The city is located within Larkana District. Formerly known as "Chandka", Larkana is located on the south bank of the Ghar canal, about 40 miles (64 km) south of the town Shikarpur, and 36 miles (58 km) northeast of Mehar.[6] According to the 2017 Census of Pakistan, its population is 490,508.[2] Therefore, it is the fourth most populated city of Sindh province after Karachi, Hyderabad, and Sukkur. Moreover, Larkana city has been placed as fifteenth largest of Pakistan during Census 2017.
Geography
Larkana is situated at Latitude 24 56' 00' and Longitude 67 11' 00'.[7] It is situated in northwest part of Sindh and it has its own division. It is also included in Upper Sindh.
Climate
Larkana has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classificationBWh), bordering a hot semi arid climate (Koppen: BSh), with sweltering summers and mild winters. The highest recorded temperature is 53.0 °C (127.4 °F), recorded On 26 May 2010 and the lowest recorded temperature is −4 °C (24.8 °F), recorded in January 1929. The average annual rainfall is 237.4 mm (9.35 in), and mainly occurs in the monsoon season (July to September). The highest annual rainfall ever is 988.7 mm (38.93 in), recorded in 2022 (some areas of the city got more than 1000 mm of annual rainfall in 2022) and the lowest annual rainfall ever is 7.1 mm (0.28 in), recorded in 1938.
Several old and new schools, colleges, as well as university are functioning in the city for both boys and girls. Many are private and public institutions. IBA has takeover Public School and from 2018, Agha Khan University Education Board will takeover Sindh Board
Schools, colleges and training institutes
Local schools include Government Pilot School, Larkana (founded in 1926 by the British colonists), Girls High School, Public School Larkana, Deeni Madersa High School, and Government Degree College. Technical institutes include Polytechnic Institute and Teachers' Training College.[10]
In 2024, University of Larkano, established a merger of Sindh University Campus, Quaid-e-Awam University College of Engineering Science & Technology (QUCEST) and Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Agricultural College (SZBAC) to its faculties.
Transport
Larkana Railway Station is located in the center of the city. It connects Larkana to the rest of Sindh and Pakistan. Pakistan Railway also assists in the transportation of agricultural products to provincial capital Karachi from Larkana. Moenjodaro Airport is located near Mohen-jo-daro, 28 km away to the south of the city of Larkana, about 5 kilometres away from Dokri.
Larkana is connected via land buses to most major cities in the country, including Karachi, Islamabad, Hyderabad and Quetta.
Sport
Larkana was the birthplace of the Sindh Games. It also hosted the 12th Sindh Games in 2009 which included sports such as football, gymnastics, hockey, judo, karate, squash, table tennis, tennis, volleyball, weightlifting, and wushu. It also included traditional games such as kodi kodi, malakhara, shooting and wanjhwatti.[14] Larkana was also home to cricket team Larkana Bulls.[15]
The Larkana Tennis Association provides the only tennis court in Larkana, and coaches boys coming from various other cities.[16]
Notable people
Muhammad Tahir - Founder of Jamaat Islah ul Muslimeen Pakistan, Roohani Talaba Jamaat Pakistan & Sajjada Nasheen Dargah Allah Abad Shareef Kandiaro,Sindh
Mumtaz Ali Bhutto – former governor, Chief Minister of Sindh and federal minister
Murtaza Bhutto – founder of the PPP Shaheed Bhutto; son of Z. A Bhutto
Shah Nawaz Bhutto – prime minister of State of Jhunagarah, prominent landowner, politician, initiator and mover of Sukkur Barrage; father of Z. A Bhutto
