu an unhealthy station. The town has a considerable trade, embracing the whole traffic in local produce of the Bannu valley. The nearest railway station is at Kohat on the Khushalgarh-Thal branch of the North-Western Railway, 79 miles distant by road. A weekly fair collects an average number of 8,000 buyers and sellers. The chief articles of trade are cloth, live-stock, wool, cotton, tobacco, and grain. Bannu possesses a dispensary and two high schools, a public library, and a town hall known as the Nicholson Memorial.[4] |
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Taimoor Ali Shah( kotka masood shah sabokhel mandan bannu )
The University of Engineering and Technology (UET) has a campus in Bannu. The UET Bannu campus was founded in 2002 by Former Governor Iftikhar Hussain Shah.
The University of Science and Technology, Bannu (USTB) was established in 2005. University of Science and Technology was founded by Chief Minister Mohammad Akram Khan Durrani in 2005.The UST Bannu has established under Provincial Assembly Act and is recognized by Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC).
The people of Bannu are known as Banizi, and the main language of the city is Pashto. 85-90% of the population are ethnic Pashtuns. Some Quresh and Sayyadand some others areas like [{surani}] this very beutiful area. [bazid khel] are the famus family of surani and leading parson of the bazidkhel Malik Nasir khan X {MNA} bannu.this is basic from {afghanistan} [Mandozi] and its come from 1800 AD in bannu. are also found in Bannu, originally they are Arab. The Faqir and the Qazi (Sokari/Fatima Khel) families are among the most famous families in Bannu.Forefathers of Qazi family Sokari came to Bannu alongwith Amir Timur Gurkan in 1398. Another notable family is musa khel/marwat ,often bilingual in Pashto and saraiki , as well as arguably being among the most urbanized and educated of the Pashtuns in Bannu.Most prominent and being head of the family was Gul Mohammad Khan, a law graduate ,reached the rank of District Judge during British Raj. There also live a reasonable number of Hindkis which comprise of Jats and Awans.some are wealthy landowners as well. Majority villages of Hindkis are Hindkiye kala (Kotka Zabta Khan), Kotka Feorz (Sher Ghani Khan), Nizam Bazar (Guljah family), Haibak , Ghoriwala and mama khel.
The overwhelming majority of the population of Bannu follow Sunni Islam. The city has a small Shia population, and there are some Hindus still living who did not migrate to India. There is also a small Christian ethnic group brought and settled by the British during the colonial period.
There are a number of hospitals and private clinics in the area. There are plans for construction of a new medical centre, the Khlifa Gul Nawaz Medical Complex.
Akram Durrani, The Ex-Chief Minister of N.W.F.P. announced that an Institute of Nuclear Medicine is under plans for construction. In the Cantonment area, a well facilitated military hospital “CMH” (Combined Military Hospital) also serve the people of the area. A new world class cancer hospital known as Khalifa Gul Nawaz Hospital (KGN) having a capacity of about 400 beds is also situated in Bannu
The former Chief Minister of Khyber PakhtunKhwa announced the establishment of Bannu Medical College and Health Department issued its notification No.SO-ІVІ2-36 dated 31st August 2006. The inauguration ceremony was held on 18th December 2006.
This year total 100 student will be enrolled here. Bannu Medical College is temporarily based in the newly constructed Building of Government High School No 3, having enough infrastructure and a cover area of 600 Sq: feet. The permanent set-up having a purpose built building will be located in Bannu Township in an area of 600 Kanal of Land. The 600 bedded Khalifa Gul Nawaz Memorial Hospital, DHQ Hospital and Zanana Hospital is the three teaching hospital of Bannu Medical College.
College has a good reception area, a capacious Administration Block and all the departments of Basic Sciences (Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Pathology and Community Medicine).
College has additional facilities for S.L.R.C (Self Learning Resources Center).
There is also a capacious Library for Staff and Students an Auditorium and an Examination Hall.
The College has total 5 hostels (4 for male and one for Female students).
There are three buses and one Coaster for transport of students and a Hiace for staff.
The Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC) has visited the college last year for inspection and with the exception of few points they were satisfied from college.
College is affiliated to University of Science & Technology Bannu (USTB).
The present Principal of the college is Professor Dr.Khan Nawaz (MBBS, M Phil).
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