| Chitral District ݯھیترارو ضلع ضلع چترال | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Pakistan | |||||||||||
| 1947–2018 | |||||||||||
 Map of the former district inKhyber Pakhtunkhwa | |||||||||||
| Capital | Chitral town | ||||||||||
| Demonym | Chitralis | ||||||||||
| Area | |||||||||||
• 1947–2018 | 14,850 km2 (5,730 sq mi) | ||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||
• 1947–2018 | 414,000 | ||||||||||
| • Type | District Government | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
• Established | 14 August 1947 | ||||||||||
• Establishment ofLower andUpper Chitral | 20 July 2018 | ||||||||||
| Political subdivisions | 6Tehsils | ||||||||||
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| Today part of | Pakistan · Lower Chitral &Upper Chitral Districts ofKhyber Pakhtunkhwa | ||||||||||
Chitral District (Khowar:ݯھیترارو ضلع;Urdu:ضلع چترال) was adistrict in theMalakand Division of thePakistani province ofKhyber Pakhtunkhwa from 14 August 1947 to 2018. It was the northernmost[1] and the largest district of the province, covering an area of 14,850 km2, before the district was split in two forming the new districts ofUpper Chitral andLower Chitral.[2]
It shared district borders withSwat andDir to the south, a provincial border withGilgit-Baltistan to the east and theDurand Line as international border withAfghanistan to the north and west.[3] Afghanistan's narrow strip ofWakhan Corridor separated Chitral fromTajikistan in the north.[4]
Chitral shared much of its history and culture with the neighbouringHindu Kush territories of Gilgit-Baltistan, a region sometimes called "Peristan" because of the common belief in fairies (peri) inhabiting the high mountains.
The entire region that formed the Chitral District was an independent monarchical state until 1895, when the British negotiated a treaty with its hereditary ruler, the Mehtar, under which Chitral became a semi-autonomousprincely state within the Indian Empire. Theprincely state of Chitral retained this status even after its accession to Pakistan in 1947, finally being made an administrative district of Pakistan on 14 August 1947, disestablishing the Princely State.[5]
Chitral was counted amongst the highest regions of the world, sweeping from 1,094 metres atArandu to 7,726 metres at Tirichmir and packing over 40 peaks more than 6,100 metres in height. The terrain of Chitral was very mountainous, andTirich Mir (25,289 feet), the highest peak of theHindu Kush, rises in the north of the former district.[6] Around 4.8 percent of the land was covered by forest, and 76 percent was mountains and glaciers.
Chitral was connected to the rest of Pakistan by two major road routes, theLowari Pass ( elevation. 10,23 ft.) fromDir andShandur Top (elevation 12,200 ft.) from Gilgit. Both routes used to be closed in winter, but circa 2017 the highwayLowari Tunnel under the Lowari Pass opened to vehicular traffic for at least ten hours per day.[7] A number of other high passes, includingDarkot Pass,Thoi Pass, andZagaran Pass, provided access on foot to Chitral fromGilgit-Baltistan.
The district had a population of about 414,000.[1] The general population was mainly made up ofKho people, who speakKhowar, which is also spoken in parts ofYasin,Gilgit,Dir, andSwat. Chitral was also home to theKalash tribe, who live inBumburet and two other remote valleys southwest of Chitral town. A few thousandNuristani people were also known to live in Chitral.
The main language of the region isKhowar. There are also smaller communities of speakers ofDameli,Gawar-Bati,Gujari,Kalasha,Kyrgyz,Katë,Madaklashti,Palula,Sarikoli,Wakhi, andYidgha.[8]Urdu has official status.
The town ofChitral in the district is served as capital. It is situated on the west bank of theChitral River (also known as the Kunar River) at the foot ofTirich Mir, which at 7,708 m (25,289 ft) is the highest peak of theHindu Kush. Formerly it served as the capital of theprincely state of Chitral and now it has this role for the succeeding Lower Chitral district.
The district of Chitral was divided into twenty-fourunion councils and twotehsils:[9][10][11]
This district was represented by one elected MNA (Member of the National Assembly) inPakistan National Assembly. Its constituency wasNA-1.[12]
| Member of National Assembly | Party affiliation | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Abdul Akbar Khan | Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal | 2002 |
| Shahzada Mohiuddin | Pakistan Muslim League | 2008 |
| Shahzada Iftikhar Uddin | All Pakistan Muslim League | 2013 |
The district was represented by two elected MPAs in theprovincial assembly, who represented the following constituencies:
Chitral District is divided into over 35 small valleys[13]
Places adjacent to Chitral District | |
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