| Swabi District | |
|---|---|
| — District — | |
| Location of Swabi District (highlighted in yellow) within the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of Pakistan. | |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Province | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |
| Capital | Swabi |
| Established | |
| Government | |
| • District Nazim | |
| • District Naib Nazim | |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,543 km2 (595.8 sq mi) |
| Population (1998) | |
| • Total | 1,026,804 |
| • Density | 665/km2 (1,722.3/sq mi) |
| Time zone | PST (UTC+5) |
| District Council | |
| Number of Tehsils | 3 |
| Website | www.swabipukhtoon.webnode.com |
Swabi District (Pashto: صوابی,Urdu: صوابی) is the fourth most populous district of the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It lies between the Indus and Kabul Rivers. The residents are referred to as Swabva'l. The Mandanr Yusufzai subsection of the Yousafzai clan of the Pashtuns form a majority of the population.
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Swabi is the district capital. Tordher is the second leading trading city, after Swabi. Tordher has a population of nearly 50,000, 18 primary schools and three high schools.
Today, almost the whole population is composed of Pashtuns of the Yusufzai tribe. There are also Utmanzai and Tanoli. Hindus and Sikhs live in some areas of Swabi.
Tobacco is a cash crop of Swabi, along with vegetables, wheat, sugar cane and maize. Its climate is well suited for citrus fruits in particular, but many other fruits like watermelon, peaches and apricots are also grown there.
It also boasts one of the most prestigious institutions of Pakistan, the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology, located in the village of Topi and Karnal Sher Khan Cadet College Swabi, located in the village of Ismaila, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
A six lane motorway connecting Islamabad with Peshawar passes through Swabi District, with an access interchange at the village of Ambaar.
Once part of the Gandhara civilization, Swabi contains many important archaeological sites, which are tourist attractions.[1] Alexander the Great crossed the Indus River where the village of Hund now lies on its right bank. Hund is an archaeological treasure; it was the capital of the Hindu Shahi for nearly three hundred years.
Rani Ghat is another Gandhara archaeological site, containing the ruins of a famous palace belonging to the queen of that era. She was famous for paying Swabi villagers for clean air—they were not allowed to pollute it by winnowing their crops. The ruins on the top of a mountain still attract visitors. As a part of the origin of the Buddhist Gandhara civilisation, it has also garnered re-construction funds from Japanese research institutes. With the help of this money, the local non-governmental organization Shewa Educated Social Workers Association built a walkway to the historical sites, as well as fences to protect the area. It also built a rest house on Baga Mountain. This area attracts many tourists, including Japanese who come here to learn about Buddhism in ancient times.
| “ | Aurel Stein recorded in his survey of the Mahaban range "it remains for me to explain the opinion to which I have been led as regards the character and identity of this remarkable site. The nature of the ruins described and the remains they have furnished, makes it clear beyond all doubt; that they mark the position of a Buddhist sanctuary possessed of shrines and monastic establishments [2] | ” |
Swabi is home to two great rivers, the Indus and the Kabul. There are also several smaller streams. Maini has a unique stream; the water emerges from the centre of the village. It is used for irrigation. This stream is called china in the local language, meaning "spring". The villages of Kotha, Topi and Maini are collectively called Utman. They all have natural springs called china in Maini, chino in Kotha and bayin in Topi.
Swabi is famous for the famous Pashtun folk love story of Yusuf Khan and Sherbano. Visitors come to the village of Shera Ghund and climb Karamar Mountain in the town of Kalu Khan to visit the tomb of Yousaf Khan.
The Indus and Kabul Rivers meet at a place called Kund, a major tourist attraction. The Indus River with its blue colour and the Kabul River's muddy brown waters flow side by side without blending. Another tourist attraction is the Ghazi-Barotha Dam, which is near the town of Topi and the Tarbela Dam.
Mahaban Hill in Gadoon has a scenic beauty. The Pir Galai resort is located here, 6,000 feet (1,800 m) above sea level. From here, one can see Mansehra, Buner and Kaghan Hills.
Popular modern sports are cricket and football. A famous cricket player, Ibrahim Shah, comes from the village of Kunda. In football, Maneri is the defending football district champion. Swabi is considered as one of the best volleyball nurseries in the country. Many of the national team players are from this district, such as former national team captain Raheem, from the village of Zaida.
Local and ancient games include Maily, Makha, Kabaddi, horse racing, Akor, Gulu Dandai, Bilori, and Pat-Patonay.
Makha, a type of archery, is the traditional game of Swabi. A long bow and arrows made from bamboo sticks are used. Instead of a tip, the arrow has a saucer-shaped distal end called the Tubray. Villages Mangal Chai of and Channi of the Gadoon have a famous Makha rivalry.
Kabbadi is one of the most popular team sports of the area.
Koda, played with small round shaoe stones, was a favorite game of Swabiwal in ancient times. It is still played in Maneri Bala and Payan. The games attract sizable crowds, and traditional Pushto music dulkay is played during tournaments.
Two Afghan refugees camps, Bharakay Camp and Fazal Camp, were established more than 20 years ago when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan and five million Afghans fled to Pakistan. Bharakay is the largest camp in the country; most of the refugees spoke the same language and had little trouble settling down.
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