Panjgur (Balochi: پنجگور دمگ, Urdu: ضلع پنجگور) is a district in the western part of Balochistan province of Pakistan. Panjgur was one of three tehsils of Makran District until 1 July 1977, when the district became a part of Makran Division. The other two districts of Makran Division are Kech (Turbat) and Gwadar. Chitkan is the district headquarter. Panjgur has sixteen (16) Union Councils.
Panjgur (literally: Five Graves) is home to several archaeological sites, including centuries-old tombs, an old dam called Band-e-Gillar, remnants of a fort at Khudabadan (the historical fort of Nawab Kharan) and some remnants of the old port of Issai. The seasonal Rakshan River flows right in the middle of Panjgur, dividing it into two parts, the northern and southern Panjgur.
Etymology
In Iranian languages, "panj" means "five" and "gor" means "graves". There are five popular graves in this district, which give it the name Panjgur or Panjgor.
Administrative divisions
The district is administratively subdivided into following tehsils which contain a total of 16 Union Councils:
Demographics
Population
As of the 2023 census, Panjgur district has 117,089 households and a population of 509,781. The district has a sex ratio of 112.09 males to 100 females and a literacy rate of 42.07%: 45.80% for males and 37.80% for females. 155,552 (30.51% of the surveyed population) are under 10 years of age. 157,693 (30.93%) live in urban areas.
Religion
In the 2023 census, 4,079 (0.8%) people in the district were from religious minorities, mainly Christians.
Language
Balochi was the predominant language, spoken by 99.63% of the population.
Transport
Panjgur Airport (IATA: PJG, ICAO: OPPG) is a domestic airport. Its short runway stretches only 1,524 meters. PIA started flights to Sharjah in 2013, but these have been suspended by PIA. People in Panjgur normally travel by buses to bigger cities like Quetta and Karachi.
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