After U.S. President Barack Obama has announced that Osama bin Laden had been killed in Abbottabad on May 1, 2011,.This hilly town suddenly attracted many people around the world who wanted to know how does it look like and what is the geography of this area, many might think , it might be rocks and sand filled hilly area where people struggle to live and eat, but the fact is Abbotabad is one of the Pakistan’s well organized place with people living in harmony and peace doing their work. This lush green forest filled hilly range is favorite and preferred destination place to spend time in summers by many people, it has attracted many visitors with its picturesque surroundings and pleasant weather, other day I wrote an article in Petra - Jordan now its turn of Abbottabad ,hope you enjoy reading.
Abbottabad is located in the Hazara region of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in Pakistan. The city is situated in the Orash Valley, 50 km northeast of Islamabad capital of Pakistan, at an altitude of 4,120 feet (1,260 m). The city is well-known throughout Pakistan for its pleasant weather, high standard educational institutions and military establishments. The city is non-industrial, situated in the green Orash valley and is free from environmental pollution. It has a population of over 300,000. It remains a major hub for tourism of regions mainly in the summer.
Abbottabad is the headquarters of Hazara Division and Abbottabad District. The District Nazim, Commissioner, Inspector General and Forest Conservator all reside in Abbottabad. Abbottabad is divided into localities, towns, colonies and neighborhoods. It has well organizes government functioning water supply, electricity, Roads and hospitals.
The modern city of Abbottabad was founded by Major Abbott, the British deputy commissioner of Hazara (1849 to 1853) during British rule in the subcontinent. Major Abbott is credited with making major changes in the administrative setup in the region, so that after his departure, the city was named after him.
As the city is bounded at all four sides by the Sarban hills, residents and tourists can see breathtaking views of the region and city. The location of the city and the hills allows Abbottabad to experience pleasant weather in the summer and extreme cold [below 0 degrees] in winters.
The majority of the residents identify themselves as Abbasis, Karlals, Jadoons, Sayeds, Malik etc .Though the first language of most people in Abbottabad is Hindko, Urdu is well understood and spoken fluently by majority of the residents and commonly used in the markets, offices and formal functions. English is widely used in business and education.
Abbottabad has been attracting tourists to the city since the colonial era, as it is a major transit point to all major tourist regions of Pakistan such as Nathiagali and Naran. This town is picturesquely situated at the southern corner of the Rash (Orash) plain, 4,120 feet (1,260 m) above the sea. Tourism is one of the important sources of income in Abbottabad. In the summer when temperatures rise to around 45 degrees Celsius in Punjab, a large number of tourists travel north to Abbottabad.
The Karakoram, Himalayas and the Hindu Kush ranges can be approached from Abbottabad and it continues to be a transit city for tourists, serving as a base for visiting numerous nearby places, such as Hunza, Gilgit, Skardu and Indus Kohistan, of the Karakoram Range.
Hope after the present incident of Osama Bin laden killing took place; it will not affect the life’s of people residing in Abbottabad in any way negatively causing hindrance in their daily life.
Let’s hope all the wars and fighting in the world end and people can go to any place with out fearing life... Let Freedom from Wars prevails soon .. very soon... Long live peace.
