Battagram (, ) is a tribal district in Hazara Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. The headquarter is Battagram, which is about 75 km from Mansehra city. It was part of historic Yaghistan (Independent Territory) before 1955. Later in 1955, It was merged into Pakistan and made part of neighboring Mansehra District with the status of Tehsil. It was officially separated from Mansehra District in July 1993 and was given the status of district.
Geography The district of Battagram is located at a latitude of 34.41 and longitude of 73.1. It is surrounded by Kohistan District to the north, Mansehra District to the east, (Torghar District) to the south, and Shangla District to the west.
It has a land area of . Battagram obtained the status of a district in July 1993, when it was upgraded from a Tehsil and separated from Mansehra District.
Location and Altitude Battagram is situated at 34°41'N 73°1'E and has an altitude of approximately 1,038 meters (3,408 feet) above sea level. It is nestled amidst the picturesque mountains of northern Pakistan.
Climate Battagram experiences a mild and generally warm climate. The average temperature hovers around 18.5 °C (65.3 °F), and the annual precipitation averages about 1,427 millimeters (56.18 inches). June is the hottest month, while January is the coldest.
Demographics
Population As of the 2023 census, Batagram district has 51,366 households and a population of 335,984. The district has a sex ratio of 101.26 males to 100 females and a literacy rate of 39.09%: 54.69% for males and 23.34% for females. 103,719 (30.89% of the surveyed population) are under 10 years of age. The entire population lives in rural areas. 799 (0.24%) people in the district are from religious minorities, mainly Christians.
Social groups Major ethnic groups in the districts are: Gujjar Swati (pashtuns) Akundkhel (pashtuns) Medakhel (pashtuns)
Language
At the time of the 2023 census, 80% of the population spoke Pashto, 18% Gujari, and 2% speak Hindko and Kohistani languages. 11.88% of the population spoke languages classified as 'Others', mainly other Kohistani languages.
Administration The district has geographical borders with the districts of Kohistan to the north, Mansehra to the east and southeast, Torghar to the south and Shangla to the west. The district consists of only one sub-division or Tehsil, containing 12 in total Union Councils:
In 2022, Allai Tehsil was separated and upgraded to District status.
Tehsil Urdu name Pashto nameArea (km²)Pop. (2023)Density (ppl/km²)
(2023)Literacy rate (2023) No. of Unions Name of Unions Battagram Tehsil497335,984676.0241.20% 12 Ajmera, Banian, Battagram, Batamori, Gijbori, Kuza Banda, Paimal Sharif, Peshora, Rajdhari, Shumlai, Thakot and Trand
Provincial Assembly Member of Provincial Assembly Party affiliation Constituency Year Zubair Khan Swati (Allai Khan) Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf PK-34 Battagram-I2024 Taj Muhammad Khan Swati (Trand Khan)Pakistan Tehreek-e-InsafPK-35 Battagram-II 2024
Education Several schools and colleges contribute to improving the literacy rate in the area but majority of Private schools are miss leading children as they provide Copy/Paste Answers to students during exam. NGOs and foreign funds have played a role in building schools to enhance education.
2005 earthquake
Battagram was one of the areas affected by the Pakistan earthquake of October 8, 2005 when more than 4,500 people were killed and approximately 35,000 were injured. Many residents of the area were rendered homeless and without shelter. Since October 8, 2005, the NGOs and the governmental organization Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority have been engaged in reconstruction work but as of 2009, the reconstruction work is not completed. In some cases residents have rebuilt houses themselves.
References
Bibliography