Garhi Habibullah is a town and union council (an administrative subdivision) of Mansehra District in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.[1] It is located in Balakot Tehsil and lies to the east of district capital Mansehra, towards the Kashmir frontier (near to Muzaffarabad the capital of Azad Kashmir). It was affected by the 2005 Kashmir earthquake.[2] It is named after Habibullah Khan, a Chief of Swati tribe and Pakhli. Garhi Habibullah is basically divided into 5 separate estates. 1) Estate of Samundar Khan Khankhail Swati, Estate of Habib Khan Jehangiri Swati, Estate of Ameen Khan Jehangiri Swati, Estate of Hassan Ali Khan Arghushal Swati and Estate of Behram Khan Sarkheli Swati.[3][4]
Garhi Habibullah
Upper Pakhli | |
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Union council and town | |
Garhi Habibullah | |
Garhi Habibullah Location in Pakistan Garhi Habibullah Garhi Habibullah (Pakistan) | |
Coordinates: 34°24′05″N 73°22′49″E / 34.4014°N 73.3803°E | |
Country | Pakistan |
Region | Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa |
District | Mansehra District |
Government | |
• MPA | Munir Lughmani Swati |
• General Councilor (Chairman) | Fahad Yalmaz Khan Swati (Hundi Samandar Khan) |
• General Councilor (Vice Chairman) | Dr Wajid Hamayun Khan Swati (Hundi Behram Khan) |
• General Councilor (Member) | Danish Khan Swati (Hundi Hassan Ali Khan) |
Time zone | UTC+5 (PST) |
Area code | 0997 |
The people of Garhi Habibullah primarily speaks Hindko and Urdu as their second language. Garhi Habibullah was considered as Pashto speaking area when the Swatis used to speak Pashto during 18th and 19th centuries but shifted to Hindko with the passage of time.
According to 1872 division of Hazara District, Garhi Habib Khan was divided among 5 families into 5 Hundis/Jageers.[5]
Majority of people from Kami castes now identify themselves as Awans, Rajas, Qureshis, Kashmiris or Mughals to hide their real identify however their real caste is persevered in the Patwar Khana of Garhi Habibullah and Mansehra.