Haripur, Pakistan

Haripur (Urdu: ہری پور) is a city in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan, 65 km north of Islamabad and 35 km south of Abbottabad, in a hilly plain area.

A brief history

Haripur was founded as a military cantonment by the Sikh general Hari Singh Nalwa around circa 1821. Hari Singh Nalwa was appointed by Raja Ranjit Singh as the second Nazim of Hazara after the first Nazim Amar Singh Majithia was killed by the local populace.

Haripur was built as a fortress surrounded by a wall which was four yards thick and sixteen yards high and had only four openings. Drinking water was provided by digging a tank. Many small drains were dug to carry sullage water. Baron Hugal visited the town on December 23, 1835, and he found the town humming with activity.

Haripur has produced numerous famous scions including the first native Pakistani Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Ayub Khan who later became the president of Pakistan and gave the country its second constitution in 1962. Air Chief Marshal Muhammad Anwar Shamim, also from Haripur, was the Chief of Pakistan Air Force from 23rd July, 1978 to 5th March, 1985. Several federal and provincial ministers as well Chief Ministers of North West Frontier Province have come from Haripur and its surrounding villages. Qateel Shafai, one of the famous Urdu language poets of Pakistan and poet/journalist Fazil Jamili are also the scion of the Haripur city.

To the south of Haripur only miles away lie the ancient Buddhist university town of Taxila. To the north within miles is the world's largest rockfilled dam, Tarbela Dam, the bulwark of Pakistani power generation and irrigation system. Also to the south lies the picturesque Khanpur dam which supplies drinking water to Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Haripur is a green valley rich in fruits and vegetables and serves as the base market for the mountainous cities of Abbottabad and Mansehra and rest of Hazara Division. It is currently the major city of the Haripur district, one of the five districts that used to comprise Hazara Division namely Haripur, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Batagram and Kohistan.

Famous Poets from Haripur

• Qateel Shifai* Hafeez Asar
• Riaz Saaghir
• Sufi Rasheed
• Qazi Jamilur Rahman
• Siddique Manzir
• Abu Sufiyan Safi
• Afsar Rasheedi
• Fazil Jamili
• Saeed Ashhar
• Waheed Qureshi
• Raja Riazur Rahman
• Saghir Nadeem

See also

• Haripur District