Quetta

{{Short description|Capital of Balochistan, Pakistan}} {{About|the city|the metric prefix|Quetta-|other uses}} {{EngvarB|date=January 2019}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}} {{Infobox settlement | name = Quetta | official_name = | other_name = | native_name = {{hlist |{{lang|ps|کوټه}} |{{lang|bal|{{Nastaliq|کویٹہ}}}} |{{lang|ur|{{Nastaliq|کوئٹہ}}}} }} | nickname = ''Fruit Garden of Pakistan'' | etymology = | settlement_type = Metropolis | motto = | image_skyline = {{Multiple image |total_width = 280px |perrow = 1/2/2/2 |border = infobox |caption_align = center |image1 = Quetta cantt.jpg |caption1 = Quetta Cantonment |image2 = Quetta_at_night_2.jpg |caption2 = Quetta at night |image3 = Quetta Fort Mirri.jpg |caption3 = Fort Mirri |image4 = Hanna Lake Quetta.jpg |caption4 = Hanna Lake }} | image_flag = Quetta City Flag.png | flag_size = | image_seal = | seal_size = | image_shield = | shield_size = | image_blank_emblem = Quetta Metropolitan Corporation.png | blank_emblem_type = Emblem | blank_emblem_size = 120px | image_map = | map_caption = | pushpin_map = Balochistan Pakistan#Pakistan | pushpin_map_caption = | pushpin_mapsize = | pushpin_relief = yes | coordinates = {{Coord|region:PK-BA_type:city(1,700,000)|format=dms|display=inline,title}} | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = {{PAK}} | subdivision_type1 = Province | subdivision_name1 = {{flagicon|Balochistan}} Balochistan | subdivision_type2 = Division | subdivision_name2 = Quetta | subdivision_type3 = District | subdivision_name3 = Quetta | government_footnotes = | government_type = Municipal Corporation<ref name="Government">{{cite web |url=http://www.balochistan.gov.pk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=836&Itemid=1087 |title=Government Organization – Government of Balochistan |work=balochistan.gov.pk |access-date=6 September 2016 |archive-date=7 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207154808/http://www.balochistan.gov.pk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=836&Itemid=1087 |url-status=live }}</ref> | leader_title = Mayor | leader_name = Seat Vacant | leader_title1 = Deputy Mayor | leader_name1 = Seat Vacant | leader_title2 = Commissioner | leader_name2 = Shahzaib Khan Kakar<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2025-11-26 |title=Commissioner Quetta reviews progress on PSDP development schemes |url=https://www.app.com.pk/domestic/commissioner-quetta-reviews-progress-on-psdp-development-schemes/ |access-date=2025-12-14 |publisher=Associated Press of Pakistan |language=en-US}}</ref> | leader_title3 = Deputy Commissioner | leader_name3 = Mehrullah Badini<ref name=":0" /> | established_title = Settled | established_date = {{start date and age|1876}} | unit_pref = PAK | area_footnotes = | area_metro_km2 = 3501 | area_total_km2 = 3501 | area_water_percent = | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = 1,680 | elevation_ft = 5,510 | elevation_max_m = | elevation_min_m = | population_as_of = 2023 | population_footnotes = <ref name="census2017">{{cite report |year=2017 |title=District Wise Census Results Census 2017 |url=http://www.pbscensus.gov.pk/sites/default/files/DISTRICT_WISE_CENSUS_RESULTS_CENSUS_2017.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829164748/http://www.pbscensus.gov.pk/sites/default/files/DISTRICT_WISE_CENSUS_RESULTS_CENSUS_2017.pdf |archive-date=29 August 2017 |publisher=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics |page=13 |access-date=29 March 2018 }}</ref> | population_note = | total_type = City | population_total = 1,565,546 | population_rank = 9th in Pakistan;<br />1st in Balochistan | population_density_km2 = auto | population_blank1_title = Demonym | population_blank1 = Quettan or Quettawal (kʰwətə.wal) | timezone = PKT | utc_offset = +05:00 | timezone_DST = | utc_offset_DST = | postal_code_type = Postal code | postal_code = 87300 | area_code = 081 | area_code_type = Dialling code | website = {{URL|http://www.balochistan.gov.pk/}} }}

'''Quetta'''{{efn|{{IPAc-en|'|k|w|ɛ|t|ə}}; {{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|کوئٹہ}}}}, ''ko'eṭa'', {{IPA|hns|ˈkweːʈə||Quetta pronunciation.ogg}}; {{langx|ps|کوټه}}, {{IPA|ps|ˈkweːʈa}}; {{langx|bal|کویٹہ}}}} is the capital and largest city of the Pakistani province of Balochistan. The city developed in the Quetta Valley, a region historically inhabited by Pashtun tribes such as the Kasi, and formed part of the broader Pashtun cultural and tribal sphere linking southern Afghanistan with northern Balochistan prior to its expansion under British colonial rule.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Gazdar |first=Haris |title=Buffer zone, colonial enclave or urban hub? Quetta: between four regions and two wars |journal=Crisis States Research Centre Working Papers |publisher=London School of Economics |year=2010 |url=https://researchonline.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/28472/ |access-date=8 February 2026 |archive-date=11 March 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260311133849/https://researchonline.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/28472/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It is the ninth largest city in Pakistan, with an estimated population of over 1.7 million in 2024.<ref>{{cite web |title=Quetta Population 2024 |url=https://worldpopulationreview.com/world-cities/quetta-population |website=worldpopulationreview.com }}</ref> It is situated in the south-west of the country, lying in a valley surrounded by mountains on all sides. Quetta is at an average elevation of {{convert|1680|m|ft|abbr=off}} above sea level,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://population.mongabay.com/population/pakistan/1167528/quetta |title=Mongabay -environmental science and conservation news |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304052058/http://population.mongabay.com/population/pakistan/1167528/quetta |archive-date=4 March 2016 }}</ref> making it Pakistan's highest-altitude major city. The city is sometimes referred to as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" because of its numerous fruit orchards and the variety of fresh and dried fruits produced in the region.<ref name="Quetta fruit garden of Pakistan">{{cite news |url=https://www.bolnews.com/trending/2020/01/winter-destinations-mesmerizing-places-in-pakistan/ |title=Winter destinations – Mesmerizing places in Pakistan |work=Bol News |date=18 January 2020 |access-date=7 January 2022 |archive-date=24 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624133958/https://www.bolnews.com/trending/2020/01/winter-destinations-mesmerizing-places-in-pakistan/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Located in northern Balochistan near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and the road across to Kandahar, Quetta is a trade and communication centre between the two countries.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gazdar |first1=Haris |last2=Kaker |first2=Sobia Ahmad |last3=Khan |first3=Irfan |title=Buffer zone, colonial enclave or urban hub? Quetta: between four regions and two wars |website=www.crisisstates.com |date=February 2010 |url=https://researchonline.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/28472/ |language=en |archive-date=28 May 2024 |access-date=28 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240528184740/https://researchonline.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/28472/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The city is near the Bolan Pass, which was on a major gateway from Central Asia to South Asia.

== Etymology == The name ''Quetta'' is a variation of the Pashto word ''Kwatkōṭ'', or ''kōta'' meaning "fortress".<ref>{{Citation |last=Everett-Heath |first=John |title=Quetta |date=24 October 2019 |url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780191882913.001.0001/acref-9780191882913-e-6164 |work=The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Place Names |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-188291-3 |access-date=4 September 2021 |doi=10.1093/acref/9780191882913.001.0001 |archive-date=4 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210904184459/https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780191882913.001.0001/acref-9780191882913-e-6164 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref> Quetta was formerly known as Shalkot ({{langx|ps|ښالکوټ}}, {{langx|ur|شالکوٹ}}).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Thornton |first=Thomas Henry |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mHpCAAAAIAAJ&dq=shalkot+Quetta&pg=PA211 |title=Colonel Sir Robert Sandeman: His Life and Work on Our Indian Frontier. A Memoir, with Selections from His Correspondence and Official Writings |date=1895 |publisher=J. Murray |language=en }}</ref>

== History ==

=== Early history and etymology === The name '''Quetta''' is derived from the Pashto word {{lang|ps|کوټه}} (''kwatta''), meaning "fort", a reference to the naturally defensible character of the valley and to the historic mud-walled citadel known as the '''Miri Fort''', which dominated the early settlement.<ref name="Gazetteer1907p32">{{cite book |title=Gazetteer of the Quetta–Pishin District |year=1907 |publisher=Government of India |page=32 |url=https://archive.org/details/gazetteerofquetta00indi |via=Internet Archive |access-date=9 February 2026 }}</ref>

The earliest recorded historical reference to the region dates to the 11th century, when the Quetta valley was captured by Mahmud of Ghazni during his campaigns in eastern Afghanistan and the north-western Indian subcontinent.<ref name="Burki470">{{cite book |last=Burki |first=Shahid Javed |title=Historical Dictionary of Pakistan |year=2015 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=9781442241480 |page=470 }}</ref>

In 1543, the Mughal emperor Humayun passed through the Quetta region while fleeing to Safavid Iran following his defeat by Sher Shah Suri.<ref name="Burki470" />

=== Pashtun tribal settlement and landholding === Historically, the Quetta valley traditionally known as '''Shal''' formed part of the ancestral territory of Pashtun tribes, most prominently the '''Kasi''' (or Kansi), a Sarbani Pashtun group established as the principal cultivators and proprietary landholders of the valley.<ref name="Ahmad">{{cite book |last=Ahmad |first=Iqtidar |title=History of Balochistan |year=1980 |publisher=University of Balochistan Press |page=112 }}</ref>

According to the ''Gazetteer of the Quetta–Pishin District'', the Kasi were recognised as the original owners of the Shal valley, holding agricultural land, grazing grounds, and irrigation systems (''karez'') under customary tribal tenure regulated by local practice and Islamic law.<ref name="Gazetteer1907p73">{{cite book |title=Gazetteer of the Quetta–Pishin District |year=1907 |publisher=Government of India |pages=73–74 |url=https://archive.org/details/gazetteerofquetta00indi |via=Internet Archive |access-date=9 February 2026 }}</ref>

A formal sanad issued by Nasir Khan I of Kalat in the mid-18th century confirmed the proprietary rights of the Kasi chiefs (''arbabs'') over the Shal valley, defining its boundaries and affirming their control over land and water resources. Certain Kasi families held hereditary and revenue-free grants, which continued to be recognised under later administrations.<ref name="Gazetteer1907p99">{{cite book |title=Gazetteer of the Quetta–Pishin District |year=1907 |publisher=Government of India |page=99 |url=https://archive.org/details/gazetteerofquetta00indi |via=Internet Archive |access-date=9 February 2026 }}</ref>

By the early modern period, other Pashtun tribes—including the Achakzai, Kakar and Tareen—occupied surrounding uplands and valleys, while the Shal valley itself remained primarily under Kasi ownership and cultivation.<ref name="Gazetteer1907p73" />

=== Afghan and Durrani period === In 1709, the Quetta region came under the authority of the Afghan Hotak dynasty. Following the establishment of the Durrani Empire in 1747, Ahmad Shah Durrani incorporated Quetta into the Afghan state. Administrative authority and revenue rights were later granted to Nasir Khan I of Kalat in recognition of Baloch military assistance during Durrani campaigns; however, indigenous Pashtun landholding structures—particularly those of the Kasi—remained intact.<ref name="Caroe256">{{cite book |last=Caroe |first=Olaf |title=The Pathans: 550 B.C.–A.D. 1957 |year=1958 |publisher=St. Martin's Press |page=256 |url=https://archive.org/details/pathans550bcad1957caro |via=Internet Archive |access-date=9 February 2026 }}</ref>

Large tracts of land later classified under British administration as '''Timur Shahi''' lands were originally acquired by Afghan rulers through confiscation following disputes over revenue assessments. These lands were reassessed during colonial settlement operations.<ref name="Gazetteer1907p278">{{cite book |title=Gazetteer of the Quetta–Pishin District |year=1907 |publisher=Government of India |page=278 |url=https://archive.org/details/gazetteerofquetta00indi |via=Internet Archive |access-date=9 February 2026 }}</ref>

=== British era === The first recorded European visitor to Quetta was the British traveller Charles Masson, who described the settlement in 1828 as a "mud-walled fort surrounded by three hundred mud houses."<ref name="Masson330">{{cite book |last=Masson |first=Charles |title=Narrative of Various Journeys in Balochistan, Afghanistan, and the Panjab |year=1842 |publisher=Richard Bentley |page=330 |url=https://archive.org/details/narrativeofvario00mass |via=Internet Archive |access-date=9 February 2026 }}</ref>

During the Second Anglo-Afghan War, British forces occupied Quetta, and in 1883 formal control was established through a lease arrangement with the Khan of Kalat. The British subsequently expanded Quetta as a cantonment and civil station, acquiring land largely through purchase for military and administrative purposes.<ref name="Gazetteer249">{{cite book |title=Gazetteer of the Quetta–Pishin District |year=1907 |publisher=Government of India |pages=249–250 |url=https://archive.org/details/gazetteerofquetta00indi |via=Internet Archive |access-date=9 February 2026 }}</ref>

Colonial settlement records indicate that indigenous Pashtun tribes—particularly the Kasi and Achakzai—remained the principal proprietors of agricultural land and irrigation systems in and around Quetta. Transfers of agricultural land occurred overwhelmingly between local cultivators, while sales to non-agriculturists were legally restricted and generally confined to small urban plots.<ref name="Gazetteer249"/>

Detailed records further note that Achakzai and Kasi families retained hereditary and, in some cases, revenue-free shares in karez lands, with tribal leaders formally recognised as head proprietors by the colonial administration.<ref name="Gazetteer1907p340">{{cite book |title=Gazetteer of the Quetta–Pishin District |year=1907 |publisher=Government of India |page=340 |url=https://archive.org/details/gazetteerofquetta00indi |via=Internet Archive |access-date=9 February 2026 }}</ref>

=== Modern period === Rapid urban growth in the late 19th and early 20th centuries led to a sharp rise in land values and increased litigation over immovable property, particularly within the town and cantonment areas. Contemporary records indicate that most such disputes involved recent settlers, traders, and government employees rather than indigenous landholding tribes.<ref name="Gazetteer241">{{cite book |title=Gazetteer of the Quetta–Pishin District |year=1907 |publisher=Government of India |pages=241–242 |url=https://archive.org/details/gazetteerofquetta00indi |via=Internet Archive |access-date=9 February 2026 }}</ref>

Quetta was almost entirely destroyed by the 1935 Quetta earthquake, resulting in widespread devastation and loss of life. The city was subsequently rebuilt under British administration. Following the creation of Pakistan in 1947, Quetta became the provincial capital of Balochistan.<ref name="Burki470" />

=== Pashtun tribal rule and Durrani Empire === Historically, the Quetta valley (traditionally known as Shal) was the ancestral domain of the Kasi (or Kansi) tribe, a branch of the Sarbani Pashtun confederation.<ref name="Ahmad"/>

In 1709, the region became part of the Afghan Hotak dynasty. By 1747, Ahmad Shah Durrani incorporated it into the Durrani Empire. Durrani later granted the administration and revenue of Quetta to Nasir Khan I, the Khan of Kalat, in recognition of Baloch military assistance during the Durrani campaigns in India, though the region maintained its predominantly Pashtun tribal character.<ref name="Caroe">{{cite book |last=Caroe |first=Olaf |title=The Pathans: 550 B.C.–A.D. 1957 |year=1958 |publisher=St. Martin's Press |page=256 |url=https://archive.org/details/pathans550bcad1957caro |access-date=8 February 2026 }}</ref>

=== British era and modern period === The first European to visit Quetta, British explorer Charles Masson, described it in 1828 as a "mud-walled fort surrounded by three hundred mud houses."<ref name="Masson">{{cite book |last=Masson |first=Charles |title=Narrative of Various Journeys in Balochistan, Afghanistan, and the Panjab |year=1842 |publisher=Richard Bentley |page=330 |url=https://archive.org/details/narrativeofvario00mass |access-date=8 February 2026 }}</ref>

During the Second Anglo-Afghan War, the British occupied the city, formalising their control via a lease agreement with the Khan of Kalat in 1883. Despite the influx of colonial administrators, British census records from 1901 confirm that the Kasi Pashtuns remained the principal indigenous landholders of the district.<ref name="Gazetteer">{{cite book |title=Gazetteer of the Quetta-Pishin District |year=1907 |publisher=Government of India |page=48 |url=https://archive.org/details/gazetteerquetta00indi |access-date=8 February 2026 }}</ref>

=== British occupation and cantonment development === [[File:Quetta map before 1935.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Map of Quetta before the 1935 Quetta earthquake|left]]

Although Quetta had long existed as an indigenous Pashtun settlement in the Shal valley, its transformation into a modern urban centre occurred during the British period. Owing to its strategic position on the north-western frontier and its proximity to routes leading towards Afghanistan, British officials identified Quetta as a key military and administrative site in the mid-19th century.<ref>{{cite book |last=Dodwell |first=H. H. |title=The Cambridge History of the British Empire |year=1929 |publisher=CUP Archive |page=458 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G-48AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA458 }}</ref>

In 1856, General John Jacob urged the British government to occupy Quetta for frontier defence purposes. During the Second Anglo-Afghan War, British forces took military control of the area, and in 1883 a formal lease arrangement was concluded with the Khan of Kalat, bringing Quetta under effective British administration.<ref name="Gazetteer249"/>

Under British rule, Quetta was developed as a cantonment and civil station. Land required for military, railway, and administrative purposes was largely acquired through purchase from local proprietors rather than wholesale confiscation. Colonial settlement records indicate that indigenous Pashtun tribes—particularly the Kasi and Achakzai—retained ownership of most agricultural land and irrigation systems surrounding the town, while urban expansion was concentrated within the cantonment and civil areas.<ref name="Gazetteer249" />

The establishment of British administration marked the beginning of sustained urban growth, with new infrastructure, roads, and public buildings constructed to serve both military and civilian needs. Quetta subsequently emerged as the principal administrative centre of northern Balochistan during the late colonial period.<ref name="Gazetteer241"/>

=== 20th century and modern period === Quetta was almost completely destroyed by the 1935 Quetta earthquake, one of the deadliest earthquakes in South Asian history, which resulted in extensive loss of life and the destruction of much of the built environment. The city was subsequently rebuilt under British supervision with revised town planning and building regulations.<ref>{{cite web |author=ڈان اردو |title=پاکستانی شہروں کی تاریخ |date=30 December 2013 |url=http://www.dawnnews.tv/news/1001058 |access-date=26 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306213852/http://www.dawnnews.tv/news/1001058 |archive-date=6 March 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Following the creation of Pakistan in 1947, Quetta became the provincial capital of Balochistan, a role it continues to serve in the contemporary period.<ref name="Burki470"/>

== Climate == {{Main|Climate of Quetta}} Quetta has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen ''BSk'') with a significant variation between summer and winter temperatures.Summer typically begins in late May and lasts until early September, with average temperatures ranging from {{convert|24|to|26|C|F}}. The highest temperature recorded in Quetta is {{convert|42|C|F}}, which occurred on 10 July 1998. <ref name="pakmet.com.pk">{{cite web |url=http://www.pakmet.com.pk/cdpc/Climate/Quetta_Climate_Data.txt |title=Mean FOR THE PERIOD 1961 – 2009 |publisher=Climate Data Processing Centre (CDPC), Pakistan Meteorological Department |location=Karachi |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100613053237/http://www.pakmet.com.pk/cdpc/Climate/Quetta_Climate_Data.txt }}</ref> Autumn starts in mid-September and continues until mid-November with average temperatures in the {{convert|12|–|18|C|F}} range. Winter starts in late November and ends in late February with average temperatures near {{convert|4|–|5|C|F}}. The lowest temperature in Quetta is {{convert|-18.3|C|F}} which was recorded on 8 January 1970.<ref name="pakmet.com.pk"/> Spring starts in early March and ends in mid-May with average temperatures close to {{convert|15|°C|°F|abbr=on}}. Unlike more easterly parts of Pakistan, Quetta does not have a monsoon season of heavy rainfall. Highest rainfall during 24 hours in Quetta is {{convert|113|mm|in}} which was recorded on 17 December 2000,<ref name="pakmet.com.pk"/> Highest monthly rainfall of {{convert|232.4|mm|in}} was recorded in March 1982 which was also the year of the highest annual rainfall, {{convert|949.8|mm|in}}.<ref name="pakmet.com.pk"/> In the winter, snowfall has become quite erratic (December, January and February).

The city saw a severe drought from 1999 to 2001 during which the city did not receive snowfall and below normal rains. In 2002, the city received snow after a gap of five years. In 2004 and 2005, the city received normal rains after three years without snowfall while in 2006, 2007 and 2009 the city received no snow. In 2008, it received a snowfall of {{convert|10|cm|in|0}} in four hours on 29 January,<ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090104081930/http://www.dawn.com/2008/01/29/nat4.htm |archive-date=4 January 2009 |url-status=live |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/286899/cold-wave-intensifies-with-heavy-snowfall |title=Cold wave intensifies with heavy snowfall |date=29 January 2008 |website=Dawn }}</ref> followed on 2 February by {{convert|25.4|cm|in|0}} in 10 hours<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C02%5C04%5Cstory_4-2-2008_pg7_22 |title=Leading News Resource of Pakistan |work=Daily Times |date=4 February 2008 |access-date=8 May 2012 |archive-date=19 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119011506/http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C02%5C04%5Cstory_4-2-2008_pg7_22 |url-status=live }}</ref> – the city's heaviest snowfall in a decade. During the winter of 2010, it received no snow and saw below normal rains due to the presence of El-Nino over Pakistan.{{citation needed|date=March 2020}}

==Demographics== {{Historical populations |title = |align = |direction = |width = |state = |shading = |pop_name = |percentages = |footnote = |source = <ref name="pocketbook2006">{{cite book |last1=Elahi |first1=Asad |year=2006 |chapter=2: Population |chapter-url=http://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/other/pocket_book2006/2.pdf |title=Pakistan Statistical Pocket Book 2006 |url=http://www.pbs.gov.pk/content/pakistan-statistical-pocket-book-2006 |publisher=Government of Pakistan: Statistics Division |place=Islamabad, Pakistan |publication-date=2006 |page=28 |access-date=29 March 2018 |archive-date=30 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180330211332/http://www.pbs.gov.pk/content/pakistan-statistical-pocket-book-2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="census2017" /> |1941 |65000 |1951 |84000 |1961 |107000 |1972 |158000 |1981 |286000 |1998 |565137 |2017 |1001205 |2023|1,565,546}}

According to the 2023 Census of Pakistan, the population of the city was a total of 1,565,546.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pakistan: Provinces and Major Cities – Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/pakistan/cities/ |access-date=31 August 2024 |website=www.citypopulation.de |archive-date=28 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028210633/https://www.citypopulation.de/Pakistan-100T.html |url-status=live }}</ref> This makes it the largest city in Balochistan province and one of the major cities of Pakistan. Quetta is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the country.<ref name="The Pashtun Question">{{cite book |author=Abubakar Siddique |title=The Pashtun Question: The Unresolved Key to the Future of Pakistan and Afghanistan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PkVeBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA22 |year=2014 |publisher=Hurst |isbn=978-1-84904-292-5 |page=22 }}</ref> The city has a Pashtun plurality followed by Balochs, Hazaras, Brahui, Sindhis, Saraikis, Punjabis and Urdu-speaking.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bianchi |first=Robert |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6dzQCwAAQBAJ |title=Guests of God: Pilgrimage and Politics in the Islamic World |date=25 March 2008 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-971183-3 |page=92 |language=en |quote=The largest communities are Pashtuns, Punjabis, and muhajirs, but no group is a majority. Quetta is one of the few districts in all Pakistan where no linguistic group can claim dominance, either numerically or politically. Aside from occasional clashes with Shi‘ite protesters encouraged by proximity to Iran, Quetta seems like a model of tolerance compared with the carnage ravaging the much larger melting pot of Karachi. |archive-date=19 February 2025 |access-date=28 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250219204702/https://books.google.com/books?id=6dzQCwAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Fair |first1=C. Christine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FW4Cx75_7usC&dq=Quetta+punjabis+pashtuns&pg=PA12 |title=Pakistan: Can the United States Secure an Insecure State? |last2=Crane |first2=Keith |last3=Chivvis |first3=Christopher S. |last4=Puri |first4=Samir |last5=Spirtas |first5=Michael |date=13 April 2010 |publisher=Rand Corporation |isbn=978-0-8330-4870-7 |pages=12 |language=en |archive-date=19 February 2025 |access-date=28 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250219204634/https://books.google.com/books?id=FW4Cx75_7usC&dq=Quetta+punjabis+pashtuns&pg=PA12 |url-status=live }}</ref> Urdu, being the national language, is used and understood by all the residents and serves as a lingua franca.

'''Languages'''

{{Pie chart | caption = Languages of Urban Quetta (2023) | value1 = 62.94 | label1 = Pashto | color1 = Limegreen | value2 = 10.26 | label2 = Brahui | color2 = crimson | value3 = 7.29 | label3 = Balochi | color3 = Lightgreen | value4 = 4.73 | label4 = Punjabi | color4 = red | value5 = 3.88 | label5 = Urdu | color5 = green | value6 = 1.57 | label6 = Sindhi | color6 = Orange | value7 = 1.35 | label7 = Saraiki | color7 = aqua | value8 = 1.44 | label8 = Hindko | color8 = lightblue | value9 = 6.54 | label9 = Others | color9 = grey }}

According to Reuters and the BBC, there are as many as 500,000–600,000 Hazaras living in Quetta and its surrounding areas.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pakistan-shooting/two-killed-in-sectarian-attack-in-southwestern-pakistan-idUSKBN1HT0N2 |title=Two killed in sectarian attack in southwestern Pakistan |work=Reuters |date=22 April 2018 |archive-date=22 April 2018 |access-date=22 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180422170948/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pakistan-shooting/two-killed-in-sectarian-attack-in-southwestern-pakistan-idUSKBN1HT0N2 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-42219669 |title=The community caged in its own city |work=BBC News |date=12 December 2017 |last1=Kermani |first1=Secunder |author-link1=Secunder Kermani |archive-date=26 July 2018 |access-date=21 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726200108/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-42219669 |url-status=live }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ Religious groups in Quetta City (1891–2023){{efn|1891–1941: Data for the entirety of the town of Quetta, which included Quetta Municipality and Quetta Cantonment.<ref name="Census1941"/>{{rp|13–14}}<br>2017 & 2023: Urban population of Quetta District.|name="QuettaCity1891to2023"}} ! rowspan="2" |Religious<br />group ! colspan="2" |1891<ref name="Census1891">{{cite web |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25318666 |jstor=saoa.crl.25318666 |access-date=8 December 2024 |title=Census of India, 1891. General tables for British provinces and feudatory states. |year=1891 |pages=70 |last1=Baines |first1=Jervoise Athelstane |author2=India Census Commissioner |volume=1 |archive-date=31 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230531191628/https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25318666 |url-status=live }}</ref> ! colspan="2" |1941<ref name="Census1941">{{cite web |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.28215993 |jstor=saoa.crl.28215993 |access-date=27 January 2023 |title=Census of India, 1941. Vol. 14, Baluchistan |year=1942 |volume=14 |author1=India Census Commissioner |pages=13–14 |archive-date=29 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230129064900/https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.28215993 |url-status=live }}</ref> ! colspan="2" |2017<ref name="Census2017B">{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/content/final-results-census-2017 |title=Final Results (Census-2017) |access-date=27 January 2023 |archive-date=17 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211017214726/https://www.pbs.gov.pk/content/final-results-census-2017 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Census2017C">{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2017/results/12309.pdf |title=District Wise Results / Tables (Census – 2017) TABLE 9 – POPULATION BY SEX, RELIGION AND RURAL/URBAN |access-date=27 January 2023 |archive-date=27 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127110235/https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2017/results/12309.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> ! colspan="2" |2023<ref name="Census2023B">{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/digital-census/detailed-results |title=7th Population and Housing Census – Detailed Results Table-9 Population by sex, religion and rural/urban |website=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics |access-date=6 August 2024 |archive-date=3 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241203030321/https://www.pbs.gov.pk/digital-census/detailed-results |url-status=live }}</ref> |- !{{abbr|Pop.|Population}} !{{Abbr|%|percentage}} !{{abbr|Pop.|Population}} !{{Abbr|%|percentage}} !{{abbr|Pop.|Population}} !{{Abbr|%|percentage}} !{{abbr|Pop.|Population}} !{{Abbr|%|percentage}} |- | Hinduism 15px | 7,180 | {{Percentage | 7180 | 16967 | 2 }} | 24,010 | {{Percentage | 24010 | 64476 | 2 }} | 6,112 | {{Percentage | 6112 | 999385 | 2 }} | 5,366 | {{Percentage | 5366 | 1291856 | 2 }} |- | Islam 15px | 6,281 | {{Percentage | 6281 | 16967 | 2 }} | 27,935 | {{Percentage | 27935 | 64476 | 2 }} | 975,815 | {{Percentage | 975815 | 999385 | 2 }} | 1,264,791 | {{Percentage | 1264791 | 1291856 | 2 }} |- | Christianity 15px | 2,650 | {{Percentage | 2650 | 16967 | 2 }} | 5,024 | {{Percentage | 5024 | 64476 | 2 }} | 16,842 | {{Percentage | 16842 | 999385 | 2 }} | 20,897 | {{Percentage | 20897 | 1291856 | 2 }} |- | Sikhism 15px | 807 | {{Percentage | 807 | 16967 | 2 }} | 7,364 | {{Percentage | 7364 | 64476 | 2 }} | {{N/a}} | {{N/a}} | 123 | {{Percentage | 123 | 1291856 | 2 }} |- | Zoroastrianism 15px | 31 | {{Percentage | 31 | 16967 | 2 }} | 73 | {{Percentage | 73 | 64476 | 2 }} | {{N/a}} | {{N/a}} | 46 | {{Percentage | 46 | 1291856 | 2 }} |- | Judaism 15px | 16 | {{Percentage | 16 | 16967 | 2 }} | 11 | {{Percentage | 11 | 64476 | 2 }} | {{N/a}} | {{N/a}} | {{N/a}} | {{N/a}} |- | Buddhism 15px | 0 | {{Percentage | 0 | 16967 | 2 }} | 42 | {{Percentage | 42 | 64476 | 2 }} | {{N/a}} | {{N/a}} | {{N/a}} | {{N/a}} |- | Jainism 15px | 0 | {{Percentage | 0 | 16967 | 2 }} | 6 | {{Percentage | 6 | 64476 | 2 }} | {{N/a}} | {{N/a}} | {{N/a}} | {{N/a}} |- | Tribal | 0 | {{Percentage | 0 | 16967 | 2 }} | 0 | {{Percentage | 0 | 64476 | 2 }} | {{N/a}} | {{N/a}} | {{N/a}} | {{N/a}} |- | Ahmadiyya 15px | {{N/a}} | {{N/a}} | {{N/a}} | {{N/a}} | 363 | {{Percentage | 363 | 999385 | 2 }} | 127 | {{Percentage | 127 | 1291856 | 2 }} |- | Others | 2 | {{Percentage | 2 | 16967 | 2 }} | 11 | {{Percentage | 11 | 64476 | 2 }} | 253 | {{Percentage | 253 | 999385 | 2 }} | 506 | {{Percentage | 506 | 1291856 | 2 }} |- ! Total population ! 16,967 ! {{Percentage | 16967 | 16967 | 2 }} ! 64,476 ! {{Percentage | 64476 | 64476 | 2 }} ! 999,385 ! {{Percentage | 999385 | 999385 | 2 }} ! 1,291,856 ! {{Percentage | 1291856 | 1291856 | 2 }} |}

== Administration == At the local level, the city is governed by a municipal corporation consisting of 66 ward members which elects a mayor and a deputy mayor.<ref name="Government"/> In addition, Quetta Development Authority is responsible for provision of municipal services for the city.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://qda.gob.pk/index.php/about-us/about-qda |title=About QDA – Quetta Development Authority |access-date=12 April 2021 |archive-date=12 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412133333/https://qda.gob.pk/index.php/about-us/about-qda |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Transportation == thumb|Passengers boarding a Chaman bound train at Baleli, Quetta|left [[File:Quetta Railway Station - 40311.jpg|thumb|Quetta railway station was built during the British Raj]] Quetta is on the western side of Pakistan and is connected to the rest of the country by a network of roads, railways and its international airport close to its centre.

At an altitude of {{convert|1605|m|ft|abbr=off}} above sea level, Quetta International Airport is the second-highest airport in Pakistan.<ref>[http://www.caapakistan.com.pk/quetta.aspx Quetta Airport] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090629224734/http://www.caapakistan.com.pk/quetta.aspx |date=29 June 2009 }} CAA Pakistan. Retrieved 24 June 2009</ref> Pakistan International Airlines has regular flights to and from the other major cities of Pakistan including Islamabad, Gwadar, Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar.

Quetta Railway Station is one of the highest railway stations in Pakistan at {{convert|1676|m|ft|abbr=off}} above sea level. The railway track was laid in the 1890s during the British era to link Quetta with rest of the country. The extensive network of Pakistan Railways connects Quetta to Karachi in the south, by a {{convert|863|km|mi|abbr=on}} track, Lahore in the northeast (1,170 km or 727 miles) and Peshawar further northeast (1,587 km or 986 miles). A metalled road runs alongside the railway that connects Quetta to Karachi via the nearby town of Sibi to Jacobabad and Rohri in the plain of the River Indus.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/01/bomb-attack-targets-worshipers-quetta-mosque-killing-14-200110153518661.html |title=Bomb attack targets Worshippers at Quetta mosque, killing 14 |website=www.aljazeera.com |access-date=12 January 2020 |archive-date=14 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200214213529/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/01/bomb-attack-targets-worshipers-quetta-mosque-killing-14-200110153518661.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Education == Quetta serves as the learning centre for the Balochistan province. The city has a number of government and private colleges, including the following: * Balochistan Agriculture College * Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences (BUITEMS) * Bolan Medical College * Islamia High School, Quetta; frequently visited by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in 1937, and was nicknamed as ''Chhota Aligarh'' (Little Aligarh) by him.{{cn|date=May 2025}} * Pakistan Command and Staff College * Sardar Bahadur Khan Women's University * St Francis Grammar School * St. Joseph's Convent School, Quetta * Government Science College, Quetta * Tameer-e-Nau Public College * University Law College, Quetta * University of Balochistan

== Sports == [[File:Qayyum Changezi.jpg|thumb|200x200px|The Qayyum Papa Stadium is named after Pakistan national football team captain Qayyum Changezi, hailing from Quetta]] Football is the most popular sport among the people of Quetta.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Raheel |first=Natasha |date=5 December 2021 |title=Football, Balochistan and hope |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2332579/football-balochistan-and-hope |access-date=11 May 2024 |website=The Express Tribune |language=en |archive-date=11 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240511092015/https://tribune.com.pk/story/2332579/football-balochistan-and-hope |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Wasim |first=Umaid |date=26 November 2021 |title=Balochistan's boundless passion for football has nowhere to go but an event is keeping the flame alive |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1660239 |access-date=30 May 2024 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en |archive-date=12 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241112010809/https://www.dawn.com/news/1660239 |url-status=live }}</ref> The city has produced notable footballers for the Pakistan national football team including Abdul Wahid Durrani, Qayyum Changezi, Ayub Dar, Mohammad Ali, and Rajab Ali Hazara.<ref>{{Cite web |last=InpaperMagazine |first=From |date=13 January 2013 |title=In-depth: Pakistan football |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/778489/in-depth-pakistan-football |access-date=5 May 2024 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en |archive-date=25 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130525043530/http://dawn.com/2013/01/13/in-depth-pakistan-football/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Main football clubs from Quetta include Baloch Quetta, Hazara Club Quetta. Balochistan United WFC won the 2014 National Women Championship. The major football ground is Ayub National Stadium, a multipurpose stadium also used for athletics. Other football grounds include Qayyum Papa Stadium and Sadiq Shaheed Stadium. [[File:Bugti stadium Quetta.jpg|thumb|alt=Quetta cricket stadium|Bugti Stadium, home of Quetta Gladiators|left]]

Bugti Stadium is the home of Balochistan cricket team, a first-class cricket team which competes in domestic tournaments,<ref name=Cricinfo1>{{cite web |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/27504448/pcb-unveils-new-domestic-set-stay-top-mantra |title=PCB unveils new domestic set-up with 'stay at the top' mantra |work=ESPN Cricinfo |access-date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=31 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190831140727/https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/27504448/pcb-unveils-new-domestic-set-stay-top-mantra |url-status=live }}</ref> and the Quetta-based team Quetta Gladiators compete in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). They were the champion of the PSL 2019.

Boxing is highly popular as well.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://caravanmagazine.in/lede/the-hazaras-who-made-quetta-boxing-powerhouse |title=The Hazaras who made Quetta a boxing powerhouse |last=Faruqi |first=Sama |website=The Caravan |access-date=7 December 2019 |archive-date=7 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191207132800/https://caravanmagazine.in/lede/the-hazaras-who-made-quetta-boxing-powerhouse |url-status=live }}</ref> Muhammad Waseem is a professional boxer from Quetta. In Body Building Nisar Ahmed Khilji has Mr. Balochistan and Mr. Pakistan Titles and Pakistan representation in International Body Building Contests. In hockey, Quetta has produced Zeeshan Ashraf and Shakeel Abbasi, who were members of the Pakistan's national hockey team.

=== Facilities === Local facilities were created in the city for mountain climbing and caving as well as water sports. Hayatullah Khan Durrani (Pride of Performance) is the chief executive of Hayat Durrani Water Sports Academy, Balochistan's first and only Rowing, Canoeing, Kayaking, Sailing, rough swimming and boating academy where all such facilities provide free to the youth members at Hanna Lake.

== Twin towns and sister cities == {{Main|List of twin towns and sister cities in Pakistan}}

==Gallery== <gallery widths="180"> File:Quetta Infantry School.png|Junior officers in a tactical discussion at the Infantry School, Quetta File:Hanna Lake Quetta P1140271.jpg|Hanna Lake File:Askrri park quetta - panoramio.jpg|Askari Park File:Jinnah Road, Quetta.JPG|Jinnah Road File:Quetta1880---.JPG|Quetta in 1880 </gallery>

== Notes == {{Notelist}}

== References == {{Reflist}}

==Bibliography== * {{EI2|last=Bosworth|first=C.E.|title=Kwat́́t́́a|volume=5 |url=https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-2/kwatta-SIM_4599?s.num=8&s.f.s2_parent=s.f.book.encyclopaedia-of-islam-2&s.q=brahui }} * {{citation |author1=Jonah Blank |author2=Christopher Clary |author3=Brian Nichiporuk |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jeE9BgAAQBAJ |title=Drivers of Long-Term insecurity and Instability in Pakistan: Urbanization |date=30 October 2014 |publisher=Rand Corporation |isbn=978-0-83-308751-5 |page=29 }}

== External links == {{Commons category|Quetta}} * [http://www.quettaresults.com/matric-results/balochistan-board/ Balochistan Board] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150122131259/http://www.quettaresults.com/matric-results/balochistan-board/ |date=22 January 2015 }} * {{Official website|1=https://web.archive.org/web/20101018000923/http://www.balochistan.gov.pk:80/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=801&Itemid=1087|name=Official webpage on Balochistan.gov.pk}} (archived 18 October 2010)

{{Quetta}} {{Neighbourhoods of Quetta}} {{Pakistani cities}} {{Districts of Balochistan (Pakistan)}} {{Most populous cities of Balochistan, Pakistan}} {{Authority control}}

Category:Quetta * Category:Capitals of Pakistan Category:Metropolitan areas of Pakistan Category:Populated places destroyed by earthquakes Category:Populated places in Balochistan, Pakistan