Khuzdar District

Khuzdar District
District

Map of Balochistan with Khuzdar District highlighted
Country Pakistan
Province Balochistan
Established 1974
Headquarters Kalat Division
Government
 • Commissioner Mohammad Hashim Ghalzai
 • Police Commissioner / Deputy Inspector General of Police Mohammad Zafar Ali
Area[1]
 • Total 35,380 km2 (13,660 sq mi)
Time zone PST (UTC+5)
Number of Tehsils 4

Khuzdar (Urdu and Balochi: خضدار ‎‎) is a district in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. Its capital is the city of Khuzdar.

Until its establishment as a district in 1974 it was part of Kalat District. In November 1992 part of the territory of Khuzdar was split off to form the new district of Awaran.[2]

Overview

Towns and cities in Balochistan are not as big as compared to other provinces generally due to scarcity of water and abundance of arid and wastelands. Khuzdar, though one of the important cities of Balochistan is a small sized city located in Khuzdar District in Balochistan, Pakistan. The city of Khuzdar is situated on National Highway linking Pakistan, Iran and Turkey. It is about 400 km from Karachi and 300 km from Quetta, both of them being main cities of the country.

During the Arab rule this region formed the province of Turan and Khuzdar was the capital. It was an important cantonment and was the headquarters of the Arab General Commanding the Indian frontier. Later Khuzdar became a part of the Kalat State. It was the scene of a battle between the people of Jhalawan and the Khan of Kalat in 1869. The Khan of Kalat Mir Khuda Khan was victorious and built here a fort of painted pottery. Close to the town are the ruins of an old fort built by the Arabs. Khuzdar is the capital of Khuzdar district. It is a district and divisional headquarters town in Balochistan. Previously party of the Kalat district, Khuzdar was upgraded as a separate district on 1 March 1974. The district is subdivided into three tehsils: Khuzdar, Naal and Wadh. It is at the apex of a narrow valley at an elevation of 1,237 m (4.000 feet). Over 99% of the people of the area are Muslims. The population of Khuzdar district is estimated to be over 525,000 in 2005. The major tribes in the district are Bizenjo, Mardoi Jattak, Hasni, Siapad, Nausherwani, Zehri, Mengal, Zarakzai, Ahmadzai' Rekizai ' Sasoli ' Kurd' . A large military complex is near completion near Khuzdar, which would make it the second largest Cantonment in Balochistan after Quetta. A university is at the outskirts of Khuzdar,[3] known as the heart of Balochistan. The city of Khuzdar is situated on National Highway linking Pakistan, Iran and Turkey. The city has an airport near the university. The former college, now university is constructed on the foot-hills and is spread over an area of 200 acres (0.81 km2).

Administration

The district is administratively subdivided into five tehsils, which include 34 union councils:[4]

The Union Counsil for each tehsil is given below:

source: (Local Government, Balochistan, 2005)

Demography

The population in 1998 was 417,000, 28% of which was urban.[5] In 2012 it was estimated to be over 925,000. 99% are Muslim.[6] The majority of the population is made up of Brahui-speaking tribes,[7] and according to the 1981 census Brahui was the first language in 82% of households, followed by Balochi with 13%.[8] In the 1998 census, which did not gather data for Brahui, 96.7% of the population reported their language as Balochi, and 1.0% – as Punjabi.[9]

References

  1. ↑ 1998 Census report, p. 1.
  2. ↑ 1998 Census report, pp. 1, 8.
  3. ↑ Balochistan University of Engineering & Technology Khuzdar
  4. ↑ Tehsils & Unions in the District of Khuzdar - Government of Pakistan
  5. ↑ 1998 Census report, pp. 15, 18.
  6. ↑ 1998 Census report, p. 18.
  7. ↑ 1998 Census report, p. 8.
  8. ↑ These figures are for the combined population of Khuzdar and Wadh subdivisions and excludes the Awaran subdivision (1981 Census report, p. 84).
  9. ↑ 1998 Census report, pp. 19–20.

Bibliography

Coordinates: 27°10′N 66°20′E / 27.167°N 66.333°E / 27.167; 66.333

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