Risalpur
Encyclopedia
Risalpur is a city in Nowshera District
, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
, on the Nowshera-Mardan Road. It is nearly 45 km from Peshawar
and 15 km from Mardan
and is located at 34°4'52N 71°58'21E. In a basin some 1014 feet above sea level, it is bounded on the south and west by the Kabul and Kalpani rivers, respectively. The famous Khyber Pass lies 90 kilometers to the north.
Risalpur is known as "Home of Eagles" and "Home of Sappers". It has several important educational institutions and industrial plants. The Risalpur Export Processing Zone is on the main Nowshera-Mardan road.The Risalpur cantonment itself lies on high ground, some 30 feet above the surrounding area, with the oldest building dating from 1913 or 1914.
Pakistan Army
's Risalpur Cantonment and Military College of Engineering
, Pakistan Army Engineers center and Military Engineering Services School are at Risalpur. The Pakistan Air Force Academy
is also in the city, as is the Pakistan Railways
' Pakistan Locomotive Factory.
, the British Army's
14/20th Hussar
s were garrisoned for two years at Risalpur until 1933.
It is stated that the 14th/20th Hussars stayed in Risalpur until 1933 in fact they never arrived for their tour of duty in India until early in 1934 and upon arriving from Egypt where they had previously been stationed for two years the disembarked in Karachi and immediately travelled to the North West Frontier Province of Risalpur and Nowshera and stayed there until late in 1936 whereupon they were transferred to Lucknow. The Royal Horse Artillery were also stationed at Risalpur.
Risalpur cantt is also known for its good quality education institutes.
During the First World War, the Royal Flying Corps established a base at Risalpur. By 1940, Risalpur had become both a training and an operational base. During the Second World War, Risalpur became the main fighter conversion base.
The airbase was formally established after the creation of Pakistan on 15 August 1947 with 20 officers, 21 trainees, 23 senior non commissioned officers (SNCOs) and 257 airmen. The base comprised only a handful of men and some equipment. One month later, the Flying Training School was established at Risalpur. Wing Commander Asghar Khan, later to become the first Air Chief of the PAF, took over as the first Officer Commanding of the School, with Harvard and Tiger Moth aircraft in the inventory. Flt Lt M Khyber Khan, who later rose to the rank of Air Vice Marshal, and his student, Flight Cadet Akhtar, flew the first training sortie on 22 September 1947.
Quaid viewing the parade
On 13 April 1948, the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, visited Risalpur Flying Training School and raised its level to that of a college. Risalpur thus became the genesis of PAF pilots. It became the only Military Academy of Pakistan to be visited by Jinnah. At this ceremony, Jinnah took the General Salute at the parade. Fighter aircraft from Peshawar Air base also performed aerobatics at the event.
On January 21, 1967 President Ayub Khan elevated the status of the PAF College, Risalpur to that of an academy.
On August 24, 2011, At least 16 people, including some army and air force personnel, were killed and 17 injured when a powerful explosion hit a hotel in Risalpur.
These are few of the top schools there, but beside these there are many others as well, for Risalpur is a great educational center with so many educational institutions inside the cantt area and outside the cantt area as well.
The schools in Risalpur provide fairly good academic standards, however they are by no means world class institutions. The need of the times is that the people of these districts including the government should join forces to develop a schooling system which would provide access of quality education universally to everyone regardless of their social and financial standing. There are schools that are absolutely world class like Military College of Engineering (M.C.E.), APSACS and Fazia Degree College but there are others that are under governmental control instead of private control of Pakistan Army or P.A.F. Those institutions such as Federal Government (F.G.) Public High School and F.G. Sapper Boys High School as well as F.G. Sapper Girls High School need high concentration of the government to reach the standard of the others.
Nowshera District
Nowshera is a district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan - the principal city is Nowshera. Nowshera District is divided into 47 Union Councils and 5 provincial seats....
, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 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...
, on the Nowshera-Mardan Road. It is nearly 45 km 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 15 km from Mardan
Mardan
Mardan , known as The city of hospitality, is a city and headquarters of Mardan District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. It is the de facto headquarters of the Yousafzai tribe and the second most populous city in the province, located at 34°12'0N 72°1'60E and an altitude of in the south...
and is located at 34°4'52N 71°58'21E. In a basin some 1014 feet above sea level, it is bounded on the south and west by the Kabul and Kalpani rivers, respectively. The famous Khyber Pass lies 90 kilometers to the north.
Risalpur is known as "Home of Eagles" and "Home of Sappers". It has several important educational institutions and industrial plants. The Risalpur Export Processing Zone is on the main Nowshera-Mardan road.The Risalpur cantonment itself lies on high ground, some 30 feet above the surrounding area, with the oldest building dating from 1913 or 1914.
Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
's Risalpur Cantonment and Military College of Engineering
Military College of Engineering
Military College of Engineering is located at Risalpur, in Nowshera District, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Military College of Engineering was established by Pakistan Army.-About the college:...
, Pakistan Army Engineers center and Military Engineering Services School are at Risalpur. The Pakistan Air Force Academy
Pakistan Air Force Academy
"RAF Risalpur", "Risalpur Airbase/Airfield" & "Pakistan Air Force/PAF Base Risalpur" redirects here.The Pakistan Air Force Academy also known as PAFA, is an accredited co-educational four-year college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the Pakistan Air Force...
is also in the city, as is the Pakistan Railways
Pakistan Railways
This article is about the rail company in Pakistan. For technical details and operations see: Transport in Pakistan.Pakistan Railways is a national state-owned rail transport service of Pakistan, head-quartered in Lahore. It is administered by the federal government under the Ministry of Railways....
' Pakistan Locomotive Factory.
Military history
During British ruleBritish Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
, the British Army's
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
14/20th Hussar
Hussar
Hussar refers to a number of types of light cavalry which originated in Hungary in the 14th century, tracing its roots from Serbian medieval cavalry tradition, brought to Hungary in the course of the Serb migrations, which began in the late 14th century....
s were garrisoned for two years at Risalpur until 1933.
It is stated that the 14th/20th Hussars stayed in Risalpur until 1933 in fact they never arrived for their tour of duty in India until early in 1934 and upon arriving from Egypt where they had previously been stationed for two years the disembarked in Karachi and immediately travelled to the North West Frontier Province of Risalpur and Nowshera and stayed there until late in 1936 whereupon they were transferred to Lucknow. The Royal Horse Artillery were also stationed at Risalpur.
Risalpur cantt is also known for its good quality education institutes.
During the First World War, the Royal Flying Corps established a base at Risalpur. By 1940, Risalpur had become both a training and an operational base. During the Second World War, Risalpur became the main fighter conversion base.
The airbase was formally established after the creation of Pakistan on 15 August 1947 with 20 officers, 21 trainees, 23 senior non commissioned officers (SNCOs) and 257 airmen. The base comprised only a handful of men and some equipment. One month later, the Flying Training School was established at Risalpur. Wing Commander Asghar Khan, later to become the first Air Chief of the PAF, took over as the first Officer Commanding of the School, with Harvard and Tiger Moth aircraft in the inventory. Flt Lt M Khyber Khan, who later rose to the rank of Air Vice Marshal, and his student, Flight Cadet Akhtar, flew the first training sortie on 22 September 1947.
Quaid viewing the parade
On 13 April 1948, the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, visited Risalpur Flying Training School and raised its level to that of a college. Risalpur thus became the genesis of PAF pilots. It became the only Military Academy of Pakistan to be visited by Jinnah. At this ceremony, Jinnah took the General Salute at the parade. Fighter aircraft from Peshawar Air base also performed aerobatics at the event.
On January 21, 1967 President Ayub Khan elevated the status of the PAF College, Risalpur to that of an academy.
Incidents
On November 9, 2007, unknown miscreants fired three rockets that landed near Risalpur in Nowshera District, without causing any damage to life and property.On August 24, 2011, At least 16 people, including some army and air force personnel, were killed and 17 injured when a powerful explosion hit a hotel in Risalpur.
Schools
- Military College of Engineering (M.C.E.), NUST.
- FAZAIA Degree College Risalpur
- Nisar shaheed college,Risalpur cantt
- Presentation Convent High School
- F. G. public High School, Risalpur Cantt
- APSACS, Risalpur Cantt
- Govt. Higher Secondary School, Risalpur Cantt
- Risalpur press club
- F. G. Sapper Boys High School, Risalpur Cantt
- F. G. Sapper Girls High School, Risalpur Cantt
- saintjosefh high school, Risalpur cantt
These are few of the top schools there, but beside these there are many others as well, for Risalpur is a great educational center with so many educational institutions inside the cantt area and outside the cantt area as well.
Additional information
Due to the lack of quality educational institutions in Mardan and Nowshara District, many students travel daily to Risalpur in order study at the relatively better educational institutions operated by the Armed Forces of Pakistan. The students who come to these institutions usually belong to the privileged class of the two districts or their parents have to suffer through tremendous financial hardship in order to send their children to these schools.The schools in Risalpur provide fairly good academic standards, however they are by no means world class institutions. The need of the times is that the people of these districts including the government should join forces to develop a schooling system which would provide access of quality education universally to everyone regardless of their social and financial standing. There are schools that are absolutely world class like Military College of Engineering (M.C.E.), APSACS and Fazia Degree College but there are others that are under governmental control instead of private control of Pakistan Army or P.A.F. Those institutions such as Federal Government (F.G.) Public High School and F.G. Sapper Boys High School as well as F.G. Sapper Girls High School need high concentration of the government to reach the standard of the others.