Bannu Cantonment is a

cantonment A cantonment (, , or ) is a military quarters. In Bangladesh, India and other parts of South Asia, a ''cantonment'' refers to a permanent military station (a term from the British India, colonial-era). In military of the United States, United Stat ...

adjacent to

Bannu Bannu ( ps, بنو, translit=banū ; ur, , translit=bannū̃, ) is a city located on the Kurram River in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is the capital of Bannu Division. Bannu's residents are primarily members of the Banuchi tribe ...

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ps, خېبر پښتونخوا; Urdu, Hindko: خیبر پختونخوا) commonly abbreviated as KP or KPK, is one of the Administrative units of Pakistan, four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

. It is the only cantonment in

Bannu District Bannu District ( ps, بنو ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district in Bannu Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It was recorded as a district in 1861 during the British Raj. It is one of 26 districts that make up the Khyber Pakh ...

and also the only one in the

Bannu Division Bannu Division is one of seven divisions in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. It consists of three districts: Bannu, Lakki Marwat, and North Waziristan. According to the 2017 Pakistani Census, the division had a population of 2,656,801, ...

. It has a population of 8,320.

History

Town of Bannu

The town of

was founded in 1848 by

Herbert Benjamin Edwardes Major-General Sir Herbert Benjamin Edwardes DCL (12 November 1819 – 23 December 1868) was a British administrator, soldier, and statesman active in the Punjab region of British India. He is best known as the "Hero of Multan" for his pivotal ...

, a lieutenant in the 1st Bengal European Fusiliers Regiment of the East India Company's private army. The fort, named Dhulipgarh (Dalipgarh) in honour of the Maharajah of Lahore, was constructed at the same time. Originally named Dhulipnagar (Dalipnagar), the town was later renamed to Edwardesabad in 1869 before receiving its current name in 1903.

District Bannu

was recorded as a district in 1861 during the

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...

. The district is situated 190 km to the south of

Peshawar Peshawar (; ps, پېښور ; hnd, ; ; ur, ) is the sixth most populous city in Pakistan, with a population of over 2.3 million. It is situated in the north-west of the country, close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is ...

and shares borders with North Waziristan, Karak, Lakki Marwat, and South Waziristan. The district covers an area of approximately 1,227 square kilometers and has a population of around 1.4 million people. Bannu is largely a rural area with agriculture being the main source of income. The district is known for its fertile agricultural land, historical and cultural sites, and as an important transportation hub in the region. The city of

serves as the district's headquarters and is a commercial and administrative center.

Bannu Cantt

Before its declaration as a

Cantonment A cantonment (, , or ) is a military quarters. In Bangladesh, India and other parts of South Asia, a ''cantonment'' refers to a permanent military station (a term from the British India, colonial-era). In military of the United States, United Stat ...

, Bannu Fort was constructed on December 18th, 1847. Named "Duleep Garh Fort" after the ruler of

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...

, it played a crucial role in the region's defense infrastructure. Later, the Cantonment was officially declared on December 17th, 1891, with defined boundaries under Punjab Government Notification No. 1016, which were last extended and defined in October 1953 under Ministry of Defence Notification No. 1035/53. The Cantonment's importance is evident from its first survey in 1929 by the Special Land Officer as part of the General Land Register (GLR) preparation under the Cantonment Land Administration Rules of 1925. The survey was last conducted in 1957-58 by the Survey of Pakistan Department, and the Register and plan prepared in conjunction with it provide a comprehensive description, classification, management, and ownership of each holding within the Cantonment limits. Today, Bannu Cantonment spans over an area of 4.298 square kilometers (1.66 square miles or 1062.12 acres). Its well-defined boundaries and strategic location make it an essential component of Pakistan's defense infrastructure.

References

{{Army Cantonments of Pakistan Cantonments of Pakistan