Khushab
| Khushab خُوشاب | |
|---|---|
| City | |
  Khushab Location in Pakistan | |
| Coordinates (Punjab): 32°18′N 72°20′E / 32.30°N 72.34°ECoordinates: 32°18′N 72°20′E / 32.30°N 72.34°E | |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Province | Punjab, Pakistan |
| District | Khushab |
| Population (2009)[1] | |
| • Total | 110,868 |
| Time zone | PST (UTC+5) |
| • Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC+6) |
| Postal code | 41000 |
| Area code(s) | 0454 |
| District Government Khushab Official Website | |
Khushab (Urdu: خُوشاب) is a city as well as a district in the Punjab province of Pakistan.[2] The word Khushab means "sweet water." Khushab city also serves as the headquarters of Khushab Tehsil, an administrative subdivision of the district Khushab.[3]
The city of Khushab is home to the Khushab Nuclear Complex,[4] a critical part of the Pakistan's Special Weapons Program, which has come under much heated scrutiny.[5]
Demographics
The population according to the 1901 census was 11,403.[6]
Khushab Nuclear Complex
On March 21, 2000, The Christian Science Monitor published an article written by Alexander Colhoun, in which a high-resolution aerial satellite photo revealed a nuclear reactor, Khushab Nuclear Complex, and a missile base in the city of Khushab. These pictures had mixed views, one of the expression of power that could shackle or reshape diplomatic landscapes[7] of a region and another of the ethical question about the usage of satellite imagery in terms of privacy and national sovereignty of a nuclear-capable nation. The report was published at a time when American President Bill Clinton was due to visit India, and it sparked concerns worldwide. According to a more recent ISIS analysis of imaging the Khushab Nuclear Complex has totally 4 heavy water reactors and a heavy water production plant. Moreover, the plutonium produced in this site as reported by a Pakistani official is prepared to build small, short range nuclear weapons such as tactical nuclear-tipped missiles.[8]
Etymology
"Khushab" is a combination of two Persian words: khush (Persian: خوش), meaning "sweet or tasty," and aab (Persian: آب), meaning "water." A common belief is that the Persians from the west first used the word khush-aab in admiration of the sweet and tasty water found in the historical city situated on the bank of Jhelum River. In time the city was known as Khushab.[9]
Language
As per the 1998 census of Pakistan, the following are the demographics of the Khushab district, by spoken language:
- Punjabi language: 96%
- Other: 4%
References
- ↑ World Gazetteer estimate (01-01-2006)
- ↑ Tehsil statistics (Government of Pakistan, Statistics Division)
- ↑ Tehsils & Unions in the District of Khushab - Government of Pakistan
- ↑ Special Weapons Program of Pakistan (Federation of American Scientists)
- ↑ South Asia arms race - is it paranoia? (BBC News)
- ↑ Khushāb Town - Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 15, p. 298.
- ↑ Top-Secret Kodak Moment In Space Shakes Global Security, The Christian Science Monitor (March 21, 2000)
- ↑ http://www.isis-online.org/uploads/isis-reports/documents/Construction_Continues_at_Khushab_August12_2015_Final.pdf
- ↑ "District Courts Khushab"., Retrieved 24 December 2013.
External links
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
