Nowshera District ( ps, نوښار ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

Peshawar Division 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 ...

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, ...

province in

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 ...

. The capital and district headquarter is Nowshera city.

Overview and history

Nowshera was a

tehsil A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administr ...

(sub division) of Peshawar until 1988, when it became a district. It is bordered by

Peshawar District Peshawar District ( ps, پېښور ولسوالۍ, hnd, , ur, ) is a district in Peshawar Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It is located about 160 km west of the Pakistan's capital Islamabad. The district headquarter is ...

to the West, Mardan District to the North, Charsadda District to the North West, Swabi District to the North East,

Kohat District Kohat District ( ps, کوهاټ ولسوالۍ , ur, ) is a district in Kohat Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. Kohat city is the capital of the district. History Mughal era From the early sixteenth century the history of Ko ...

to the South,

Orakzai Agency Orakzai District ( ps, اورکزو ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district in Kohat Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. Until 2018, it was an agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas. With the merger of FATA with Khyber P ...

to the South West &

Attock District Attock District (Urdu and pnb, ) is a district in Pothohar Plateau of the Punjab Province of Pakistan. Its capital is Attock city. The district was created in April 1904 by the merging of tehsils of nearby districts. Its former name was C ...

to the East. Previously it was known as Nowkhaar Province till it was annexed into

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

via the

Durand Line The Durand Line ( ps, د ډیورنډ کرښه; ur, ), forms the Pakistan–Afghanistan border, a international land border between Pakistan and Afghanistan in South Asia. The western end runs to the border with Iran and the eastern end to th ...

Agreement. Prior to its establishment as a separate district in 1990, Nowshera was part of

. The district was also part of the

until the reforms of The

Government of Pakistan The Government of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=hakúmat-e pákistán) abbreviated as GoP, is a federal government established by the Constitution of Pakistan as a constituted governing authority of the Administrative units of Pakistan, four provin ...

. Total area of Nowshera is 1,748 km². The population density is 608 persons per square kilometre. The total agricultural area is 52,540 hectares. The main source of income of the region is agriculture.

Demographics

At the time of the 2017 census the district had a population of 1,520,995, of which 783,035 were males and 737,834 females. Rural population was 1,181,460 (77.68%) while the urban population was 339,535 (22.32%). The literacy rate was 58.21% - the male literacy rate was 72.80% while the female literacy rate was 42.73%. 7,096 are from religious minorities, mainly Christians The population of the district over the years is shown in the table below.

Languages

At the time of the 2017 census, 92.82% of the population spoke

Pashto Pashto (,; , ) is an Eastern Iranian language in the Indo-European language family. It is known in historical Persian literature as Afghani (). Spoken as a native language mostly by ethnic Pashtuns, it is one of the two official languages ...

, 3.06%

Hindko Hindko (, romanized: , ) is a cover term for a diverse group of Lahnda dialects spoken by several million people of various ethnic backgrounds in several areas in northwestern Pakistan, primarily in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Pun ...

, 2.04% Punjabi and 1.15%

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

Education

Nowshera district is home of many excellent education institutions. The district has a public sector University of Technology, Nowshera and private sector Northern University, Nowshera. It also houses the campus of

Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan The Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan (AWKUM) ( ur, ) is a public university located in Mardan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Established in April 2009, the university is named after Abdul Wali Khan, a prominent personality of Pashtunkhwa and ...

in Pabbi town while it has a campus of

University of Engineering and Technology Peshawar The University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar (UET Peshawar), formerly known as NWFP University of Engineering and Technology, is a public university located in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Formerly known as ''NWFP University ...

Jalozai Jalozai ( ps, جلوزی), also Jallozai, Jailozai, and Jelazee, is a village located in Nowshera District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan. Jalozai is famous for an Afghan refugee camp which is located about 35 kilometres southeast of Peshawar near ...

town. The district also has a public sector medical college: Nowshera Medical College, Nowshera. It is also home to many degree colleges: Government Post Graduate College Nowshera, Government Home Economics College Nowshera, Government College Akbarpura, Government Degree College Pabbi and Government Girls Degree College Pabbi. According to the Alif Ailaan Pakistan District Education Rankings 2017, Nowshera district is ranked 71 out of 155 districts in Pakistan in the quality of education while for facilities and infrastructure, the district is ranked 14 out of 155. It is vast improvement from Rankings of 2016, when the quality of education ranking was 71 out of 151 while facilities and infrastructure, the district was ranked 42 out of 151.

Administration and politics

The district is administratively divided into 3

Tehsils A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administr ...

. * Nowshera Tehsil *

Jehangira Tehsil Jehangira Tehsil is a tehsil located in Nowshera District, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The tehsil is named after the Jehangira, Jehangira town, which is located on the Grand Trunk Road, GT Road.A village, Hasan Darra, also exists in Tehsil Jehan ...

Pabbi Tehsil Pabbi is a tehsil located in Nowshera District, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The tehsil is named after the Pabbi town, which is located on the GT Road. Overview Pabbi become tehsil in 2008, when NWFP (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) caretaker chie ...

Union councils

The district is divided into 47 Union Councils. The largest by area is Nizampur & the smallest by area is

Pabbi Pabbi ( ps, پببے ; ur, ) is a large town in Pabbi Tehsil of Nowshera District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is located on both sides of the Grand Trunk (GT) around 20-km from Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa ...

. * Nowshera * Chowki Town * Tarkha *

* Dagi Banda *

Akbarpura Akbarpura, or Akbarpūra is a village, which is located roughly northeast of Peshawar and is part of Pabbi Tehsil of Nowshera District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan. Akbarpura is named after the Mughal Emperor Akbar, who camped there before ...

* Chowkai *

Taru Jabba Taru Jabba is a village of Nowshera district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is 11 km away from Peshawar City. It is famous for Chapli Kabab Chapli Kebab or Chapli Kabab ( ps, چپلي کباب) is a Pashtun-style minced kebab, usually m ...

* Mohib Banda * Aman Kot * Kurvi * Dag Behsud * Dag Ismail Khel *

Saleh Khana Saleh Khana is a large village in the Nowshera District of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province located just below the Cherat mountains, The people of this village are Pashtuns of the Khattak tribe. Like other parts of Pakistan, many people ...

* Shah Kot * Nizampur * Kheshgi Bala * Kheshgi Payan * Aza Khel * Pir Piai * Ganderhi *

Rashakai Rashakai is a small town located along the Nowshera-Mardan road, in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Rashakai interchange The town gained importance in 2007, when an interchange of the M1 Motorway was constructed here. Rashakai interchange serves for Nows ...

Risalpur Risalpur (Pashto/ ur, رسالپور) is a city in Nowshera District, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, on the Nowshera-Mardan Road. It is nearly 45 km from Peshawar and 18 km from Mardan and is located at 34°4'52N 71°58'21E. In a basin so ...

* Gandaree * Amangarh *

Manki Sharif Manki (Urdu: مانکی is a town and Union Council of Nowshera District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is located to the south of Swabi City in Swabi. Overview Manki is also the home of one of the most powerful families in Pakistan. Th ...

* Pahari Kati Khel * Kahi * Ziarat Kaka Sahib * Badrashi * Pir Sabaq * Zaramiana * Misri banda * Mughalki (Nandrak) * Jehangira *

Akora Khattak Akora Khattak ( ps, اکوړه خټک , Urdu: اکوڑہ خٹک ) or Sarai Akora is a town in Jehangira tehsil of Nowshera District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It sits beside the Kabul River, which merges with the Indus River ...

* Mera Akora Khattak *

Shaidu Shaidu (شيدو) is a town in the Nowshera District of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The population is approximately 75,000. Shaidu lies on the alluvial silt of the Indus River. It is a centre of the surrounding agricultural lands. Shaidu lies ...

* Adamzai * Chasmai * Inzari * Mandoori * Khairabad * Nawan Killi

Towns and villages

The main towns in Nowshera District are Nowshera city (Capital),

Badrashi Badrashi is a town in the Nowshera District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is located at . Overview According to the latest census (2017), the population of Badrashi is 45,771. Badrashi has 10 Mohallahs - Awaan, Eidgah, Miangaan, Aqa Khel, Essa Kh ...

, Jehangira,

, Khairabad and Nizampur. The main villages are below. * Ziarat Kaka sahib * Durran *

Khawrai Khawari is a village of Jehangira Tehsil, Nowshera District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ps, خېبر پښتونخوا; Urdu, Hindko: خیبر پختونخوا) commonly abbreviated as KP or KPK, is one of the Administrat ...

* Kheshgi Bala * Kheshgi Payan * Dag Behsud * Chowki Drab * Dagi Jadeed * Dagi Qadeem * Banda Nabi *

* Azakhel Bala * Azakhel Payan *

* Pirpiai * Misri banda * Pir Sabaq *

* Kurvi *

Dak Ismail Khel Dak Ismail Khel is a village in Pabbi Tehsil of Nowshera District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ps, خېبر پښتونخوا; Urdu, Hindko: خیبر پختونخوا) commonly abbreviated as KP or KPK, is one of the four p ...

* Chapri *

* Jabba Khattak * Kotli Kalan * Shah Kot * spin kana kalan *

* Speen Khak * Jaroba * Mughalki * pushtoon ghari * Dheri Kati Khel * Palosi Payan * Palosi Bala * Meraji

Cantonments

These cantonments were created by 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 ...

. There are three cantonments in Nowshera District: *

Nowshera Cantonment Nowshera Cantonment is a cantonment adjacent to Nowshera in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 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 a ...

* Cherat Cantonment * Risalpur Cantonment

Provincial and National Assembly seats

The district has 5 Provincial Seats in The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.

Provincial Assembly

The district has 2 National Assembly Seats in The

National Assembly of Pakistan The National Assembly ( ur, , translit=Aiwān-e-Zairīñ, , or ur, قومی اسمبلی, Romanization, romanized: ''Qaumi Assembly'') is the lower house, lower legislative house of the bicameralism, bicameral Parliament of Pakistan, which al ...

Since 2002: NA-5 (Nowshera-I)

Since 2002: NA-6 (Nowshera-II)

The District is currently represented by

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI; ur, , ) is a political party in Pakistan. It was founded in 1996 by Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, who served as the country's prime minister from 2018 to 2022. The PTI is one of the thre ...

who won all 7 Seats in the recent elections.

Geography

The following are the rivers which flow through the Nowshera District. *

Bara River Bara River ( ps, باړه سیند; ur, دریائے باڑہ ) is a river in Khyber Agency and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The Bara River originates in the Tirah Valley of Bara Tehsil, Khyber Agency. It joins the Kabul River Canal which or ...

* Kabul River * Kal Pani River Some of the most famous parks are as follows: *

Kund Park Kund Park (also known as Kund Bear Park), established in 2000, is an Animal Theme Park, animal theme park located in Nowshera, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Nowshera, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The park is a conservation center and sanctuary for Asian bl ...

*Mangloot Wildlife Park *Aza Khel Park *Jinnah Park *Cherat Chapri Wildlife Park After the launch of CPEC project, Rashakai village of Nowshera is now an Economic Zone of KPK.

Highways and motorways

N-5 National Highway The N-5 or National Highway 5 (Urdu: ) is a 1819 km national highway in Pakistan, which extends from Karachi in Sindh to Torkham in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Route The N-5 is the longest national highway in Pakistan and serves as an importa ...

N-45 National Highway The National Highway 45 (), also known as the N-45 or the Nowshera-Chitral Highway, is one of the National Highways of Pakistan, running from Nowshera District to the town of Chitral via Dir in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. It is a two-lane ...

(Nowshera-Chitral) *

M1 Motorway The M1 motorway connects London to Leeds, where it joins the A1(M) near Aberford, to connect to Newcastle. It was the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the UK; the first motorway in the country was the Preston By-pass, which lat ...

* Swat Motorway

Military history

Military installations

* Pakistan Air Force Academy Risalpur Cantt * Armoured Corps Centre Nowshera Cantt * ASC School Nowshera Cantt * School of Artillery Nowshera Cantt * School of Armour and Mechanized Warfare * Special Operations School Chirat Cantt * Military College of Engineering (NUST) Risalpur Cantt *ASC Center Nowshera Cantt * College of Aeronautical Engineering PAF Academy Asghar Khan

Buildings and institutions

;Notable buildings *

Darul Uloom Haqqania Darul Uloom Haqqania or Jamia Dar al-Ulum Haqqania ( ur, ) is an Islamic Seminary ( darul uloom or madrasa) in the town of Akora Khattak, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, northwestern Pakistan. The seminary propagates the Hanafi Deobandi schoo ...

* Taj Building * Khushal Khan Khattak Library, Akora Khattak ;Hospitals/medical facilities *Qazi Hussain Ahmed Medical Complex – Nowshera City *District Headquarters Hospital – Nowshera City *LRBT Eye Hospital Akora Khattak – Nowshera City *Combined Military Hospital –

*Combined Military Hospital – Risalpur Cantonment *Cantt General Hospital Nowshera Cantt. * A number of Rural Health Centers RHCs and Basi Health Units BHUs all over the district

Shrines

Nowshera District is the home of many Sufi shrines.

Shrine of Kastir Gul (Kaka Sahib)

The shrine of 16th century’s most popular Sufi saint

Sayyid Kastir Gul Sayyid Kastir Gul (1573-1653) also known as Sheikh Al-Mashaikh Sheikh Rahmakar alias Kaka Sahib, was an Islamic jurist and Sufi saint of the 16th and 17th centuries who is still highly revered among Afghans and Pakistanis. He is the patriarch ...

alias Hazrat Kaka Sahib is located in a rugged mountainous area around 12 km south of Nowshera district. It is considered one of the most frequently visited religious heritage sites in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Born on the first of Ramazan in 1576, Kaka Sahib had received religious education from his Sufi father, Hazrat Sheikh Syed Bahadur Baba, and few Islamic scholars of his time. He used to practice all four Sufi orders – Naqshbandia, Suharwardia, Chistia and Qadria. Kaka Sahib also fondly called as Ziaree Kaka used to deliver lessons to his devotees.

Shrine of Sheikh Syed Nadir Shah (Mast Baba)

The shrine of Syed Nadir Shah (Mast Baba) He was the father of Syed Sheikh Bahadur Baba (Abbak Sahib) and grand father of Syed Kasteer Gul (Kaka Sahib). He died on (02 Safar 969 Hijri) 1561-62 AD. The Shrine is located at Khawara village Khatak Territory Nowshera.

Shrine of Sheikh Bahadur Baba (Abbak Sahib)

The shrine of Sheikh Bahadur Baba is named after Sheikh Bahadur Baba. He was born at Khawara Village Khatak territory, on (15 Ramadan 941 Hijri) 1524 AD. After a life of full struggle for the prosperity of Islam and spreading of spiritual light in the region, he died on (14 Shaban 1027 Hijri)1627 Ad. He married once and had four Sons one died as an infant, and the remaining three are Syed Sheikh Afan Sahib and Syed Sheikh Hayat Sahib(Alias Sheikh Attaan Sahib) Syed Sheikh Kasteer Gul (Sheikh Rahamkar, Kaka Sahib). His descendants are known as Abbak Kheil and Kakakheil scattered all over Kpk province. The Shrine is located near(1.5KM) the village of Kana Khel.

Maslak Bahadur Baba

Bahadur Baba was follower of his father Mast Baba's maslak in Chishtiyyah and Suharwardiyah orders. ;Bahadur Baba's famous followers: Main Wali Sahib, Main Shadi Sahib, sheikh Afan sahib, Sheikh Syed Kasteer Gul Sahib(Kaka Sahib), Akhund Mian Dad, Akhund Shareef Bali, Sheikh Allah Dad Khatak, Sheikh Nask, Faqeer Malik Meer.

Shrine of Akhund Panju Baba

The shrine of Akhund Pangu Baba is named after Syed Abdul Wahab commonly known as Akhund Panju Baba and Baba Sahib. It is located in Akbarpura town in

of Nowshera. The shrine was attacked by Taliban militants in 2011 killing 11 people.

Shrine of Sheikh Baba

The shrine of Sheikh Shahbaz Baba is named after Sheikh Shahbaz Baba commonly known as Sheikh Baba .The shrine is located in Pabbi town near Grand Trunk (GT), Nowshera.

Shrine of Pir Sabaq Baba jee

The shrine of Pir sabaq baba jee named Sheikh Abdus Salam sahib commonly known as Sahib Mubarak is located in ( Pir Sabaq Sharif) 05KM from Nowshera Cantt on left side of Peshawar-Pindi GT road (after crossing Kabul river at Pirsabaq bridge 1.5KM).

Notable people

A list of some of the most prominent people from Nowshera District: *

Abdul Haq ʻAbd al-Ḥaqq (ALA-LC romanization of ar, عبد الحقّ) is an Arabic male given name, and in modern usage, surname. It is built from the Arabic words '' ʻabd'' and ''al-Ḥaqq'', one of the names of God in the Qur'an, which give rise to the ...

Daarul uloom Haqqania * Ajmal Khattak - President ANP * John Ormsby Evelyn Vandeleur - brigadier general, WWII British Army Commander XXX Corps during

Operation Market Garden Operation Market Garden was an Allies of World War II, Allied military operation during the World War II, Second World War fought in the Netherlands from 17 to 27 September 1944. Its objective was to create a Salient (military), salient into G ...

* Alam Khattak, lieutenant general *

Gul Hassan Khan Gul Hassan Khan ( ur, گل حسن خان) (1921; b. 1921—10 October 1999), was a Pakistan Army senior general who served as the 6th and the last Commander-in-Chief of Pakistan Army, serving under President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto from 20 Decembe ...

- Commander in Chief * Sardar Ali Haqqani - Islamic scholar *

Qazi Hussain Ahmad Qazi Hussain Ahmad ( ur, قاضی حسین احمد ; born 12 January 1938 – 5 January 2013) was an Islamic scholar, democracy activist, and former Emir of Jamaat-e-Islami, the socially conservative Islamist political party in Pakistan. He o ...

- Former Ameer Jamat-i-Islami Pakistan * Naseerullah Khan Babar - Former Interior Minister *

Pervez Khattak Pervez Khan Khattak ( ur, ; ps, پروېز خان خټک; born 1 January 1950) is a Pakistani politician and a member of PTI who served as the Defence Minister of Pakistan from 20 August 2018 until the dissolution of National Assembly on 3 ...

- Chief Minister KP *

Sami ul Haq Sami ul Haq ( ur, , ''Samī'u’l-Ḥaq''; 18 December 1937 – 2 November 2018) was a Pakistani religious scholar and senator. He was known as the ''Father of Taliban'' for the role his seminary Darul Uloom Haqqania played in the graduatio ...

- senator * Shamsul Mulk - caretaker chief minister * Fayyaz khan - Government contractor , khan of

badrashi Badrashi is a town in the Nowshera District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is located at . Overview According to the latest census (2017), the population of Badrashi is 45,771. Badrashi has 10 Mohallahs - Awaan, Eidgah, Miangaan, Aqa Khel, Essa Kh ...

(owns Alam street) *

Sher Zaman Taizi Sher Zaman Taizi (3 November 1931 – 22 December 2009) was Pashtun writer, poet, intellectual and journalist from Pakistan. Career Born in Pabbi, Nowshera District, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (then NWFP), Present-day Pakistan. Taizi served in the Arm ...

- poet and writer *

Sartaj Aziz Sartaj Aziz ( ur, ; born 7 February 1929) is a Pakistani economist and a strategist, having previously served as the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission of Pakistan, member of the federal cabinet as the ''de facto'' Minister for Forei ...

Former federal minister *

Nasrullah Khan Khattak Nasrullah Khan Khattak (born 1923 - 2 November 2009) was a Pakistani politician, who was the 6th elected Chief Minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and served from 3 May 1975 to 19 April 1977. Early life and education He was born in 1923 in the vil ...

Ex- CM *

Zarsanga Zarsanga or Zar Sanga ( ps, زرڅانگه)(born 1946 in Lakki Marwat) is a Pashto singer from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. She began her singing career singing for Radio Peshawar and some television programmes, and later went on to perform i ...

- The Queen Of Pashtun Folklore

References

Bibliography

* * {{coord, 33, 56, N, 71, 59, E, display=title, region:PK_type:adm2nd_source:GNS-enwiki Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa