Quetta: Difference between revisions
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imported>OAbot m Open access bot: url-access updated in citation with #oabot. |
imported>2paknartopa m Added Sindhis and Saraikis to the list of ethnic groups, as the 2023 Census shows Sindhi (1.57%) and Saraiki (1.35%) among Quetta’s major urban languages. |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}} | {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}} | ||
{{Infobox settlement<!--See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields that may be available--> | {{Infobox settlement<!--See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields that may be available--> | ||
| name | | name = Quetta | ||
| official_name | | official_name = | ||
| other_name | | other_name = | ||
| native_name | | native_name = {{hlist | ||
|{{lang|ps|کوټه}} | |{{lang|ps|کوټه}} | ||
|{{lang|bal|{{Nastaliq|کویٹہ}}}} | |{{lang|bal|{{Nastaliq|کویٹہ}}}} | ||
|{{lang|ur|{{Nastaliq|کوئٹہ}}}} | |{{lang|ur|{{Nastaliq|کوئٹہ}}}} | ||
}} | }} | ||
| nickname | | nickname = ''Fruit Garden of Pakistan'' | ||
| etymology | | etymology = | ||
| settlement_type | | settlement_type = [[Metropolis]]<!-- Don't change without discussion --> | ||
| motto | | motto = | ||
| image_skyline | | image_skyline = {{Multiple image | ||
|total_width = 280px | |total_width = 280px | ||
|perrow = 1/2/2/2 | |perrow = 1/2/2/2 | ||
| Line 30: | Line 30: | ||
|caption4 = [[Hanna Lake]] | |caption4 = [[Hanna Lake]] | ||
}} | }} | ||
| image_flag | | image_flag = Quetta City Flag.png | ||
| flag_size | | flag_size = | ||
| image_seal | | image_seal = | ||
| seal_size | | seal_size = | ||
| image_shield | | image_shield = | ||
| shield_size | | shield_size = | ||
| image_blank_emblem | | image_blank_emblem = Quetta Metropolitan Corporation.png | ||
| blank_emblem_type | | blank_emblem_type = Emblem | ||
| blank_emblem_size | | blank_emblem_size = 120px | ||
| image_map | | image_map = | ||
| map_caption | | map_caption = | ||
| pushpin_map | | pushpin_map = Balochistan Pakistan#Pakistan | ||
| pushpin_map_caption | | pushpin_map_caption = | ||
| pushpin_mapsize | | pushpin_mapsize = | ||
| pushpin_relief | | pushpin_relief = yes | ||
| coordinates | | coordinates = {{Wikidatacoord|Q185458|region:PK_type:city|display=inline,title}} | ||
| subdivision_type | | subdivision_type = Country | ||
| subdivision_name | | subdivision_name = {{PAK}} | ||
| subdivision_type1 | | subdivision_type1 = [[Provinces of Pakistan|Province]] | ||
| subdivision_name1 | | subdivision_name1 = {{flagicon|Balochistan}} [[Balochistan, Pakistan|Balochistan]] | ||
| subdivision_type2 | | subdivision_type2 = [[Divisions of Pakistan|Division]] | ||
| subdivision_name2 | | subdivision_name2 = [[Quetta Division|Quetta]] | ||
| subdivision_type3 | | subdivision_type3 = [[Districts of Pakistan|District]] | ||
| subdivision_name3 | | subdivision_name3 = [[Quetta District|Quetta]] | ||
| government_footnotes | | government_footnotes = | ||
| government_type | | government_type = Municipal Corporation<ref name="Government">{{cite web |url=http://www.balochistan.gov.pk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=836&Itemid=1087 |title=Government Organization – Government of Balochistan |work=balochistan.gov.pk |access-date=6 September 2016 |archive-date=7 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207154808/http://www.balochistan.gov.pk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=836&Itemid=1087 |url-status=live }}</ref> | ||
| leader_title | | leader_title = [[Mayor of Quetta|Mayor]] | ||
| leader_name | | leader_name = Seat Vacant | ||
| leader_title1 | | leader_title1 = [[Mayor of Quetta|Deputy Mayor]] | ||
| leader_name1 | | leader_name1 = Seat Vacant | ||
| leader_title2 | | leader_title2 = Commissioner | ||
| leader_name2 | | leader_name2 = [[Muhammad Hamza Shafqaat|Hamza Shafqaat]]<ref name="dawn1">{{cite news |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1797418 |title=Quetta sit-in continues as talks break down |date=13 December 2023 |access-date=19 December 2023 |work=Daen (newspaper) |archive-date=19 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231219141450/https://www.dawn.com/news/1797418 |url-status=live }}</ref> | ||
| leader_title3 | | leader_title3 = [[Deputy Commissioner (Pakistan)|Deputy Commissioner]] | ||
| leader_name3 | | leader_name3 = Saad Bin Asad<ref name="dawn1"/> | ||
| established_title | | established_title = Settled | ||
| established_date | | established_date = {{start date and age|1876}} | ||
| unit_pref | | unit_pref = PAK | ||
| area_footnotes | | area_footnotes = | ||
| area_metro_km2 | | area_metro_km2 = 3501 | ||
| area_total_km2 | | area_total_km2 = 3501 | ||
| area_water_percent | | area_water_percent = | ||
| elevation_footnotes | | elevation_footnotes = | ||
| elevation_m | | elevation_m = 1,680 | ||
| elevation_ft | | elevation_ft = 5,510 | ||
| elevation_max_m | | elevation_max_m = | ||
| elevation_min_m | | elevation_min_m = | ||
| population_as_of | | population_as_of = [[2023 Census of Pakistan|2023]] | ||
| population_footnotes | | population_footnotes = <ref name="census2017">{{cite report |year=2017 |title=DISTRICT WISE CENSUS RESULTS CENSUS 2017 |url=http://www.pbscensus.gov.pk/sites/default/files/DISTRICT_WISE_CENSUS_RESULTS_CENSUS_2017.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829164748/http://www.pbscensus.gov.pk/sites/default/files/DISTRICT_WISE_CENSUS_RESULTS_CENSUS_2017.pdf |archive-date=29 August 2017 |publisher=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics |page=13 |access-date=29 March 2018 }}</ref> | ||
| population_note | | population_note = | ||
| total_type | | total_type = [[City]] | ||
| population_total | | population_total = 1,745,546 | ||
| population_rank | | population_rank = [[List of most populous cities in Pakistan|9th in Pakistan]];<br />[[List of cities in Balochistan, Pakistan by population|1st in Balochistan]] | ||
| population_density_km2 | | population_density_km2 = auto | ||
| population_blank1_title = [[Demonym]] | | population_blank1_title = [[Demonym]] | ||
| population_blank1 | | population_blank1 = Quettan or Quettawal (kʰwətə.wal) | ||
| timezone | | timezone = [[Pakistan Standard Time|PKT]] | ||
| utc_offset | | utc_offset = +05:00 | ||
| timezone_DST | | timezone_DST = | ||
| utc_offset_DST | | utc_offset_DST = | ||
| postal_code_type | | postal_code_type = [[Postal codes in Pakistan|Postal code]] | ||
| postal_code | | postal_code = 87300 | ||
| area_code | | area_code = 081 | ||
| area_code_type | | area_code_type = [[Dialling codes in Pakistan|Dialing code]] | ||
| website | | website = {{URL|http://www.balochistan.gov.pk/}} | ||
}} | }} | ||
'''Quetta'''{{efn|{{IPAc-en|'|k|w|ɛ|t|ə}}; {{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|کوئٹہ}}}}, ''ko'eṭa'', {{IPA|hns|ˈkweːʈə||Quetta pronunciation.ogg}} {{langx|bal|کویٹہ}} {{Langx|ps|کوټه}}}} is the capital and largest city of the [[Administrative units of Pakistan|Pakistani province]] of [[Balochistan, Pakistan|Balochistan]]. It is the ninth [[List of cities in Pakistan by population|largest city]] in [[Pakistan]], with an estimated population of over 1. | '''Quetta'''{{efn|{{IPAc-en|'|k|w|ɛ|t|ə}}; {{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|کوئٹہ}}}}, ''ko'eṭa'', {{IPA|hns|ˈkweːʈə||Quetta pronunciation.ogg}} {{langx|bal|کویٹہ}} {{Langx|ps|کوټه}}}} is the capital and largest city of the [[Administrative units of Pakistan|Pakistani province]] of [[Balochistan, Pakistan|Balochistan]]. It is the ninth [[List of cities in Pakistan by population|largest city]] in [[Pakistan]], with an estimated population of over 1.7 million in 2024.<ref>{{cite web |title=Quetta Population 2024 |url=https://worldpopulationreview.com/world-cities/quetta-population |website=worldpopulationreview.com }}</ref> 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 {{convert|1680|m|ft|abbr=off}} above sea level,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://population.mongabay.com/population/pakistan/1167528/quetta |title=Mongabay -environmental science and conservation news |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304052058/http://population.mongabay.com/population/pakistan/1167528/quetta |archive-date=4 March 2016 }}</ref> 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.<ref name="Quetta fruit garden of Pakistan">{{cite news |url=https://www.bolnews.com/trending/2020/01/winter-destinations-mesmerizing-places-in-pakistan/ |title=Winter destinations – Mesmerizing places in Pakistan |work=[[Bol News]] |date=18 January 2020 |access-date=7 January 2022 |archive-date=24 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624133958/https://www.bolnews.com/trending/2020/01/winter-destinations-mesmerizing-places-in-pakistan/ |url-status=live }}</ref> | ||
Located in northern [[Balochistan]] near the [[Durand line|Pakistan-Afghanistan border]] and the road across to [[Kandahar]], Quetta is a trade and communication centre between the two countries.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gazdar |first1=Haris |last2=Kaker |first2=Sobia Ahmad |last3=Khan |first3=Irfan |title=Buffer zone, colonial enclave or urban hub? Quetta: between four regions and two wars |website=www.crisisstates.com |date=February 2010 |url=https://eprints.lse.ac.uk/28472/ |language=en |archive-date=28 May 2024 |access-date=28 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240528184740/https://eprints.lse.ac.uk/28472/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The city is near the [[Bolan Pass]], which was on a major gateway from [[Central Asia]] to [[South Asia]]. | Located in northern [[Balochistan]] near the [[Durand line|Pakistan-Afghanistan border]] and the road across to [[Kandahar]], Quetta is a trade and communication centre between the two countries.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gazdar |first1=Haris |last2=Kaker |first2=Sobia Ahmad |last3=Khan |first3=Irfan |title=Buffer zone, colonial enclave or urban hub? Quetta: between four regions and two wars |website=www.crisisstates.com |date=February 2010 |url=https://eprints.lse.ac.uk/28472/ |language=en |archive-date=28 May 2024 |access-date=28 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240528184740/https://eprints.lse.ac.uk/28472/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The city is near the [[Bolan Pass]], which was on a major gateway from [[Central Asia]] to [[South Asia]]. | ||
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=== Foundation === | === Foundation === | ||
[[File: Quetta map before 1935.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Map of Quetta after the [[1935 Quetta earthquake]]|left]] | [[File: Quetta map before 1935.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Map of Quetta after the [[1935 Quetta earthquake]]|left]] | ||
In 1856, British General [[John Jacob (East India Company officer)|John Jacob]] had urged his government to occupy Quetta given its strategic position on the western frontier.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G-48AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA458 |title=The Cambridge History of the British Empire |last=Dodwell |first=H. H. |date=1929 |publisher=CUP Archive }}</ref> British troops constructed the infrastructure for their establishment as a garrison town.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shah |first=Syed Ali |date=29 December 2013 |title=Quetta: 'Little Paris' lost |url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1077071 |access-date=18 July 2024 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en |archive-date=18 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240718151952/https://www.dawn.com/news/1077071 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1877, the [[British Empire|British]] made an agreement with then [[Khanate of Kalat|Khan of Kalat]], [[Khudadad Khan (ruler)|Mir Khudadad Khan]] to rule Quetta, which started the regime of [[Robert Groves Sandeman|Sir Robert Groves Sandeman]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Waters Gilbertson |first1=George |title=The Balochi Language: A Grammar and Manual |date=1923 |publisher=Stephen Austin & Sons, ltd |location=Hertford |page=1-2 |url=https://ia601506.us.archive.org/27/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.57563/2015.57563.Balochi-Language-A-Grammar-And-Manual_text.pdf#:~:text=Balochi%20Language%20A%20Grammar%20And,•raging%20torrents |access-date=16 June 2025 |language=en |chapter=Forward}}</ref> | |||
It was reconstructed after the [[1935 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.<ref name="ڈان اردو">{{cite web |author=ڈان اردو |date=30 December 2013 |title=پاکستانی شہروں کی تاریخ |url=http://www.dawnnews.tv/news/1001058 |access-date=26 February 2016 |work=dawnnews.tv |archive-date=6 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306213852/http://www.dawnnews.tv/news/1001058 |url-status=live }}</ref> After the foundation of Pakistan, Balochistan acquired the status of a province and Quetta became a provincial capital.<ref name="Burki" /> | It was reconstructed after the [[1935 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.<ref name="ڈان اردو">{{cite web |author=ڈان اردو |date=30 December 2013 |title=پاکستانی شہروں کی تاریخ |url=http://www.dawnnews.tv/news/1001058 |access-date=26 February 2016 |work=dawnnews.tv |archive-date=6 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306213852/http://www.dawnnews.tv/news/1001058 |url-status=live }}</ref> After the foundation of Pakistan, Balochistan acquired the status of a province and Quetta became a provincial capital.<ref name="Burki" /> | ||
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|2023|1,565,546}} | |2023|1,565,546}} | ||
According to the [[2023 Pakistani census|2023 Census of Pakistan]], the population of the city was a total of 1,565,546.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pakistan: Provinces and Major Cities - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/pakistan/cities/ |access-date=31 August 2024 |website=www.citypopulation.de |archive-date=28 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028210633/https://www.citypopulation.de/Pakistan-100T.html |url-status=live }}</ref> 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.<ref name="The Pashtun Question">{{cite book |author=Abubakar Siddique |title=The Pashtun Question: The Unresolved Key to the Future of Pakistan and Afghanistan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PkVeBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA22 |year=2014 |publisher=Hurst |isbn=978-1-84904-292-5 |page=22 }}</ref> The city has a [[Pashtuns|Pashtun]] plurality followed by [[Baloch people|Balochs]], [[Hazara people|Hazaras]], [[Brahui people|Brahui]], [[ | According to the [[2023 Pakistani census|2023 Census of Pakistan]], the population of the city was a total of 1,565,546.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pakistan: Provinces and Major Cities - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/pakistan/cities/ |access-date=31 August 2024 |website=www.citypopulation.de |archive-date=28 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028210633/https://www.citypopulation.de/Pakistan-100T.html |url-status=live }}</ref> 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.<ref name="The Pashtun Question">{{cite book |author=Abubakar Siddique |title=The Pashtun Question: The Unresolved Key to the Future of Pakistan and Afghanistan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PkVeBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA22 |year=2014 |publisher=Hurst |isbn=978-1-84904-292-5 |page=22 }}</ref> The city has a [[Pashtuns|Pashtun]] plurality followed by [[Baloch people|Balochs]], [[Hazara people|Hazaras]], [[Brahui people|Brahui]], [[Sindhis]], [[Saraiki people|Saraikis]], [[Punjabis]] and [[Urdu-speaking people|Urdu-speaking]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bianchi |first=Robert |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6dzQCwAAQBAJ |title=Guests of God: Pilgrimage and Politics in the Islamic World |date=25 March 2008 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-971183-3 |page=92 |language=en |quote=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. |archive-date=19 February 2025 |access-date=28 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250219204702/https://books.google.com/books?id=6dzQCwAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Fair |first1=C. Christine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FW4Cx75_7usC&dq=Quetta+punjabis+pashtuns&pg=PA12 |title=Pakistan: Can the United States Secure an Insecure State? |last2=Crane |first2=Keith |last3=Chivvis |first3=Christopher S. |last4=Puri |first4=Samir |last5=Spirtas |first5=Michael |date=13 April 2010 |publisher=Rand Corporation |isbn=978-0-8330-4870-7 |pages=12 |language=en |archive-date=19 February 2025 |access-date=28 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250219204634/https://books.google.com/books?id=FW4Cx75_7usC&dq=Quetta+punjabis+pashtuns&pg=PA12 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Urdu]] being the national language is used and understood by all the residents and serves as a [[lingua franca]]. | ||
'''Languages''' | |||
{{Pie chart | |||
| caption = Languages of Urban Quetta (2023) | |||
| value1 = 62.94 | |||
| label1 = [[Pashto]] | |||
| color1 = Limegreen | |||
| value2 = 10.26 | |||
| label2 = [[Brahui language|Brahui]] | |||
| color2 = crimson | |||
| value3 = 7.29 | |||
| label3 = [[Balochi language|Balochi]] | |||
| color3 = Lightgreen | |||
| value4 = 4.73 | |||
| label4 = [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] | |||
| color4 = red | |||
| value5 = 3.88 | |||
| label5 = [[Urdu]] | |||
| color5 = green | |||
| value6 = 1.57 | |||
| label6 = [[Sindhi language|Sindhi]] | |||
| color6 = Orange | |||
| value7 = 1.35 | |||
| label7 = [[Saraiki language|Saraiki]] | |||
| color7 = aqua | |||
| value8 = 1.44 | |||
| label8 = [[Hindko]] | |||
| color8 = lightblue | |||
| value9 = 6.54 | |||
| label9 = Others | |||
| color9 = grey | |||
}} | |||
According to [[Reuters]] and the [[BBC]], there are as many as 500,000-600,000 [[Hazaras]] living in Quetta and its surrounding areas.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pakistan-shooting/two-killed-in-sectarian-attack-in-southwestern-pakistan-idUSKBN1HT0N2 |title=Two killed in sectarian attack in southwestern Pakistan |work=Reuters |date=22 April 2018 |archive-date=22 April 2018 |access-date=22 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180422170948/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pakistan-shooting/two-killed-in-sectarian-attack-in-southwestern-pakistan-idUSKBN1HT0N2 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-42219669 |title=The community caged in its own city |work=BBC News |date=12 December 2017 |last1=Kermani |first1=Secunder |author-link1=Secunder Kermani |archive-date=26 July 2018 |access-date=21 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726200108/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-42219669 |url-status=live }}</ref> | According to [[Reuters]] and the [[BBC]], there are as many as 500,000-600,000 [[Hazaras]] living in Quetta and its surrounding areas.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pakistan-shooting/two-killed-in-sectarian-attack-in-southwestern-pakistan-idUSKBN1HT0N2 |title=Two killed in sectarian attack in southwestern Pakistan |work=Reuters |date=22 April 2018 |archive-date=22 April 2018 |access-date=22 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180422170948/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pakistan-shooting/two-killed-in-sectarian-attack-in-southwestern-pakistan-idUSKBN1HT0N2 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-42219669 |title=The community caged in its own city |work=BBC News |date=12 December 2017 |last1=Kermani |first1=Secunder |author-link1=Secunder Kermani |archive-date=26 July 2018 |access-date=21 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726200108/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-42219669 |url-status=live }}</ref> | ||
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== Sports == | == Sports == | ||
[[File:Qayyum Changezi.jpg|thumb|200x200px|The [[Qayyum Papa Stadium]] is named after [[Pakistan national football team]] captain [[Qayyum Changezi]], hailing from Quetta]] | [[File:Qayyum Changezi.jpg|thumb|200x200px|The [[Qayyum Papa Stadium]] is named after [[Pakistan national football team]] captain [[Qayyum Changezi]], hailing from Quetta]] | ||
[[association football|Football]] is the most popular sport among the people of Quetta.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Raheel |first=Natasha |date=5 December 2021 |title=Football, Balochistan and hope |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2332579/football-balochistan-and-hope |access-date=11 May 2024 |website=The Express Tribune |language=en }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Wasim |first=Umaid |date=26 November 2021 |title=Balochistan's boundless passion for football has nowhere to go but an event is keeping the flame alive |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1660239 |access-date=30 May 2024 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en |archive-date=12 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241112010809/https://www.dawn.com/news/1660239 |url-status=live }}</ref> The city has produced notable footballers for the [[Pakistan national football team]] including [[Abdul Wahid Durrani]], [[Qayyum Changezi]], [[Ayub Dar]], [[Mohammad Ali (footballer, born 1989)|Mohammad Ali]], and [[Rajab Ali (footballer)|Rajab Ali Hazara]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=InpaperMagazine |first=From |date=13 January 2013 |title=In-depth: Pakistan football |url=https://www.dawn.com/2013/01/13/in-depth-pakistan-football/ |access-date=5 May 2024 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en |archive-date=25 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130525043530/http://dawn.com/2013/01/13/in-depth-pakistan-football/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Main football clubs from Quetta include [[Baloch FC Quetta|Baloch Quetta]]. [[Balochistan United W.F.C.|Balochistan United WFC]] won the [[2014 National Women Football Championship|2014 National Women Championship]]. The major football ground is [[Ayub National Stadium]], a multipurpose stadium also used for athletics. Other football grounds include [[Qayyum Papa Stadium]] and [[Sadiq Shaheed Stadium]]. | [[association football|Football]] is the most popular sport among the people of Quetta.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Raheel |first=Natasha |date=5 December 2021 |title=Football, Balochistan and hope |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2332579/football-balochistan-and-hope |access-date=11 May 2024 |website=The Express Tribune |language=en }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Wasim |first=Umaid |date=26 November 2021 |title=Balochistan's boundless passion for football has nowhere to go but an event is keeping the flame alive |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1660239 |access-date=30 May 2024 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en |archive-date=12 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241112010809/https://www.dawn.com/news/1660239 |url-status=live }}</ref> The city has produced notable footballers for the [[Pakistan national football team]] including [[Abdul Wahid Durrani]], [[Qayyum Changezi]], [[Ayub Dar]], [[Mohammad Ali (footballer, born 1989)|Mohammad Ali]], and [[Rajab Ali (footballer)|Rajab Ali Hazara]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=InpaperMagazine |first=From |date=13 January 2013 |title=In-depth: Pakistan football |url=https://www.dawn.com/2013/01/13/in-depth-pakistan-football/ |access-date=5 May 2024 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en |archive-date=25 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130525043530/http://dawn.com/2013/01/13/in-depth-pakistan-football/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Main football clubs from Quetta include [[Baloch FC Quetta|Baloch Quetta]], [[Hazara FC Quetta|Hazara Club Quetta]]. [[Balochistan United W.F.C.|Balochistan United WFC]] won the [[2014 National Women Football Championship|2014 National Women Championship]]. The major football ground is [[Ayub National Stadium]], a multipurpose stadium also used for athletics. Other football grounds include [[Qayyum Papa Stadium]] and [[Sadiq Shaheed Stadium]]. | ||
[[File:Bugti stadium Quetta.jpg|thumb|alt=Quetta cricket stadium|[[Bugti Stadium]], home of [[Quetta Gladiators]]|left]] | [[File:Bugti stadium Quetta.jpg|thumb|alt=Quetta cricket stadium|[[Bugti Stadium]], home of [[Quetta Gladiators]]|left]] | ||
Latest revision as of 23:21, 21 October 2025
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QuettaTemplate:Efn is the capital and largest city of the Pakistani province of Balochistan. It is the ninth largest city in Pakistan, with an estimated population of over 1.7 million in 2024.[1] 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 Template:Convert above sea level,[2] 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.[3]
Located in northern Balochistan near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and the road across to Kandahar, Quetta is a trade and communication centre between the two countries.[4] The city is near the Bolan Pass, which was on a major gateway from Central Asia to South Asia.
Etymology
The name Quetta is a variation of the Pashto word Kwatkōṭ, or kōta meaning "fortress".[5] Quetta was formerly known as Shalkot (Template:Langx, Template:Langx).[6]
History
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Early history
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Fort Mirri in 1880
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Quetta Cantonment, 1889
Modern day Quetta was captured by Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi during his invasion of India.[7] In 1543, Mughal emperor Humayun came to Quetta en route to Safavid Persia, leaving his son and future Mughal emperor Akbar here. In 1709, the region was a part of Afghan Hotak dynasty and stayed a part until 1747 when Ahmed Shah Durrani conquered it and made it a part of Durrani Empire. The first European visited Quetta in 1828, describing it as mud-walled fort surrounded by three hundred mud houses.[8]
Foundation
In 1856, British General John Jacob had urged his government to occupy Quetta given its strategic position on the western frontier.[9] British troops constructed the infrastructure for their establishment as a garrison town.[10] In 1877, the British made an agreement with then Khan of Kalat, Mir Khudadad Khan to rule Quetta, which started the regime of Sir Robert Groves Sandeman.[11]
It was reconstructed after the 1935 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.[12] After the foundation of Pakistan, Balochistan acquired the status of a province and Quetta became a provincial capital.[7]
Climate
Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". Quetta has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk) 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 Template:Convert. The highest temperature in Quetta is Template:Convert which was recorded on 10 July 1998.[13] Autumn starts in mid-September and continues until mid-November with average temperatures in the Template:Convert range. Winter starts in late November and ends in late February with average temperatures near Template:Convert. The lowest temperature in Quetta is Template:Convert which was recorded on 8 January 1970.[13] Spring starts in early March and ends in mid-May with average temperatures close to Template:Convert. Unlike more easterly parts of Pakistan, Quetta does not have a monsoon season of heavy rainfall. Highest rainfall during 24 hours in Quetta is Template:Convert which was recorded on 17 December 2000,[13] Highest monthly rainfall of Template:Convert was recorded in March 1982 which was also the year of the highest annual rainfall, Template:Convert.[13] 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 Template:Convert in four hours on 29 January,[14] followed on 2 February by Template:Convert in 10 hours[15] – 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 of El-Nino over Pakistan.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
Demographics
Template:Historical populations
According to the 2023 Census of Pakistan, the population of the city was a total of 1,565,546.[16] 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.[17] The city has a Pashtun plurality followed by Balochs, Hazaras, Brahui, Sindhis, Saraikis, Punjabis and Urdu-speaking.[18][19] Urdu being the national language is used and understood by all the residents and serves as a lingua franca.
Languages
According to Reuters and the BBC, there are as many as 500,000-600,000 Hazaras living in Quetta and its surrounding areas.[20][21]
| Religious group |
1891[22] | 1941[23] | 2017[24][25] | 2023[26] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
| Hinduism File:Om.svg | 7,180 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". | 24,010 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". | 6,112 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". | 5,366 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". |
| Islam File:Star and Crescent.svg | 6,281 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". | 27,935 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". | 975,815 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". | 1,264,791 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". |
| Christianity File:Christian cross.svg | 2,650 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". | 5,024 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". | 16,842 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". | 20,897 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". |
| Sikhism File:Khanda.svg | 807 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". | 7,364 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". | — | — | 123 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". |
| Zoroastrianism File:Faravahar.svg | 31 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". | 73 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". | — | — | 46 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". |
| Judaism File:Star of David.svg | 16 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". | 11 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". | — | — | — | — |
| Buddhism File:Dharma Wheel (2).svg | 0 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". | 42 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". | — | — | — | — |
| Jainism File:Jain Prateek Chihna.svg | 0 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". | 6 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". | — | — | — | — |
| Tribal | 0 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". | 0 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". | — | — | — | — |
| Ahmadiyya File:Liwa-e-Ahmadiyya 1-2.svg | — | — | — | — | 363 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". | 127 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". |
| Others | 2 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". | 11 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". | 253 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". | 506 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". |
| Total population | 16,967 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". | 64,476 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". | 999,385 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". | 1,291,856 | Script error: No such module "Percentage". |
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Administration
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.[27] In addition, Quetta Development Authority is responsible for provision of municipal services for the city.[28]
Transportation
Quetta is on the western side of Pakistan and is connected to the rest of the country by a network of roads, railways and its international airport close to its centre.
At an altitude of Template:Convert above sea level, Quetta International Airport is the second-highest airport in Pakistan.[29] Pakistan International Airlines has regular flights to and from the other major cities of Pakistan including Islamabad, Gwadar, Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar.
Quetta Railway Station is one of the highest railway stations in Pakistan at Template:Convert 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 of Pakistan Railways connects Quetta to Karachi in the south, by a Template:Convert track, Lahore in the northeast (1,170 km or 727 miles) and Peshawar further northeast (1,587 km or 986 miles). A metalled road runs alongside the railway that connects Quetta to Karachi via the nearby town of Sibi to Jacobabad and Rohri in the plain of the River Indus.[30]
Education
Quetta serves as the learning centre for the Balochistan province. The city has a number of government and private colleges, including the following:
- Balochistan Agriculture College
- Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences (BUITEMS)
- Bolan Medical College
- Islamia High School, Quetta; frequently visited by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in 1937, and was nicknamed as Chhota Aligarh (Little Aligarh) by him.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
- Pakistan Command and Staff College
- Sardar Bahadur Khan Women's University
- St Francis Grammar School
- St. Joseph's Convent School, Quetta
- Government Science College, Quetta
- Tameer-e-Nau Public College
- University Law College, Quetta
- University of Balochistan
Sports
Football is the most popular sport among the people of Quetta.[31][32] The city has produced notable footballers for the Pakistan national football team including Abdul Wahid Durrani, Qayyum Changezi, Ayub Dar, Mohammad Ali, and Rajab Ali Hazara.[33] Main football clubs from Quetta include Baloch Quetta, Hazara Club Quetta. Balochistan United WFC won the 2014 National Women Championship. The major football ground is Ayub National Stadium, a multipurpose stadium also used for athletics. Other football grounds include Qayyum Papa Stadium and Sadiq Shaheed Stadium.
Bugti Stadium is the home of Balochistan cricket team, a first-class cricket team which competes in domestic tournaments,[34] and the Quetta-based team Quetta Gladiators compete in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). They were the champion of the PSL 2019.
Boxing is highly popular as well.[35] 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 produced Zeeshan Ashraf and Shakeel Abbasi, who were members of the Pakistan's national hockey team.
Facilities
Local facilities were created in the city for mountain climbing and caving 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 at Hanna Lake.
Twin towns and sister cities
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Gallery
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Junior officers in a tactical discussion at the Infantry School, Quetta
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Askari Park
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Jinnah Road
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Quetta in 1880
See also
- 2008 Ziarat earthquake
- Balochi cuisine
- Governor's House, Quetta
- List of people from Quetta
- Quetta hut
- Quetta Memorial Precinct
- RMS Quetta
Notes
References
Bibliography
- Template:EI2
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External links
- Balochistan Board Template:Webarchive
- Template:Official website (archived 18 October 2010)
Template:Quetta Template:Neighbourhoods of Quetta Template:Pakistani cities Template:Districts of Balochistan (Pakistan) Template:Most populous cities of Balochistan, Pakistan Template:Authority control
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