Daily Times

Unknowingly, I have a special attachment to this city Abbottabad and I’m attracted to visit it over and over. People think it’s a small city but once you start exploring it you’ll get to know what a beautiful place it is in Pakistan. Abbottabad, which is also call the city of pines, is located in the Hazara region of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in Pakistan. It is called the city of Pines because of striking sky touching pine trees there which have added to the scenery of this place.

From Motorway near Islamabad, you can make your way towards the Hazara Express which will lead you to this wonderful city or otherwise from Islamabad you can go to Hassan Abdal and so on crossing Havelian and then reaching this place, but Hazara Express is much better and smooth. You will smell the freshness in the air as soon as you enter Abbottabad. The pine trees and other plants have so far controlled the pollution in this area because of which you won’t see any dust around you.

First of all let me tell you that it is an amazingly developed city and you will find it open 24/7. Unlike Islamabad this city is awake all night. I was there in this Ramazan and the life of the city seemed like truly celebrating the festivity of this month. An unusual thing I observed there was that the prices of all eatables like vegetables, meat, fruits etc. were brought down on cheap rates so that everyone could afford them. People of Abbottabad are very generous, down to earth and caring. While you are out at Iftar or Sehri time they would offer you to have the meal with them rather they would force you.

Don’t miss Ilyasi Masjid while you are there in Abbotabad and it’s a must visit place of you want to feel true spirit of serenity and peacefulness. The Masjid has an aura which will take you into an unknown trance and you would not want to leave that place. There is a natural spring in the Masjid and do drink its water as it is said to cure diseases. Next to the mosque is the famous Pakora shop which is opened 24/7 and you will taste the most enticing pakoras over there with a delicious sauce.

The Mandi of Abbottabad is another wonder. This market is on a hill and divided into sections. You will see a whole market of grains, a separate market of flour and wheat, another one of meat, and then of other items. Small plants nurseries are also seen selling sweet fragrant flowers and plants of different types. Well the uniqueness of this Mandi is that it is one of the oldest places in Abbottabad and is settled in layers. You keep walking on the hill and by passing blocks you will see wholesale and retail markets. It’s easier to buy things from there because of the dedicated sections of the market and I am amazed how well planned it is. On your way you will see small food stalls and I would suggest you to try out gulab jaman and bbq food from there.

Yes when we come to food and cuisines, you will see many lamb Shinwari restaurants. The owner of one of the restaurants told me that Shinwari is a clan and cooking lamb is their specialty which has been passed on to them by their forefathers. You will see whole lambs hanging in the shops and then you can get a piece of your choice and get it cooked in lamb’s fat. They don’t use cooking oils in the cooking. So if you are there do try out the Dumba Shinwari.

If you are a shopping lover then you must visit the area called Jhoogian which is located on the road that leads to Nathiagali from Abbottabad. This place Jhoogian has best crockery and cloths for gents and ladies while the prices are nominal. Being a crockery lover in all my trips I do go and shop for crockery of different types which is unique and not found in Lahore or elsewhere. On the main Abbottabad road you will see huge plazas and shopping malls and would you believe that all clothes and other brands have opened their outlets there. No doubt it is becoming an elite city. The same road will take you to Mansehra and up north to Naran Kaghan and above.

Let me give you an outline of the one who developed this place. It was Sir James Abbott who was a British army officer and administrator in colonial India. He was commissioned as a cadet in the Bengal Artillery at the age of sixteen, arriving in India in 1823. In 1827 he was promoted to Lieutenant and made adjutant to the Sirhind division of artillery. In June 1838 he was promoted to brevet Captain. In November 1838, Abbott served in the army of Sir John Keane, who had been tasked with supporting Shuja Shah Durrani in his bid to wrest power from Dost Mohammad Khan in Afghanistan. In March 1840 Abbott set off from Khiva to Fort Alexandrovsk on the Caspian Sea. His caravan was stroked by Kazakhs and he was injured in the hand and taken as prisoner, but he and his party were released because they feared revenge.

He reached St Petersburg but the attempt at mediation failed. His bravery was recognized through promotion to full Captain. In 1841, Abbott returned from Britain to India. He first held a post with a local battalion in Mewar before becoming an assistant to the Resident in Indore in 1842. Following the conclusion of the First Anglo-Sikh War in 1846, Abbott was handpicked to become one of Sir Henry Lawrence’s “Young Men”, also known as The Paladins of the Punjab. These were East India Company officers sent to act as “advisers” to the Sikh ruler.

After the British had annexed the Punjab in the aftermath of the Second Anglo-Sikh War, Abbott was promoted to brevet Major and appointed First Deputy Commissioner of Hazara. This was the time when Abbott reached the land he developed as Abbottabad. Abbott’s original seat of government in the Hazara was at Haripur but he eventually decided to shift this up into the hills for climatic and strategic reasons. Thus, a site was selected and acquired in late 1852, and Abbott subsequently shifted his headquarters there in January 1853, founding a small town and military cantonment which was to grow over time. The city was named after him. In April 1853 Abbott was removed from his post and transferred back to the Bengal Army, where he was placed in charge of a gunpowder factory in Calcutta. Locals then added ‘abad’ (a word of local dialect meaning colony) and thus this city became to be known as Abbottabad. This is a heaven on Earth and if you want to experience spirituality, peace, tranquility and serenity, you must visit this place.

The writer can be reached at taniashahab2016@gmail.com