Zhob
| Zhob | |
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 Zhob
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| Coordinates: 31°12′N 69°16′E / 31.20°N 69.26°E | |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Province | Balochistan |
| Elevation | 1,426 m (4,678 ft) |
| Time zone | PST (UTC+5) |
Zhob (Pashto: ژوب) is a small town and district capital of Zhob District in Balochistan province of Pakistan.[1] Zhob is located on banks of Zhob River. The city was originally known as Appozai named after a nearby village. During the colonial era it was named Fort Sandeman. It obtained its current name in 30 July 1976 when the then Prime Minister of Pakistan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had the name changed.[2]
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[edit] History
A Chinese pilgrim, Xuanzang, who visited the region in 629 AD mentioned about Pashtuns living in Zhob.[3]
Until the Zhob Valley expedition of 1884 the area was practically unknown to Europeans, and in 1889 the Zhob Valley and Gomal Pass were taken under the control of the British Government.[4] In December 1889 the town of Zhob, then known as Apozai, was occupied by the British and named Fort Sandeman after Sir Robert Sandeman.
The district of Zhob was formed in 1890, with Fort Sandeman as the capital. The population was 3552, according to the 1901 census of India. The military garrison included a Native cavalry and a Native infantry regiment. It was also the headquarters of the Zhob Levy Corps. In 1894 a supply of water from the Saliaza valley was established— which allowed irrigation and planting of fruits and trees and provided drinking water. It cost a little over a lakh of rupees.
During the colonial era the Political Agent resided in a building known as "the Castle" that lay to the north of the town and 150 feet above the surface of the plain. The military lines, bazar, dispensaries, and school lay below. During this time the railway system was built. The nearest railway station in Baluchistan is Harnai, 168 miles distant. Bhakkar, the railway station for Dera Ismail Khan, is 122 miles distant. The population numbered 3,552 in 1901. The garrison included a Native cavalry and a Native infantry regiment, and Fort Sandeman is also the headquarters of the Zhob Levy Corps. Lawoon, Kakar, Mandokhail,Nasar and Babar are the main tribes living in Zhob. The Lawoon Tribe resides in Qamardin Karez (Kakar Khurasan, Tehsil) Pak Afghan Boarder.
A local fund was created in 1890; the income during 1903-4 was Rs. 18,000 and the expenditure Rs. 17,000. One-third of the net receipts from octroi was paid over to the military authorities. A small sanitarium, about 8,500 ft. above sea-level, exists about 30 miles away at Shinghar on the Sulaiman range, to which resort is made in the summer months.[5]
Zhob is also the location of a Pakistan Army cantonment.
[edit] Climate
Zhob has a semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh) and is just high enough to be removed from the arid climate category found at lower elevations. Unlike most of Balochistan, Zhob does on occasions receive rainfall from the monsoon though this occurs very erratically.
| Climate data for Zhob | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 12.8 (55.0) |
14.4 (57.9) |
20.3 (68.5) |
26.7 (80.1) |
32.2 (90.0) |
36.8 (98.2) |
35.9 (96.6) |
35.3 (95.5) |
32.9 (91.2) |
27.9 (82.2) |
21.4 (70.5) |
15.6 (60.1) |
26.0 (78.8) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −0.9 (30.4) |
1.8 (35.2) |
7.4 (45.3) |
13.2 (55.8) |
17.8 (64.0) |
22.7 (72.9) |
23.2 (73.8) |
22.5 (72.5) |
19.0 (66.2) |
11.9 (53.4) |
5.8 (42.4) |
0.8 (33.4) |
12.1 (53.8) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 18.3 (0.72) |
26.2 (1.031) |
48.1 (1.894) |
29.9 (1.177) |
14.5 (0.571) |
10.5 (0.413) |
48.5 (1.909) |
58.9 (2.319) |
10.5 (0.413) |
2.9 (0.114) |
3.7 (0.146) |
13.0 (0.512) |
285 (11.22) |
| Sunshine hours | 238.7 | 220.3 | 241.8 | 255.0 | 322.4 | 312.0 | 297.6 | 300.7 | 300.0 | 300.7 | 276.0 | 251.1 | 3,316.3 |
| Source: HKO [6] | |||||||||||||
[edit] Transport
[edit] Roads
Zhob is 333 kilometers from Quetta, 225 kilometers from Dera Ismail Khan. However, the road linking with Dera Ismail Khan is for most part fair nowadays track passing through water streams and almost complete road is metalloid. Nowadays work is on full speed on national high way from Quetta to Zhob, 50% of work is completed. Zhob has great link with NWFP because it connects Balochistan with NWFP and so on with Punjab, first it took 12 hours or more to reach Dera ismail khan but now it is distance of almost 4 hours and on this route there is a heavy traffic of cargo and goods carrying vehicles to NWFP and Punjab and this route is very convenient for transportation between Punjab and Balochistan. This road is very important for carrying goods from province Pakhtoonkawa to the sea port of Karachi.
[edit] Railway
Zhob is linked by rail with the Pakistan Railways network. In 2006, the Pakistan Railways converted the narrow gauge railway track into a broad gauge. The Zhob line junctions off the Chaman line north of Quetta at Bostan. A more direct route to the capital via Dera Ismail Khan and Darya Khan is also proposed. The new project will link Quetta with Peshawar via Bostan, Zhob, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu and Kohat.[7]
[edit] Air
The Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan has constructed an airport at Zhob with a 6,390 ft. runway that links Zhob by air with the major cities of Pakistan. A Pakistan International Airlines flight operates from Quetta, linking Zhob with Multan, Dera Ismail Khan, Peshawar and Islamabad.
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ Tehsils & Unions in the District of Zhob - Government of Pakistan
- ^ Zhob Background - Balochistan Police Website
- ^ Dawn News, The cradle of Pathan culture
- ^ Zhob - Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh addition
- ^ Fort Sandeman - Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 12, p. 103.
- ^ "Climatological Normals of Zhob". Hong Kong Observatory. http://www.hko.gov.hk/wxinfo/climat/world/eng/asia/westasia/zhob_e.htm. Retrieved 2011-11-01.
- ^ "PR to establish rail link Quetta to DI Khan via Zhob". PakTribune. http://www.paktribune.com/news/print.php?id=117268. Retrieved 2011-04-01.
[edit] References
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
