Shahdadkot

Shahdadkot (Sindhi: شھدادڪوٽ‎; Urdu: شہدادکوٹ‬‎) is the most populated and largest town of Qambar Shahdadkot District of Sindh, Pakistan. Postal Code: 77300. It is located around 44 kilometres northwest of Larkana and 32 kilometers north of Kambar. It is situated near Sindh Balochistan border. Shahdadkot town population is about 400,000. It is also famous due to tomb of great Sofi Hazrat Mian Ghulam Siddique Mekan. The town has several government and private educational institutions including Govt Degree college, Government Girls College, 2 Govt. High Schools for boys and one for girls and several primary schools etc. It is the sub divisional headquarters, having four courts of law including the Court of Additional District & Sessions Judge. Kotoo Motoo chowk is the center of the town which was named due to toy shop of two persons of Hindu community late Kotoo Mal and late Motoo Mal. Most of the land around Shahdadkot was belonging to khuhawar community. Khuhawar tribe is known for its generous contributions for the town, having the highest land holding by any tribe, donated plots for development of the town such as for library, graveyard, public schools, SGS gas office, stadium etc. Late Khan Bahadur Pir Bux and his son Sardar Muhammad Bux khuhawar have remained notable donors.

Town is politically stronghold of Pakistan People's Party since 1970. Nadir Khan Magsi is elected Member of Provincial Assembly of Sindh in General Elections of 2013 from PS-42 KAMBAR SHAHDADKOT-III(OLD LARKANA-VIII),^[1] and Ms Faryal Talpur is elected Member of National Assembly from Constituency NA-207. The town was also the constituency of the former prime minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto. Sultan Ahmed Khuhawar was also M.P.A. elected in General Elections of 2002.

History

The old official name of Shahdadkot is Shahdadpur. Still old registered documents of British India period are available indicating said old name. The necessity for changing the name arose when postal service was started by the then British Indian Govt. There was another town of same name Shahdapur situated in then Hyderabad and now Sangher district of Sindh which created acute postal difficulties. Post deliveries of the one town were mistakenly being sent to other town hence it necessitated the change in name of either. Decision was made to change the name of this town as Shahdadkot. According to Gazetteer of Sindh 1876 AD "Shahdadpur , a Government town in the Kambar taluka of the Larkana Deputy Collectorate in latitude 27 46 N. and longitude 68 E, distant about 30 miles north-north-west from Larkana. It was seated on the west bank of the Dato-Ji-Kur canal, and has road communication with Kamber, Garhi Khairo, Jamali and Hamal, and was the head-quarter station of a Tapadar. The town was situated in a barren tract, which, a short time after the conquest of province by the British , was almost destitute of population, and is described as being more like the bed of a salt lagoon in an interval of spring tides, than an inland district. The population , in nunmber was about 783, comprises 464 Musalmans of the Pirzadah, Kalhoro, Lashari, Siyal, Magsi, and Muhana tribes, the remainder (319) being Hindus. The chief man of note in this place was Pir Bakhsh Khuhawar, a very influential and public spirited Zamindar, who had done much towards raising this town to its former prosperity. At one time Shahdadpur was a large place , from which Sir John Keane, when in Sind, drew supplies for his army, then on the point of advancing on Afghanistan, after that it fell into ruinous condition-so much so, that when Lieutenant James, the Deputy Collector of the Chandko district, visited it in 1846, an old Hindu was its only inhabitant.The town has a fair trade in wool, rice and grain of different kinds, but there are no manufacturers of any description in it."^[2] Shahadad was as per traditional record either name of one Shahdad Brohi or Mir Shahdad Khan Talpur. Official name of railway station of Shahdadkot is Silra Shahdadkot as one large thickly populated village of Silra community is situated in its close surrounding. The railway station has become defunct for last two decades.

Commerce & Industry

In summer season, weather of the town is hot and dry. In the month of May and June, temperature rises up to 52 °C (126 °F). Due to extremely hot weather, peddy/rice is common crop of this region and it has made it second largest rice market in Sindh province. The town is of economic importance as it is situated along the Guwadar Highway. The said part of highway is called Shahdakot Ratodero road. The length of the road in said two Talukas is 64 km. It was constructed by F.W.O. during January 1993 to December 2002.^[3] It links Shahdakot to Shikarpur, Sukkur, Sijawal Junejo, Qubo Saeed Khan, Khuzdar and Ustad Muhammad town. Rice and Wheat are major crops of its area. More than 50 Rice Husking Mills are situated within local limits of its Tahsil. Shahdadkot Textile Mill was situated in the north of Shahdadkot town. It employed around 4500 workers of the town and surrounding cities. The foundation of the mill was laid in 1974 by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, then Prime Minister of Pakistan. The mill was installed with cooperation of Chinese Government. Its operation was started in 1978. Due to mal-administration of the management during Zia ul Haq regime, it started to face financial crisis to the extent that management was unable to pay salaries and wages to its 4000 staff and workers. Subsequently, Governments took steps by granting funds to run it but could not succeed. Ultimately, it was permanently shut down on July 8, 2007. The plant and other assets were auctioned.

Market of town includes various shops of electronic goods, agricultural tools, building material and food processing through bakeries and general & grocery stores.

Languages

• Sindhi
• Brahui
• Balochi
• Siraiki
• Urdu

Sport

• Cricket
• Football
• Volleyball
• Badminton

See also

• Kachi Pul

References

• "KAMBER SHAHDADKOT". Provincial Assembly of Sindh.
• "Ratodero-Shahdadkot". National Highway Authority.

External links

• Weather map of Shahdadkot