Abbottabad

Abbottabad is situated in Orash valley, at 150 km North of Islamabad and a few hours drive from Rawalpindi, in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. It is surrounded at all four sides by hills offering breathtaking views of the city and its region. The Karakoram Highway which traces one of the paths of the ancient Silk Road, starts from Hasan Abdal and passes through this city. Neighbouring districts include Mansehra to the North, Muzafarabad to the East, Haripur to the West and Rawalpindi to the South. It is a tranquil and calm hill station at an altitude of 1 260 meters above sea level. It was named after a British Major, James Abbott, who was a colleague of Sir Henry Lawrence and later became adviser to the Sikhs after the first Sikh war in 1846.

In 1818, Sikh Emperor Ranjit Singh invaded and annexed the whole Hazara division which comprises Abbottabad. His army was later defeated by the local Muslim tribes. Abbottabad fell again in the hands of Sikh rulers in 1836 when Gakhar tribe of Khanpur was finally defeated. Mir Painda Khan was the only Muslim tribal chief who resisted Ranjit Singh’s army for several years, though his relentless rebellion against the Sikh Empire cost him a major portion of his Kingdom. Historians believe that Painda Khan played a considerable role in the history of this area. Later, his son Jahandad Khan also followed the footsteps of his father and was able to record his name in the archives of Hazara as the strongest warlord of the region. The fate of this zone rolled again in 1847 when a local ruler was given a land in Jammu in exchange of Hazara and that’s how it fell under the control of the British colonizers.  

Abbottabad was then declared the headquarters of Hazara Division and James Abbott was made the first Deputy Commissioner of the district from 1849 to 1853. What made him popular was the poem “Abbottabad” that he wrote when he was about to leave this region. This poem shows his profound attachment for this city as well as his sadness at having to leave it. Abbottabad became and is still an important military cantonment. Chief public institutions such as Anglo-Vernacular High School, the Municipal Anglo-Vernacular High School and the Government dispensary were inaugurated during this period as well.

The city is well known throughout Pakistan for its pleasant weather, high standard educational institutions and military establishments. It remains a major hub for tourism in the Northern Areas during summer. Today, Abbottabad is a military town as well with the headquarters of the Frontier Force, the Army Medical Corps and the Army school of music. Soldiers can be seen everywhere marching, exercising, parading, playing polo, and even practising the bagpipes. If you are looking for the ambiance of gone days of British rule, we recommend you an agreeable promenade in the cantonment area where you will discover spacious bungalows, surrounded by lovely gardens and shaded by pine trees, the church and the club at the top of the hill overlooking the bazaar. Some of the places worth a visit in Abbottabad and its suburbs include: Khanka Mahboobabad Shareef Havelian, Banda Phugwarian & Dobather, Namli Maira, Cantonment Park (Lady Garden), Ilyasi Masjid, Shimla Pahari, Bagnotar, Thandiani, Jhangi Khoja, Harnow (Harnoi), Paswal, Nathiagali and Ayubia.

Abbottabad has been attracting tourists since the colonial era. It still remains a major transit point for travellers either going to Nathiagali, Kaghan, Naran or to Besham, Chilas, Gilgit, Hunza and China. It was already a popular summer resort during the British period. One of the main reasons why British selected this place as their headquarters was its agreeable climate. Even now, during the scorching heat of summers in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhaw, Punjab, Sindh and Baluchistan when the temperatures are over 40 °C, people rush to places like Abbottabad to seek tranquillity for a week or two. The Karakoram, Himalayas and the Hindu Kush ranges can be approached from Abbottabad.

Abbottabad enjoys a pleasant weather in summers and cold winters. During the summer season, the temperatures are mild and humid, especially in June and July and may drop to below 0°C. Snowfall is also common, especially in January. Usually the months of July and August come with the monsoon rains, and at times lower parts of the valley are flooded. For your information, here below are the average temperatures in Abbottabad:

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