Quetta Explained

Quetta
Nickname:Fruit Garden of Pakistan
Settlement Type:Metropolis
Image Blank Emblem:Quetta Metropolitan Corporation.png
Blank Emblem Type:Emblem
Blank Emblem Size:120px
Pushpin Map:Balochistan Pakistan#Pakistan
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Province
Subdivision Name1: Balochistan
Subdivision Type2:Division
Subdivision Name2:Quetta
Subdivision Type3:District
Subdivision Name3:Quetta
Government Type:Municipal Corporation[1]
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Seat Vacant
Leader Title1:Deputy Mayor
Leader Name1:Seat Vacant
Leader Title2:Commissioner
Leader Name2:Hamza Shafqaat[2]
Leader Title3:Deputy Commissioner
Leader Name3:Saad Bin Asad
Established Title:Settled
Unit Pref:PAK
Area Metro Km2:3501
Area Total Km2:3501
Elevation M:1,680
Elevation Ft:5,510
Population As Of:2017
Population Footnotes:[3]
Total Type:City
Population Total:1,001,205
Population Rank:10th in Pakistan

1st in Balochistan
Population Density Km2:auto
Population Blank1 Title:Demonym
Population Blank1:Quettan or Quettawal (kʰwətə.wal)
Timezone:PKT
Utc Offset:+05:00
Coordinates:30.1833°N 67°W
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:87300
Area Code:081
Area Code Type:Dialing code

Quetta (; Urdu: {{Nastaliq|کوئٹہ, ko'eṭa, pronounced as /ˈkweːʈə/,) is the capital and largest city of the Pakistani province of Balochistan. It is the tenth largest city in Pakistan, with a population of over 1.6 million.[4] It is situated in the south-west of the country, lying in a valley surrounded by mountains on all sides. Quetta is at an average elevation of 1680m (5,510feet) above sea level,[5] making it Pakistan's highest altitude major city. The city is known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the numerous fruit orchards in and around it and the large variety of fresh and dried fruits produced there.[6]

Located in northern Balochistan near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and the road across to Kandahar, Quetta is a trade and communication centre between the two countries.[7] The city is near the Bolan Pass, which was on a major gateway from Central Asia to South Asia.

Etymology

The name Quetta is a variation of the Pashto word Kwatkōṭ, or kōta meaning "fortress". Quetta was formerly known as Shalkot (Pushto; Pashto: ښالکوټ)[8]

History

See also: History of Quetta.

Early history

Modern day Quetta was captured by Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi during his invasion of South Asia.[9] In 1543, Mughal emperor Humayun came to Quetta en route to Safavid Persia, leaving his son and future Mughal emperor Akbar here. In 1709, the region was a part of Afghan Hotak dynasty and stayed a part until 1747 when Ahmed Shah Durrani conquered it and made it a part of Durrani Empire. The first European visited Quetta in 1828, describing it as mud-walled fort surrounded by three hundred mud houses.[10]

Foundation

In 1876, Quetta was occupied by the British and subsequently incorporated into British India. In 1856, British General John Jacob had urged his government to occupy Quetta given its strategic position on the western frontier.[11] British troops constructed the infrastructure for their establishment as a garrison town.[12]

It was reconstructed after the 1935 Quetta earthquake, which razed the city to the ground. The epicentre of the earthquake was close to the city and destroyed most of the city's infrastructure, killing an estimated 40,000 people.[13] After the foundation of Pakistan, Balochistan acquired the status of a province and Quetta became a provincial capital.

Geography

Climate

See main article: Climate of Quetta. Quetta has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk) with a significant variation between summer and winter temperatures. Summer starts from late May and goes on until early September with average temperatures ranging from 24C26C. The highest temperature in Quetta is 42C which was recorded on 10 July 1998.[14] Autumn starts in mid-September and continues until mid-November with average temperatures in the 12C18C range. Winter starts in late November and ends in late February with average temperatures near 4C5C. The lowest temperature in Quetta is -18.3C which was recorded on 8 January 1970.[14] Spring starts in early March and ends in mid-May with average temperatures close to 15°C. Unlike more easterly parts of Pakistan, Quetta does not have a monsoon season of heavy rainfall. Highest rainfall during 24 hours in Quetta is 113mm which was recorded on 17 December 2000,[14] Highest monthly rainfall of 232.4mm was recorded in March 1982 which was also the year of the highest annual rainfall, 949.8mm.[14] In the winter, snowfall has become quite erratic (December, January and February).

The city saw a severe drought from 1999 to 2001 during which the city did not receive snowfall and below normal rains. In 2002, the city received snow after a gap of five years. In 2004 and 2005, the city received normal rains after three years without snowfall while in 2006, 2007 and 2009 the city received no snow. In 2008, it received a snowfall of 10cm (00inches) in four hours on 29 January,[15] followed on 2 February by 25.4cm (10inches) in 10 hours[16] – the city's heaviest snowfall in a decade. During the winter of 2010, it received no snow and saw below normal rains due to the presence of El-Nino over Pakistan.

Demographics

According to the 2017 Census of Pakistan, the population of the city was a total of 1,001,205.[17] This makes it the largest city in Balochistan province and one of the major cities of Pakistan. Quetta is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the country.[18] The city has a Pashtun plurality followed by Balochs, Hazaras, Brahui, Punjabis and Muhajir people.[19] [20] [21] Urdu being the national language is used and understood by all the residents and serves as a lingua franca.

According to Reuters and the BBC, there are as many as 500,000-600,000 Hazaras living in Quetta and its surrounding areas.[22] [23]

Religious
group! colspan="2"
1941[24] 2017[25] [26]
27,935975,815
24,0106,112
7,364
5,02416,842
73
42
11
6
363
Others11253
Total population64,476999,385

Administration

At the local level, the city is governed by a municipal corporation consisting of 66 ward members which elects a mayor and a deputy mayor.[1] In addition, Quetta Development Authority is responsible for provision of municipal services for the city.[27]

Transportation

Quetta is on the western side of Pakistan and is connected to the rest of the country by a network of roads, railways and its international airport close to its centre.

At an altitude of 1605m (5,266feet) above sea level, Quetta International Airport is the second highest airport in Pakistan.[28] Pakistan International Airlines has regular flights to and from the other major cities of Pakistan including Islamabad, Gwadar, Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar.

Quetta Railway Station is one of the highest railway stations in Pakistan at 1676m (5,499feet) above sea level. The railway track was laid in the 1890s during the British era to link Quetta with rest of the country. The extensive network of Pakistan Railways connects Quetta to Karachi in the south, by a 863km (536miles) track, Lahore in the northeast (1,170 km or 727 miles) and Peshawar further northeast (1,587 km or 986 miles). A metalled road runs alongside the railway that connects Quetta to Karachi via the nearby town of Sibi to Jacobabad and Rohri in the plain of the River Indus.[29]

Education

Quetta serves as the learning centre for the Balochistan province. The city has a number of government and private colleges, including the following:

Sports

Football is the most popular sport among the people of Quetta.[31] [32] The city has produced notable footballers for the Pakistan national football team including Abdul Wahid DurraniQayyum Changezi, Ayub Dar, Mohammad Ali, and Rajab Ali Hazara.[33] Main football clubs from Quetta include Baloch Quetta. Balochistan United WFC won the 2014 National Women Championship. The major football ground is Ayub National Stadium, a multipurpose stadium also used for athletics. Other football grounds include Qayyum Papa Stadium and Sadiq Shaheed Stadium.

Bugti Stadium is the home of Balochistan cricket team, a first-class cricket team which competes in domestic tournaments,[34] and the Quetta-based team Quetta Gladiators compete in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). They were the champion of the PSL 2019.

Boxing is highly popular as well.[35] Muhammad Waseem is a professional boxer from Quetta. In Body Building Nisar Ahmed Khilji has Mr. Balochistan and Mr. Pakistan Titles and Pakistan representation in International Body Building Contests. In hockey, Quetta has produced Zeeshan Ashraf and Shakeel Abbasi, who were members of the Pakistan's national hockey team.

Facilities

Local facilities were created in the city for mountain climbing and caving as well as water sports. Hayatullah Khan Durrani (Pride of Performance) is the chief executive of Hayat Durrani Water Sports Academy, Balochistan's first and only Rowing, Canoeing, Kayaking, Sailing, rough swimming and boating academy where all such facilities provide free to the youth members at Hanna Lake.

Twin towns and sister cities

See main article: List of twin towns and sister cities in Pakistan.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Government Organization – Government of Balochistan. balochistan.gov.pk. 6 September 2016.
  2. News: Quetta sit-in continues as talks break down. 13 December 2023. 19 December 2023. Daen (newspaper).
  3. 2017. DISTRICT WISE CENSUS RESULTS CENSUS 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170829164748/http://www.pbscensus.gov.pk/sites/default/files/DISTRICT_WISE_CENSUS_RESULTS_CENSUS_2017.pdf. 2017-08-29. Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. 13. 29 March 2018.
  4. Web site: Quetta Population 2024 . worldpopulationreview.com.
  5. Web site: Mongabay -environmental science and conservation news. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304052058/http://population.mongabay.com/population/pakistan/1167528/quetta . 4 March 2016 .
  6. News: Winter destinations – Mesmerizing places in Pakistan . Bol News. 18 January 2020 . 7 January 2022.
  7. Gazdar . Haris . Kaker . Sobia Ahmad . Khan . Irfan . Buffer zone, colonial enclave or urban hub? Quetta: between four regions and two wars . www.crisisstates.com . February 2010 . en.
  8. Book: Thornton, Thomas Henry . Colonel Sir Robert Sandeman: His Life and Work on Our Indian Frontier. A Memoir, with Selections from His Correspondence and Official Writings . 1895 . J. Murray . en.
  9. Book: Burki, Shahid Javed. Historical Dictionary of Pakistan. 2015. Rowman & Littlefield. 9781442241480.
  10. Web site: History of District. bhc.gov.pk. 26 November 2017.
  11. Book: Dodwell, H. H.. The Cambridge History of the British Empire. 1929 . CUP Archive.
  12. Web site: Shah . Syed Ali . 2013-12-29 . Quetta: 'Little Paris' lost . 2024-07-18 . DAWN.COM . en.
  13. Web site: ڈان اردو . 30 December 2013 . پاکستانی شہروں کی تاریخ . 26 February 2016 . dawnnews.tv.
  14. Web site: Mean FOR THE PERIOD 1961 – 2009 . Climate Data Processing Centre (CDPC), Pakistan Meteorological Department . Karachi . dead . 13 June 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100613053237/http://www.pakmet.com.pk/cdpc/Climate/Quetta_Climate_Data.txt.
  15. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20090104081930/http://www.dawn.com/2008/01/29/nat4.htm. 4 January 2009. live. Cold wave intensifies with heavy snowfall . January 29, 2008 . Dawn.
  16. Web site: Leading News Resource of Pakistan . Daily Times . 4 February 2008 . 8 May 2012.
  17. https://www.unicef.org/pakistan/media/2966/file/Profiles%20of%20Underserved%20Areas%20of%20Quetta%20City%20of%20Balochistan,%20Pakistan.pdf
  18. Book: Abubakar Siddique. The Pashtun Question: The Unresolved Key to the Future of Pakistan and Afghanistan. 2014. Hurst. 978-1-84904-292-5. 22.
  19. Book: Bianchi, Robert . Guests of God: Pilgrimage and Politics in the Islamic World . 2008-03-25 . Oxford University Press . 978-0-19-971183-3 . 92 . en . The largest communities are Pashtuns, Punjabis, and muhajirs, but no group is a majority. In fact, Quetta is one of the few districts in all Pakistan where no linguistic group can claim dominance, either numerically or politically. Aside from occasional clashes with Shi‘ite protesters encouraged by proximity to Iran, Quetta seems like a model of tolerance compared with the carnage ravaging the much larger melting pot of Karachi..
  20. Book: Sarina Singh. Pakistan & the Karakoram Highway. 2008. Lonely Planet. 978-1-74104-542-0. 142.
  21. Book: Fair . C. Christine . Pakistan: Can the United States Secure an Insecure State? . Crane . Keith . Chivvis . Christopher S. . Puri . Samir . Spirtas . Michael . 2010-04-13 . Rand Corporation . 978-0-8330-4870-7 . 12 . en.
  22. News: Two killed in sectarian attack in southwestern Pakistan. Reuters. 22 April 2018.
  23. News: The community caged in its own city. BBC News. 12 December 2017. Kermani. Secunder . Secunder Kermani.
  24. Web site: Census of India, 1941 Volume XIV Baluchistan. 27 January 2023.
  25. Web site: Final Results (Census-2017). 27 January 2023.
  26. Web site: District Wise Results / Tables (Census - 2017) TABLE 9 - POPULATION BY SEX, RELIGION AND RURAL/URBAN. 27 January 2023.
  27. Web site: About QDA – Quetta Development Authority.
  28. http://www.caapakistan.com.pk/quetta.aspx Quetta Airport
  29. Web site: Bomb attack targets Worshippers at Quetta mosque, killing 14. www.aljazeera.com.
  30. Web site: The Balochistan Muslim League. National Institute of Historical & Cultural Research – Pakistan. Javed Haider Sayed. 6 March 2016. 2008. Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad.
  31. Web site: Raheel . Natasha . 2021-12-05 . Football, Balochistan and hope . 2024-05-11 . The Express Tribune . en.
  32. Web site: Wasim . Umaid . 2021-11-26 . Balochistan's boundless passion for football has nowhere to go but an event is keeping the flame alive . 2024-05-30 . DAWN.COM . en.
  33. Web site: InpaperMagazine . From . 2013-01-13 . In-depth: Pakistan football . 2024-05-05 . DAWN.COM . en.
  34. Web site: PCB unveils new domestic set-up with 'stay at the top' mantra . ESPN Cricinfo.
  35. Web site: The Hazaras who made Quetta a boxing powerhouse. Faruqi. Sama . The Caravan . 2019-12-07.