Abbottabad

**Abbottabad** is a city in Pakistan. It is in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and is the capital of Abbottabad District. It is also known as the "city of the pines". More that 1.4 million people live in the city. One of the most important places for army training in Pakistan, the Pakistan Military Academy,  is in Kakul, near Abbottabad.

## Location

Abbottabad is in the Orash valley, between the two parallel mountain ranges of Mount Sarban and Mount Shimla. In addition to being the district capital, it is also the capital of the Hazara Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is linked by road to Haripur and Rawalpindi to the South, Mansehra to the North-West and Murree to the East.

## History

The city of Abbottabad is named after Major James Abbott – a British soldier and administrator who founded the city during British rule in 1853. British rule in this area lasted from 1849 until Pakistan became independent in 1947. During this time, Abbottabad was an important army garrison or base for the British Indian Army.

## Culture and language

The people of Abbottabad are mostly from the Syed (shahs), Karlal, Dhund Abbasi, Gurjar, Awan, Tanoli and Jadoon tribes. It is a peaceful area with high literacy and low crime rates. The main language, or dialect, spoken here is Hindko dialect of Panjabi. In the rural suburbs of the town people practice some agriculture, whereas the town itself offers many commercial and business opportunities of different types.

## The main town and cantonment

Although the original old town of Abbottabad has expanded a lot, much of its original 1850s town, civil lines and cantonment still survive from the time of the British Raj. Some of its old sights are of special historical interest to tourists, including St Luke's Church, Abbottabad and the Old Christian Cemetery Abbottabad. The fine Lady Garden Park is also a popular place.

## Osama bin Laden

In May 2011, commandos from the US Navy attacked a large house in Kakul area close to Abbottabad and killed five people. The Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden had been living in the house, and was one of the people who were killed there.

## Other websites

- Abbottabad government website

## Infobox (settlement)

- **official name**: Abbottabad
- **native name**: ()
- **name**: Abbottabad
- **image skyline**: View of Abbotabad.JPG
- **imagesize**: 240px
- **image caption**: View of Abbottabad from Shimla Hill
- **mapsize**: 150px
- **pushpin map**: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa#Pakistan
- **subdivision type**: Country
- **subdivision name**: Pakistan
- **subdivision type1**: Subdivisions of Pakistan, Province
- **subdivision name1**: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
- **subdivision type2**: Subdivisions of Pakistan, District
- **subdivision name2**: Abbottabad District, Abbottabad
- **established title**: Founded
- **established date**: 1863
- **population total**: 1430238
- **pop est as of**: 2012
- **blank1 name sec1**: List of districts of Pakistan by Human Development Index, HDI
- **blank1 info sec1**: 0.70
- **blank2 name sec1**: HDI Category
- **blank2 info sec1**: High
- **elevation m**: 1256
- **population density km2**: auto
- **leader title**: Nazim
- **leader title1**: Naib Nazim
- **blank name sec2**: Number of Union councils of Pakistan, Union Councils
- **blank info sec2**: 6
- **area code**: 0992
- **area code type**: List of dialling codes of Pakistan, Calling code
- **timezone1**: Pakistan Standard Time, PST
- **utc offset1**: +5
- **website**: http://www.abottabad.gov.pk
- **footnotes**: [https://web.archive.org/web/20110505162947/http://finance-abbottabad.gov.pk/abbottabad.htm Abbottabad District Government]