Karak, Pakistan
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Karak | |
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  Karak | |
| Coordinates: 33°04′N 71°30′E / 33.07°N 71.5°E | |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Province | Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3,372 km2 (1,302 sq mi) |
| Population (1998) | |
| • Total | 430,796 persons |
| Time zone | UTC+5 (PST) |
Karak (Pashto: کرك, Urdu: کرک) is the headquarters of Karak District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is 123 km from Peshawar on the main Indus Highway between Peshawar and Karachi. It is located at 33°7'12N 71°5'41E.[1] Karak is said to be the single district in Pakistan which is inhabited by only one tribe of Pashtuns — the Khattak.
Language
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The predominant language of Karak is Pashto;locally known as "khattaka" the dialect is the softer "Kandahari" Pashto as opposed to the harder "Peshawari" dialect. Urdu and English are understood by majority however, they are spoken to a lesser degree. Mostly people here like to wear Shalwar Qamees, that is traditional dress of almost every city in khyber Pashtunkhwa.
History
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Till 1956, the district was part of the princely state of Teri and was ruled by Nawab of Teri. Teri State was divided into tappas (satrapies)- Teri, Seni-Khurram and Barak. In 1956 Teri State was merged with Kohat Tehsil. Thus between 1956 and 1982, present district of Karak was administratively part of Kohat. Karak was established as a separate district July 1, 1982. The district is predominantly populated by the Pashtun Khattak tribe.
Resources
There are several natural resources that have been discovered in Karak. The salt mines were well known in antiquity and a major source of salt for the Indian subcontinent into British imperial times. More recently oil, gas, and uranium have all been discovered. Oil and gas reservoirs have been found in the towns of Makori, Noshpa Banda, Gurguri and Lachi circle. Teri is also very important village of Karak. The Nawab of Dist Karak and Khattak Nama etc. was Ghazi Khan son of Darwaish Muhammad the brother of Akor Khan. Then Nawab Jaffar, then Nawab Allah hKhan and Nawab Abdullah Khan wife Mrs. Moran daughter of Nawab Behram Khan Son of Khushal Khattak. Nawab Behram or Nawab Abdullah khan arrested the important Khan of Teri a.k.a. Ashraf khan Hijre, who died in Jail . See The History Book " Tareekh Murassa " but this history book is silent about Nawab Ghazi Khan the brother of Akor Khan and about Nawab Jafar .The father of Akor Khan and Ghazi Khan etc. was Darwaish Muhammad and the father of Darwaish Muhammad Was Taman Baba. The son of Taman was Hassan (Tomb in Lachi on main High way Seddle/Kaye On top of hill(police Check post } and the father of Hassan was Sheikh Ali {Baig} Baba (Shrine in Lachi Bala).God may bless upon all (Syeds} Khattaks, because Syed Karlanr was Syed and we all are from them from mother side. and from father side we are all Khattak. by Usama Iqbal Khattak.
Politics
The District is represented in the provincial assembly by two elected MPAs who represent the following constituencies: PF-40 (Karak-1) Gul Sahib Khan Khattak and PF-41 (Karak-2) Malik Qasim khattak .
Administrative divisions
The district of Karak is administratively subdivided into three tehsils: Banda Daud Shah, Karak city and Takht-e-Nasrati.
Education
Karak has the highest literacy rate in Pakistan after Islamabad and Wah. Since Islamabad and Wah are mainly populated by migratory people, thus Karak is ranked as the district having the highest literacy rate in the country.
Wildlife
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Diverse wild life across the district with annual hunting season of quails, cranes, black and brown pheasants. It is a well known place for hunting quails (batair) and fowl. There are game reserves used for hunting by the VIPs. One such hunting place is Darab o’ Kachch abundant in partridges and quail. Hunting is a popular pastime in the area.
Forestry
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Forests cover only 2.1 percent area of the Karak district, which is the lowest figure in the province. The sheen ghar velly of shamshakki palosa sar are full of green forest but facing threat from timber mafia . However, the forest Department has carried out mass forestation throughout the district especially along roads, which will achieve better results in future. There was one good project of Forest Department in Zarki Nasrati (Maree Sam)but due to some reasons Mafias Cut all the forest, now there is nothing, but peoples of the area still hoping that Forest department will start this project with new energy.
Climate
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The climate is hot during the summers, with temperature reaching 40-45, and sand storms are common in Tehsil Takht-e-Nasratti. However, Sawatra regions are the coolest part in summer. The best time to visit is between Nov-April with lush green fields of wheat and grains.
