Harnai District Explained

Harnai District
Native Name:Urdu: {{nq|ضلع ہرنائی
Pushto; Pashto: {{script/Arabic|هرناۍ ولسوالۍ
Settlement Type:District of Balochistan
Coordinates:30.1054°N 67.9399°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Pakistan
Subdivision Type1:Province
Subdivision Type2:Division
Subdivision Name2:Sibi
Seat Type:Headquarters
Seat:Harnai
Government Type:District Administration
Leader Title:Deputy Commissioner
Leader Name:N/A
Leader Title1:District Police Officer
Leader Name1:N/A
Leader Title2:District Health Officer
Leader Name2:N/A
Unit Pref:Metric
Area Total Km2:2492
Population As Of:2023
Population Total:127,571
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone1:PST
Utc Offset1:+5
Established Title:Established
Blank Name Sec1:District Council
Blank1 Name Sec1:Number of Tehsils
Demographics1 Title1:Main language(s)
Demographics1 Info1:Pashto, Balochi

Harnai (Pushto; Pashto: هرناۍ ولسوالۍ, Urdu: {{nq|ضلع ہرنائی) is a district in the northeastern part of the Balochistan province of Pakistan. Harnai is the principal town of this district and serves as its administrative headquarters.

Until 2007, Harnai had been a tehsil of Sibi District, in August, the Balochistan Government announced the Harnai district would be created by splitting the Sibi district and forming the new district from Harnai and Shahrag tehsils and the sub-tehsil of Khost.[1]

History

The name Harnai refers to an influential Hindu personality, Harnam Das, supposed founder of Harnai town, the capital of Harnai District. The town is quite close to Loralai, Ziarat, Sibi, and Quetta. Harnai is surrounded by imposing hills on all sides. The encircling hill ranges have the resounding names of 'Khalifat' and 'Zarghun'. Harnai proper has a population of about 200,000. The majority of the population of Harnai are Tareens and they mostly speak a unique dialect, or language, Tarino (Wanetsi), which is quite different from the Pushto spoken in other parts of Baluchistan and NWFP provinces, and is probably a mixture of Pushto, Urdu and other languages developed as a 'lingua franca' sometime during the 18th and 19th centuries, when a variety of people of different ethnic origins lived here. There seems to be no earlier historical record or trace of it.

Geography and climate

Harnai is surrounded by mountainous ranges. The minimum and maximum winter temperature of the area is −2˚C to 20˚C. The summer is extreme in the area and the minimum and maximum temperature fall between 20˚C to 48˚C. Harnai has a fertile rainy season during monsoon time. In general, Harnai has pleasant weather in the winter season. Harnai is one of the most beautiful cities of the Balochistan Province with plenty of water available in the streams. It is the only area of the production of fresh vegetables and fruits with fresh and clean water in the whole of Balochistan.

Demographics

At the time of the 2023 census the district had a population of 127,571.[2] At the time of the 2023 census, 89.24% of the population spoke Pashto, 8.2% Balochi and 0.7% Sindhi as their first language.

Bibliography

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://www.dawn.com/news/263890/harnai-is-new-district-of-balochistan Harnai is new district of Balochistan
  2. https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/balochistan/dcr/table_1.pdf