Hangu, Pakistan

Hangu (Pashto: هنګو‎), a town in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, is the principal city of the district of Hangu. It is known for its bodies of fresh water and its flora.

Language [edit]

Languages of Kyber Pakhtunkha.jpg

Pashto is main language spoken in Bannu specific Bangash dialect but few number of people speaks Punjabi Language (in Majhi, Saraiki and Hindko dialects). Urdu being National language is also spoken and understood.

Location [edit]

Hangu is located in the north of Pakistan, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Development [edit]

There are several clinics and medical practices in Hangu: the Dr. Asma Hamid Clinic south of the old mosque, the Tasleem Clinic south of the Kohat Road and the Dr. Jamila Rehman Clinic on Shahidano Road.

There is a Police Training College, which is rumored to be the second oldest of Asia, located in the east of town, as well as a District and Session Court in the center of the town, near the police station and the local jail.

Education [edit]

There are two government high schools for boys and two for girls in Hangu. The Hangu Government Degree College provides higher education for both boys and girls.

Origin of name [edit]

There are several theories concerning the origin of the name Hangu:

1. Hangu is said to be derived from the Pushtu word Hangu-Lee, which means “the dog growls in grief”. It used to be a common practice for the inhabitants of surrounding villages to leave dogs that were deemed weak or useless here. These homeless dogs growled during cold nights, and thus gave the town its name.

2. "Hangu" is also the name of a place in China, and since many Chinese travelers have passed through the area for centuries, it's possible that travelers, like Hiuen Tsang, saw some similarities with their own region and thus named it Hangu.

3. A local legend claims Hangu was the name of a Hindu merchant, who lived in the area and saved the town of a serious drought. The villagers prayed for rain for three days, with no effect, until they discovered that Hangu was the only one who didn't pray with them. They asked him why he didn't pray with them, to which he responded “You're all Muslims, how can a Hindu pray to the God of Muslims?". The people argued with him, saying he lived in the same village as them, and if would rain, he would benefit from it as well. In the end, they convinced him to pray with them. The merchant looked at the heavens and prayed to Allah, and as the people said "Ameen", clouds appeared and with great thunder it started raining. Out of gratitude, the town was named after the Hindu merchant who had prayed to Allah: Hangu.

Militancy [edit]

On 22 August 2008, sixteen militants (including two Chechens) were killed by Pakistani security forces in a skirmish at Hangu when security forces opened fire on their explosive-laden vehicle at a security checkpoint. One of the militants was arrested. One policeman and a member of the security forces were injured in the explosion. It was later discovered that the militants came from Darra Adamkhel, a town between Peshawar and Kohat with a thriving arms industry.

On 10 December 2010 a suicide bomber killed eleven people (including two policemen, a woman and a child) and injured another twenty-two. The attack occurred near a hospital which was under construction.

On 27 May 2011, 28 people were killed and another 55 injured when a suicide bomber exploded his vehicle at a checkpoint in the Hangu bazaar. Among the victims were four policemen. The explosion inflicted heavy damage to the offices of the Hangu police chief and special branch, the city police station, seventeen shops, three restaurants and a branch of the National Bank. The press was contacted by a Taliban spokesman claiming responsibility for the attack.

On Thursday, 23 August 2012 militants opened fire on a police van, killing three officers and injuring another two. It was suspected that the Taliban was behind the attack.