Upper Chitral District
Upper Chitral District (Urdu: ضلع چترال بالا)(Khowar: توری ݯھیترارو ضلع)(Pashto: پورتنۍ چترال ولسوالۍ) is a district in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Chitral River flows throughout the district. Upper Chitral District along with the Lower Chitral District were part of the erstwhile Chitral District which was the largest district in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, covering an area of 14,850 km2. Likewise, it served as the Chitral princely state that encompassed the region until its direct incorporation into the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan in 1969.[4] Upper Chitral District and Lower Chitral District were bifurcated from the erstwhile Chitral District in November, 2018.[5]
Upper Chitral District
ضلع چترال بالا توری ݯھیترارو ضلع پورتنۍ چترال ولسوالۍ | |
---|---|
Country | Pakistan |
Province | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |
Division | Malakand |
Established | 2018 |
Headquarters | Buni |
Government | |
• Type | District Administration |
• Deputy Commissioner | Muhammad Irfanuddin[1] |
• District Police Officer | N/A |
• District Health Officer | N/A |
Area | |
• Total | 8,392 km2 (3,240 sq mi) |
Population | |
• Total | 195,528[3] |
Time zone | UTC+5 (PST) |
Numbers of Tehsils | 2 |
Website | upperchitral |
The town of Buni is the headquarters of the Chitral Upper District. It shares a border with Gilgit-Baltistan to the east, with Badakshan province of Afghanistan to the north and with the Upper Dir District to the southwest and with Swat District to the southeast. A narrow strip of Wakhan Corridor separates Chitral from Tajikistan in the north.
Demographics
Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
---|---|---|
1961 | 58,213 | — |
1972 | 71,383 | +1.87% |
1981 | 86,919 | +2.21% |
1998 | 133,815 | +2.57% |
2017 | 169,297 | +1.25% |
2023 | 195,528 | +2.43% |
Sources:[6] |
At the time of the 2017 census, the district had 22,546 households and a population of 169,297. Upper Chitral district had a sex ratio of 1064 females per 1000 males and a literacy rate of 67.31% - 80.50% for males and 55.31% for females. The population was entirely rural. 24.20% of the population were under 10 years of age. 16 (0.01%) people were from religious minorities.[2]
99.09% of the population spoke languages recorded as 'Other' on the census. The main language is Khowar, sometimes called Chitrali, spoken by the Dardi Kho. Wakhi is spoken in the northern regions along the Afghan border.[2]
Administrative Divisions
- Buni Tehsil
- Mastuj Tehsil
- Torkhow/Mulkhow Tehsil
National Assembly
The district along with Lower Chitral District is represented by one elected MNA (Member of National Assembly) in Pakistan National Assembly. Its constituency is NA-1.
Member of National Assembly | Party Affiliation | Year |
---|---|---|
Abdul Akbar Khan | Muttahida Majlis e-Amal | 2018 |
Provincial Assembly
The district along with Lower Chitral District is represented by one elected MPA in the provincial assembly who represent the following constituencies:PK-1
References
- https://twitter.com/ChitralToday/status/1704863612001493021
- "District Wise Results / Tables (Census - 2017)". www.pbscensus.gov.pk. Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
- https://www.dawn.com/news/1769390#:~:text=As%20per%20the%20results%20of%20the%20recent%20census%2C%20the%20Lower,Upper%20Chitral%20has%20195%2C528%20people.
- "Upper Chitral gets status of separate district". dawn.com. 21 November 2018. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
- "Upper Chitral gets the status of separate district".
- "Population by administrative units 1951-1998" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.