DI Khan is 340 km south of Peshawar and with the partly constructed Indus Highway, the journey time is around five hours from Peshawar. Surrounding this district is Fort Sandeman in Balochistan to the South, Suleiman Mountains of Waziristan to the West, Punjab to the East, and Lakki Marwat to the North. Dera Ismail Khan is a fairly large, sprawling oasis and it is the last major town in the south of the North West Frontier Province.
It is located on the west bank of the River Indus (Pictured Above is Sunset on River Indus). The local people of DI Khan speak the Seraiki and the Hindko languages and ethnically, they are not Pashtoons. However, Pashtoons from Lakki Marwat, Bannu, and adjacent Waziristan areas have migrated heavily to this area and are now a dominant people in DI Khan. As a result, Pashto is the major language spoken here. About 20 km before Dera Ismail Khan is another Indus valley civilization archaeological site known as Rehman Dheri. It is built to the same design and in the same materials as the cities of Moenjodaro and Harappa. DI Khan is famous for its decorative Brass Inlay work and its jewellery products.
There is also a small gauge train to DI Khan which also passes through Bannu but it is virtually unused and most of the stations along the way are closed. Now, there are almost no signs of the rail tracks as the material has been sold out in the markets. Most of the stations have been converted to living quarters. The station at Lakki Marwat is venue to football matches and the building itself is part of a restaurant now.
Dera Ismail Khan is also home to one of the twenty or so universities of Pakistan; the Gomal University. The university is spread over acres of land outside the city and is a small village in itself. There is also a local domestic airport. Amongst food products, DI Khan is famous for the dates it produces.
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