Hayatabad is a
modern and first
planned suburb at
south-eastern fringe
of Peshawar (the
capital of the
North-West Frontier
Province, Pakistan).
It was named after
Hayat Muhammad Khan
Sherpao, the first
PPP Governor of NWFP
and who was killed
in a bomb blast in
1974-75. It is close
to the Khyber Agency
which leads to
Khyber Pass, a
prominent route
through the Hindu
Kush mountains to
Landi Kotal, the
highest point of the
pass, and the Afghan
border.
Hayatabad developed
as a residential
area in Peshawar in
the late 1970s. It
is divided into
seven phases (or
zones) for
residential and
commercial purposes,
and also includes a
suitable industrial
area. Out of the
seven phases, six
are fully developed,
while the seventh is
reserved for future
needs. There are
several different
schools, colleges, a
national University,
hospital, private
clinics, parks,
shopping malls, and
offices to
facilitate the
residents.
People and
culture
Hayatabad primarily
contains Pashtuns of
Pakistani origin,
although a good
number of them are
Afghans.
Following the US-led
invasion of
Afghanistan in 2001,
approximately 1
million Afghan
refugees arrived in
Pakistan, many of
these settling in
Hayatabad. There
were five refugee
camps surrounding
Hayatabad
immediately
following the
invasion.
Hayatabad shares
most aspects of the
culture of the
North-West Frontier
Province and
northern Pakistan.
A popular dish in
NWFP is "chappal
kebab", a beef kebab
shaped like the sole
of a sandal. |
