The City Of Pines

Pines Peace Perfect Place To Live

ABBOTTABAD

1
 Introduction to Abbottabad

Abbottabad, the headquarters of Hazara

Division, situated at an altitude of 1,225 m (4002 ft) above sea level and surrounded by
refreshing green hills of Sarban, is one of the best-known hill resorts of Pakistan. It is
situated on the Karakoram Highway (Silk Route) to China, 120 Km from
Rawalpindi/Islamabad and 205 Km from Peshawar. The climate is temperate with 4
distinct seasons-springs, summer, autumn and winter. The summer is pleasant while the
winter is moderately cold with occasional snowfall. The city is non-industrial, situated in
the green Orash valley and is free from environmental pollution. It has a population of
over 300,000. Like Hazara, Abbottabad has seen many invasions from outside by the

2
conquering forces of diverse races, tribes and kingdoms. The modern city of Abbottabad
was founded by Major Abbott, the British deputy commissioner of Hazara (1849 to 1853)
during British rule in the subcontinent. Major Abbott is credited with making major
changes in the administrative setup in the region, so that after his departure, the city was
named after him. The British maintained a sizeable military presence here, evidenced
even today by the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA), which has remained as the major
training academy for military officers. The PMA provided fame to Abbottabad for many
years, prior to the recent development of the city, from a non-industrial backward area, to
a busy modern business, economic and academic centre. The creation of Ayub Medical
Complex has once more brought the city into the national lamely light and spurred a
lasting chapter of growth and development. Abbottabad has a natural beauty endowed by
its location amid surrounding mountains and high altitude. It is neither too cold in winter,
nor too hot in summer and enjoys a refreshing spring season. Gradually it has become
one of the most sought after summer resorts of Pakistan

CITY AT GALANCE

Location:
Southeastern district of NWFP.

Elevation: 1255 meters.

Weather: All four seasons provides the visitors with the varied splendor of changing
colors.

Tourist Season: Round the year.

Activities/Interest: Trekking, Hiking, Camping, Photography, Golf, Picnic

Accessibility: Abbottabad is easily accessible from all parts of Pakistan round the year.
Abbottabad 116 km from Rawalpindi and 217 km from Peshawar and transport is
available throughout the year from all parts of Pakistan.

Other Facts: Languages spoken and understood are Hindko, Urdu, Pashto, English.
Facility of
Telephone, telegraph, Fax and quality hotels & Restaurant are available.

3
Places of Interest:

Thandiani As the name indicates, Thandiani is supposed to be coldest among the hill
stations of Pakistan. The approach to Thandiani (2691 meters above sea level) is from
Abbottabad. Thandiani can also be reached from the Murree-Nathiagali route, but it takes
more time and the road is too winding. Thandiani is 31 km from main Abbottabad City
and 25 km from Thandiani- Nathiagali crossing. The drive takes more or less 80 minutes
from Abbottabad with lovely views on both sides of the road. The road spans more than
1219 m above Abbottabad. On the way along with tall majestic pine trees you come
across groups of monkeys. The major place on the way is Kalapani at 23 km from
Abbottabad. It has a beautiful local dak bungalow. Hule ka Danna is about two kilometres
north of Thandiani. It is one of the most beautiful glades in the region. Thandiani offers
lush green lovely views. At night the lights of Hazara District and Azad Kashmir are
clearly visible. To the east beyond the Kunhar River, may be seen the snow covered
mountain ranges of Kashmir, to the north and northeast, the mountains of Kohistan and
Kaghan are sighted, to the northwest are snowy ranges of Swat and Chitral. Nathiagali
Perhaps the most sought out is the beautiful Nathiagali perched 2501 meters high about
32 km away from Murree. The bracing air of the surrounding mountains is as pure as
fresh spring water.Ayubia Ayubia situated at an average height of 2,135 meters,
Khairagali, Changlagali, Khanspur and Ghora Dhaka, these four mini resorts spread over
an area of 26 km have been developed into a resort complex called Ayubia. In addition to
riding trails, hiking places and picnic spots, Ayubia has a chair lift at Ghora Dhaka, which
attracts visitors to enjoy scenic beauty of Pine Hills. The nearby hill station of Nathiagali,
Changlagali, Khan spur, Khairagali and Kala Bagh present an unpolluted environment
and scenic beauty. Ayubia is 26 km from Murree Population of District Abbottabad

Population of District Abbottabad:

The total population of District Abbottabad was 881,000 according to the Census of
1998. The annual growth rate of population during 1981-1998 was 1.82%. Population
density is 447.7 persons per Sq. KM in March 1998. The ratio of urban and rural
population is 18:82. The gender ratio (i.e. the number of males per hundred females) of
the District is 100.2, where it is 94.96 in rural areas and 128.08 in urban areas. The
literacy rate of the District is 56.61. The table below gives the ratio by gender and
rural/urban for 1998 Census.

Literacy ratio by Gender and Rural/Urban Areas, 1998:

AREA MALE FEMALE BOTH GENDER
Rural 71.33.34.18.81.85
Urban 85.69.64.71.76.73

4
 According to the 1998 Census, out of the total educated persons 31.60% had passed
primary, 19.39% middle and 18.45% matriculation. After matriculation the percentage
falls to 5.54% for intermediate, 3.21% for graduate and 1.14% for postgraduate. The
economically active population of the Abbottabad District to the total population
comprised about 176,000 souls or 19.99%. Out of this 97.72% are males and 2.28% are
females.

MOUNTAN AND VALLY ABBOTTABAD

5
 Historical Background

The city of Abbottabad was founded in 1853 by Maj. James Abbott, who was the first
Deputy Commissioner of Hazara District. Hazara remained a District right upto its
conversion into a Division in 1976. In October 1976, Mansehra was given the status of a
full fledged District, which consisted of Mansehra and Batagram Tehsils. Subsequently in
July 1991, Haripur Tehsil was separated from Abbottabad and made into a District. Thus
only the old Tehsil of Abbottabad remained, which was declared as Abbottabad District.
The headquarters of Hazara Division, situated at an altitude of 1,225 m (4002 ft) above
sea level and surrounded by refreshing green hills of Sarban, is one of the best-known hill
resorts of Pakistan. It is situated on the Karakoram Highway (Silk Route) to China, 120
Km from Rawalpindi/Islamabad and 205 Km from Peshawar. The climate is temperate
with 4 distinct seasons-springs, summer, autumn and winter. The summer is pleasant
while the winter is moderately cold with occasional snowfall. The city is non-industrial,

6
 situated in the green Orish valley and is free from environmental pollution. It has a
population of over 300,000.
Like Hazara, Abbottabad has seen many invasions from outside by the conquering forces
of diverse races, tribes and kingdoms. The modern city of Abbottabad was founded by
Major Abbott, the British deputy commissioner of Hazara (1849 to 1853) during British
rule in the subcontinent. Major Abbott is credited with making major changes in the
administrative setup in the region, so that after his departure, the city was named after
him. The British maintained a sizeable military presence here, evidenced even today by
the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA), which has remained as the major training
academy for military officers. The PMA provided fame to Abbottabad for many years,
prior to the recent development of the city, from a non-industrial backward area, to a busy
modern business, economic and academic centre. The creation of Ayub Medical Complex
has once more brought the city into the national limelight and spurred a lasting chapter of
growth and development.

Abbottabad is a small neat and clean town in spacious valleys surrounded by green hills.
It is a popular summer resort, located at the end of Murree-Abbottabad hill tract, noted
for its verdant parks, gardens, golf course and pine covered hills. Abbottabad, apart from
being famous for its educational institutions and Military Academy, also serves as the
gateway to almost all-beautiful places in Pakistan. The formidable Karakorams & , the
enchanting Himalayas can be approached from Abbottabad. Though the importance of
the city has been diminished a little by the completion of Karakoram Highwaybecause, in
the past, the only track available to reach Karakoram was through Babusar Pass, which in

7
 its turn, could only be approached through Abbottabad. The city suffered widespread
damage from the 2005 N Pakistan earthquake.

Places of VISIT:

Thandiani
As the name indicates, Thandiani is supposed to be coldest among the hill stations of
Pakistan. The approach to Thandiani (2691 meters above sea level) is from Abbottabad.
Thandiani can also be reached from the Murree-Nathiagali route, but it takes more time
and the road is too winding. Thandiani is 31 km from main Abbottabad City and 25 km
from Thandiani-Nathiagali crossing. The drive takes more or less 80 minutes from
Abbottabad with lovely views on both sides of the road. The road spans more than 1219
m above Abbottabad. On the way along with tall majestic pine trees you come across
groups of monkeys. The major place on the way is Kalapani at 23 km from Abbottabad. It
has a beautiful local dak bungalow. Hule ka Danna is about two kilometres north of
Thandiani. It is one of the most beautiful glades in the region. Thandiani offers lush green
lovely views. At night the lights of Hazara District and Azad Kashmir are clearly visible.
To the east beyond the Kunhar River, may be seen the snow covered mountain ranges of
Kashmir, to the north and northeast, the mountains of Kohistan and Kaghan are sighted,
to the northwest are snowy ranges of Swat and Chitral.

Nathiagali
Nathiagali Perhaps the most sought out is the beautiful Nathiagali perched 2501 meters
high about 32 km away from Murree. The bracing air of the surrounding mountains is as
pure as fresh spring water.

Ayubia

Ayubia situated at an average height of 2,135 meters, Khairagali, Changlagali, Khanspur

and Ghora Dhaka, these four mini resorts spread over an area of 26 km have been
developed into a resort complex called Ayubia. In addition to riding trails, hiking places
and picnic spots, Ayubia has a chair lift at Ghora Dhaka, which attracts visitors to enjoy
scenic beauty of Pine Hills. The nearby hill station of Nathiagali, Changlagali, Khanspur,
Khairagali and Kala Bagh present an unpolluted environment and scenic bea.

8
Culture of District Abbottabad

Languages

Hindko is the major language of the District. According to the 1998 Census, 94.26% of
the total population speaks Hindko. Other languages spoken in the District are Urdu–
1.05%, Pashto– 2.22% and Punjabi– 2.30%.

Customs and Traditions

Abbottabad is well-cultured area, modern and ancient cultures are combined here.
Although the young generation is found of modern culture but religious bonds are very
tight and majority of the population like the Islamic traditions and follow the path of
Allah. The Hujra meetings (sitting) are also included in the customs. The Islamic
traditions are outstanding in rural area and have high moral values in the society.

Dresses

Common dress of the people is Shalwar Qamiz; however Government officials and
students use trousers and coats. Turban, Kraquli, Patti caps are worn by the people. Men
often wear Waistcoats and Coats over Shalwar Qamiz. Women’s dresses are also very
simple and consist of Shalwar, Qamiz, Dopatta and Chuddar.

MEALS

The food of inhabitants of the District is very simple. Maize, wheat and rice are eaten
everywhere. Desi Ghee and Lassi are used eagerly in the rural areas.

Occupations in District Abbottabad

A large majority of the population– (60%) depends upon agriculture for their subsistence.
However, income from agriculture is too meager to support the population. As a result,
many of them have found work in other parts of the country or left for abroad. Other
minor professions to which people have taken to, include those of cobblers, blacksmiths,
goldsmiths,weavers, barbers, washermen, laborers etc. Sports and Recreation

FESTIVALS:

Tribal dances like the famous Khattak dance, horse riding, pistol and rifle shooting are
the well -known pastimes of the people. Dancing is also popular in Chitral and Hazara,
particularly on festive occasions. In Chitral, polo is a common sport. Among festivals, the
religious festivals of Eidul Fitr, Eidul Azha and Urs of Rehman Baba, Pir Baba, Kaka

9
Sahib, all big saints in their own right, and Jhanda Mela at Peshawar are famous.
Celebration of seasonal festivals and rituals by Kalash tribe of Chitral present a cultural
feat. Jashn-e-Khyber, a yearly festival arranged by the Government, presents a number of
cultural activities and draws crowds and merchandise for display not only from the
province, but from all over the country.

Climate of District Abbottabad

The District is mostly mountainous. Its climate varies with altitude, which ranges from
600 meters to 2,800 meters. During the winter season, snowfall takes place above 900
meters i.e. Abbottabad City, surrounding mountains and area above Changlagali and
Barian in the Galliat. In the District the months of December, January and February are
extremely cold especially in the Galliat area, this receives the brunt of the snowfall,
whereas March and April tend to be pleasant especially in the low lying areas. Summers
are pleasant and enjoyable. Monsoon rains usually start in the month of July lasting till
September.This is followed by a dry spell lasting for about two months.
Abbottabad District falls within the Wet Mountains Agri Eco Zone, or Zone VI shown in
the map. The average annual rainfall in the Abbottabad District is 2673 mm and the
climatic division, based upon the classification by Ahmad, (1951) is the sub-humid
division of the subtropical continental highlands. This is characterized by rainfall from
both monsoon (July to September) and western disturbances (December to April), giving

10
 a twin peak type distribution with the maximum precipitation occurring in July to
September. October and November are the driest months with less than 30 mm rainfall.
The Galliyat area of Abbottabad District receives about 89 rainy days a year, or one
fourth of the year. The Murree – Gallies Mountain areas are the wettest mountains in
Pakistan. The summers of the District are pleasantly cool (20 – 26 C) while winters are
severe with considerable frost and small quantities of snow in the month of January.
Humidity in July and August is greater than 70 %. It ranges between 40 to 70 % during
the rest of the year, at no time does the humidity fall below 40 %. Thus there is no great
stress upon humans or plants. Relative humidity below 40 % causes parching of human
skin, and plant’s foliage due to increased evapo-transpiration. Thus the yearly mean
humidity of Abbottabad District is 60 %.

EDUCATION Abbottabad
Abbottabad is famous for its standard educational institutions. Due to rapid increase in
establishment of better schools and colleges the literacy rate is getting higher. I have
included information about those institutions which are setting high standards. Complete
information and contacts for further enquiries will be added soon.
Education The city of Abbottabad is a small, organized and a clean town. Apart from
being a city of beautiful landscape and peaceful environment, it is also a source of
attraction for the people from all over Pakistan due to its educational services. The city of
Abbottabad is rich with a number of schools, colleges and other institutes. As Abbottabad
serves as a gateway to education, it is also known as the “City of Schools”. The schools
and colleges are promoting a good standard of education in the entire region. Besides the
basic education, the professional education is also not being neglected in the region.
Furthermore Abbottabad is a home of numerous professional and educational institutions,
several military organizations like PMA (Pakistan Military Academy Kakul), Training
establishments, Technical Institutes, Government departments, civil societies and
colonies. Abbottabad has got four Medical Colleges(women medical college is also one
of them).These produce a large number of doctors every year. An IT university, CIIT
{COMSATS Institute of Information Technology},is also established in Abbottabad as a
project of Ministry of Science and Technology. The CIIT is the only institution in the
country which specializes and concentrates on IT and is a national milestone of
establishing the first IT University in NWFP.Other then that, there are many schools
which are famous all over the country, such as ABHC, APS, PIPS PHPS. These schools
provide excellent e
MY BEAUTIFUL VILLAGE GHUMMAVA:
I live in vell known village Ghummava situated on the since of Thandiani road and near
to nawan shehr nawan shehr is most popular city of Abbottabad.
My village name is Ghummava in this way was affirmad on Aceount a nature clamitydue
to heavy mountain causetd is buried all the masses under The debrice .the proof of this
calamity is that even know at some time the skeleton of human badies found durins the
digging process.
Second my village name is Ghummava in this way it is said the name of village

11
Ghummava was known on account of afictious saying that people use to visit this village
as it was a scatiful valley. Whenever one asked about the purpose of towards of
ghummava he would say for visiting the beautiful land of ghummava.

Ghummava play important role in politic:

Ghummava play important role in national politic in this way. Mr. Muhammad Iqubal
khan jadoon is chief minister of NWFP in 1977.later on the family of Mr. Muhammad
Iqubal khan jadoon produce some premenent in the field of politic.Umman Ullah Khan
Jadoon play important role in politic in (2000 to 2008). In this time son Saif Ullah Khan
Jadoon and Anaith Ullah Khan Jadoon is member of politic and play important role in
politic.

Ghummava is important role in provided building material:

Secondly the our village provide bread butter to many families through stone. crushing
plant on one land and provide high quality constraction supplied in length and breath of
country.
Highest peak off district Abbottabad:
The first highest peak of district Abbottabad is mirajani.
Second highest peak of district Abbottabad Thandiani.

12