Sukkur District (Sindhi: سکر ضلعو, Urdu: ضلع سکّھر) is a district in Sindh Province in Pakistan. Two districts have been split off from the territory of Sukkur: Shikarpur in 1977 and Ghotki in 1993.[3] According to 2023 Pakistani census population of Sukkur District is 1,625,467 (1.6 million).
By the 12th Century Rohri and Sukkur had been incorporated in dominion of the Bhati Rajputs.[6] The East India Company occupied Sindh in 1843. They formed three districts in Sindh administratively: Hyderabad, Karachi and Shikarpur.
In 1883 British Government shifted the district headquarter from Shikarpur to Sukkur and in 1901 again British Government shifted the district status from Shikarpur to Sukkur.
In 1904, the Pano Akil mahal was converted into a taluka of Sukkur District.[7]
At the time of Pakistan's independence in 1947, Sukkur district comprised approximately 200,000 inhabitants, mostly engaged in agricultural pursuits and fishing industry. Over time, Sukkur has seen a moderate rise in population (2 to 2.5% per annum) as compared to Pakistan's, except in late 1960s and early 70s, when population growth rate reached 4.43% (1972 census) due to internal migration and establishment of some large bridges on river Indus.
A drawing of Railway Bridge over Indus - Sukkur (Published in The Engineer)
Sukkur district is chiefly populated by Muslims that constitute 96% of the total population. The minorities include: Hindus 3.28% and Christians about 0.51%. Hindus are mostly settled in urban areas and are engaged in the trade and services sectors.
While some of the Bandhani, Memons, and Punjabis were settled here before partition, i.e., the independence of Pakistan in 1947. Traditionally Memons were associated with trade and retail business but during last two decades they have ascended as an active social and economic front. Sukkur is noteworthy in Sindh and Pakistan generally for its comparative tolerance towards religious and ethnic minorities.
City is a multi-ethnic and has a mix of Sindhis, Punjabis, Brahuis, Balochis and Pakhtuns. Sindhis are native to the area and speak its various dialects, including, Utradi, Lari, Thari, Dadhki, etc. A large number of Punjabis were attracted to the city after the Indus treaty settlement and are settled around the downtown and chowk Ghantaghar in central part of the city.
Most Pakhtons are distinct and separately living near the railway station and its vicinity. The city therefore has cosmopolitan atmosphere with multiethnic and multicultural communities.[8]
Following are the demographic indicators of the district.
At the time of the 2017 census, Sukkur had a sex ratio of 917 females per 1000 males and a literacy rate of 54.73%: 65.62% for males and 42.75% for females. 720,806 (48.43%) lived in urban areas. 467,113 (31.38%) were under 10 years of age.[10] In 2023, the district had 268,755 households and a population of 1,639,897.[2]
The majority religion is Islam, with 95.9% of the population. Hinduism (including those from Scheduled Castes) is practiced by 3.63% of the population.[12]
Note1: British Sindh era district borders are not an exact match in the present-day due to various bifurcations to district borders — which since created new districts — throughout the region during the post-independence era that have taken into account population increases.
Note2: District formerly named Shikarpur District and was renamed to Sukkur District in 1901, following district headquarter relocation from Shikarpur City to Sukkur City.
1998 District census report of Sukkur. Census publication. Vol. 41. Islamabad: Population Census Organization, Statistics Division, Government of Pakistan. 1999.
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