Hangu, Pakistan
 | This article needs attention from an expert in Pakistan. The specific problem is: article requires unbiased knowledge. (January 2013) |
Hangu
سیدان بانڈہ هنګو | |
|---|---|
Town | |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Province | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |
| District | Hangu |
| Population | |
| • Religions | Islam Hinduism |
| Area code | 0925 |
Hangu (Pashto: هنګو), a town in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, is the principal city of the district of Hangu. It is known for its bodies of fresh water and its flora.
Language
Pashto is the main language spoken in Hangu, 100 % of the population speaks Pashto.
Location
Dobai arabic emarat
Development
There are several clinics and medical practices in Hangu: the Dr. Asma Hamid Clinic south of the old mosque, the Tasleem Clinic south of the Kohat Road and the Dr. Jamila Rehman Clinic on Shahidano Road.
There is a Police Training College, which is rumored to be the second oldest of Asia, located in the east of town, as well as a District and Session Court in the center of the town, near the police station and the local jail.
Education
Various public & private school & colleges exist in Hangu district. A campus of thr Agriculture University campus was to be build in Hangu City but the project is still pending, as the funds were allegedly transferred to Charsadda by the ANP provincial government .Recently the government degree college hangu start BS Hons 4 year program under Kohat University of Science and Technology.There are two government high schools for boys and two for girls in Hangu. Two Government Degree collages for boys and girls and a number of Private institutes are serving well in promoting the education in the area.
One government high school in Hangu is the Government High School Ibrahim Zai.[1]
Tribe
There are a number of different tribes in Hangu.The leading ones being the Bangash,Orakzai and Afridi along with some minorities like Wazir , Mahsud and Turi etc. The city of Hangu has 2 union councils which is Khan bari and Gunjiano Kali. and there are too many union councils in ruler area. Hangu dist has 2 provincial constituencies in Kyber Pukhtoonkhwa Assembly and one constituency in national assembly of Pakistan.
Origin of name
There are several theories concerning the origin of the name Hangu:
- 1. "Hangu" is said to be derived from the Pushtu word Hangu-Lee, which means “the dog growls in grief”. It used to be a common practice for the inhabitants of surrounding villages to leave dogs that were deemed weak or useless here. These homeless dogs growled during cold nights, and thus gave the town its name
- 2. "Hangu" is also the name of a place in China, and since many Chinese travelers have passed through the area for centuries, it's possible that travelers, like Hiuen Tsang, saw some similarities with their own region and thus named it Hangu.[2]
- 3. A local legend claims Hangu was the name of a Hindu merchant, who lived in the area and saved the town of a serious drought. The villagers prayed for rain for three days, with no effect, until they discovered that Hangu was the only one who didn't pray with them. They asked him why he didn't pray with them, to which he responded “You're all Muslims, how can a Hindu pray to the God of Muslims?". The people argued with him, saying he lived in the same village as them, and if would rain, he would benefit from it as well. In the end, they convinced him to pray with them. The merchant looked at the heavens and prayed to Allah, and as the people said "Ameen", clouds appeared and with great thunder it started raining. Out of gratitude, the town was named after the Hindu merchant who had prayed to Allah: Hangu.
Militancy
Hangu was a peaceful District until 2006, when the Taliban started strengthening their positions in the Tribal areas and Hangu city. The Taliban faced hard resistance from the local Shia community, especially in the main city. Hundreds of people were killed from both sides in these bloody clashes. [citation needed]
On 22 August 2008, sixteen militants (including two Chechens) were killed by Pakistani security forces in a skirmish at Hangu when security forces opened fire on their explosive-laden vehicle at a security checkpoint. One of the militants was arrested. One policeman and a member of the security forces were injured in the explosion. It was later discovered that the militants came from Darra Adamkhel, a town between Peshawar and Kohat with a thriving arms industry.[3]
On 10 December 2010 a suicide bomber killed eleven people (including two policemen, a woman and a child) and injured another twenty-two. The attack occurred near Al-Zahra hospital which was under construction.[4]
On 27 May 2011, 28 people were killed and another 55 injured when a suicide bomber exploded his vehicle at a checkpoint in the Hangu bazaar. Among the victims were four policemen. The explosion inflicted heavy damage to the offices of the Hangu police chief and special branch, the city police station, seventeen shops, three restaurants and a branch of the National Bank. The press was contacted by a Taliban spokesman claiming responsibility for the attack.[5]
On Thursday, 23 August 2012 militants opened fire on a police van, killing three officers and injuring another two. It was suspected that the Taliban was behind the attack.[6]
On Sunday, 26 January 2014, six children were killed in a toy-bomb explosion. [7]
Notable residents
- Lieutenant general Arif Bangash, Former Governor of Khyber Pukhtun Khwa and Corps Commander V Corps, Karachi
- M. Qasim Jan, scientist and Vice Chancellor of Peshawar University
References
- ^ Calamur, Krishnadev. "Pakistani Teen Dies Stopping Bomber From Striking School." (Archive) National Public Radio. 9 January 2014. Retrieved on 11 January 2014.
- ^ Aurel Stein. An Archaeological tour in Waziristan and Northern Baluchistan. pp. 29–30.
- ^ Dawn.com-Two Chechens among 16 militants killed in Hangu, Abdul Sami Paracha, August 23, 2008
- ^ Tribune.com - High-intensity blast: Suicide attack kills 11 in Hangu, Manzoor Ali, December 11, 2010
- ^ Dawn.com-Terror strike in Hangu claims 28 lives, Abdul Sahi Paracha, May 27, 2011
- ^ Dawn.com-Militants kill three policemen in Hangu, AFP, August 23, 2012
- ^ Dawn.com-Explosion kills six children in Hangu, Dawn News, January 26, 2014