- Basian
Basian (also known as Abbasian) is a town in the
North-West Frontier Province ofPakistan , it is located at 34°4'0N 73°29'50E and has an average elevation of 660 metres (2168 feet) [ [http://www.fallingrain.com/world/PK/3/Basian.html Falling rain - location of Basian] ]The name Basian (formerly called ), is derived from the Sanskrit word "Bas", which means "fragrance of flowers") [ [http://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/romadict.pl?query=bass&display=simple&table=macdonell Sanskrit] ] .
The population of Abbasian is 1,580, many of whom are among the most wealthy in the NWFP. This village is well known for its Hindu temple and a merget (a Hindu place for burning the dead) on the west bank of the River Jhelum. This place was the first home of Ratten Khan, whose real name was Sardar Abdur Rehaman, an ancestor of the "Ratnal Dhonds" of Birote and Abbasian. An old cemetery tells the stories of tribes centuries before. A considerable number of residents are transporters and drivers. Abasian also has a very beautiful
mosque similar to the Al-Faisal Mosque of Islamabad but without minarets and a Quranic school. There are two private schools and one primary and middle government schools for both sexes.2005 earthquake
In Basian many members of the
Salar Zai subtribe of the Alvi Awan migrated toRawalpindi , after the 5 October 2005 earthquake tragedy.Notable people
*Anwer Saeed Abbasi son of Fazil Khan of Basian was the first foreign qualified architectural engineer of
Circle Bakote who designed the Shaheed-e-Millat Secretariat, Blue Area Islamabad. He also designed Facto Building Islamabad. He died a heart attack in 2005 and is buried in Basian. He was the elder brother of Zakir Abbasi, ex chairman of All Teacher Association Circle Bakote.*Zafir Shah of Lower Basian was the first person who was punished during the rule of
Zia ul Haq inRawalpindi in 1980. All his property was seized and he was imprisoned for 30 months. He recovered his property and other assets in 1994 duringBenazir Bhutto government.* The first meeting of
Ibrahim Khan andSardar Qayume Khan was held in Basian at Dewan in 1948.
*Muhammad Yaqoob Khan Abbasi (Kashmir Movement leader) who fought against Indians defeating the Phagri Mahaz near Muzafarabad. He was considered a very noble person and one of the most patriotic leaders of Abbottabad. He was murdered by Haider Khan father of Shahin Abbasi ex-councilor.
*Qazi Zafeer-ul-Haq Alvi Chishti was a religious scholar, teacher and hakeem (auovadik doctor). His father Qazi Mohammed Zaman Qureshi migrated Chlattan, Birote Khurd in 1935 and settled at Thala. He taught in High School Osia, Murree, Bakker and in 1951 he migrated to Rawalpindi with his family. He was personal physician of late Gen. Zea-ul-haq in 1985 to his death in Bahawalpur C 130 crash. Renowned poet and composer of Pakistan National Song Hafiz Jalindhry was his close friend and stayed in his house when he came in Rawalpindi. He establish his clinic at Pull Shah Nazar near Raja Bazar of Rawalpindi. He died in 1997. He buried in Eid Gha graveyard in Rawalpindi.
*Azad Khan is another renowned personality of Basian who was the second Chairman of Union Council of Bakote cum Birote during 1965-70. He was a contractor and constructed third pillar of Kohala Bridge in 1953. He died in 1985.References
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