Jafarabad (Balochi: جعفر آباد, Urdu: ضلع جعفر آباد), district lies in the southeastern part of Pakistan's province of Balochistan. Dera Allah Yar, also known as Jhatpat among locals, serves as the district headquarters. [1] Jaffarabad District is sub-divided into two tehsils. According to 2023 Pakistani census Jafarabad district has a population of 594,558.

Jafarabad District
ضلع جعفر آباد
District Jaffarabad
Map of Balochistan with Jafarabad District highlighted
Map of Balochistan with Jafarabad District highlighted
Country Pakistan
Province Balochistan
DivisionNasirabad
Established1987
HeadquartersDera Allah Yar
Government
 • TypeDistrict Administration
 • Deputy CommissionerAzhar Shahzad
 • Assistant CommissionerFahad Bashir Cheema
Area
690 km2 (270 sq mi)
Population
 (2023)
594,558
 • Density860/km2 (2,200/sq mi)
 • Urban
163,393
 • Rural
431,165
Time zoneUTC+5 (PST)
ConstituencyNA 261
WebsiteOfficial site

History

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Jafarabad District created in 1987 by bifurcation of Nasirabad District. Sohbatpur, Usta Muhammad & Gandakha ended being part of Jafarabad district. Jafarabad district is named after Mir Jafar Khan Jamali.[2]

In 2022 Usta Muhammad was split off to form the new district of Usta Muhammad.

Demographics

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Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1951N/A—    
1961N/A—    
1972N/A—    
1981N/A—    
1998291,290—    
2017513,972+3.03%
2023594,558+2.46%
Sources:[3]

Population

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As of the 2023 census, Jaffarabad district has 81,562 households and a population of 594,558. The district has a sex ratio of 102.79 males to 100 females and a literacy rate of 35.53%: 44.43% for males and 26.37% for females.[4][5] 224,911 (37.83% of the surveyed population) are under 10 years of age.[6] 163,393 (27.48%) live in urban areas.[4]

Religion

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Religions in Jaffarabad district (2023)[7]
Religion Percent
Islam
98.33%
Hinduism
1.24%
Other
0.43%
Religions in present-day Jafarabad district
Religion 2017[8] 2023[9]
Pop. % Pop. %
Islam   506,405 98.53% 584,619 98.33%
Hinduism   6,872 1.34% 7,379 1.24%
Others 695 0.13% 2,560 0.43%
Total Population 513,972 100% 594,558 100%

Islam is the predominant religion of the district with 98.33% followers.

Language

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Languages of Jafarabad district (2023)

  Balochi (51.9%)
  Sindhi (19.33%)
  Saraiki (15.45%)
  Brahui (12.07%)
  Others (1.25%)

At the time of the 2023 census, 51.9% of the population spoke Balochi, 19.33% Sindhi, 15.45% Saraiki, and 12.07% Brahui as their first language.[10]

Administration

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The district of Jaffarabad is administratively subdivided into the following two Tehsils:[11]

Tehsil Area

(km²)[12]

Pop.

(2023)

Density

(ppl/km²)

(2023)

Literacy rate

(2023)[13]

Union Councils
Jafarabad Tehsil ... ... ... ... ...
Jhatpat Tehsil 690 302,498 438.40 36.70% ...

Education

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According to the Pakistan District Education Rankings 2017, district Jafarabad is ranked at number 113 out of the 141 ranked districts in Pakistan on the Education Score index. This index considers learning, gender parity and retention in the district.

Literacy rate in 2014–15 of population 10 years and older in the district stood at 36% whereas for females it was only 15%.[14]

Post primary access is a major issue in the district with 89% schools being at primary level. Compared with high schools which only constitute 4% of government schools in the district. This is also reflected in the enrolment figures with 27,448 students enrolled in class 1 to 5 and only 736 students enrolled in class 9 and 10.

Gender disparity is another issue in the district. Only 28% schools in the district are girls’ schools. Access to education for girls is a major issue in the district and is also reflected in the low literacy rates for females.

Moreover, the schools in the district lack basic facilities. According to Alif Ailaan Pakistan District Education Rankings 2017, the district is ranked at number 117 out of the 155 districts of Pakistan for primary school infrastructure. At the middle school level, it is ranked at number 116 out of the 155 districts. These rankings take into account the basic facilities available in schools including drinking water, working toilet, availability of electricity, existence of a boundary wall and general building condition. More than 3 out of 5 schools in the district lack electricity, working toilet and a boundary wall. More than 1 out of 5 schools do not have clean drinking water.

The main issues reported in Taleem Do! App for the district are unavailability of class rooms for students and a lack of university. Political interference is also reported in development of new schools.

Notes

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References

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Citations

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  1. ^ PCO 2000, p. 1.
  2. ^ "Balochistan-Jaffarabad". Pakistan Almanac. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  3. ^ "Population by administrative units 1951-1998" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
  4. ^ a b "7th Population and Housing Census - Detailed Results: Table 1" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
  5. ^ "7th Population and Housing Census - Detailed Results: Table 12" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
  6. ^ "7th Population and Housing Census: Population by Mother Tongue, Sex and Rural/Urban" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
  7. ^ https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/balochistan/dcr/table_9.pdf. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. ^ "Pakistan Census 2017 District-Wise Tables: Jafarabad". Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
  9. ^ "7th Population and Housing Census - Detailed Results: Table 9" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
  10. ^ https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/balochistan/dcr/table_11.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  11. ^ Tehsils & Unions in the District of Jaffarabad – Government of Pakistan Archived 26 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ "TABLE 1 : AREA, POPULATION BY SEX, SEX RATIO, POPULATION DENSITY, URBAN POPULATION, HOUSEHOLD SIZE AND ANNUAL GROWTH RATE, CENSUS-2023, BALOCHISTAN" (PDF).
  13. ^ "LITERACY RATE, ENROLMENT AND OUT OF SCHOOL POPULATION BY SEX AND RURAL/URBAN, CENSUS-2023, BALOCHISTAN" (PDF).
  14. ^ Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (2016). Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement Survey 2014-15. [online] Islamabad: Government of Pakistan, p.111. Available at: http://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files//pslm/publications/PSLM_2014-15_National-Provincial-District_report.pdf [Accessed 6 Aug. 2018].

Sources

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  • 1998 District Census report of Jaffarabad. Census publication. Vol. 80. Islamabad: Population Census Organization, Statistics Division, Government of Pakistan. 2000.
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28°25′N 68°10′E / 28.417°N 68.167°E / 28.417; 68.167