View source for Kohat

{{Other uses}}
{{Infobox settlement
| native_name        = {{hlist|{{lang|ps|کوهاټ}}|{{lang|ur|{{Nastaliq|کوہاٹ}}}}}}
| settlement_type    = [[List of cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by population|City]]
| image_skyline      = Ghamkol Shareef Kohat, KPK Pakistan.jpg
| imagesize          = 250px
| image_alt          = 
| image_caption      = ''Ghamkol Sharif'', a shrine associated with the [[Naqshbandi]] order of [[Sufism]] within [[Sunni Islam]]
| image_map          = 
| mapsize            = 
| pushpin_map        = Khyber Pakhtunkhwa#Pakistan
| pushpin_label_position = bottom
| pushpin_map_alt    = Location of the city of Kohat within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Pakistan
| coordinates        = {{coord|33|35|N|71|26|E|region:PK_type:city|display=inline}}
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = {{flag|Pakistan}}
| subdivision_type1  = [[Administrative units of Pakistan|Province]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[Divisions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa|Division]]
| subdivision_type3  = [[List of districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa|District]]
| subdivision_name1  = {{flag|Khyber Pakhtunkhwa}}
| subdivision_name2  = [[Kohat Division]]
| subdivision_name3  = [[Kohat District]]
| government_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lgkp.gov.pk/districts/district-kohat/|title=District Kohat|access-date=18 January 2022|website=Department of Local Government, [[Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]]}}</ref>
| government_type    = [[Mayor-council]]
| governing_body     = [[Local government in Pakistan#District|District Government]]
| leader_title       = Mayor
| leader_name        = Shair Zaman<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.geo.tv/election/kp-localbodies2021/council/2003/kohat-city|title=Kohat City Council - KPK Local Body Election Result 2021|access-date=18 January 2022|work=[[Geo News]]}}</ref>
| leader_party       = [[JUI-F]]
| leader_title1      = Deputy Mayor
| leader_name1       = Vacant
| total_km2          = 
| elevation_m        = 489
| population_total   = 228779
| total_type         = City
| population_rank    = [[List of largest cities in Pakistan|35th, Pakistan]]<br />[[List of cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by population|4th, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]]
| population_note    = '''Kohat Municipal Committee''': 191,844<br />'''[[Kohat Cantonment]]''': 36,935
| population_as_of   = [[2017 Census of Pakistan|2017]]
| population_footnotes = <ref name="census2017">{{cite web|url=http://www.pbscensus.gov.pk/sites/default/files/bwpsr/kp/KOHAT_BLOCKWISE.pdf|title=POPULATION AND HOUSEHOLD DETAIL FROM BLOCK TO DISTRICT LEVEL: KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA (KOHAT DISTRICT)|date=2018-01-03|access-date=2018-04-24|publisher=[[Pakistan Bureau of Statistics]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180424202322/http://www.pbscensus.gov.pk/sites/default/files/bwpsr/kp/KOHAT_BLOCKWISE.pdf|archive-date=2018-04-24}}</ref>
| population_density_km2 = 
| population_est     = 
| pop_est_as_of      = 
| timezone1          = [[Pakistan Standard Time|PKT]]
| utc_offset1        = +05:00
| postal_code        = 26000
| area_code          = +92 922
| area_code_type     = [[List of dialling codes of Pakistan|Calling code]]
| blank_name_sec2    = Number of [[Union council (Pakistan)|union councils]]
| blank_info_sec2    = 31
| website            = {{URL|https://kohat.kp.gov.pk/}}
| footnotes          = 
| leader_title2      = Deputy Commissioner
| leader_name2       = Abdul Akram Chitrali (PMS)
| leader_title4      = District Police Officer
| leader_name4       = Umar Khan  ([[Police Service of Pakistan|BPS-18 PSP]])
| blank_name         = [[National Highways of Pakistan|Highways]]
| blank_info         = {{jct|country=PAK|N|55}}<br />{{jct|country=PAK|N|80}}
| name               = Kohat
| subdivision_type4  = [[Tehsil]]
| subdivision_name4  = [[Kohat Tehsil]]
}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Use Oxford spelling|date=February 2022}}

'''Kohat''' ([[Urdu]] and {{langx|hnd|{{Nastaliq|کوہاٹ}}}}; {{langx|ps|کوهاټ}}) is a city in Pakistan that serves as the capital of the [[Kohat District]] in [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]] province. With a population of over 220,000 people,<ref name="census2017" /> the city is the [[List of cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by population|fourth most populous in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]] and the [[List of cities in Pakistan by population|35th]] [[List of cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by population|most populous]] in Pakistan. Kohat's immediate environs were the site of frequent armed skirmishes between [[British Raj|British colonial forces]] and local tribesmen in the mid to late 19th century. The city is centred on a British-era fort, various bazaars, and a military cantonment. [[Pashto]] and the [[Kohati|Kohati dialect]] of [[Hindko]] are the main languages spoken in Kohat.

The city of Kohat is also the namesake of and largest city in the [[Kohat Division]], being over four times larger than the second-largest city in the division: [[Karak, Pakistan|Karak]].

== History ==

=== Early history ===

[[File:Zahir al-Din Muhammad Babur - Foray to Kuhat (Kohat) - Walters W5967A - Full Page.jpg|thumb|left|A miniature painting depicting the 1505 visit of the [[Mughal Emperor]] [[Babur]] to Kohat.]]

Little is known of Kohat's early history.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_p_fAAAAMAAJ&q=kohat+history|title=The Eagle strikes: the Royal Indian Air Force, 1932-1950|last1=Chhina|first1=Rana|last2=Research|first2=Centre for Armed Forces Historical|date=2006|publisher=Ambi Knowledge Resources|isbn=978-81-903591-0-8|language=en}}</ref> According to local lore, Kohat was founded by an ancient Buddhist king by the name of ''Raja Kohat''.<ref name=":0" /> Another Buddhist Raja named Adh is believed to have established his domain on the north side of the city.<ref name=":0" /> A fort, now in ruins, serves as a marker of their domain. The remains of this fort known as Adh-e-Samut, is possibly named after Buddhist Raja Adh. The fort is still fitted with weaponry from the Buddhist period. The Buddhist kings built roads, which were in use until the end of the Mughal rule.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-WRlAQAAQBAJ&q=kohat+buddhist&pg=PA338|title=A Concise History of Afghanistan in 25 Volumes|isbn=978-1-4907-1446-2|last1=Alikuzai|first1=Hamid Wahed|date=October 2013|publisher=Trafford }}</ref>

According to local tradition they arrived here in the time of Daulat Khán son of Bai Khán. This would make their settlement contemporaneous with that of the Baizai Bangashes which seems to have taken place previous to the time of Babar's invasion (A.D. 1505) . I believe, however, that they must have arrived before the settlement of Baizai.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Tucker |first=H. St George |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HX-kit-U6y0C&q=kohat+1505&pg=RA1-PA22 |title=Report on the Settlement of the Kohat District in the Panjáb |date=1884 |publisher=Calcutta Central Press |language=en}}</ref>

The region had been primarily populated by [[Orakzai]] Pashtuns, who were then displaced from the west by the [[Bangash]] in the 14th-15th centuries, and [[Khattak]]s from the south.<ref name=":0" /> The Kohat region was likely firmly dominated by Bangash tribesmen by the early late 15th century following a decisive battle at nearby [[Alizai, Kurram|Alizai]],<ref name=":0" /> after which Bangash tribes settled in the fertile valleys and assimilated remaining indigenous inhabitants into the larger Bangash tribe, while Orakzai tribes were confined to the nearby hills.<ref name=":0" />

The first historical record of the city comes from the ''[[Baburnama]]'' autobiography of [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] emperor [[Babur]].<ref name=":0" /> After capturing Peshawar, Babur was reportedly told of vast riches in Kohat. He invaded and plundered Kohat in 1505,<ref name=":0"/> only to discover the tales of its wealth were exaggerated.<ref name=":0" /> After capturing Kohat, Babur's army marched towards Bangash country, where he defeated a band of tribesmen.<ref name=":0" />

=== Durrani period ===
[[File:Durrani prince tomb in kohat.JPG|thumb|A royal Durrani tomb near Kohat]]
During the [[Nader Shah's invasion of the Mughal Empire]] in the 1730s and 1740s, Kohat escaped destruction as Emperor [[Nader Shah]]'s forces followed invasion routes north in the [[Valley of Peshawar|Peshawar Valley]].<ref name=":0" /> Following the departure of Persian forces, Kohat was absorbed into the [[Durrani Empire]] by 1747.<ref name=":0" />

Following the fall of [[Shah Shujah Durrani|Shah Shuja Durrani]] in 1810, Kohat was brought under control of the Durrani kingdom based in Peshawar and [[Kabul]], which leased lordship of the city to various chiefs.<ref name=":0" />  The first chief of Kohat was Mirza Girani, who was followed in succession until 1818 by Shakur Khan, and Sultan Muhammad.<ref name=":0" /> In 1818, Kohat came under the control of Samad Khan following the collapse of Durrani suzerainty,<ref name=":0" /> though the city then came under the influence of Pir Muhammad in 1827.<ref name=":0" />

=== Sikh period ===
[[Ranjit Singh]]'s armies marched to Peshawar in 1819.<ref name=":0" /> In 1834, Azim Khan was defeated by the Sikhs and the chiefs of Peshawar became tributaries of the Sikh Government. Kohat was captured by [[Sikh]] governor Avtar Singh Sandhanwalia in 1839,<ref name=":0" /> and became part of Ranjit Singh's [[Sikh Empire]], though Pir Muhammad was allowed to continue administering the region around Kohat.<ref name=":0" />

In 1840, the Sikhs abandoned Kohat, and Sultan Mohammed became ruler of Kohat. In 1848 during the [[Second Anglo-Sikh War]], Colonel George Lawrence, the British Resident at [[Lahore]], sought refuge in Kohat, but was instead taken prisoner and handed to Sikh forces in Peshawar under Chattar Singh before being released. In 1849, Kohat and the rest of Punjab was formally annexed by the British.

=== British period ===
[[File:Tehsil gate.jpg|thumb|Kohat Tehsil gate in 1919]][[File:Ktrailway.jpg|thumb|Railway station in 1900]]
Following British victory over the Sikhs in 1848, Kohat came under British rule and was annexed in March 1849.<ref name=":0" /> Lieutenant Pollack was appointed as Kohat's first Assistant Commissioner.<ref name=":0" /> British authorities in [[Peshawar]] commenced construction of the [[Kohat Pass]] road in 1849,<ref name=":0" /> and completed it by 1850 despite violent opposition from local tribes.<ref name=":0" /> The pass was closed temporarily in 1853 after a quarrel arose among nearby tribes.<ref name=":0" /> The road which connected Kohat to [[Rawalpindi]] via [[Khushalgarh]] was of little trouble compared to the Kohat Pass road.<ref name=":0" />

Kohat remained largely peaceful during the [[Sepoy Mutiny of 1857]], and local Pashtun soldiers largely ignored calls for rebellion.<ref name=":0" /> The British established a [[Hill Station]] at [[Cherat]], just north of Kohat, in the 1860s. Kohat Pass road was closed on and off by British authorities for several more years on account of quarrels among local tribes, including in 1865 when it was closed for more than one and a half years.<ref name=":0" /> Armed skirmishes between British forces and Pashtun tribesmen continued on and off between the 1860s and 1870s. [[Kohat Cantonment]] was established by the British in 1874.<ref name=":0" /> Routes between Kohat and [[Bannu]] and [[Thal, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa|Thall]] were frequently blockaded by [[Wazir (Pashtun tribe)|Wazir]] tribesmen by 1880 that resulted in large clashes between the British and Wazirs.<ref name=":0" /> In the [[Tirah campaign]] of 1897–98 Kohat was the starting point of [[William Lockhart (Indian Army officer)|Sir William Lockhart's]] expedition against the [[Afridis]] and [[Mohmand (tribe)|Mohmands]].<ref>{{EB1911|inline=y|wstitle=Kohat|volume=15|page=886}}</ref>

In 1924, [[1924 Kohat riots|Kohat was the scene of widespread communal rioting]] that resulted in a 21-day fast by [[Mohandas Gandhi]], known popularly as Mahatma Gandhi, as a plea for unity.<ref>{{cite book|title=Mahatma Gandhi|author=Sankar Ghose|publisher=Allied Publishers|year=1991|isbn=978-81-7023-205-6}}</ref> During the [[1947 Kashmir War]], Pashtun tribesmen from around the region convened in Kohat before departing for [[Kashmir]] in hopes of capturing the territory for Pakistan.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9mcXVjswUrcC&q=kohat+history&pg=PA129|title=Roar of the Tiger - Illustrated History of Operations in Kashmir by 4th Battalion The Kumaon Regt in 1965 War|last=Singh|first=Sm Jasbir|date=2013-05-01|publisher=Vij Books India Pvt Ltd|isbn=978-93-82652-03-8|language=en}}</ref>

=== Modern period ===
Kohat suffered several attacks during the [[War in North-West Pakistan]] and [[war on terror]] between 2008 and 2014. 35 people were killed in a suicide bombing in 2009,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/19/world/asia/19pstan.html|title=Bomb Kills at Least 35 in Kohat District of Pakistan|last=Shah|first=Pir Zubair|date=2009-09-18|work=The New York Times|access-date=2018-02-09|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> while [[April 2010 Kohat bombings|twin bombings in April 2010]] killed 41. 20 more were killed in a suicide bombing in September 2010,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/560962|title=Twenty killed, 90 injured in Kohat bomb blast|last=Paracha|first=Abdul Sami|date=2010-09-08|work=DAWN.COM|access-date=2018-02-09|language=en-US}}</ref> while the Kohat Tunnel was attacked by the Pakistani Taliban in January 2011, resulting in the deaths of 5 people.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/111028/twin-suicide-attacks-kohat-tunnel-re-opens-following-blast/|title=Twin suicide attacks: Kohat Tunnel re-opens following blast - The Express Tribune|date=2011-01-30|work=The Express Tribune|access-date=2018-02-09|language=en-US}}</ref> 2 more were killed in a bomb attack in July 2013.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://nation.com.pk/11-Jul-2013/2-killed-in-kohat-blast|title=2 killed in Kohat blast|work=The Nation|access-date=2018-02-09|language=en-US}}</ref> In February 2014, 12 were killed in a roadside blast near the city,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1088953|title=At least 12 killed in Kohat blast, several wounded|last=Dawn.com|first=Agencies {{!}}|date=2014-02-23|work=DAWN.COM|access-date=2018-02-09|language=en-US}}</ref> while 6 more were killed in an attack on a van in October 2014.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.shiitenews.org/index.php/pakistan/item/11122-6-martyred-in-bomb-blast-near-vehicles-carrying-shia-sunni-passengers-in-kohat|title=6 martyred in bomb blast near vehicles carrying Shia-Sunni passengers in Kohat|last=Mehdi|first=Ali|access-date=2018-02-09|language=en|archive-date=10 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180210002217/http://www.shiitenews.org/index.php/pakistan/item/11122-6-martyred-in-bomb-blast-near-vehicles-carrying-shia-sunni-passengers-in-kohat|url-status=dead}}</ref> After a few years' lull in violence, 5 policemen were killed outside of Kohat following an anti-terror operation in May 2017.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://nation.com.pk/21-May-2017/five-cops-shot-dead-in-kohat|title=Five cops shot dead in Kohat|work=The Nation|access-date=2018-02-09|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Geography==

=== Topography ===
[[File:Kohat Velly.jpg|thumb|Kohat Valley]]
Kohat city is located at an altitude of {{convert|489|m|ft|sigfig=4}}.<ref name="rain">{{cite web|url=http://www.fallingrain.com/world/PK/03/Kohat.html |title=Maps, Weather, Videos, and Airports for Kohat, Pakistan |publisher=Fallingrain.com |access-date=2012-11-01}}</ref><!---Location of Kohat - Falling Rain Genomics---> [[Kohat Pass]] lies to the north. It is situated on the left bank of the Toi river at a point where after running nearly due east for {{convert|50|mi}}, it turns to the south. The total area of the district is {{convert|2545|km2}}

=== Climate ===
Kohat has a [[hot semi-arid climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''BSh'').
{{Weather box|width = auto
|location=Kohat (1961-1990)
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|Jan high C = 17
|Feb high C = 20
|Mar high C = 25
|Apr high C = 31
|May high C = 36
|Jun high C = 38
|Jul high C = 35
|Aug high C = 34
|Sep high C = 33
|Oct high C = 30
|Nov high C = 23
|Dec high C = 18
|year high C = 28
|Jan low C = 4
|Feb low C = 7
|Mar low C = 11
|Apr low C = 16
|May low C = 21
|Jun low C = 24
|Jul low C = 24
|Aug low C = 24
|Sep low C = 21
|Oct low C = 15
|Nov low C = 8
|Dec low C = 5
|year low C = 15
|Jan rain mm = 25
|Feb rain mm = 31
|Mar rain mm = 31
|Apr rain mm = 20
|May rain mm = 36
|Jun rain mm = 44
|Jul rain mm = 114
|Aug rain mm = 95
|Sep rain mm = 44
|Oct rain mm = 16
|Nov rain mm = 9
|Dec rain mm = 39
|rain colour = green
|source=My Weather<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.myweather2.com/City-Town/Pakistan/Kohat/climate-profile.aspx?month=4|title=April Climate History for Kohat &#124; Local &#124; Pakistan}}</ref>}}[[File:Tanda-001.jpg|thumb|Tanda lake in monsoon]]

===Dam===
Kohat has a dam called [[Tanda Dam]] located on Tanda Lake, which is a protected site under the [[Ramsar Convention]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Tanda Dam |url=https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/98 |website=Ramsar Sies Information Service |access-date=7 June 2020}}</ref> Completed in 1967, it was included as a Ramsar site on July 23, 1976.

=== Parks ===

==== Tanda Wildlife Park ====
Tanda Wildlife Park is located near Kohat city. The total area of the park is 2800 acres (11&nbsp;km²), consisting of Tanda reservoir and its catchments in Kohat. This is the largest wildlife park of [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]]. Its wonderfully rich and varied landscape supports a range of mammals and birds, both migratory and indigenous, as well as a few reptiles. Kohat is famous for guava.

The park is bounded by three different villages, Bar, Kaghazi, and Tanda Banda. The park is approachable by Hangu-kaghazi [[gravel road]], shahpur-Bar road which is 18&nbsp;km from Kohat.

The local people do not have any right of grazing, lopping or firewood collection as the ownership lies with the provincial government. The park area falls in the natural habitat of urial and chinkara, and also provides suitable habitat to hog deer. The urial is associated with scrub forest of Olea species and Accassia species. Urial were once abundant in the area but due to continuous habitat destruction these were disappeared from the area in the near past. The natural habitat of urial and chinkara lies in close proximity of human habitation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.khyberpakhtunkhwa.gov.pk/cgi-sys/suspendedpage.cgi|title=Site Maintenance|website=www.khyberpakhtunkhwa.gov.pk}}</ref>

====Kotal Pheasantry====
Kotal [[Pheasantry]] is established in Kotal wildlife park in district Kohat over an area of 1 [[Kanal (unit)|kanal]], with an objective to propagate and provide breeding environment to exotic/indigenous wildlife species like silver pheasant, golden pheasant, reeves pheasant, pea-cock etc. About 20-30 visitors including students and general public visit the pheasantry for education and recreation purposes per day. There are four species of pheasants in the pheasantry including ring necked pheasant, silver pheasant, peacock pheasant and white pheasant.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://kpktribune.com/index.php/en/district-kohat/48-khyber-pakhtunkhwa/about-khyber-pakhtoonkhwa|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160920035624/http://kpktribune.com/index.php/en/district-kohat/48-khyber-pakhtunkhwa/about-khyber-pakhtoonkhwa|url-status=usurped|archive-date=20 September 2016|title=District Kohat کوهاټ}}</ref>

== Demographics ==

=== Population ===
{{Historical populations
| title = Historical Population
| shading = off
| percentages = pagr
| align = center
|1941 |44977
| 1951 |40534
| 1961 |49854
| 1972 |65202
| 1981 |77604
| 1998 |126627
| 2017 |228779
|source =<ref name="census2017" /><ref name="1941Census">{{cite book |author1=Scott, I.D. |title=CENSUS OF INDIA, 1941 |volume=X |url=http://lsi.gov.in:8081/jspui/bitstream/123456789/452/1/1699_1941_NOR.pdf |publisher=Government of India |access-date=22 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200622201908/http://lsi.gov.in:8081/jspui/bitstream/123456789/452/1/1699_1941_NOR.pdf |archive-date=22 June 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="1998Data">{{cite web |title=TABLE-1: AREA & POPULATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS BY RURAL/URBAN: 1951-1998 CENSUSES |url=http://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population_census/Administrative%20Units.pdf |website=Administrative Units.pdf |publisher=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics |access-date=20 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620191533/http://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population_census/Administrative%20Units.pdf |archive-date=20 June 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|2023|235,880}}  Kohat is regarded as a centre of the [[Bangash|Bangash tribe]] of [[Pashtuns]], who have lived in the region since the late 15th century.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HX-kit-U6y0C&q=kohat+1505&pg=RA1-PA22|title=Report on the settlement of the Kohat district in the Panjáb|last=commissioner.)|first=Henry St George Tucker (officiating deputy|date=1884|language=en}}</ref>

=== Languages ===
{{Pie chart
| thumb = right
| caption = Languages by number of speakers (urban) in the [[Kohat Tehsil]], 2023<ref name="2023censuslanguage">{{cite web |title=7th Population and Housing Census - Detailed Results: Table 11 |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/kp/dcr/table_11.pdf |website=[[Pakistan Bureau of Statistics]] }}</ref>
| label1 = [[Pashto]]
| value1 = 73.30
| color1 = green
| label2 = [[Kohati|Hindko]]
| value2 = 19.7
| color2 = maroon
| value3 = 3.75
| color3 = red
| label3 = [[Urdu]]
| label4 = [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]]
| label5 = Others
| color5 = grey
| value4 = 2.41
| value5 = 0.85
}}

=== Religion ===
{| class="wikitable collapsible sortable"
|+ Religious groups in Kohat City (1881−2017){{efn|1881-1941: Data for the entirety of the town of Kohat, which included Kohat Municipality and Kohat Cantonment.<ref name="Census1941"/>{{rp|19}}|name="KohatCity1881to1941"}}
! rowspan="2" |[[Religion in Pakistan|Religious]]<br />group
! colspan="2" |1881<ref name="Census1881">{{cite book |author=Denzil Charles Jelf Ibbetson |jstor=saoa.crl.25057656 |jstor-access=free |title=Census of India, 1881 Report on the Census of the Panjáb Taken on the 17th of February 1881}}</ref><ref name="Census1881B">{{cite book |author=Denzil Charles Jelf Ibbetson |jstor=saoa.crl.25057657 |jstor-access=free |title=Census of India, 1881 Report on the Census of the Panjáb Taken on the 17th of February 1881 |volume=II |page=520 }}</ref><ref name="Census1881C">{{cite book |author=Denzil Charles Jelf Ibbetson |jstor=saoa.crl.25057658 |jstor-access=free |title=Census of India, 1881 Report on the Census of the Panjáb Taken on the 17th of February 1881 |volume=III |page=250 }}</ref>
! colspan="2" |1901<ref name="Census1901">{{cite book |author=H.H. Risley |author2=E.A. Gait |jstor=saoa.crl.25352838 |jstor-access=free |title=Census of India 1901 |location=Calcutta |publisher=Superintendent of Government Printing |volume=1A |page=44}}</ref><ref name="Census1901B">{{cite book |jstor=saoa.crl.25363739 |jstor-access=free |title=Census of India 1901 |volume=17A |page=26}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |1911<ref name="Census1911">{{cite book |jstor=saoa.crl.25393779 |jstor-access=free |title=Census of India, 1911 |volume=1 |date=1913 |page=23 |author=E.A. Gait |location=Calcutta |publisher=Superintendent of Government Printing}}</ref><ref name="Census1911B">{{cite book |author=C. Latimer |jstor=saoa.crl.25394102 |jstor-access=free |title=Census of India 1911 |volume=13 |year=1912 |page=302}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |1921<ref name="Census1921">{{cite book |author=J.T. Marten |jstor=saoa.crl.25394121 |jstor-access=free |title=Census of India 1921 |volume=1 |year=1923 |location=Calcutta |publisher=Superintendent of Government Printing |page=25}}</ref><ref name="Census1921B">{{cite book |author= R.B. Bhai Lehna Singh |jstor=saoa.crl.25430163 |jstor-access=free |title=Census of India 1921 |volume=14 |year=1922 |location=Peshawar |publisher=North-West Frontier Province Government Press |page=340}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |1931<ref name="Census1931">{{cite book |jstor=saoa.crl.25793233 |jstor-access=free |title=Census of India, 1931 |volume=XV |page=257 |last1=Mallam |first1=G. L. |last2=Dundas |first2=A. D. F. |location=Peshawar |publisher=Government stationery and printing |date=1933}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |1941<ref name="Census1941">{{cite book |author=I.D. Scott |jstor=saoa.crl.28215543 |jstor-access=free |title=Census of India, 1941 |location=Delhi |publisher=Manager of Publications |year=1941 |page=19 |volume=10 }}</ref>
! colspan="2" |2017<ref name="Census2017B">{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/content/final-results-census-2017|title=Final Results (Census-2017)|access-date=31 March 2024}}</ref>
|-
![[Population|{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}]]
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
|-
| [[Islam]] [[File:Star and Crescent.svg|15px]]
| 13,752
| {{Percentage | 13752 | 18179 | 2 }}
| 19,818
| {{Percentage | 19818 | 30762 | 2 }}
| 15,930
| {{Percentage | 15930 | 22654 | 2 }}
| 18,898
| {{Percentage | 18898 | 27853 | 2 }}
| 24,388
| {{Percentage | 24388 | 34350 | 2 }}
| 32,111
| {{Percentage | 32111 | 44977 | 2 }}
| 224,520
| {{Percentage | 224520 | 228555 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Hinduism]] [[File:Om.svg|15px]]{{efn|name=ad-dharmi|1931-1941: Including [[Ad-Dharmi]]s}}
| 2,798
| {{Percentage | 2798 | 18179 | 2 }}
| 7,833
| {{Percentage | 7833 | 30762 | 2 }}
| 4,850
| {{Percentage | 4850 | 22654 | 2 }}
| 5,796
| {{Percentage | 5796 | 27853 | 2 }}
| 6,709
| {{Percentage | 6709 | 34350 | 2 }}
| 8,250
| {{Percentage | 8250 | 44977 | 2 }}
| 978
| {{Percentage | 978 | 228555 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Sikhism]] [[File:Khanda.svg|15px]]
| 1,562
| {{Percentage | 1562 | 18179 | 2 }}
| 2,832
| {{Percentage | 2832 | 30762 | 2 }}
| 1,693
| {{Percentage | 1693 | 22654 | 2 }}
| 2,139
| {{Percentage | 2139 | 27853 | 2 }}
| 2,152
| {{Percentage | 2152 | 34350 | 2 }}
| 3,562
| {{Percentage | 3562 | 44977 | 2 }}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
|-
| [[Jainism]] [[File:Jain_Prateek_Chihna.svg|15px]]
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 18179 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 30762 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 22654 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 27853 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 34350 | 2 }}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
|-
| [[Christianity]] [[File:Christian cross.svg|15px]]
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| 279
| {{Percentage | 279 | 30762 | 2 }}
| 168
| {{Percentage | 168 | 22654 | 2 }}
| 1,020
| {{Percentage | 1020 | 27853 | 2 }}
| 1,101
| {{Percentage | 1101 | 34350 | 2 }}
| 445
| {{Percentage | 445 | 44977 | 2 }}
| 2,942
| {{Percentage | 2942 | 228555 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Judaism]] [[File:Star_of_David.svg|15px]]
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 30762 | 2 }}
| 13
| {{Percentage | 13 | 22654 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 27853 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 34350 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 44977 | 2 }}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
|-
| [[Zoroastrianism]] [[File:Faravahar.svg|15px]]
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 30762 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 22654 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 27853 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 34350 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 44977 | 2 }}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
|-
| [[Buddhism]] [[File:Dharma_Wheel_(2).svg|15px]]
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 30762 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 22654 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 27853 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 34350 | 2 }}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
|-
| [[Ahmadiyya]] [[File:Liwa-e-Ahmadiyya_1-2.svg|15px]]
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| 51
| {{Percentage | 51 | 228555 | 2 }}
|-
| Others
| 67
| {{Percentage | 67 | 18179 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 30762 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 22654 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 27853 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 34350 | 2 }}
| 609
| {{Percentage | 609 | 44977 | 2 }}
| 64
| {{Percentage | 64 | 228555 | 2 }}
|-
! Total population
! 18,179
! {{Percentage | 18179 | 18179 | 2 }}
! 30,762
! {{Percentage | 30762 | 30762 | 2 }}
! 22,654
! {{Percentage | 22654 | 22654 | 2 }}
! 27,853
! {{Percentage | 27853 | 27853 | 2 }}
! 34,350
! {{Percentage | 34350 | 34350 | 2 }}
! 44,977
! {{Percentage | 44977 | 44977 | 2 }}
! 228,555
! {{Percentage | 228555 | 228555 | 2 }}
|}

==Transportation==
===Rail===
Construction of the [[Kohat Tehsil railway station]] and railway line was started in 1897, and was completed in 1902. The [[Kohat Cantonment railway station]] serves as the terminus for the [[Khushalgarh–Kohat–Thal Railway]] - which ceased onward narrow gauge (762&nbsp;mm or 2&nbsp;ft 6 in) railway service to Thall in 1991. Kohat is the terminus railway station of Kohat<ref>[http://www.ugo.cn/photo/PK/en/8745.htm kohat railway station, Photo-Pakistan] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140310015647/http://www.ugo.cn/photo/PK/en/8745.htm |date=2014-03-10 }}. Ugo.cn. Retrieved on 2013-07-12.</ref>-[[Jand, Attock|Jand]] railway line and has daily train service to [[Rawalpindi]].

The Kohat Rail Service, suspended in 2013 due to unforeseen circumstances, caused immense hardship for the local population. Undeterred, President Saleem Altaf Advocate spearheaded a peaceful movement through Karwaan-E-Amal Kohat. Following a resilient 4-year struggle, the Kohat Rail Service was triumphantly restored in 2017. Today, millions of people in Kohat reap the benefits of this vital transportation link.

===Air===
{{main|Kohat Airbase}}
The nearest airport served by commercial services is [[Bacha Khan International Airport]] in [[Peshawar]]. [[Kohat Airbase]] {{Airport codes|OHT|OPKT}} is a [[Pakistan Air Force]] base that began as a runway built by the British. [[Pakistan International Airlines|PIA]] once used the airport using [[de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter|de Havilland Twin Otter]], though Kohat is no longer served by commercial services.

===Road===
Kohat is a major node on the [[Indus Highway|N-55 Indus Highway]] that connects Peshawar to [[Karachi]], and the [[N-80 National Highway|N-80]] highway that connects Kohat to [[Islamabad]]. The {{convert|1.9|km|mi|1}} [[Kohat Tunnel]] was completed in 2004,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://downloads.nha.gov.pk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=390&Itemid=58|title=Kohat Tunnel|access-date=17 December 2013|archive-date=17 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131217224949/http://downloads.nha.gov.pk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=390&Itemid=58|url-status=dead}}</ref> and connects the southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to [[Peshawar]]. Constructed with [[Japan–Pakistan relations|Japanese assistance]], the tunnel drastically reduced travel times across the [[Kohat Pass]].

==Media==
* Radio Pakistan Kohat
* Kohat Press Club<ref name="pressclub">{{cite web |author=Kohat Press Club |url=http://www.kohatpressclub.n.nu |title=Kohat Press Club &#124; Media, News, Kohat, Kohat Press Club |publisher=Kohatpressclub.n.nu |access-date=2012-11-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120826213711/http://www.kohatpressclub.n.nu/ |archive-date=2012-08-26 }}</ref>

==In popular culture==
Kohat plays a central role in the [[Homeland (season 8)|eighth season]] of U.S. political thriller [[Homeland (TV series)|Homeland]] particularly in the episodes [[Threnody(s)]], [[In Full Flight (Homeland)|In Full Flight]] and [[Designated Driver (Homeland)|Designated Driver]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.samaa.tv/entertainment/2020/04/adnan-jaffer-makes-an-appearance-on-homeland/|title=Adnan Jaffer makes an appearance on Homeland |date=April 13, 2020|website=[[Samaa TV]] |publisher=[[Jaag TV|Jaag Broadcasting Systems]] |access-date=April 30, 2020 }}</ref>

==Education==

===Universities===
* [[University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar|University of Engineering and Technology]] Peshawar Kohat Campus
* [[Kohat University of Science & Technology]]
* [[Preston University, Pakistan|Preston University]] in Kohat

===Colleges===
* [[Khyber Medical College]] Peshawar Campus
* [[Cadet College Kohat]]
* [[Garrison Cadet College Kohat]]
* [[Government degree college kohat]]

==Historical military significance==
[[Kohat Cantonment]] was established in the British Era, and it is one of the eight cantonments falling in the Peshawar region. 
Kohat is also the headquarters of Pakistan's [[Inter Services Selection Board (Pakistan)|Inter Services Selection Board]] (ISSB), which selects commissioned officers for the Pakistan armed forces of Pakistan including the Army, Navy and Air Force.

== Notable people ==
{{Unreferenced section|date=August 2016}}
* [[Afzal Bangash]], politician and co-founder and president of the Mazdoor Kisan Party
* [[Iftikhar Hussain Shah]], former Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
* [[Malik Saad]], Pakistani police officer
* [[Shahid Afridi]], Pakistani international cricketer and former captain of [[Pakistan national cricket team]].
* [[Rohan Mustafa]], Pakistani-born United Arab Emirates cricketer.
* [[Rashid Mansoor]], Pakistani cricketer

==See also==
{{portal|Pakistan}}
* [[List of cities in Pakistan by population]]
* [[List of cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by population]]
* [[Kohat Division]]
** [[Hangu District, Pakistan|Hangu District]]
*** [[Doaba, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa|Doaba]]
*** [[Hangu, Pakistan|Hangu]]
*** [[Thal, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa|Tall]]
** [[Karak District]]
*** [[Karak, Pakistan|Karak]]
** [[Kohat District]]
*** [[Lachi (Urban)|Lachi]]
*** [[Shakardara]]
** [[Kurram District]]
*** [[Parachinar]]
*** [[Sadda, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa|Sadda]]
** [[Orakzai District]]
* [[Pashto]]
* [[Hindko]]
** [[Kohati]]
* [[1924 Kohat riots]]
* [[Jhandi railway station]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Kohat}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081202133819/http://www.nwfptourism.com.pk/ Sarhad Tourism Corporation, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan]
* [http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/4b7ba8db1a.html Refworld | Pakistan: Shia IDPs fearful of being targeted]
* [http://www.na.gov.pk/en/mna_list.php?list=khyber, Members National Assembly]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130625080716/http://www.pakp.gov.pk/index.php/members/bydistrict/en/19/73, Members Provincial Assembly]

{{Largest cities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa}}
{{PakistanCities}}
{{Kohat-Union-Councils}}

[[Category:Populated places in Kohat District]]
[[Category:Cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]]