Balakot

Balakot is a town in Mansehra District in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The town was destroyed during the 2005 earthquake and was later rebuilt with the assistance of the Government of Pakistan and Saudi Public Assistance for Pakistan Earthquake Victims (SPAPEV), a Saudi relief organisation. A separate project, initiated by the Government of Pakistan 'New Balakot City' is being developed near Mansehra, with plans to relocate the population of two Union Councils of Balakot, demarcated as a Red Zone.

Location
Balakot is located at
WikiMiniAtlas
34°33′N 73°21′E / 34.550°N 73.350°E / 34.550; 73.350Coordinates: 34°33′N 73°21′E / 34.550°N 73.350°E / 34.550; 73.350 about thirty-eight kilometres north-east of the city of Mansehra, in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. It is a historical town, a famous tourist destination of the region and the gateway to Kaghan valley of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa of Pakistan. The river Kunhar, originating from Lulusar lake, runs through the city and merges with Jhelum River just outside Muzaffarabad in Azad Kashmir.

History
Balakot has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot summers and cool winters. Rainfall in Balakot is much higher than in most other parts of Pakistan. The heaviest rainfall occurs either in late winter (February-March) associated with frontal systems, or in the monsoon season (June-August); however, all months see significant rainfall on average.

The town or village of Balakot is occupied mainly by members of the Gujjar, Awan, Swati, Syed, Turk, Mughal and Hanki tribes. Gujjar is Most Papulated in this Tehsil. It is located on the banks of the River Kunhar before it enters the Kashmir Valley. The Sikhs tried to free Mansehra in the 1818 but were met with resistance from the occupying army. As the Mansehra region fell under Sikh control, it was annexed to Punjab. The movement placed Waziristan, the Mohmand country beyond Kunhar, Chitral and Yusufzai tribes within the control and responsibility of the Indian government. Syed Ahmad Shaheed and Shah Ismail Shaheed, with the help of the Mujahadeen, including the local tribes of tehsil Balakot from Kaghan to Garhi Habibullah led many revolts and attacks against the Sikhs. At last on 6 May 1831, during a fierce battle, Syed Ahmad Shaheed and Shah Ismail Shaheed along with hundreds of their followers were killed. The central mosque of Balakot is named after Syed Ahmed Shaheed. The areas includes diverse groups, the spoken languages are Hindko and Gojri.