Chitral District
Encyclopedia
Chitral is a district
in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan
that contains the town of Chitral
. It has an area of 14,850 km² and a population of 318,689 at the 1998 Census, which had subsequently risen to about 378,000 people by 2004. It has one of the highest mountains of the world, Tirich Mir
. It is the largest district in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa covering an area of 14,850 sq. kilometres.
- in the north the Wakhan Corridor
, a narrow strip claimed by Pakistan
, it separates Pakistan from Tajikistan
. To the east of Chitral are the federally controlled Northern Areas
of Pakistan-administered Kashmir
and to the south are the Pakistani internal districts of Upper Dir
and Swat. Chitral can be accessed by air via the Chitral Airport
which is approximately 3 km from the town. Regular flights from Peshawar
and Islamabad
are run by the PIA
.
are situated there. Tirich Mir
which at 25,289 feet (7,708 metres) is the highest peak of the Hindu Kush
, rises in the north of the district.
Chitral is connected to the rest of Pakistan by only two road routes, the Lowari Pass
(el. 10,230 ft.) from Dir
and Shandur Top (el. 12,200 ft.) from Gilgit
. Both routes are closed in winter. The Lowari Tunnel
is being constructed under the Lowari Pass. A number of other high passes, including Darkot Pass
, Thoi Pass
and Zagaran Pass
, give access on foot to Chitral from Ghizer District
in Gilgit.
It was reported in 2004 that Afghanistan had agreed to allow access from Pakistan to Chitral though Afghan territory and the Kunar Valley
, by passing Lowari Pass.
Two passes give access on foot to Chitral from Afghanistan, the Broghol Pass
and the Dorah Pass
. Both are closed in winter.
(or Chitrali), which is also spoken in parts of Yasin
, Gilgit
and Swat
. Chitral is also home to the Kalash tribe, who live in Bumburet and two other remote valleys southwest of Chitral town.
The Norwegian linguist Georg Morgenstierne wrote that Chitral is the area of the greatest linguistic diversity in the world. Although Khowar is the predominant language of Chitral, more than ten other languages are spoken here. These include Kalasha-mun
, Palula, Dameli, Gawar-Bati
, Nuristani
, Yidgha
, Burushaski
, Gujar, Wakhi
, Kyrgyz
, Persian
and Pashto
. Since many of these languages have no written form, letters are usually written in Urdu
or Persian
.
, within the Malakand Agency
. In 1970 Chitral was absorbed into Pakistan as the new Chitral District, until 2000 within Malakand Division
.
s
The district is represented in the provincial assembly by two elected MPAs who represent the following constituencies:
Districts of Pakistan
The Districts of Pakistan are the second order administrative divisions of Pakistan. Districts were the third order of administrative divisions, below provinces and "divisions", until the reforms of August 2000, when "divisions" were abolished...
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...
that contains the town of Chitral
Chitral
Chitral or Chetrar , translated as field in the native language Khowar, is the capital of the Chitral District, situated on the western bank of the Kunar River , in Pakistan. The town is at the foot of Tirich Mir, the highest peak of the Hindu Kush, high...
. It has an area of 14,850 km² and a population of 318,689 at the 1998 Census, which had subsequently risen to about 378,000 people by 2004. It has one of the highest mountains of the world, Tirich Mir
Tirich Mir
Tirich Mir is the highest mountain in the Hindu Kush region and the highest mountain outside of the Himalaya-Karakoram range, located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The mountain was first climbed in 1950 by a Norwegian expedition consisting of Arne Næss, P. Kvernberg, H...
. It is the largest district in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa covering an area of 14,850 sq. kilometres.
Location
Chitral District is the most northerly district in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, to the west and north is AfghanistanAfghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
- in the north the Wakhan Corridor
Wakhan Corridor
Wakhan Corridor is commonly used as a synonym for Wakhan, an area of far north-eastern Afghanistan which forms a land link or "corridor" between Afghanistan and China. The Corridor is a long and slender panhandle or salient, roughly long and between wide. It separates Tajikistan in the north...
, a narrow strip claimed by 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 separates Pakistan from Tajikistan
Tajikistan
Tajikistan , officially the Republic of Tajikistan , is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. Afghanistan borders it to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east....
. To the east of Chitral are the federally controlled Northern Areas
Northern Areas
Gilgit-Baltistan , is the northernmost political entity within Pakistan. It borders Pakistan's Khyber Pukhtunkhwa province to the west, Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor to the north, China to the east and northeast, Azad Kashmir to the southwest, and Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir to the...
of Pakistan-administered Kashmir
Pakistan-administered Kashmir
Azad Kashmir borders the Pakistani provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the west, the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan to the north west, the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of People's Republic of China to the north and the Indian-administered state of Jammu and Kashmir, to the east.A...
and to the south are the Pakistani internal districts of Upper Dir
Upper Dir District
Upper Dir is one the 24 districts in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan. The district was formed in 1996, when Dir District was divided into Upper Dir and Lower Dir.-Location:...
and Swat. Chitral can be accessed by air via the Chitral Airport
Chitral Airport
Chitral Airport is a small domestic airport situated 2 NM north of the city centre of Chitral, in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.-Airlines and destinations:-See also :* List of airports in Pakistan* Airlines of Pakistan...
which is approximately 3 km from the town. Regular flights from Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
and Islamabad
Islamabad
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...
are run by the PIA
Pakistan International Airlines
Pakistan International Airlines Corporation commonly known as PIA, is the flag carrier airline of Pakistan. The airline has its head office on the grounds of Jinnah International Airport in Karachi. and operates scheduled services to 24 domestic destinations and 38 international destinations in 27...
.
Terrain
The terrain of Chitral is quite mountainous, as part of the Pamir MountainsPamir Mountains
The Pamir Mountains are a mountain range in Central Asia formed by the junction or knot of the Himalayas, Tian Shan, Karakoram, Kunlun, and Hindu Kush ranges. They are among the world’s highest mountains and since Victorian times they have been known as the "Roof of the World" a probable...
are situated there. Tirich Mir
Tirich Mir
Tirich Mir is the highest mountain in the Hindu Kush region and the highest mountain outside of the Himalaya-Karakoram range, located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The mountain was first climbed in 1950 by a Norwegian expedition consisting of Arne Næss, P. Kvernberg, H...
which at 25,289 feet (7,708 metres) is the highest peak of the Hindu Kush
Hindu Kush
The Hindu Kush is an mountain range that stretches between central Afghanistan and northern Pakistan. The highest point in the Hindu Kush is Tirich Mir in the Chitral region of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.It is the westernmost extension of the Pamir Mountains, the Karakoram Range, and is a...
, rises in the north of the district.
Chitral is connected to the rest of Pakistan by only two road routes, the Lowari Pass
Lowari Pass
Lowari Pass is a high mountain pass that connects Chitral with Dir in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Lowari Top is a relatively low pass, by far the lowest pass to enter Chitral, the rest all being 12,000 to 15,000 feet.Lowari Top is closed by snow from late November to late May every year...
(el. 10,230 ft.) from Dir
Dir (Pakistan)
Dir is a town in Upper Dir District, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan. It is sometimes known as Dir Proper or Khas Dir to distinguish it from the district. It lies at the foot of the Lowarai Pass, the main motor road to Chitral, on the Dir River, a tributary of the Panjkora River.Dir was...
and Shandur Top (el. 12,200 ft.) from Gilgit
Gilgit
Gilgit is a city in northern PakistanGilgit may refer to other terms related with the area of the city:* Gilgit River* Gilgit Valley* Gilgit District* Gilgit Agency * Gilgit Airport...
. Both routes are closed in winter. The Lowari Tunnel
Lowari Tunnel
Lowari Tunnel is an 8.75 km long under-construction road tunnel situated in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan connecting Dir and Chitral Valley.-History:...
is being constructed under the Lowari Pass. A number of other high passes, including Darkot Pass
Darkot Pass
Darkot pass is a high mountain pass that connects Broghil valley in Chitral to the Ghizar valley in Gilgit in Pakistan. It is also known under name Darkut....
, Thoi Pass
Thoi Pass
Thoi pass is a high mountain pass that connects Gazin in Yarkhun River valley in Chitral to Nialthi in the Yasin Valley in Ghizer District in Pakistan. Village Nialthi lies on the south bank of Thui river , that runs off from the glacier lying to the east of the pass.It is also known as Thui pass...
and Zagaran Pass
Zagaran pass
The Zagaran Pass is a high mountain pass that connects Yarkhun River valley in Chitral District to the Gupis valley in Gilgit in Pakistan....
, give access on foot to Chitral from Ghizer District
Ghizer District
Ghizer District is northernmost part of the Northern Areas of Pakistan. Its capital is Gakuch. Ghizer is also a contact point between Gilgit and Chitral and also it is contact point to China, Tajikistan via Qurumber pass through Ishkomen/Darkut Yasin . Ghizer is a multi ethnic district and three...
in Gilgit.
It was reported in 2004 that Afghanistan had agreed to allow access from Pakistan to Chitral though Afghan territory and the Kunar Valley
Kunar Valley
Kunar Valley or Chitral Valley is a valley in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In Afghanistan the length of the valley is almost entirely narrow with steep and rugged mountains on both sides. The center of the valley is occupied by the Kunar River flowing south where it joins the Kabul River...
, by passing Lowari Pass.
Two passes give access on foot to Chitral from Afghanistan, the Broghol Pass
Broghol
Broghol, also spelled Broghil, Boroghil and several other ways, is a high mountain pass that crosses the Hindu Kush and connects the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan with Chitral in Pakistan....
and the Dorah Pass
Dorah Pass
Dorah Pass, also spelled and pronounced Durah Pass, connects Badakshan in Afghanistan with Chitral in Pakistan. The Dorah Pass is more than high. It crosses the Hindu Kush. Situated at the foot of pass is Lake Dufferin, also known locally as Hauzi-Dorah. The lake is roughly 2 3/4 miles long by...
. Both are closed in winter.
Population
The general population is mainly of the Kho people, who speak the Khowar languageKhowar language
For the ethnic group, see under Chitrali people.Khowar , also known as Chitrali, is a Dardic language spoken by 400,000 people in Chitral in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in the Ghizer district of Gilgit-Baltistan , and in parts of Upper Swat...
(or Chitrali), which is also spoken in parts of Yasin
Yasin Valley
The Yasin Valley, Tehsil Yasin or Babaye-i-Yasen or Worshigum is a high mountain valley in the Hindu Kush mountains, in the northwest region of Gilgit in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. Yasin is separated from the Ishkoman Valley by a high mountain pass...
, Gilgit
Gilgit District
Gilgit District is one of the districts of the federal territory of Gilgit-Baltistan in northern Pakistan. It was formed in 1970 when Gilgit-Baltistan was federally administered as the "Northern Areas". It is bounded by the Wakhan Corridor to the north; Xinjiang to the northeast and east; Skardu,...
and Swat
Swat (Pakistan)
Swat is a valley and an administrative district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, located close to the Afghan-Pakistan border. It is the upper valley of the Swat River, which rises in the Hindu Kush range. The capital of Swat is Saidu Sharif, but the main town in the Swat valley is Mingora...
. Chitral is also home to the Kalash tribe, who live in Bumburet and two other remote valleys southwest of Chitral town.
The Norwegian linguist Georg Morgenstierne wrote that Chitral is the area of the greatest linguistic diversity in the world. Although Khowar is the predominant language of Chitral, more than ten other languages are spoken here. These include Kalasha-mun
Kalasha-mun language
Kalasha is an Indo-European language in the Indo-Iranian branch spoken by the Kalash people, further classified as a Dardic language in the Chitral Group...
, Palula, Dameli, Gawar-Bati
Gawar-Bati language
Gawar-Bati is known in Chitral as Aranduyiwar, because it is spoken in Village Arandu, which is the last village in the bottom of Chitral and is across the Kunar River from Berkot in Afghanistan. Chitral keeps a military base in Arandu to guard against an attack by Afghanistan.There are 9,000...
, Nuristani
Nuristani languages
The Nuristani languages are one of the three groups within the Indo-Iranian language family, alongside the much larger Indo-Aryan and Iranian groups. They are spoken primarily in eastern Afghanistan...
, Yidgha
Yidgha
The Yidgha language is a Pamir language spoken in the Upper Lutkuh Valley of Chitral, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa west of Garam Chashma in Pakistan...
, Burushaski
Burushaski language
The Burushaski or Burushko language , is a language isolate . It is spoken by some 87,000 Burusho people in the Hunza, Nagar, Yasin, and Ishkoman valleys, and some parts of the Gilgit valley, in Gilgit–Baltistan in Pakistan and by about 300 Burusho people in Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir, India...
, Gujar, Wakhi
Wakhi language
Wakhi is an Indo-European language in the branch of Eastern Iranian language family and is intimately related to other Southeastern Iranian languages in the Pamir languages group.-Classification and Distribution:...
, Kyrgyz
Kyrgyz language
Kyrgyz or Kirgiz, also Kirghiz, Kyrghiz, Qyrghiz is a Turkic language and, together with Russian, an official language of Kyrgyzstan...
, Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
and Pashto
Pashto 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...
. Since many of these languages have no written form, letters are usually written in Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
or Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
.
History
Until 1969, Chitral was a princely statePrincely state
A Princely State was a nominally sovereign entitity of British rule in India that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule such as suzerainty or paramountcy.-British relationship with the Princely States:India under the British Raj ...
, within the Malakand Agency
Malakand Agency
The Malakand Agency was one of the Tribal Areas in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan until 1970. It included the princely states of Chitral, Dir and Swat, and an area around the Malakand Fort known as the Malakand Protected Area.In 1970, following the abolition of the princely states,...
. In 1970 Chitral was absorbed into Pakistan as the new Chitral District, until 2000 within Malakand Division
Malakand Division
Malakand Division was an administrative division of the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan, until the reforms of 2000 abolished the third tier of government....
.
Administration
The district of Chitral is divided into two tehsilTehsil
A Tehsil or Tahsil/Tahasil , also known as Taluk and Mandal, is an administrative division of some country/countries of South Asia....
s
- ChitralChitral TehsilChitral Tehsil is an administrative subdivision of Chitral District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan....
, including the former tehsils of DroshDroshDrosh is a town of Chitral District in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is located at 35°33'29N 71°47'33E with an altitude of 1,100 m ....
and Lutkoh - MastujMastujMastuj is a town of Chitral District in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is located at 36°17'0N 72°31'0E with an altitude of 2359 metres ....
, including the former tehsils of Turkoh and Mulkoh
The district is represented in the provincial assembly by two elected MPAs who represent the following constituencies:
- PF-89 (Chitral-1)
- PF-90 (Chitral-2)