Qilla Abdullah

قلعه عبدالله

• Topography

• Climate of the area

• History of the District

• Government & Infrastructure

• Social Structure & Issues

• Education

• Political Scene

• Archaeology

• Sports

Topography

Qilla Abdullah district lies between 30 - 04 ' to 31 - 17 ' North Longitude in the foothills of the Shela Bagh Mountain range. It is bordered by Pishin District in the east, Quetta District in the South and by Afghanistan in the west. The geographical area of the district is 5,264 km². It is composed of two sub-divisions; Gulistan & Chaman.

The general character of the district is mountainous. Its northern area is covered by the Toba Plateau. The hill ranges are fairly uniform in character. They consist of long central ridges with numerous spurs. These spurs vary in elevation from 1,500 to 3,300 meters.

Rivers:

There is no perennial streams and rivers etc in the whole of the district. There is however a seasonal stream flowing near Qilla Abdullah called Arambi Manda.

Killa Abdullah is a small valley bordered by mountains. The valley floor is covered with unconsolidated alluvial sediments that are mostly composed of clay, silt, silty clay and clayey silt. All these sediments were deposited in the valley by the seasonal streams that flow across the valley (generally north to south). The soil is of loamy nature in the Gulistan area, while the soil of Tehsil Chaman is sandy clay - gravial (Admixture). The sandy fraction increases towards the mountain ranges. The scarcity of water in the area and the semi-desert climatic conditions have limited trees and shrubs to grow. However, a few types of less water consuming wild bushes grow in the area in a scattered way.

The drainage pattern in the mountainous areas is generally of trellis type, indicative of less resisting rocks, where the erosion rate is generally very high. This also prevents the vegetation from growing. The high silt content in the soil has also contributed to the scarcity of vegetation. The shallow land water is saltish with above normal chloride contents with other dissolved solids especially in the vicinity of Killa Abdullah.

The town of Killa Abdullah is situated on piedmont fans while Shela bagh is located on a transcending mountain ridge. It is composed of shale and sand stones of Murgha Faqirzai formation stemming from the Oligocene-age.

The climate of the district Killa Abdullah is generally dry and temperate. The adjoining districts have somewhat deviating temperatures, owing to different elevations.

The climatic conditions of the district are particularly suitable for horticulture/ agriculture. The climate is especially suitable for the growth of fruits e.g. apples, apricots, peaches, plums, grapes, cherries and vegetables such as potatoes, onions, tomatoes.

The conditions of the climate for livestock are positive, particularly in tehsil Chaman where flock owning is an important economic activity. Sometimes there are strong, cold winds hitting the area. Occasionally these cold waves occur in late spring, badly damaging fruit orchards. Due to the irregular rainfall pattern, farmers of rain fed areas cannot properly plan their crops. Due to the dry climate, roads can be used throughout the year.

The year is divided into three seasons. The summer is the most delightful time of the year and it lasts till August. The winter season lasts from mid December to mid March and after that the summer starts. The district lies outside the sphere of monsoon currents, so rainfall is irregular and scanty.

The weather is particularly favourable for orchards. The consequences of the weather for agriculture are not the same for the two Tehsils Gulistan and Chaman. In Gulistan the soil and rainfall are conducive to agriculture, while in Chaman rainfall is scanty and irregular. According to the information supplied by the Meteorological Department the total annual mean rainfall during 1983-95 has been 308.2 mm. The rainfall during the last 13 years has ranged from 0.3 mm in the month of June to 68.5 mm in the month of March.

The average maximum annual temperature during 1983-95 has been 24.6 ºC, ranging from 11.36 - 35.9 ºC. The average minimum annual temperature was been 8.5 ºC in to same period and ranged from -1.7 to 20.5 ºC.

The district Killa Abdullah is named after Sardar Abdullah Khan Achakzai, who was a man of great influence. He was one of the two great leaders of the rebellion at Kabul in 1841, during which the British envoy was killed.

He bought Dehsora Karez from Kakars and Chashma Inzergai from the Ashezai Achakzai, in the early part of the 19th century. He then built a fort (Killa) and gave the place his own name. This place is located 38 km west of Pishin. Killa Abdullah was part of district Pishin. In 1993, it was separated from Pishin for administrative reasons and was given the status of a district.

The history of Killa Abdullah district is identical with the history of Kandahar. Little is known of its history before the 13th century A.D. It is certain that it was a part of the Kingdom of Amir Sabuktagin and of Mahmood Ghaznavi. In the early 15th century Kandahar was under the rule of Timurs successors. It was probably at the beginning of the 19th century that Tarins emigrated from Takht-I-Suluman and settled in Killa Abdullah and its surroundings.

Between 1530 and 1545, the Province of Kandahar was in the possession of Mirza Kamran (Brother of Mughal Ruler Humayun). Thereafter, the kingdom was brought under the rule of the Safavid dynasty in 1622 and remained under them till 1709.

Later on Ghilzai came to power and ruled the district. From the Durranis the area passed into the hands of Barakzai. In 1833 the area was given to Khush Dil Khan (The nephew of the Governor of Kandahar as a Jagir).

During the first Afghan war Quetta and Pishin areas fell into British hands in 1839. In 1842, however, Pishin valley was again occupied by Afghans. Under an agreement in 1879 Pishin, along with other districts, ceded to the British Government and in 1882 British authority was extended over these areas. In 1883 Pishin and its adjoining areas were combined with Quetta. The British ruled the area till the independence of the sub-continent, in August 1947. From then up to 1975 Quetta and Pishin were a single administrative unit. In 1975, Pishin was separated from Quetta and in 1993 Killa Abdullah was separated from Pishin. It was given the status of a district and Chaman was declared its headquarters.

Chaman emerged as a small town, after the construction of Khujak railway tunnel in 1891. The tunnel is the longest in the sub-continent and it paved the way for smooth traffic to the town. At that time there was no formal institutional arrangement to deal with the civic matters of the town. Therefore, a Bazar committee was established by the local residents and officers in 1892. Its main functions were to collect octroi and fees and to employ sweepers for the sanitation of the town. In 1959 the Bazar Committee was upgraded to a Town Committee.

In 1962 through a change in the structure and function of local bodies, the local government institutions were reorganised in the form of union committees, union councils, town committees and municipalities. The second tier composed of Tehsil Council and District Council. The third tier was formed by the Divisional Councils, in which rural and urban areas were given representations. This system was known as Basic Democracies as the role of local government was extended down to the grass root level. In 1970 another development took place with the establishment of local government departments at the provincial level.

Soon it was realized that the institutional capacity had to be streamlined. Therefore, the Town Committee was converted into a Municipal Committee in 1974.

The present local government system was introduced in 1979. The purpose of this local government system is to give the local population full participation in their development schemes. Thereafter, Balochistan Local Government Ordinance (BLGO) 1980 was implemented. Consequently in Chaman a District Council comprising 15 Union Councils was brought under BLGO.

Administrative Divisions:

Prior to 1975, Qilla Abdullah was part of Pishin district. Due to administrative reasons Qilla Abdullah was separated from Pishin and was made a new District on the 14th June 1993. The District also consist of one Tehsil (Chaman) and two sub-tehsils: Dobandi and Gulistan. The district consists of two sub-divisions: Chaman and Gulistan.

Conflicts arise because of conflicting interests among the community members. There are different ways of resolving disputes, for example through a system known as ‘Nanawati‘. This system has no binding force behind it. In order to settle the dispute, discussions take place, different options are considered. The option acceptable to the involved parties is adopted. It may take the shape of a penalty or simply asking for forgiveness. Hence the dispute is resolved accordingly. Conflicts are also resolved through the legal system. All the civil as well as criminal codes are applicable. Besides, Conciliation Courts Ordinance 1966 and Islamic laws 1979 are being observed. In certain cases the litigants are at liberty to resolve their dispute through an arbitrator with or without intervention of the court. It is interesting to note that Qazi Courts are not functioning in the district.

Law and Order:

To maintain law & order is the main function of the district administration. Judiciary, Police/ Levies and Administration are the three components who perform this task. As far as the judiciary is concerned, in recent years a Judicial Magistrate was appointed to supervise the judiciary work. As a result of separation of judiciary from executive powers, a Judicial Magistrate was appointed in the District. This was expected to result in quick and not so costly justice for the community. Under the Jirga system, the Deputy Commissioner had final authority to make decisions. People had to wait for years to settle their disputes and rivalries under the previous set-up.

The general security situation in district Killa Abdullah is satisfactory. According to the police information about crime rates in the district during 1992/95, the total crimes have declined, heinous crimes such as murder are negligible. There is complete freedom of travelling in rural and urban areas in day time. In some of the areas adjoining the Afghan border, due to the free availability of arms, travelling is somewhat risky, particularly at night time. Circumstances are not such that travelling by convoy is needed for Pakistani or foreigners. However, during inter-tribal conflicts, travelling via Gulistan and Killa Abdullah becomes dangerous.

There is no restriction for the locals to visit the other side of the border. However, foreigners and visitors from other provinces need a visa to enter Afghanistan.

The provincial Government administration at district level is headed by the Deputy Commissioner, he is the Chief Executive of the District. He is assisted by Assistant Commissioners, Sub Divisional Magistrates, Tehsildar, Naib Tehsildars and others. Other functionaries of the District include the Judicial Magistrate and Session Judge, controlling the judicial organisation. The District Health Officer controls all health activities. The Superintendent of Police assists the Deputy Commissioner in the maintenance of law and order in the District. The District Education Officer controls and supervises the educational institutions of the District. The Extra Assistant Director of Agriculture implements the policies of the government relating to agriculture. The hierarchy at division level starts with Commissioner, D.I.G Police, Director Health, Director Education, Director Agriculture etc.

The Deputy commissioner’s functions include maintenance of Law and Order, revenue collection. He controls the authority for Police and Levies. He is Political Agent of the Government. He is also the chairman of the co-ordination committee for development at district level (when district council and municipal committee are suspended). He is also one of the members of the Divisional Co-ordination Committee. Sometimes the Deputy Commissioner gets assigned a special task to monitor and report about the activities of certain development project. Being the Chief-Executive of the District, he is supposed to have a close relationship with the M.P.A’s, M.N.A’s and Senators. He has a supportive role with regard to development schemes provided by public representatives.

Like Pishin, district Killa Abdullah is mostly inhibited by ‘Pashtoons’. Major tribes include Kakar, Tareen, Syed and Achakzai. Kakars are in the majority in Tehsil Gulistan, while Achakzai dominate Tehsil Chaman. There is no ethnic differentiation among them, because they speak a common language, have the same religion and share common cultural values. Their historical background is a shared one. They are descendants of ‘Qais Abdul Rashid’. Their mode of living is almost identical.

The major source of income for the residents of Tehsil Chaman is quite different from that of the residents of Tehsil Gulistan. The majority of the male population in Tehsil Chaman is engaged in trade and commerce. Some of them have trade links with foreign countries such as Japan, Hong Kong, Korea etc. Thesil Chaman has a long border with Afghanistan. Pashtoons residing in Afghanistan share a similar language and cultural background. Therefore, visa restrictions are not strictly followed by the local residents on either side of the border. Chaman is the major centre for smuggling activities. It is a paradise for smugglers from both sides of the border. Contrary to this, in Tehsil Gulistan horticulture is the back-bone of the economy. Indeed, Abdulla Khan Achakzai was the man who provided the impetus for fruit growing in this area.

Wherever water is available the first preference of the farmer is fruit production. In this part of the district, horticulture/agriculture has been organized along modern lines. Flock owning is also an important source of income for people in both tehsils. Some persons are engaged in the transport sector, while for others, a government job is their source of income.

The majority of the people has two meals daily, one in the morning and the other at sunset. However, with the growing affluence and interaction some persons have breakfast, lunch and dinner. Wheat is the staple food grain and is used in the form of Nan and Tikkai (a special kind of bread prepared in ashes). Nan is prepared by the Nan seller in earthen ovens. Meat, vegetables and lentils are used along with the bread. In summer yoghurt and lassi is also part and parcel of the food package. Pistacia Khinjuk (Shina) is also eaten fresh as well as dried, especially in Chaman tehsil. Lhandi is commonly prepared during winter. It is generally made with mutton or goat meat. Sheep are specially fattened and slaughtered. The animal is thoroughly cleaned, salted and rubbed with special ingredients. The animal is hanged and exposed to the air, being ready for use after one month. Before consumption it is cooked for 5 hours in an earthen pot over a slow fire. It is usually eaten during extreme cold weather.

Nowadays the diet pattern is changing and people eat rice as well. Steam roast ‘roosh’, which is cooked over slow fire is the most favourite dish and is a speciality of this district. Usually all the male members of a household eat together. Children and women eat separately.

The majority of the male population wears turban, shalwar and kameez both in winter and summer. However, a ‘chaddar’ (piece of cloth) is always on their shoulder in both seasons, albeit of a different material.

The women wear a long frock embroidered at the neckline and sleeves with a shalwar gathered at the ankles into an embroidered strip They also wear a shawl over their heads. They observe purdah. However, with the spread of development and growing prosperity, the dress has become somewhat modernized in urban areas and now women wear the normal shalwar kameez.

In some cases tribes are headed by a ‘Khan’. The sub tribes, often living together in a village, are headed (and controlled) by ‘Maliks’. The titles of Khan and Malik are passed on to their successors. It is worth mentioning that with the advancement of education and spread of electronic media, their role and authority is dwindling.

Usually, decision making in the Pashtoon society is centralised. The policy is formulated by the elders. Some of the decisions are taken for granted. In most of the cases no individual can argue and challenge the validity of the decisions made by elders. Kinship, tribal affiliation and family are the important variables in the decision making process. Political organizations are not following democratic norms. They are organized either on tribal affiliation or on common religious or social backgrounds. Economic status shapes the political organization. Leadership and welfare works, done in the past by a political personality, also influence the political reaction of the masses.

The role of women at household level is confined to such activities as cooking, washing, managing the house, raising the children and arranging the marriage. Unfortunately, at community level their role is negligible or marginal in social, as well as in economic activities. Similarly the women of district Killa Abdullah don’t play any role whatsoever in politics. However, a very small number of women cast their vote by permission and instruction of their males.

This review of the social organization has brought to the forefront the following conclusions and major development issues:

• The study has shown that there is homogeneity among different tribes regarding mode of living, food habits and dress. They have a common religion, language and cultural background and that is a binding force to keep them socially integrated. It has been found that religion still plays a dominant role in cultural, social and political life.

• Joint family system is mostly prevalent in the district.

• Marriages are generally arranged. Pasthoonwaali (a set of norms and values practised in the district) does not permit anyone to divorce his wife. The customs of vulvar and sarai have degraded the status of women and have generated a number of social problems. However, it has been observed that due to the advancement of education, particularly in Khanozai the practice of vulvar and sarai are slowly dying and the right of inheritance for women is honoured.

• Women are still confined to the boundaries of the house and 50% of the population has no political /social role to play in the development process.

• The tribal system is deeply rooted because people like living together for defensive or offensive reasons. Kinship is still playing a dominant role in the social and political organization of the district. The result of this situation is that kinship and tribal affiliation are stumbling blocks in rational political decision making and that women are barred from playing their due role in the development process.

• The tradition of resolving disputes through customary laws is largely prevalent. It is economical in the sense that it saves time and money and is also honoured because of social pressures. However, it has been noticed that poor segments within the tribe are deprived of speedy and fair justice. It is unfortunate that major inter-tribal conflicts have not been resolved through traditional means.

• It has been reported that sophisticated arms are being sold in the district. It has created a sense of insecurity among the masses. These weapons have found their way to other provinces as well, and this has created law and order problems.

• Today’s children, who are the guardian of the future, are involved in activities incongenial to their mental and physical health and are deprived of schooling. This gives rise to a number of social problems.

Religious Beliefs:

Residents of district Killa Abdullah are unique in the sense that they belong to a common ethnic group, have a shared religion and belong to the same sect within the religion. Therefore, there have never been any religious conflicts. Religious persons are generally respected by the masses. Those persons who don’t observe Islamic principles are not valued by the community. Elderly persons are respected by all.

The Pashtoon society respects the dignity of women. Therefore women are honored and respected. There are two major religious festivals:

1. Eid-ul-Fiter, (which is celebrated at the end of the month of fasting).

2. Eid-ul-Azha, celebrated on the occasion of Haj.

Moreover, the 12^th Rabi ul Awal is also celebrated with great fervour.

The influence of religion is paramount. The crime rate is very low. Conflicts are usually resolved by the religious elders, the district is mostly represented politically by religious parties reflecting the religious attitude of the community. Similarly it is mandatory for family members to observe prayers, fast and act upon other teachings of Islam. Those who don’t fall in line are segregated, taunted and considered inferior.

Role of Women:

It is ironical to note that, though Pashtoon society formally bestows honour and dignity on women, in reality the position of Pasthoon women is miserable. Still young, she is married without her consent and vulvar is received on her behalf. As a wife she has to perform many duties. All activities within the house are the sole responsibility of women. These include cleaning, child raising, washing cloth, taking care of livestock etc.

On the other hand she has no right to property. However, in Gulistan Tehsil, with the enlightenment of education, some of the people have realized that their behaviour in the past with the women is contrary to the traditions and teachings of Islam. Now very few have begun to acknowledge a woman’s share in inheritance.

Marriages:

Marriages that take place in the area are arranged. Mates or spouses are always selected by parents, both for men and women. Vulvar (bride price) is commonly paid to the bride’s family and is determined by many factors including:

Comparatively, the price of vulvar is very high in Tehsil Chaman; ranging from Rs.100,000 to Rs.400,000. Despite this, early marriages (both for boys and girls) take place. Moreover, polygamy among the rich is common practice. They either marry for pleasure or to ensure a male child. Sometimes it is customary and mandatory for a widow to marry the brother or a cousin of the deceased husband. The system of exchange of brides is common among the tribes. This is known as ‘Sarai’ in Pashto.

Nowadays vulvar is paid back by the majority of the people in the form of a dowry. However, the poor people retain a major part of it for their day to day requirement. Vulvar may seem a social evil and therefore undesirable. But it should be remembered that vulvar is an incentive for men to be active earning family members.

Divorce is negligible because it is socially highly undesirable. The penalty of adultery is death.

The role of the women in the decision making process is negligible. However, in the case of marriages their opinion is sometimes taken into account. They are also authorized to make decisions pertaining to domestic activities.

The inhabitants of the district are Muslims. Yet the majority does not acknowledge the inherited share to women, as it is stated in the Islamic inheritance laws. However, they are not totally ignored by the family and when they are in dire need, they are helped by the family.

The fact that Killa Abdullah was only established as a district in the middle of 1993 contributes to the regrettable circumstance that solid information on the district, especially time series of data, is hard to come by. It can only be hoped that the publication of this District Profile will contribute to triggering a process towards creating more substantial data bases on Killa Abdullah, and in fact on all the other districts in Balochistan.

Killa Abdullah is one of the smaller districts in the province with a relatively high density. The location so near to Afghanistan has made the area a prime victim of the influx of refugees from Afghanistan in the early 1980's. This unfortunate development combined with the indigenous population growth, has caused a deterioration of the environment, especially with regard to forestry and vegetation. Over time this development might cause a definite risk for sustainable economic growth in the district. The lack of proper flood water management and of a system of waste disposal aggravates the environmental situation.

Religious and cultural attitudes are deeply rooted in the rural society of Killa Abdullah. The social organization is dominated by the tribal system. The homogeneity among different tribes with regard to their modes of living, their food habits and way of dressing in conjunction with common religion and language, has proved to be a binding force for the residents in the district and stimulated social integration. In the resolution of whatever conflicts arose, the customary laws still played a highly important role.

The joint family system is widely prevalent. It has its advantages as for instance the strength it gives to the family and the benefits derived from pooling of resources, while it also provides a platform for social interaction. It can however hamper individual development and frustrate individual ambitions.

Although Pushtoon society formally bestows honor and dignity on women, the position of women leaves much to be desired in reality. Many women are married at young age without having any influence on the choice of the husband. Once married they can hardly leave their houses or compounds, while they have to perform a great range of duties. Women are deprived of the right to property, although in better educated segments of the society some changes can be observed. In the few available official statistics women are just invisible or probably under-reported.

They have no influence in political parties and do not form a part of the public decision making process.

Public administration has been reformed by the separation of the judiciary from the executive branch. Local government institutions are not very effective, lack of funds being one of the major reasons. They have however the potential to be of considerable value in promoting development brought about in a bottom-up, participatory approach. Coordination between the work of government Departments has to be improved. Frequent transfers of key figures in the district administration have hampered the effective implementation of development schemes.

The concept of non-government organizations is not yet familiar to the people of Killa Abdullah.

In education, special attention has to be given to the pupil/teacher ratio in primary schools, as well as to the enrolment of girls. On both accounts the districts scores low compared to other districts.

Water supply is another area where the district is in a backward position, although it is acknowledged that the government made considerable efforts in this respect. It is unfortunate that many beneficiaries of PHED schemes do not pay their bills.

The health facilities per capita are still very poor. Women are in a disadvantageous position, because of the gender imbalance among the health staff. Especially with regard to paramedical staff, Killa Abdullah is in a relatively bad position as far as this imbalance is concerned.

The backbone in Killa Abdullah's economy is formed by agriculture, especially horticulture. Many farmers concentrate on high value crops as fruits and vegetables, which means that they work for the market. Introduction of new technologies and improved varieties can further increase the yields of fruits, while a better organization of the market system and actually of the sector as a whole can enhance the income for the farmers.

There is some scope to further the importance of the livestock sector, if adequate attention is given to the exploitation of water resources and management of rangelands.

The economic basis is rather narrow since there is no industry of any significance and since the district lacks, contrary to many other areas in Balochistan, mineral resources. This situation and the sheer location of the district have created an environment in which smuggling could gain a rather significant role in the economic life of the people. All sorts of illegal trade have negatively influenced the development of local industry and have contributed to income inequalities among the population in the district.

To summarize a number of the most important constraints:

• The lack of data makes a proper analysis of economic and social life in Killa Abdullah a difficult task.

• Institutional capacity of local government bodies and of government Departments at district level is limited; there are obviously administrative and financial constraints on the way to further development.

• There is no coherent policy aiming at social and economic development of the district; district level planning is missing.

Also lacking is a conscious effort to involve the community in development activities.

The major types of arms found in the district are:

• China Automatic rifle

• Klashnikov

• TT Pistols

• Mousers

• Light Machine Guns

• Sten Guns

It is worthwile mentioning that even rocket launchers, mortars, grenades and even landmines have been used in the fighting between tribes.

Education

The relationship between education and economic development is well documented in literature. Investment in education is essential for the future and betterment of the present generation. It is sad and unfortunate that successive governments, bureaucrats, and politicians have never given due attention to this issue. The expenditure on education in the country has never exceeded 2% of GNP. The irony of the fact is that even this meagre amount was never spent on education. It was often diverted towards other sectors. As a result, the literacy ratio has been around 36% in overall Pakistan and far below that (16%) in Balochistan.

In Killa Abdullah district, there are 24 mosque schools for boys. While there were 324 primary boys schools and 23 primary girls schools. The number of government primary school in the district is 347. The number of privately run middle schools is just one. The number of government middle schools is 19 out of them 16 are for boys and 3 are for girls. The most important observation is that the number of primary and middle girls school is not adequate. The proportion of girls primary schools within the total number of primary schools is 6.6% and the proportion of girls middle schools within the total number of middle schools was 15.7%. The proportion of girls high schools within the total number was 16.6%. There is no private high school in the district.

Mosque schools were established to increase the number of primary schools in the society. The idea was to use the mosque from morning to Zohar time for education purposes. They were not successful and government was forced to merge them into existing primary schools.

Primary schools give basic education units up to 5th grade. Six years of schooling are carried out under this system. In addition to primary schooling, middle school further provides three year schooling. High schools are those schools where education is provided up to 10th grade.

In district Killa Abdullah all government primary, middle and high schools use Urdu as medium. Only one private middle school has English as medium. There is no technical school, polytechnic institute or cadet college in the district. There are two English language centres. The number of students is 400, while the number of teachers is 6. There are no specific courses in computer science and driving.

The explanation as to why gender specific data on literacy rate is not available is that in rural tribal society, people are reluctant to tell the number of females and tell about their activities. Moreover informal education is carried out in the houses. In the absence of any micro survey, it is too difficult to reach any conclusions. It has been observed and confirmed that almost all the girls can read Holy-Quran. It may be pointed out that the reading of Holy-Quran alone does not come into the definition of literacy.

Abnormalities in enrolment particularly in the case of girls have some deep-rooted causes:

1. Parental attitude toward girls enrolment in schools

2. Shortage of female teachers and schools

3. Social and cultural constraints

4. Rural girls assist their mothers in domestic tasks

The school system in the district works on the same pattern as in other districts. Broadly the school system can be broken down into three types of schools, Primary, Middle and High schools. The High school system is further divided into High school and model High school. Primary schools are for boys and for girls. These schools are either single teacher schools or multi-teacher schools. In these schools, six years of schooling is provided . As far as government run primary schools are concerned, their cost is nominal and is borne by the government; they have a uniform syllabus and examination system.

Primary schools are basic education units up to 5th grade. They provide schooling up to 6th years. Mohalla and home schools do not exist. Mosque schools used to exist but now they have been merged in primary schools. Madrasas do exist in very large number in rural as well as in urban areas. The Madrasas provide religious education and they are run by religious organizations. Their expenses are borne through social contribution. Enrolment in primary schools was 21,540, out of them the number of girls was 2,125, which was less than 10%.

Middle school is composed of one to eight classes (including primary section). There are 19 middle schools in Killa Abdullah, 16 are for boys and 3 for girls. The total enrolment for middle schools up to April 1996 was 4,324. Out of this total, 4,179 were boys and 145 were girls. In each Middle school, there is a Headmaster/ Headmistress and school teachers J.E.T, J.A.T, D.M, P.T.I, M.Q and J.V.T.

The high school comprises up to 10 classes with primary and middle classes included, humanities and science are taught in the school. The staff for each school is one Headmaster/ Headmistress, S.ST, S.A.T, G.E.T, G.A.T, D.M, P.T.I, M.Q and J.V.T. There were 12 High schools in April 1996 in district Killa Abdullah. Out of them 10 for the boys and 2 for the girls. The total number of enrollment was 6,057. Out of them 2,139 were from rural areas and 3,918 from urban areas. The number of girls was 1,780 (29%), while the number of boys was 4,297 (71%). The examining body for high school students is Balochistan Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Quetta.

Intermediate College

There are two colleges, one intermediate and one degree college. Intermediate college is for girls, while degree college is for boys. In the intermediate college classes for 11th and 12th class are run, while in the degree college courses up to graduate level are taught. In 1985, to fulfil the demand of girl candidates and to save the cost of building and furniture, government has decided to use the girls high school building in the evening to facilitate the process of education, so there is one girls intermediate colleges. In 1996 there were 56 intermediate college students. The number of male students in the college in 1996 was 261 out of them 237 were in the intermediate classes, while 24 were in the degree classes. The number of teachers was 18 in the college and in evening time they provide classes in the Girls Intermediate College. Like secondary school examination, the examining body for intermediate examination is Balochistan Intermediate and Secondary Education, Quetta. The examination of graduate classes is held under the Balochistan University, Quetta.

The primary school building for boys is normally composed of two classrooms and a veranda. For many girls primary schools in addition to the above, a toilet and a boundary wall is included. While in the middle school building, both for boys and girls, on average five class rooms and toilet facilities are available. In the case of high schools 15 to 20 class rooms, toilet facilities and boundary walls are commonly seen. In addition to this, location permitting, a playing ground is also present. In those high schools where science subjects are taught, laboratories are also available.

It was observed during that 19 primary schools were without shelter. 15 were for boys and 4 were for girls. The number of students was 600 and the number of teachers was 20.

Comparison of formal and non-formal education, learns that formal education requires age restrictions, the method of instruction is different and there are regular schooling hours. For non-formal education, there is no age limit and the methods of instruction are specially designed. Non formal education is funded through the following sources:

• Provincial Social Welfare Department

• Federal Government through Ministry of Education

• Prime Minister Literacy Cell and Asian Development Bank through Government of Pakistan.

In the educational development of distict Killa Abdullah, many organisation are involved. The degree of their involvement varies from the type of institutions to the place where those institutions are working. Looking at the entire set-up it looks that the involvement of provincial government is substantial. Local government or federal government do not play any important role. The involvement of private sector is also not so encouraging. International donors are involved in creating a conducive climate, particularly for female primary schools in the rural areas of the district.

It has been noticed that, except provincial government, non of the agencies is involved in providing teacher training. There is no university in the district. However, higher education at graduate level is affiliated with the university of Balochistan.

Political Scene

The political system is democratic. Elections are held when required, on adult franchise basis. People, by voting, elect members for Local bodies, Provincial and National Assemblies. There are many political parties in the District and they try to mobilize the political opinion in their favour. However, tribal affiliation, religion and family kinship are the main factors determining the shape of political behaviour. This is evident form the recent elections held in February, 1997. J.U.I which is a religious party, won the National Assembly seat. Out of the two Provincial Assembly seats one also went to them. The other was won by the Pakistan Peoples Party.

The role of women in political parties is negligible, mainly due to the social and tribal set-up. Their role is limited to casting votes.

Student organisations of different parties exist at college level and they work for their parties as well as trying to solve educational problems through their organizations. It can be argued, however, that student politics, have affected the educational system negatively.

Small branches of labor union do exist but their role is not significant due to the low numbers.

There are no important structures of any kind in the district, indicating its conditions in ancient times. Many scattered mounds are found, each having a local tradition attached to it. The most important mounds are:

Spin Ghundi Mound: Located at the foot of an offshoot of the Khawaja Amran range within the limits of the Habibzai village in Killa Abdullah. Evidently this is the mound which was excavated in 1881 by Captain Lock. Local triditions tell curious stories about this mound.³

Khawaja Amran Shrine: This shrine can be reached from Gulistan by Khurgi. It is accessible from Chaman and Shero Garden. The shrine consists of an enclosure surrounded by a wall of stones and containing a grave covered over with stones. It is 16.5 meters long and 9.0 meters wide. Khawaja Amran is said to have been a Tajik. As a saint, fecundity was his speciality. Married women, unable of conceive believe that by praying on the grave they will become fertile.

Sports have always been a part and parcel of a healthy society. Sports activities have been undertaken since ancient times; various games have taken different shapes with new rules. However, the important functions of the games are to keep the human being active and energetic. Sports create a sense of discipline among the players, they are a source of enjoyments for both players and viewers. In today’s world, sports have become a sign of prestige for the winning nation. Sports are indeed an indicator of social development.

Wrestling is one of the dominant traditional games, which is played in the rural areas of district Killa Abdullah. The nature of wrestling is quite different from the wrestling of other provinces. In local language, this wrestling is known as "Ghazhe". This game is played by two persons under a referee. The rules of the game are well known. The main rule is that if any part of the wrestler, apart from his feet, touches the ground, the wrestler looses the game. This game is always played during social and religious festivals. Besides this, football, volley ball, cricket, smashing ball (shoot ball) and marble playing are among games played in the district. In the towns football and cricket are played. Body building, martial arts, boxing and badminton are played. In the district there are three areas which are very important for these games:

• Chaman.

• Killa Abdullah.

• Maizi.

Due to social and cultural bottlenecks females are not involved in any kind of sports activities.

GO/NGO/Private Enterprise, etc. involvement in Sports Development

As far as involvement in sports development is concerned, provincial government and private sector are involved. While federal government, international donors and N.G.Os are not involved is any type of sports activities. Every year a number of tournaments for different games such as football, body building and wrestling are organized under the supervision of the Deputy Commissioner of the district.

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