Turbat

Turbat (Urdu and ) is a city in the southern region of Balochistan province of Pakistan. It is the administrative centre of Kech District. Turbat is the second-largest city in Balochistan after Quetta and the 35th largest city in the country by population. Situated on the left bank of the Kech River, Turbat was the historical capital of the princely state of Makran. It is the largest city in the southern part of the province. The Gwadar Port lies southwest of Turbat.

History

In the 12th century, Turbat and its surrounding areas, along with Iranian Makran, were ruled by Prince Punnu (Mir Dosthein) and his father and his uncle Prince Aali Khan and Prince Khosag Khan. Later, Turbat was ruled by the Gichki Tribes of Makran and as well ruled by the Buledi tribe about 400 years ago.
It was then the headquarters of the Makran State and the Nawab of Makran resided in Shahi Tump near Turbat. When Makran State was dissolved, Turbat city remained the Division Headquarters. Turbat means "place or land of lovers".

Overview

The town is located in the southern portion of the Balochistan province, just on the left bank of the Kech River, a tributary to the Dasht River. To its north and east, it is surrounded by the Makran Range which descends to the coastal plains in the south. The town is known for its dates production grown in its neighborhoods and has a date-processing factory. The area also produces jowar, barley, wheat, and rice.

The town has a special place in Baloch folklore and literature as it is the home of Punnu, the hero of the romance of '' Sassi Punnun''. The remains of Punnu's fort can still be seen in Turbat.

Atta Shad, who is considered one of the greatest poets of Balochi literature was also born in Singanisar, a town in Turbat city. He was not only versatile in Balochi poetry, but he was also greatly appreciated for his contribution in Urdu poetry. He was unique in his diction and style. He is credited to have written four books that include two Balochi books, Rochgir and Shap sahar indem, and two Urdu books, Singaab and Barfag. He died on 13 February 1998 in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province.

Turbat is the birthplace of Kadu Makrani, a 19th-century archetypal figure who was born and brought up in Makran, Balochistan. He rose as an insurgent in Kathiawar, Gujarat, and was killed and buried in Karachi, Sindh in 1887. His final resting place is in Mewa Shah Graveyard (Lyari). He is also remembered as ''the eastern Robin Hood''.

The city is one of the most significant cities of Balochistan as the important Gwadar port is 180 km away from the town. Gwadar is linked by the highway recently developed and improved under the CPEC project. Turbat has an international airport that has many flights to the Gulf states of Oman, the UAE and Qatar. Although the city is not coastal but still has a newly built Pakistan Navy base camp which is being expanded to become a major air base in the future supporting Karachi. Turbat on its extreme south links with another coastal city of Pasni that comes administratively under district Gwadar.

Demographics

According to the 2023 census, Turbat had a population of 268,625.

Climate

Turbat is one of the hottest cities in South Asia, and is counted as the world's fourth hottest place, having recorded temperatures as high as 53.5 degrees Celsius. On May 28, 2017, temperatures hit 128.7 degrees Fahrenheit (53.7 Celsius, plus or minus 0.4 degrees), placing it among the four hottest temperatures recorded on earth, according to the WMO.

Transport

Turbat has an international airport which offers direct flights to Gwadar, Karachi, and Sharjah, UAE. The road network links Turbat with Kalat and Quetta to the northeast, Gwadar and Pasni to the south, Chabahar and Iranshahr to the west, and Karachi to the east.

As part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) the M-8 motorway is under construction but so far now links Turbat to Gwadar, a major port city, and Hoshab. In the future Turbat will be linked to northern Sindh by highway, which will allow economic development in the region by increased connectivity with the national transportation system. In November 2023, the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) upgraded the Turbat International Airport into a hub airport authorized to allow Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 transport. Before the upgrade, only small aircraft and the ATR 72 were allowed to land. This is a big step in the infrastructure of Turbat, as this will allow direct flights by carriers from Turbat to cities across Pakistan and around the world. International sources speculate that flight operation from carriers would begin shortly after this upgrade.

Since 2016, there is a VLF transmission facility of the Pakistani Navy near Turbat for sending messages to submerged submarines.

Education

University:
* University of Turbat

Balochistan University of Engineering & Technology, Turbat Campus
Colleges:

Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Girls Cadet College
* Makran Medical College

See also

* Turbat International Airport
* Gwadar
* Gwadar International Airport

References

{{Authority control

Populated places in Kech District