Quetta[a] is the capital and largest city of thePakistani province ofBalochistan. It is the ninthlargest city inPakistan, with an estimated population of over 1.7 million in 2024.[4] It is situated in the south-west of the country, lying in a valley surrounded by mountains on all sides. Quetta is at an average elevation of 1,680 metres (5,510 feet) above sea level,[5] making it Pakistan's highest-altitude major city. The city is known as the"Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to its numerous fruit orchards and the wide variety of fresh and dried fruits produced in the region.[6]
The nameQuetta is a variation of thePashto wordKwatkōṭ, orkōta meaning "fortress".[8] Quetta was formerly known as Shalkot (Pashto:ښالکوټ,Urdu:شالکوٹ).[9]
Modern day Quetta was captured bySultan Mahmud Ghaznavi during hisinvasion of India.[10] In 1543, Mughal emperorHumayun came to Quetta en route toSafavid Persia, leaving his son and future Mughal emperorAkbar here. In 1709, the region was a part of AfghanHotak dynasty and stayed a part until 1747 whenAhmed Shah Durrani conquered it and made it a part ofDurrani Empire. The first European visited Quetta in 1828, describing it asmud-walled fort surrounded by three hundred mud houses.[11]
In 1856, British GeneralJohn Jacob had urged his government to occupy Quetta given its strategic position on the western frontier.[12] British troops constructed the infrastructure for their establishment as a garrison town.[13] In 1877, theBritish made an agreement with thenKhan of Kalat,Mir Khudadad Khan to rule Quetta, which started the regime ofSir Robert Groves Sandeman.[14]
It was reconstructed after the1935 Quetta earthquake, which razed the city to the ground. The epicentre of the earthquake was close to the city and destroyed most of the city's infrastructure, killing an estimated 40,000 people.[15] After the foundation of Pakistan, Balochistan acquired the status of a province and Quetta became a provincial capital.[10]
Quetta has acold semi-arid climate (KöppenBSk) with a significant variation between summer and winter temperatures. Summer starts from late May and goes on until early September with average temperatures ranging from 24–26 °C (75–79 °F). The highest temperature in Quetta is 42 °C (108 °F) which was recorded on 10 July 1998.[16] Autumn starts in mid-September and continues until mid-November with average temperatures in the 12–18 °C (54–64 °F) range. Winter starts in late November and ends in late February with average temperatures near 4–5 °C (39–41 °F). The lowest temperature in Quetta is −18.3 °C (−0.9 °F) which was recorded on 8 January 1970.[16] Spring starts in early March and ends in mid-May with average temperatures close to 15 °C (59 °F). Unlike more easterly parts of Pakistan, Quetta does not have amonsoon season of heavy rainfall. Highest rainfall during 24 hours in Quetta is 113 millimetres (4.4 in) which was recorded on 17 December 2000,[16] Highest monthly rainfall of 232.4 millimetres (9.15 in) was recorded in March 1982 which was also the year of the highest annual rainfall, 949.8 millimetres (37.39 in).[16] In the winter, snowfall has become quite erratic (December, January and February).
The city saw a severe drought from 1999 to 2001 during which the city did not receive snowfall and below normal rains. In 2002, the city received snow after a gap of five years. In 2004 and 2005, the city received normal rains after three years without snowfall while in 2006, 2007 and 2009 the city received no snow. In 2008, it received a snowfall of 10 centimetres (4 in) in four hours on 29 January,[21] followed on 2 February by 25.4 centimetres (10 in) in 10 hours[22] – the city's heaviest snowfall in a decade. During the winter of 2010, it received no snow and saw below normal rains due to the presence ofEl-Nino over Pakistan.[citation needed]
According to the2023 Census of Pakistan, the population of the city was a total of 1,565,546.[24] This makes it the largest city in Balochistan province and one of the major cities of Pakistan. Quetta is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the country.[25] The city has aPashtun plurality followed byBalochs,Hazaras,Brahui,Sindhis,Saraikis,Punjabis andUrdu-speaking.[26][27]Urdu being the national language is used and understood by all the residents and serves as alingua franca.
At the local level, the city is governed by a municipal corporation consisting of 66 ward members which elects a mayor and a deputy mayor.[1] In addition,Quetta Development Authority is responsible for provision of municipal services for the city.[35]
Quetta is on the western side ofPakistan and is connected to the rest of the country by a network of roads, railways and its international airport close to its centre.
Quetta Railway Station is one of the highest railway stations in Pakistan at 1,676 metres (5,499 feet) above sea level. The railway track was laid in the 1890s during the British era to link Quetta with rest of the country. The extensive network ofPakistan Railways connects Quetta to Karachi in the south, by a 863 km (536 mi) track,Lahore in the northeast (1,170 km or 727 miles) andPeshawar further northeast (1,587 km or 986 miles). A metalled road runs alongside the railway that connects Quetta to Karachi via the nearby town ofSibi toJacobabad andRohri in the plain of theRiver Indus.[37]
Islamia High School, Quetta; frequently visited by Quaid-e-AzamMuhammad Ali Jinnah in 1937, and was nicknamed asChhota Aligarh (LittleAligarh) by him.[citation needed]
Boxing is highly popular as well.[42]Muhammad Waseem is a professional boxer from Quetta. In Body Building Nisar Ahmed Khilji has Mr. Balochistan and Mr. Pakistan Titles and Pakistan representation in International Body Building Contests. In hockey, Quetta has producedZeeshan Ashraf andShakeel Abbasi, who were members of thePakistan's national hockey team.
Local facilities were created in the city formountain climbing andcaving as well as water sports.Hayatullah Khan Durrani (Pride of Performance) is the chief executive of Hayat Durrani Water Sports Academy, Balochistan's first and only Rowing, Canoeing, Kayaking, Sailing, rough swimming and boating academy where all such facilities provide free to the youth members atHanna Lake.
^1891–1941: Data for the entirety of the town of Quetta, which included Quetta Municipality and Quetta Cantonment.[30]: 13–14 2017 & 2023: Urban population of Quetta District.
^"Quetta Climate Normals 1991–2020".World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved17 September 2023.
^Bianchi, Robert (25 March 2008).Guests of God: Pilgrimage and Politics in the Islamic World. Oxford University Press. p. 92.ISBN978-0-19-971183-3.Archived from the original on 19 February 2025. Retrieved28 July 2024.The largest communities are Pashtuns, Punjabis, and muhajirs, but no group is a majority. Quetta is one of the few districts in all Pakistan where no linguistic group can claim dominance, either numerically or politically. Aside from occasional clashes with Shi'ite protesters encouraged by proximity to Iran, Quetta seems like a model of tolerance compared with the carnage ravaging the much larger melting pot of Karachi.
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