Bannu
Encyclopedia
Bannu District
Bannu District is one of the twenty four districts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, it is represented in the provincial assembly by four MPAs. The chief city of the district is Bannu. The major industries are cloth weaving and the manufacture of cotton fabrics, machinery, and...
in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. It is an important road junction and market city. Bannu is a very old city, founded in ancient times; however, the present location of the downtown Bannu was founded by Sir Herbert Edwardes
Herbert Benjamin Edwardes
Major-General Sir Herbert Benjamin Edwardes DCL KCSI KCB was an English administrator, soldier, and statesman active in the Punjab, India. He is best known as the "Hero of Multan" for his pivotal role in securing the British victory in the Second Anglo-Sikh War.-Early life:Edwardes was born at...
in 1848, and was formerly called Edwardesabad and Dhulipnagar. It lies in the north-west corner of the district, in the valley of the Kurram River and was a British military base, especially in actions against Afghan
Demographics of Afghanistan
The population of Afghanistan is around 29,835,392 as of the year 2011, which is unclear if the refugees living outside the country are included or not. The nation is composed of a multi-ethnic and multi-lingual society, reflecting its location astride historic trade and invasion routes between...
border tribes. The town is located 1 miles (1.6 km) south of the Kurram river, 79 miles (127.1 km) south of Kohat, 27 km north of Serai Naurang, and 89 miles (143.2 km) north of Dera Ismail Khan.
Prehistory
The earliest know village settlement in the Bannu region is the archaeological site of Sheri Khan TarakaiSheri Khan Tarakai
Sheri Khan Tarakai is an ancient settlement site located in the Bannu District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan. Bannu District makes up a part of the topographic region known as the Bannu basin, which sits adjacent to the hills of Afghanistan and Waziristan to the west and the Indus River...
.
British Era
Bannu formed the base for all punitive expeditions by troops of the British empireBritish Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
to the Tochi Valley
Tochi Valley
Tochi Valley, , is one of the main routes into Afghanistan from the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa of Pakistan.The Tochi Valley leads from Bannu District through tribal areas, and is inhabited by the Dawari tribe. The valley is divided into two parts, known as Upper and Lower Dawar, by a narrow pass called the...
and the Waziristan
Waziristan
Waziristan is a mountainous region near the Northwest of Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and covering some 11,585 km² . The area is entirely populated by ethnic Pashtuns . The language spoken in the valley is Pashto/Pakhto...
frontier. A military road led from Bannu town towards Dera Ismail Khan
Dera Ismail Khan
Dera Ismail Khan is a city in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. It is situated on the west bank of the Indus River, west of Lahore and northwest of Multan. The city is the capital of the district and tehsil of the same name. In Pakistan, its name is often abbreviated to D. I...
This was built by military engineering services under the supervision of a Bannu Engineer Ram N. Mullick who graduated from Banaras Engineering College. Mr.Mullick served in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
before Partition
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
as an expert in heavy earth moving machinery. They moved to New Delhi after partition of India.
The Imperial British Gazetteer:
Taimoor Ali Shah( kotka masood shah sabokhel mandan bannu )
Universities
The University of Engineering and TechnologyUniversity of Engineering and Technology (Peshawar)
The University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar is a public, coeducational, university located in Peshawar, Pakistan. The Earthquake Engineering Center of the Civil Engineering department played a key role after the October 8, 2005 earthquake...
(UET) has a campus in Bannu. The UET Bannu campus was founded in 2002 by Former Governor Iftikhar Hussain Shah
Iftikhar Hussain Shah
Lieutenant General Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah was a former governor of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Iftikhar Hussain Shah was commissioned in the Pakistan Army in October 1964 in 30th PMA Long Course and joined an anti-aircraft unit of the Regiment of Artillery...
.
The University of Science and Technology, Bannu (USTB) was established in 2005. University of Science and Technology was founded by Chief Minister Mohammad Akram Khan Durrani in 2005.The UST Bannu has established under Provincial Assembly Act and is recognized by Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC).
Demography
The people of Bannu are known as Banizi, and the main language of the city is PashtoPashto language
Pashto , known as Afghani in Persian and Pathani in Punjabi , is the native language of the indigenous Pashtun people or Afghan people who are found primarily between an area south of the Amu Darya in Afghanistan and...
. 85-90% of the population are ethnic Pashtuns. Some Quresh and Sayyad
Sayyad
-External links:*...
are also found in Bannu, originally they are Arab. The Faqir and the Qazi (Sokari/Fatima Khel) families are among the most famous families in Bannu.Forefathers of Qazi family Sokari came to Bannu alongwith Amir Timur
Timur
Timur , historically known as Tamerlane in English , was a 14th-century conqueror of West, South and Central Asia, and the founder of the Timurid dynasty in Central Asia, and great-great-grandfather of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Dynasty, which survived as the Mughal Empire in India until...
Gurkan in 1398.
Another notable family is musa khel/marwat ,often bilingual in Pashto and saraiki , as well as arguably being among the most urbanized and educated of the Pashtuns in Bannu.Most prominent and being head of the family was Gul Mohammad Khan, a law graduate ,reached the rank of District Judge during British Raj.
There also live a reasonable number of Hindkis which comprise of Jats and Awans
Awans
Awans is a Belgian municipality located in the Walloon province of Liège. On January 1, 2006 Awans had a total population of 8,696. The total area is 27.16 km² which gives a population density of 320 inhabitants per km²....
.some are wealthy landowners as well. Majority villages of Hindkis are Hindkiye kala (Kotka Zabta Khan), Kotka Feorz (Sher Ghani Khan), Nizam Bazar (Guljah family), Haibak , Ghoriwala and mama khel.
Religion
The overwhelming majority of the population of Bannu follow Sunni IslamSunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
. The city has a small Shia population, and there are some Hindus still living who did not migrate to India. There is also a small Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
ethnic group brought and settled by the British during the colonial period.
Health
There are a number of hospitals and private clinics in the area. There are plans for construction of a new medical centre, the Khlifa Gul Nawaz Medical Complex.Akram Durrani, The Ex-Chief Minister of N.W.F.P. announced that an Institute of Nuclear Medicine
Nuclear medicine
In nuclear medicine procedures, elemental radionuclides are combined with other elements to form chemical compounds, or else combined with existing pharmaceutical compounds, to form radiopharmaceuticals. These radiopharmaceuticals, once administered to the patient, can localize to specific organs...
is under plans for construction. In the Cantonment area, a well facilitated military hospital “CMH” (Combined Military Hospital) also serve the people of the area.
A new world class cancer hospital known as Khalifa Gul Nawaz Hospital (KGN) having a capacity of about 400 beds is also situated in Bannu
Bannu Medical College - BMC
The former Chief Minister of Khyber PakhtunKhwa announced the establishment of Bannu Medical College and Health Department issued its notification No.SO-ІVІ2-36 dated 31st August 2006. The inauguration ceremony was held on 18th December 2006.This year total 100 student will be enrolled here. Bannu Medical College is temporarily based in the newly constructed Building of Government High School No 3, having enough infrastructure and a cover area of 600 Sq: feet. The permanent set-up having a purpose built building will be located in Bannu Township in an area of 600 Kanal of Land.
The 600 bedded Khalifa Gul Nawaz Memorial Hospital, DHQ Hospital and Zanana Hospital is the three teaching hospital of Bannu Medical College.
College has a good reception area, a capacious Administration Block and all the departments of Basic Sciences (Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Pathology and Community Medicine).
College has additional facilities for S.L.R.C (Self Learning Resources Center).
There is also a capacious Library for Staff and Students an Auditorium and an Examination Hall.
The College has total 5 hostels (4 for male and one for Female students).
There are three buses and one Coaster for transport of students and a Hiace for staff.
The Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC) has visited the college last year for inspection and with the exception of few points they were satisfied from college.
College is affiliated to University of Science & Technology Bannu (USTB).
The present Principal of the college is Professor Dr.Khan Nawaz (MBBS, M Phil).
See also
- FR Bannu Muhammad Khail
- Tank DistrictTank DistrictTank , is the southern district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, the city of Tank is the capital of the district, which consists Union Council City I and Union Council City II. There are totally sixteen Union councils of district Tank. Tank was formerly part of district Dera Ismail...
- KohatKohatKohat is a medium sized town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is located at 33°35'13N 71°26'29E with an altitude of 489 metres and is the capital of Kohat District. The town centres around a British-era fort, various bazaars, and a military cantonment. A British-built narrow gauge...
- Dera Ismail KhanDera Ismail KhanDera Ismail Khan is a city in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. It is situated on the west bank of the Indus River, west of Lahore and northwest of Multan. The city is the capital of the district and tehsil of the same name. In Pakistan, its name is often abbreviated to D. I...
- Lakki Marwat DistrictLakki Marwat DistrictLakki Marwat is one of the Southern Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan. It was created as an administrative district on July 1, 1992, prior to which it was a Tehsil of Bannu District.-Etymology:...
- MianwaliMianwaliMianwali is the capital city of Mianwali District and situated in the north-west of Punjab province, Pakistan. The city is located on the eastern bank of the Indus River...
- Karak DistrictKarak DistrictKarak is a district of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is situated to the south of Kohat District and on the north side of Bannu and Lakki Marwat districts on the main Indus Highway between Peshawar and Karachi - it is 123 km from the provincial capital Peshawar...