Upper Chitral District Explained

Upper Chitral District
Native Name:Urdu: {{nq|ضلع چترال بالا
{{script/Arabic|توری ݯھیترارو ضلع
Pushto; Pashto: {{script/Arabic|پورتنۍ چترال ولسوالۍ
Native Name Lang:Khowar
Settlement Type:District
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Pakistan
Subdivision Type1:Province
Subdivision Type2:Division
Subdivision Name2:Malakand
Established Title:Established
Established Date:2018
Seat Type:Headquarters
Seat:Buni
Government Type:District Administration
Leader Title:Deputy Commissioner
Leader Name:Mr. Muhammad Irfan Uddin PMS (BPS-18)[1]
Leader Title1:District Police Officer
Leader Name1:Shah Jahan (BPS-18 PSP)
Leader Title2:District Health Officer
Leader Name2:N/A
Area Total Km2:8392
Population Footnotes:[2]
Population As Of:2023
Population Total:195528
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone1:PST
Utc Offset1:+5
Blank Name Sec1:Numbers of Tehsils
Blank Info Sec1:2
Demographics1 Title1:Main language(s)
Demographics1 Info1:Urdu, English, Pashto,
Khowar and Kalash

Upper Chitral District (Urdu: {{nq|ضلع چترال بالا‎)({{script/Arabic|توری ݯھیترارو ضلع)(Pushto; Pashto: {{script/Arabic|پورتنۍ چترال ولسوالۍ) is a district in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Chitral River flows across the length of the district. Upper Chitral District along with Lower Chitral District were part of the erstwhile Chitral District which was the largest district in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, covering an area of 14,850 km2. Previously, it served as the Chitral princely state that encompassed the region until its incorporation into the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan in 14 August 1947.[3] The erstwhile Chitral District was bifurcated into Upper Chitral District and Lower Chitral District in November, 2018.[4]

The town of Buni is the headquarters of the Chitral Upper District. It shares a border with Gilgit-Baltistan to the east, with Badakshan province of Afghanistan to the north and with the Upper Dir District to the southwest and with Swat District to the southeast. A narrow strip of Wakhan Corridor separates Chitral from Tajikistan in the north.

Climate

Chitral has a warm steppe climate influenced by the Hindu Kush mountain range. Summers are pleasantly warm without ever getting too hot. Winters are extremely cold; longer periods with subzero temperatures are not uncommon. Precipitation figures here are higher than in other regions in Pakistan.

Demographics

In the 2023 census, 782 (0.4%) people were from religious minorities, mainly Christians.[5]

99.84% of the population spoke languages recorded as 'Other' on the census. The main language is Khowar, sometimes called Chitrali, spoken by the Dardi Kho. Wakhi is spoken in the northern regions along the Afghan border.[6]

Administrative Divisions

  1. Buni Tehsil
  2. Mastuj Tehsil
  3. Torkhow/Mulkhow Tehsil

National Assembly

The district along with Lower Chitral District is represented by one elected MNA (Member of National Assembly) in Pakistan National Assembly. Its constituency is NA-1.

Provincial Assembly

The district along with Lower Chitral District is represented by one elected MPA in the provincial assembly who represent the following constituencies:PK-1

Notes and References

  1. https://www.dcuc.gov.pk/#:~:text=The%20newly%20appointed%20Deputy%20Commissioner,post%20on%2022%20September%202023.
  2. Web site: District Wise Results / Tables (Census - 2023). www.pbscensus.gov.pk. Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
  3. News: Upper Chitral gets status of separate district. dawn.com. 21 November 2018. 15 August 2020.
  4. Web site: Upper Chitral gets the status of separate district .
  5. Web site: Pakistan Census 2023 . www.pbscensus.gov.pk . Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
  6. Web site: Pakistan Census 2023 .