Balochistan-Jaffarabad

Brief History – Governmental Structure – Administrative Divisions – Historical Places – Tourism (Picnic Spots)

Brief History of Jaffarabad District

Jaffarabad district is named after Mir Jaffar Khan Jamali, who was a Muslim League veteran from Balochistan, and a close friend of Quaid‑e‑Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Mir Jaffar Khan contributed significantly to the promotion of the Muslim League cause in the area during the struggle for freedom from the British. He died on April 7, 1967, and was buried in Rojhan Jamali, which was his native village.

The areas now belonging to Jaffarabad district were called Jhatpat (also spelled Jhat Pat) and were part of the Jacobabad district of Sindh province; they remained so till 1970. Jhatpat was made a subdivision on 12 January 1932 with Captain Hoc Bland as the first Assistant Commissioner[1] of the subdivision.

After the dissolution of One Unit[2] in 1970, Jhatpat Subdivision was included in Sibi district and remained within the jurisdiction of Sibi district till January 1975, when Nasirabad tehsil was upgraded to a district level, and Jhatpat was made one of Nasirabad’s tehsils. Jaffarabad was separated from Nasirabad in 2002, after being granted district status. It has 4 subdivisions/Tehsils: Jaffarabad, Sohbatpur, Gandakha, and Usta Muhammad.

Since the district remained a part of other districts till 2002, it shares in the historical vicissitudes of those districts, details of which have been included in the relevant chapters.

[1] Jaffarabad district profile, P&D Department, GoB, 2011

[2] Provincial borders were dissolved in 1954-55, and West Pakistan became a single administrative unit under the One Unit Policy. This was dissolved in 1970, and all provincial boundaries were re-instituted.

Governmental Structure Jaffarabad district

At the Federal level, Jaffarabad district is allocated a set number of representatives in both the National Assembly and the Provincial Assembly:

• Number of seats in the National Assembly[1] 1
• Number of seats in the Provincial Assembly 3

Under the Local Government Act 2010, Amended in 2011, Jaffarabad district has 1 District Council with 38 Union Councils. It has 2 Municipal Committees as follows:

• Dera Allah Yar
• Usta Muhammad

Each Union Council is represented by one member in the District Council. In addition, there is special representation of women (33%) and of workers and peasants (5% each).

[1] This seat is shared by Nasirabad district

Administrative Divisions Jaffarabad District

The district had a total area of 2,445 km² before 2013, and was divided into 4 tehsils as follows:

Jhatpat Tehsil	16 Union Councils
Sohbatpur Tehsil (now a District)[1]	10 Union Councils
Usta Muhammad Tehsil	13 Union Councils
Gandakha Tehsil	07 Union Councils

Table 1.2 Jaffarabad Administrative Divisions

Sohbatpur district now has the following tehsils (data on Union Councils not available):

• Sohbatpur Tehsil
• Manjipur Tehsil
• Hairdin Tehsil
• Faridabad Tehsil

[1] Sohbatpur District is still not functional.

Historical Places Jaffarabad District

There are several monuments in the district which have historical value and thus need to be protected under Pakistan Laws. The most important of these are:

• Sohbat Khan Mosque: This is a 19th century mosque with the grave of Sohbat Khan Gola. The town of Sohbatpur is surrounded by a wall with two gates for access
• Haveli (fort-like structure) built by Mir Jaffar Khan Jamali
• Tomb of Sakhi Jamali
• Tomb of Nasir Khan Jabba in Dera Allah Yar
• Shrine of Moulvi Qadir Bakhsh in Sohbatpur
• Shrine of Faizal Faqir in Gandakha: An annual mela (fair) is held here
• Tomb of Sakhi Dur Muhammad: An annual mela is held here

Tourism (Picnic Spots) Jaffarabad District

There are no picnic spots or tourist attractions in the district. Families generally go to various canal banks for a picnic and an outing.

Topography of Jaffarabad District

Area-wise, district Jaffarabad ranks as the second smallest district in Balochistan, and is, on the whole, a flat plain which is a part of the Kachhi basin. The land generally slopes from north to south with an elevation of 50 to 100 m above mean sea level. The district touches hilly areas of different districts from multiple sides of its borders, even though there are no hilly/mountainous areas in the district itself.

Rivers, Streams, and Lakes Jaffarabad District

The district is a part of the Kachhi Plain and, even though no river or streams flow directly through it, the district remains vulnerable to flash floods from the Nari River and its tributaries that flow through the Kachhi Plain. Some of the intermittent streams that originate from the mountains on the borders of the district and that flow through the district are Sabaya Wah, Lashkar Khan Wah, Naib Wah, Ro Khan Wah, Sohbat Wah, and Yar Muhammad Wah.

There are no lakes in the district.

Forests in Jaffarabad district

The following table shows the area and type of forests in the district (Balochistan Development Statistics 2018-19):

Total Forest Area	– A	Scrub Forests	– A
Rangelands	– A	Coniferous Forests	– A
Irrigated Plantations	150 A	Riverine Forests	– A
Coastal/Mangrove Forests	– A

Table 1.3 Jaffarabad Forests

There are no forests in the district, but there is tree cover along roadsides and canal banks. The main tree species include babul (Acacia nilotica), shisham (Dalbergia sissoo), ber (Zizyphus mauritiana and Zizyphus nummularia), frash (Tamarix aphylla), karir (Capparis aphylla), peelu (Salvadora Oleoides), sirin or black siris (Albizzia lebbek), white siris (Albizzia procera), neem (Azadirachta indica), kandi (Prosopis cineraria) and Eucalyptus.

Figure 1.3 IUCN GIS Map Jaffarabad District

Soils of Jaffarabad district

The district mainly has alluvial soils which can be classified as silt, clay, silt loam, and sandy loam.

Climate of Jaffarabad district

The climate of the district is very hot in the summers but pleasant and cool in winter. The summer months are from April to October. June is the hottest month, with mean maximum and minimum temperatures of about 44 °C and 29 °C respectively. In summer, the humidity is high, and dust storms are fairly common, generally followed by rains. The winter season lasts from November to March. January is the coldest month, with mean maximum and minimum temperatures of 23 °C and 8 °C respectively.

The Monsoon does not pass through the district, and hence the district receives very little rain. Average annual rainfall is about 110 mm.

Seismic Activity Jaffarabad district

According to the Seismic Zone Map of Pakistan, Jaffarabad district is just at the border of Zone 2A and Zone 3 which means that the district could suffer moderate to severe damage in case of an earthquake.

Population Jaffarabad District

The following table shows the population of the district as per 2017 Census:

District	Area km2	Population	Male%	Female%	Urban %	Growth Rate %
Jaffarabad District	2,445	513,813	51.1	48.9	30.8	3.02
Jhat Pat Tehsil	1,467	252,611
Usta Muhammad Tehsil	978	186,226
Sohbatpur[1]		200,538	51.4	48.6	6.4	1.85
Gandakha Tehsil	Included in  Usta Muhammad Tehsil	74,976

Table 1.4 Jaffarabad Population Statistics

Religions Jaffarabad District[2]

Muslims	98.2%
Christians	0.1%
Hindus	1.3%
Ahmadis	Negligible %
Schedule Castes	0.2%
Others	0.2%

Table 1.5 Jaffarabad Religions

Languages Jaffarabad district[3]

Urdu	0.2%
Punjabi	0.6%
Sindhi	23.6%
Pushto	0.4%
Balochi	62.3%
Seraiki	10.9%
Others[4]	2.1%

Table 1.6 Jaffarabad Languages

[1] Only population data is available for Sohbatpur District.

[2] 1998 census; includes Sohbatpur Tehsil; 2017 Census Data has not been made public yet.

[3] 1998 Census; 2017 Census Data has not been made public yet.

[4] These include Brahui etc.

Economic Activity – Economic Infrastructure

Economic Activity; Jaffarabad District

The main economic sectors[1] of the district include:

• Agriculture with its allied livestock breeding and fishing (70.9%)
• Community, Social & Personal Services (12.2%)
• Construction (8.1%)
• Wholesale, Retail and Restaurants/Hotels (3.7%)
• Manufacturing (1.7%)
• Others (3.4%)

Land Use of Jaffarabad district

The following table shows the land use statistics of Jaffarabad district (Balochistan Development Statistics 2018-19):

Total Area	244,500 HA	Reported Area	243,862 HA
Total Cultivated Area	219,050 HA	Net Sown	216,129 HA
Current Fallow	2,921 HA	Uncultivated Area	24,812 HA
Culturable Waste	2,852 HA	Forest Area	– HA

Table 1.7 Jaffarabad Land Use Statistics

Irrigation Network; Jaffarabad District

Jaffarabad district is irrigated by the Pat Feeder, Kirthar, and Shahi canals. Other canals irrigating the district (including Sohbatpur) are the Manjhoti and Uch Canals. Water in the Pat Feeder Canal is controlled through the Guddu Barrage, and the Kirthar and Shahi Wah Canals off-take from Sukkur Barrage. The Uch Canal, and Manjothi Canal are a part of the Desert Canal System of the Indus Basin Irrigation System.

The following table shows the mode of irrigation and area irrigated by it for Jaffarabad district as per Balochistan Development Statistics 2018-19:

Total Irrigated Area	216,245 HA	Private Canal Irrigated	– HA
Government Canals	215,558 HA	Wells	– HA
Tube Wells	687 HA	Karezes/Springs	– HA

Table 1.11 Jaffarabad Irrigation Statistics

There are no Karezes in the district.

Agriculture; Jaffarabad District

Jaffarabad is a plain agricultural area, and is in the Tropical Agro-Ecological Zone and Zone VII of Balochistan. This zone is canal irrigated and is in the Monsoonal belt. The crops of the district include wheat, barley, rapeseed/mustard, masoor, chickpeas, gram, rice, jowar, bajra, maize, sesanum, moong, maash, moath, sugarcane, guar seed, cotton, and canola.

Fruits grown in the district include mangoes, citrus, guava, dates, watermelon, musk melon, ber, and mulberry among others. Vegetable produce of the district includes onion, potato, tomatoes, okra, tinda, radish, spinach, turnips, carrots, bitter gourd, bottle gourd, pumpkin, cauliflower, peas, brinjal, cucumber, chilies, and coriander.

Livestock Breeding; Jaffarabad district

Livestock plays an important role in the economy of the district.

The following table shows the livestock statistics for Jaffarabad district (2006 Census of Livestock) included in Balochistan Development Statistics 2018-19:

Cattle	268,721 Heads	Buffaloes	156,427 Heads	Sheep	241,444 Heads
Goats	283,922 Heads	Camels	8,252 Heads	Horses	2,929 Heads
Mules	2,518 Heads	Asses	52,713 Heads

Table 1.8 Jaffarabad Livestock Statistics

The main livestock breeds of the district include bhagnari cattle, barbari goat, and Balochi sheep.

Figure 1.4 Bhagnari Cattle

Poultry Farms; Jaffarabad District

There are 02 poultry farms in Jaffarabad district according to Table 17 (Number of Commercial Poultry Farms and Number of Birds by Size of Flock). According to Balochistan Development Statistics 2018-19 there are 670,297

Fishing in Jaffarabad District

Fishing is carried out in the Pat and Kirthar canals and their sub-canals. This fish is mainly consumed locally.

Bee Keeping/Apiary; Jaffarabad district

Though Jaffarabad district is one of the most important agricultural areas of Balochistan, bee keeping is not a significant economic activity in the district.

Figure 1.5 Pat Feeder Canal

Mining in Jaffarabad district

There are no mineral deposits in the district. Exploration for oil and gas has been undertaken.

Industry and Manufacturing in Jaffarabad district

There are no major industries in the district. According to the District Development Profile Jaffarabad 2011, by Planning and Development (P&D) Department, Government of Balochistan in collaboration with UNICEF, the following units are operating in the district:

Rice Husking Units	10 Units
Flour Mills	13 Units
Ice Factories	01 Unit
Oil Extraction Units	01 Unit
Cotton Ginning Factories	03 Units

Table 1.9 Jaffarabad Indstries

Trade (Import/Export); Jaffarabad district

There is no large scale trade activity in the district.

Handicrafts of Jaffarabad district

In Jaffarabad district, handicrafts such as embroidery work, needlework and other crafts (including mats and sheets designed for use as flooring) are very common. Carpet making is a common handicraft in the district. Traditionally, mostly women and girls do embroidery work from home.

[1] 1998 Census; 2017 Census Data has not been made public yet.

 

Economic Infrastructure; Jaffarabad District

Jaffarabad has comparatively better road linkages to other districts and provinces than many other districts of Balochistan. Major cities and towns are linked by metaled roads. Jaffarabad district is linked with other parts of Pakistan through Pakistan Railway.

Road Statistics; Jaffarabd district

According to the Balochistan Development Statistics 2018-19, the road statistics of Jaffarabad district (including data on Sohbatpur) are as follows:

Total Roads	1,864.0 km
High Type Roads	1,843.0 km
Low Type Roads	21.0 km

Table 1.10 Jaffarabad Road Statistics

Some of the important roads of the district include:

• National Highway N-65 passes through the district (Sukkur-Sibi-Saryab Highway)
• Dera Allah Yar-Hairdin Road
• Usta Muhammad-Mirwah Road
• Hairdin-Marghuzar Road
• Jhatpat-Usta Muhammad Road
• Dera Allah Yar-Sohbatpur Road

Rail and Airways Jaffarabad district

There is a railway station at Dera Allah Yar.

There is no commercial or military airport in the district. The nearest airport is the Jacobabad Airport in Jacobabad district.

Radio and Television Jaffarabad district

There are no TV or radio broadcasting stations in the district, but radio programs broadcast from Karachi, Quetta, and Islamabad as well as Zahidan (Iran), Kabul (Afghanistan) and the BBC can be heard throughout the district. TV can be viewed through cable.

Telecommunications Jaffarabad district

The district is connected to other parts of the country through telephone and telegraph. There are 03 telephone exchanges in the district which provide 461 landline and 350 broadband connections in the district (Balochistan Development Statistics 2018-19). Cellular phone companies also provide their services in the district.

Post Offices in Jaffarabad district

There are a total of 07 post offices in the district.[1] All the major courier companies provide their services as well.

Electricity and Gas Jaffarabad district

Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO) is responsible for the supply and transmission of electricity to the district.

Banking/Financial Services Jaffarabad district

According to the List of Reporting Bank Branches 2019, provided by the State Bank of Pakistan, the following banks all have their branches in the district (this includes data for Sohbatpur):

• National Bank of Pakistan (NBP)
• Habib Bank
• United Bank Limited (UBL)
• Muslim Commercial Bank
• Agricultural Development Bank of Pakistan (ADBP)

In all there are 21 branches of various conventional banks in the District.

Educational Institutions Jaffarabad district

The following table shows the number of Educational Institutions in Jaffarabad district (including Sohbatpur) as per Balochistan Development Statistics 20183-19:

Institution	Boys/Girls	Institution	Boys/Girls
Primary Schools	353/144	Middle Schools	28/13
High Schools	21/07	Community Schools	24
Higher Secondary	01/01	Degree Colleges	01/01
Universities	–	Mosque Schools[2]	–
Vocational Training Schools[3]	–	Private Schools[4]	12

Table 1.12 Jaffarabad Educational Institutes

There is a Cadet College in Jaffarabad. Separate data for Sohbatpur is not available.

In addition there are private educational institutions imparting education at all levels.

Healthcare Facilities; Jaffarabad district

The following table shows the Government Health Care Institutions[5] in Jaffarabad district (including Sohbatpur) as per Balochistan Development Statistics 2018-19:

Institution	No./beds	Institution	No./beds
Teaching Hospitals	–	Hospitals	03/190
Rural health Centers	01/20	Basic Health Units	43/-
Dispensaries	35/-	Mother Child Health Centers	07/-
TB/Leprosy Clinics etc.	01/-	Private Hospitals	–
Dispensaries (private)	01/0

Table 1.13 Jaffarabad Health Institutes

Policing; Jaffarabad district

The larger part of the district is bifurcated into an “A” and a “B” area. The “A” area, comprising towns and highways, has a police force. All major law and order situations in the “B” area, however, are dealt with by levies.

A levy is a conventional force for maintaining law and order. Installed during British rule, levy members are recruited along tribal or clan lines. The levies fall under the direct command of the Deputy Commissioner (DC), with powers delegated to the assistant commissioners, and tehsildars, among others.

Policing of Jaffarabad district is the responsibility of the Regional Police Officer (RPO) Nasirabad. The RPO is assisted by 3 SubDivisional Police Officers (SDPO) stationed at Dera Allah Yar, Sanhri, and Usta Muhammad. In all, there are 14 police stations in the district (19.7 (a) Number of Police Stations by Division/District; 2019 by Federal Bureau of Statistics).

Figure 1.7 Dera Murad Jamali Railway Station

Figure 1.8 A Bus Stop near Usta Muhammad

Figure 1.9 Canal Road, Usta Muhammad

Figure 1.10 Sohbatpur Mosque

Figure 1.11 A Public School in Dera Murad Jamali

Figure 1.12 Shrine of Sohbat Khan Gola

[1] Balochistan Development Statistics 2018-19

[2] included in Primary schools

[3] plans of establishing a Vocational Center at Usta Muhammad are underway

[4] This data is from Balochistan Development Statistics 2011

[5] Includes data for Harnai district also

Environment and Biodiversity Jaffarabad District

The environment in the district is hardly affected by “brown” pollution, as it lacks an industrial set-up or factories. Traffic-related pollution is limited to the areas around the highway, and the two cities: Jhatpat and Usta Mohammad. The rest of the area is free from smoke and air pollution. However, the diesel and electric powered rice shellers cause some environmental pollution.

Flora and Fauna Jaffarabad district

Due to canal network development and the subsequent conversion of land for irrigated agriculture, most of the district’s original forest cover has disappeared. The types of forests indigenous to the region were Tropical Thorn Forests. Remnants of the original vegetation have survived in areas where human interference is restricted, for instance, in graveyards, swamps and saline flats (locally called Pats).

Flora

There are 3 main vegetation zones in the district. These are:[1]

• Farmlands: Common tree species in farmlands are babul (Acacia nilotica), shisham (Dalbergia sissoo), ber (Zizyphus nummularia), farash (Tamarix aphylla), black siris (Albizzia lebbek), white siris (Albizzia procera), neem (Azadirachta indica), kandi (Prosopis cineraria), karir (Capparis aphylla), peelu (Salvadora oleoides) and Eucalyptus
• Canal Side, Road Side: Common tree species include shisham (Dalbergia sissoo), babul (Acacia nilotica) and Eucalyptus
• Saline and water logged areas: Common flora includes ghaz or khaggal (Tamarix dioica), desert poplar (Populus euphratica), and gum Arabica (Acacia nilotica). The main grasses are Saccharum munja, Typha angustifolia, and Panicum antidotale

Shrubs include mesquite (Prosopis juliflora), prickly sesbian (Sesbania bispinosa), aak (Calotropis procera), Haloxylon sp., and camel thorn (Alhagi camalorum). The ground cover is constituted mainly by grass like Aristida depressa, Eleusine compressa, Panicum antidotale, Saccharum munja, and Typha angustifolia.

Fauna

Mammals found in the swamps and flood inundation plains are common fox, wolf, Asiatic jackal, honey badger, grey mongoose, and wild boar.

The wildlife in the area includes migratory and non-migratory species. Migratory birds include seasonal ducks and houbara bustards, wild pigeons, kingfisher, spoonbill, herons, egrets, plovers, lapwings, stints, sandpipers, godwits, shanks, coots, quails, and curlews. Non-migratory birds include brown partridges, white partridges, batair, woodpecker common myna, parakeet, and white-cheeked bulbul. Ducks are common in marsh areas around the canal command area.

Protected Areas and Endangered Fauna Jaffarabad district

There are no wildlife protected areas in the district, nor are there any buildings of historical value being protected by Pakistani Laws.

[1] Jaffarabad District Profile 2011, by P&D Department GoB