Shinkiari

Karakoram Highway route map

Shinkiari (Urdu شنکیاری) is a Union Council of Mansehra District in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.it is Tea city of Pakistan.Here Pakistan Tea gardens excist The police station was also established before partition. At that time Baffa was police chowki of Shinkiari Police Station (thana) and the second police chowki was Batal. Both Chowkies have now become police Stations (thanas) while historically with poor political background Shinkiari is still a (thana) instead of tehsil of Mansehra District. Most of the people are from the Gujjars and Swati Pukhtoon tribe and Pashto and Gojri speakers. But the common language is Hindko in the Hazarah belt. Shinkiari is a combination of two pashto words "Shin" meaning green and kiarai meaning garden or place of greenery. The specialty here is drinking water that is very sweet and tasty with many digestive minerals such as Nara and Pishora. This is the main reason for the increasing population of the city. It is a very important city from its political and geographical points of view. Its topography is very level towards Lower Pakhal. It is the very first city of Pakhal. It is a junction point for Siran Valley, Konsh Valley and Baffa.

Location[]

Shinkiari is located 18 km north of Mansehra city on the Karakoram Highway, it is located at 34°28'0N, 73°16'60E at an altitude of 1019 metres (3346 feet).^[1] Due to its strategic location Shinkiari is also a base for the Pakistan Army. Pakistan Junior Leaders Academy (JLA) is the army training centre for juniors. The city is a major stop for people travelling north. It is a historical city. There is very flat cultivated land for vegetables, grains, sugar cane, tobacco leaves, rice and uses for many other agricultural purposes.

Pakistan Forest Institution college was reconstructed after the earthquake of 2005 and is located just 3 km away from the city toward the Great Forest (Jungle) and the same way proceeds just towards Kund Bangla.

Terrain[]

Shinkiari is famous for cultivating the first tea garden in Pakistan because of its natural environment and terrain.^[2] A very beautiful view of Siran doubled its beauty coming from Siran and Konsh valleys and get together at the place of Ichrrian. One can access Kund Rest house 24 km away in the Jabori forest range over the top of the hill. This rest house was built during English empire in 1919. It was also damaged in the earthquake of 2005 and could not rebuilt by Government of Pakistan.

It should be administered as a tehsil due to its covered area of 14 joint union councils.

References[]