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.Abbottabad – Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition British rule in this area lasted from 1849After the annexation of Punjab in March 1849, the British were based at Haripur town, until the founding of Abbottabad in January 1853. See Hazara District Gazetteer Government of the Punjab, Lahore, 1884, p.34 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.

 References 

 Other websites 

 Abbottabad government website 

Category:Hill stations in Pakistan

Category:1863 establishments in Asia
Category:1860s establishments in Pakistan