Haripur District
Haripur District is a district in the Hazara Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Before obtaining the status of a district in 1991, Haripur was a tehsil of Abbottabad District Its headquarters are the city of Haripur. According to 2023 Pakistani census population of Haripur District is 1,173,056.
History
During British rule what now constitutes Haripur district was an administrative subdivision of Hazara District.The tehsil was described by the Imperial Gazetteer of India, compiled over a century ago during British rule as follows:
On 30 June 1976, the Pakistani government bifurcated Hazara District, Mansehra Tehsil became a district in its own right and the two remaining tehsils Abbottabad and Haripur formed the district of Abbottabad.
In 1991 the tehsil of Haripur was split off from Abbottabad to form Haripur District.
Geography
The district of Haripur borders Abbottabad District to the east, Mansehra District to the northeast, the Punjab to the southeast, Buner to the northwest, and Swabi to the west. The federal capital of Islamabad is adjacent to the district in the south.Haripur is traversed by several significant rivers, including the Indus, Sirin, Dauor, and Haro.
- The Indus River flows into Haripur from Darband in the northwest, flowing along the district’s western boundary before exiting at Ghazi. It serves as the primary source for Tarbela Lake, a major reservoir in the region.
- The Sirin River, a tributary of the Indus, enters the district at Bir and merges into Tarbela Lake nearby. Though smaller than the Indus, it plays a vital role in the local hydrology.
- The Dauor River carries less water and follows a shorter, swifter course than the Sirin. Originating from the northern end of the Daunga Gali range, it flows through Haripur’s plains and joins the Sirin near the northeastern edge of the Gandger range, approximately 8 kilometres upstream from Tarbela. Despite its modest size, the Dauor irrigates a substantial portion of the district.
- The Haro River rises from the southern slopes of the Dunga Gali range and splits into two main branches: the eastern Dhund and the western Karral Haro. These converge at the head of the Khanpur tract, and the unified river flows onward to the Khanpur Panjkatha. The Haro typically provides a reliable water supply for the surrounding areas.
Demographics
As of the 2023 census, Haripur district has 192,451 households and a population of 1,174,783. The district has a sex ratio of 101.43 males to 100 females and a literacy rate of 74.88%: 84.13% for males and 65.61% for females. 282,230 are under 10 years of age. 147,765 live in urban areas.Languages
At the time of the 2023 census, 942,172 of the population spoke Hindko, 172,471 spoke Pashto, 23,423 Urdu, and 11,854 Punjabi and 23,136 others as their first language.Ethnic groups
Main ethnic groups in Haripur district are:- Gujjar
- Hindkowan
- Kohistani
Religion
Administration
The district of Haripur was a tehsil of the Abbottabad District until 1992. After that, it received the status of an independent district. Currently, Haripur District is divided into three Tehsils:| Tehsil | Name | Area | Pop. | Density | Literacy rate | Union Councils |
| Ghazi Tehsil | 595 | 151,839 | 255.19 | 69.69% | ||
| Haripur Tehsil | 834 | 836,058 | 1,002.47 | 76.07% | ||
| Khanpur Tehsil | 296 | 186,886 | 631.37 | 73.76% |
There were 30 Union Councils in 1962 and in 1979, 25 UC were reconstituted.
Provincial Assembly
Education
Haripur District has two government-funded postgraduate colleges, providing higher-level education, as well as four-degree colleges for women. The Haripur University was established in 2012, which was initially a Haripur campus of the Hazara University.The campus was upgraded to a full-fledged University of Haripur in 2012 by the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.In addition, the project of the Pak-Austria Fachhochschule Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology has also been functioning and is providing higher education since 2017 in village Mang at the main Khanpur Road in Haripur.