Jafarabad District

This article is about a district of Pakistan. For the rural district located in Iran, see Jafarabad District (Iran).

Jafarabad District ضلع جعفر آباد
District of Balochistan
District Jaffarabad
Map of Balochistan with Jafarabad District highlighted
Country	Pakistan
Province	Balochistan
Division	Nasirabad
Established	1987
Headquarters	Dera Allah Yar
Government
• Type	District Administration
• Deputy Commissioner	Abdul Razzaq Khan Khujjak
• District Police Officer	N/A
• District Health Officer	N/A
Area
• Total	1,643 km2 (634 sq mi)
Population  (2017)
• Total	513,972
• Density	310/km2 (810/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+5 (PST)
Constituency	NA 261
Website	Official site

Jafarabad (Balochi: جعفر آباد, Urdu: ضلع جعفر آباد, Sindhi: جعفرآباد ضلو) district lies in southeast of the Pakistani province of Balochistan. Jafarabad's headquarters are at Dera Allah Yar, also known as Jhatpat among locals. Jaffarabad District is sub-divided into three tehsils. The main tribes of this district are: Hanbhi,Jamali, Umrani, Khoso, Bulledi, Magsi, Babbar, and Behrani, while internally displaced people of Bugti tribes also live in Jafarabad. Other minority communities are Gola, Lashari, and Domki.

Demographics

At the time of the 2017 census the district had a population of 513,972, of which 262,872 were males and 251,047 females. Rural population was 356,261 (69.32%) while the urban population was 157,711 (30.68%). The literacy rate was 30.66% - the male literacy rate was 41.72% while the female literacy rate was 19.24%. Islam was the predominant religion with 98.53%, while Hindus are 1.34% of the population.

Languages of Jafarabad district (2017)

  Balochi (48.62%)

  Sindhi (19.80%)

  Saraiki (15.39%)

  Brahui (14.32%)

  Others (1.87%)

At the time of the 2017 census, 48.62% of the population spoke Balochi, 19.80% Sindhi, 15.39% Saraiki and 14.32% Brahui as their first language.

Administration

The district of Jaffarabad is administratively subdivided into the following three Tehsils:

• Gandakha
• Jhat Pat (Dera Allah Yar)
• Usta Mohammad

Education

According to the Pakistan District Education Rankings 2017, district Jafarabad is ranked at number 113 out of the 141 ranked districts in Pakistan on the Education Score index. This index considers learning, gender parity and retention in the district.

Literacy rate in 2014–15 of population 10 years and older in the district stood at 36% whereas for females it was only 15%.

Post primary access is a major issue in the district with 89% schools being at primary level. Compared with high schools which only constitute 4% of government schools in the district. This is also reflected in the enrolment figures with 27,448 students enrolled in class 1 to 5 and only 736 students enrolled in class 9 and 10.

Gender disparity is another issue in the district. Only 28% schools in the district are girls’ schools. Access to education for girls is a major issue in the district and is also reflected in the low literacy rates for females.

Moreover, the schools in the district lack basic facilities. According to Alif Ailaan Pakistan District Education Rankings 2017, the district is ranked at number 117 out of the 155 districts of Pakistan for primary school infrastructure. At the middle school level, it is ranked at number 116 out of the 155 districts. These rankings take into account the basic facilities available in schools including drinking water, working toilet, availability of electricity, existence of a boundary wall and general building condition. More than 3 out of 5 schools in the district lack electricity, working toilet and a boundary wall. More than 1 out of 5 schools do not have clean drinking water.

The main issues reported in Taleem Do! App for the district are unavailability of class rooms for students and a lack of university. Political interference is also reported in development of new schools.

References

Sources

• 1998 District Census report of Jaffarabad. Census publication. Vol. 80. Islamabad: Population Census Organization, Statistics Division, Government of Pakistan. 2000.

External links

• Jaffarabad District at www.balochistan.gov.pk
• District Jaffarabad at www.balochistanpolice.gov.pk