Aranji is an administrative subdivision (

tehsil A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluk, or taluka () is a local unit of administrative division in India and Pakistan. It is a subdistrict of the area within a Zila (country subdivision), district including the designated populated place that ser ...

) of

Khuzdar District Khuzdar (Balochi language, Balochi: ; Urdu and Brahui language, Brahui: ) is a Districts of Pakistan, district in the Balochistan (Pakistan), Balochistan province of Pakistan. The city of Khuzdar serves as the district's headquarters. Until its e ...

Balochistan, Pakistan Balochistan (; ; , ) is a province of Pakistan. Located in the southwestern region of the country, Balochistan is the largest province of Pakistan by land area but is the least populated one. It is bordered by the Pakistani provinces of Khybe ...

. It is one of ten administrative units, comprising tehsils and sub-tehsils, in the district, alongside Gresha, Karakh,

Khuzdar Khuzdar ( Balochi, , ) also known as ''Hozdar'', is a city and the administrative headquarters of Khuzdar District in Balochistan province of Pakistan. Khuzdar is surrounded by mountainous region of the southwestern portion of the country near ...

, Moola, Nal, Ornach, Saroona, Wadh, and

Zehri Zehri () is an ethnic Brahui tribe mainly found in Balochistan, Pakistan. According to the official list by Mir Ahmad Yar, the last Khan of Kalat, Zehri was originally one of the Jaṭṭ tribes inhabiting Balochistan. It belongs to the Jha ...

. The tehsil covers an area of 7,456 square kilometres, consisting predominantly of mountainous terrain. It is situated north of Bela and extends mainly east of the N-25 National Highway, reaching the

Kirthar Mountains The Kirthar Mountains (; ) are a mountain range that mark the boundary between the Pakistani provinces of Balochistan and Sindh, also separating the Iranian plateau from the Indian subcontinent. It comprises much of the Kirthar National Park. The ...

along the border with

Sindh Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind (caliphal province), Sind or Scinde) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, southeastern region of the country, Sindh is t ...

Population

According to the 2023 national census, Aranji has a population of 50,533, all residing in rural areas. This makes it one of the more sparsely populated areas in the district. The literacy rate stands at 12.11%, with a male literacy rate of 17.67% and a female literacy rate at just 5.40%, among the lowest in Balochistan.

Languages

In Aranji Tehsil, Brahui is the predominant language, spoken by approximately 48,420 people (95.8% of the population), followed by Balochi, spoken by around 1,135 individuals (2.3%). The dominance of Brahui reflects the tehsil's historical roots as part of the central Brahui-speaking

highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally, ''upland'' refers to a range of hills, typically from up to , while ''highland'' is usually reserved for range ...

s of Balochistan, where tribal and cultural affiliations have preserved the language over centuries. Balochi, while present, plays a secondary role in local communication, often coexisting with Brahui in multilingual households and public life.

Climate

The tehsil is frequently affected by extreme climatic conditions, including heatwaves, reduced precipitation, and prolonged droughts. In 2022, it experienced both a significant earthquake and an extended period of heavy rainfall, which led to widespread flooding. These events resulted in severe damage to housing, agricultural land, and livestock, exacerbating the area's existing vulnerabilities.

Poverty

Extreme poverty Extreme poverty is the most severe type of poverty, defined by the United Nations (UN) as "a condition characterized by severe deprivation of basic human needs, including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, ...

is widespread across the tehsil. Access to basic services such as electricity, infrastructure, and clean water remains limited and inconsistent, with such provisions often being the exception rather than the norm.

References and notes

Explanatory notes

References

Populated places in Khuzdar District Tehsils of Khuzdar District Khuzdar District {{Balochistan-geo-stub