Number of towns 1 Local time Wednesday 1:03 AM | Time zone PST (UTC+5) Number of Union Councils 1 | |
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Balakot (Urdu: بالاکوٹ ) is a town in Mansehra District in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The town was destroyed during the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, but was later rebuilt with the assistance of the Government of Pakistan and Saudi Public Assistance for Pakistan Earthquake Victims (SPAPEV), a Saudi relief organisation.
Contents
Map of Balakot, Pakistan
Geography
Balakot is located on the banks of the Kunhar River before it enters the Kashmir Valley.
Climate
Balakot has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot summers and cool winters. Rainfall in Balakot is much higher than in most other parts of Pakistan. The heaviest rainfall occurs either in late winter (February–March) associated with frontal systems, or in the monsoon season (June–August); however, all months see significant rainfall on average.
Administration
Balakot is one of the main cities of Mansehra District. It serves as the chief city of Balakot Tehsil, which is the largest Tehsil of Mansehra District. It has also a Union Council and administers the many surrounding smaller towns and villages.
History
The Sikhs tried to free Mansehra in the 1818 but were met with resistance from the occupying army. As the Mansehra region fell under Sikh control, it was annexed to Punjab. The movement placed Waziristan, the Mohmand country beyond Kunhar, Chitral and Yusufzai tribes within the control and responsibility of the Indian government. Syed Ahmad Barelvi and Shah Ismail Shaheed, with the help of the Mujahadeen, including the local tribes of tehsil Balakot from Kaghan to Garhi Habibullah led many revolts and attacks against the Sikhs. At last on 6 May 1831, during a fierce battle, Syed Ahmad Shaheed and Shah Ismail Shaheed along with hundreds of their followers were killed. The central mosque of Balakot is named after Syed Ahmed Barelvi. The areas includes diverse groups, especially Pashtuns and Hindko speakers.
The town or village of Balakot is occupied mainly by Khankhel Swati family, Gujjar, Awan, Swati, Syed, Turk, Mughal and Hanki tribes.
Earthquake 2005
The town was completely destroyed in the massive earthquake on 8 October 2005. The fault line almost passes through the main bazar of Balakot. It follows the hilly area to the north up to Allai and leads to the Bagh in Azad Jammu & Kashmir from the villages of Balakot like Kanshian and Jabri Kaleesh. The United Arab Emirates has volunteered to rebuild this town into an improved one with housing colonies, schools, hospitals, and other civic facilities. However the Pakistan government has announced that the city will be relocated. The town will be reconstructed about 20 km away at a safer spot with more earthquake-proof buildings. The hillside town of Balakot, comprising 12 union councils with a population of 30,000 people, was completely destroyed by the earthquake on 8 October 2005. Over 90 per cent of the houses were reduced to muddy smears. The survivors will be relocated to the New Balakot City, currently being developed near Mansehra.