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Mardan History, Mardan, Pashtun Valley, Mardan Valley, Mardan City



Mardan has an important historical and geographical City. A region communicating Afghanistan and India in the past, it had witnessed a wonderful history. Alexander the Great reached this beautiful valley of Mardan through Kunar Afghanistan and Swat in 326 BC.This was followed by Buddhism till the 7th century AD.Towards the end of 7th century; the Afghans arrived in the region. They introduced Islam in the valley. Following this Sultan Sabuktagin, Mahmood Ghaznavi, Mohammad Ghori, Mughals till the time of Aurangzeb and Nadir Shah ruled the valley. Then came the Sikhs and finally British Raj till 1947.


It looks as it was very easy to rule this valley. But in reality the great people always fought for their independence. They were so brave, cultureful people that they earned the name "MARDAN" for themselves. It means MEN with charisma and courage. Hence the area is called Mardan.

Pashto Language, Pashtun Valley, Muhammad ali Toru, Pashtoon, Pashto history,

Pashto language is as old as the “Pashtoon” because Pashto is not only the name of a language that has a very rich history, but a language with deeply rooted norms, values, and traditions. Pashto language has a very rich, traditional culture dating back almost 7000 years. In fact, the “Pashtoons” are considered to have branched off from “Aryan”— a civilization that existed around 3000 BC.
Ancient texts such as the Rig-Veda, a sacred Hindi collection written in 1400 B.C., have also been found to contain references to Pashto and the “Pashtoon” peoples (Khan, 1964). Herodotus, a Greek historian who wrote his biography from 486-521 BC, mentions the word Paktika — a province in northern Afghanistan. From such compilations of artifacts and historical data the majority of researchers now believe that the Pashto language is roughly 3500 to 2500 years old. This assertion has also been confirmed by Afghan Researcher Abdul Hai Habibi in his book “Pata Khazana” (Habibi, 2001).
As you can tell, the roots of the Pashto language and foundations of Pashtoon culture developed in very interesting ways. Jibe in his thesis notes that “Lwekan”, which ruled Ghazni and Baltistan in 960 B.C., contains the root “Lway” which translates to big and powerful in Pashto (Jebi, 1960). Furthermore, archeologists have discovered that some Pashto letters contain mud stamps in the area of Swat, which belonged to the Asori Regime that ruled in 700 B.C. In his book “Da Pashto Tarikh” (History of Pashto), Muhammad Younus Khan points out that in Japanese emperor Mikado’s library there were many books on the teachings of Buddhism that were simultaneously written in Pashto. Accordingly the current writing style of Pashto can be traced back 2500 years ago (Khan, 1964).
Pashto is also considered to be a part of other language families. Author Jebi in his research “Pakhwani Pakhto Dwa Neem Zara Kala Makhkay” (Old Pashto 2500 years before) writes that Iran was ruled by Darwesh around 486 BC to 522 BC. Darwesh was a ruler well-known for his leadership skills and the legislative reform. After passing away, poems were written praising the qualities of the ruler, with most of these poems written in Pashto (Jebi A. R., 1974). Since then, Pashto has been world-renowned for its poetry. Perhaps this is the reason that numerous historians and Iranica (Encyclopedia of Iran) believe that the Pashto language belongs to the Eastern Iranian family of languages (Williams, 2010).

Peshawar History, Peshawar City, Peshawar Valley, Pashtun Valley, Muhammad ali Toru, About Peshawar,

Peshawar

About 172 kms west of Rawalpindi-Islamabad by road about half an hour by air lies the last major town of Pakistan, the ancient and legendary Peshawar, city of proud Pathans. Peshawar the capital city of North-West Frontier Province, is a frontier town, the meeting place of the sub-continent and Central Asia. It is also a place where ancient traditions jostle with those of today, where the bazaar in the old city has changed little in the past hundred years except to become the neighbor of a modern university, some modern hotels, several international banks and one of the best museums in Pakistan. 


No other city is quite like old Peshawar. The bazaar within the walls is like an American Wild movie costumed as a Bible epic. Pathan tribesmen stroll down the street with their hands hidden within their shawls, their faces half obscured by the loose ends of their turbans. (With his piercing eyes and finely chiseled nose, the Pathan must be the handsomest man on earth).

On the other side of the railway line is the cantonment, its tree-lined streets wide and straight as they pass gracious gardens. Clubs, churches, schools, The Mall, Saddar Bazaar and the airport round out the British contribution to the modernization of Peshawar. Further west is University Town, Peshawar's newest section and the site of Peshawar University.



A local book, Peshawar, History City of the Frontier, by A.H. Dani and published by Khyber Mail Press in 1969, makes a good first purchase. It provides a detailed account of Peshawar's history and a tour of this city walls and ancient monuments.


The fortunes of Peshawar at inextricable linked to the Khyber Pass, the eastern end of which it guards. The pass seems to have been little used in prehistoric times, and even in early historic times it was generally shunned as too narrow and thus too prone to ambush. Not until the powerful Kushans invaded Gandhara and pacified the area in the first century AD did the Khyber become a popular trade route.


Peshawar owes its founding 2,000 years ago to those same Kushans. In the second century AD, Kanishka, the greatest of the Kushan kings, moved his winter capital here from Pushkalavati, 30 kilometers (20 miles) to the north. His summer capital was north of Kabul at Kapisa, and the Kushans moved freely back and forth through the Khyber Pass between the two cities, from which they ruled their enormous and prosperous empire for the next 400 years.
After the Kushan era, Peshawar declined into an obscurity not broken until the 16th century, following the Mughal emperor Babar's decision to rebuild the fort here in 1530. Sher Shah Suri, has successor (or, rather, the usurper of his son's throne), turned Peshawar's renaissance into a boom when he ran his Delhi-to-Kabul Shahi Road through the Khyber Pass. The Mughals turned Peshawar into a 'city of flowers' (one of the meanings of its name) by planting trees and laying our gardens.
                                          Qisa Khawani Bazaar

In 1818, Ranjit Singh captured Peshawar for his Sikh Empire. He burned a large part of the city and felled the trees shading its many gardens for firewood. the following 30 years of Sikh rule saw the destruction of Peshawar's own Shalimar Gardens and of Baba's magnificent fort, not to mention the dwindling of the city's population by almost half.
The British caused the Sikhs and occupied Peshawar in 1849 but, as much as Sikh rule had been hated, its British replacement aroused little enthusiasm. More or less continuous warfare between the British and the Pathans necessitated a huge British garrison. When the British built a paved road through the Khyber Pass, they needed to build numerous forts and pickets to guard it.





Extending from west to east in the heart of the city is the romantic 'Street of Story-tellers' - the Qissa Khawani Bazzar. In olden days, this was the site of camping ground for caravans and military adventures, where professional story-tellers recited ballads and tales of war and love to throngs of traders and soldiers. Today the story-tellers are gone but the atmosphere lingers on. Bearded tribesmen bargain with city traders over endless cups of green tea. Fruit stalls look small colorful pyramids. People from everywhere throng the crowded street. Afghans, Iraqis, Uzbeks, Tajiks, Afridis, and Shinwaris move around with ease and grace in their colourful native robes and run shoulders with the Western tourists-lost in a world so different, so enchanting.
Bazaar Bater-bazan
'The Street of Partridge Lovers' lies on the left hand corner of Qissa Khawani Bazaar. It derives its name from the bird-market which stood here till a few decades ago and has now been replaced by stores and shops selling exquisitely engraved brass and copper ware. However, a single bird shop still remains as a long reminder of the not too distant past.

Built on a raised platform from the ground level, the Bala Hisar Fort stands at the north-western edge of the city. the original structure was raised in 1519 AD during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Babar. It was reconstructed in its present form by Sikhs who ruled over Peshawar valley between 1791 and 1849 AD.
Jamrud Fort

Same 16 kms from Peshawar, on the Khyber road, an old battle-ship attracts the eye: this is Jamrud Fort. Looking ruggedly majestic with its jumble of towers and loop-holed walls, the fort contains the grave of its builder, the famous Sikh General Hari Singh Nalwa, who died here in action against the forces of the Amir of Kabul in 1837 AD.

                                       The Museum

Situated on the Grand Trunk Road in the Cantonment area, the museum houses a rich treasure of art, sculpture and historical relics, particularly of the Gandhara period (300 BC - 300 AD). The pieces on show at the museum include Graeco-Buddhist stone and stucco sculpture, gold, silver and copper coins, antique pottery, armour, old manuscripts, Buddha images, terra-coat plaques, antiques of ivory, shell and metal and a replica of the famous casket which contained the relics of Lord Buddha.
The Khyber Train

For trail enthusiasts, the Khyber Railway from Peshawar to Landi Kotal is a three-star attraction. The British built it in the 1920s at the then enormous cost of more than two million pounds. It passes through 34 tunnels totaling five kms (three miles) and over 2 bridges and culverts. The two or three coaches ar pulled and pushed by two SG 060 oil-fired engines. At one point, the track climbs 130 meters in little more than a kilometer (425 feet in 0.7 miles) by means of the heart-stopping Changai Spur. This is a W-shaped section of track with two cliff-hanging reversing stations, at which the train wheezes desperately before shuddering to a stop and backing away from the brink. 

The Khyber train currently runs only by appointment. Groups of 20 to 45 passengers can book one bogey for an all day outing to Landi Kotal and back, a ride lasting ten to eleven hours, for US $ 1,000. But you can easily see the train at rest at Peshawar Station.

By; MUHAMMAD ALI

Peshawar Educational Institutes, Peshawar Colleges, Peshawar Universities, Peshawar all Colleges, Pashtun Valley, Muhammad ali Toru, about Peshawar Colleges,




Islamia College Peshawar, the symbol of academic excellence is rich in history. Its building, which is the best embodiment of Muslim civilization in south Asia and its lush green lawns attract visitors from all over the country and abroad. It is not only the culminating point of the Aligarh Movement; it is in fact the beautiful combination of Aligarh and Deoband Schools of Thought. Being the breeding ground of the Pashtun intelligentsia this great seat of learning is the place, where diamonds are skimmed since 1913. Moreover, Islamia College Peshawar was destined to become mother institution of the three universities and several colleges on its campus. The credit of this goes to Sir Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum, who is commonly called The Sir Sayyed of Sarhad and his sincere colleagues, who founded Islamia College Peshawar in 1913.


Islamia College Peshawar is the best example of endowments. According to the Board of Trustees, the College, which is spread over 300 acres of land, has 1089 Jaribs cultivable land in Harichand, Rai Killi and Tarnab, (District Charsadda). In addition to this there are 395 shops and flats in the Khyber Bazaar 

Peshawar and main bazaar Charsadda. In fix deposit, the College has a handsome amount of Rs.108.50 million.



Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah visited this College in 1936, 1945 and 1948. Quaid-e-Azam who became life long honorary member of the Khyber Union ICP in 1936 made the College one of the heirs of his property in 1939. The Quaid Trust later on paid an amount of Rs.1, 08, 11, 600 /- in different installments to the College.


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Gandhara University


The Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa had limited resources since partition. Its educational institutes are largely dependent on the lone government university, The University of Peshawar. The Government invited the private sector to come forth and develop health and education facilities in the province.
It was then that with foresight and great hard work, the Late Professor Dr. Muhammad Kabir established the Gandhara University.

Gandhara is the ancient kingdom occupying Peshawar, the Potohar Plateau and the Kabul Valley. The Kingdom of Gandhara lasted from early 1st millennium BCE to the 11th century CE and served as a centre of education for students and scholars from all over south asia and China. The Taxila University of Gandhara and the Buddhist Monastery at Takhtbhai are a few famous institutes. It is also dotted profusely with archeological sites of great cultural significance.


The University gets its name from this illustrious civilization, which was among the first of its kind, and great in its influence.

Gandhara University, Peshawar was granted its charter by the Govt. of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa under “Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa Ordinance No.LIV of 2002” Vide Notification No.Legis:1(1I) 97 dated 23rd Nov: 2002.



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Sarhad University



Sarhad University of Science & Information Technology (SUIT), Peshawar, is a renowned name in the educational circles of Pakistan and abroad. It was established in 2001 through an Ordinance of the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and is duly recognized by the Higher Education Commission (HEC). Later, on 10th August 2008 the University was upgraded to the highest category (W) by HEC. Since its inception, the University has made commendable achievements in disseminating quality education and, in a short span of time; it has become a leading institution of higher education in Pakistan. The University offers a wide range of programs from bachelor to doctoral level. These programs are executed through highly qualified and professionally groomed faculty holding PhD degrees from renowned institutions of Pakistan and abroad.





The University is dedicated to imparting high quality education with emphasis on demand-oriented skill-development and training under excellent conditions of learning. Its educational programs are designed to enable the students and servicemen to develop skills and competence in their respective areas of specialization obtain broad-based, cross-functional education with due emphasis on developing critical, analytical and logical thinking, and knowledge of societal matters. The education is cost-based, but affordable. The University is devoted to students' welfare and intends to provide all support and guidance in their pursuit of successful careers and jobs.


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National University of Computer and Emerging Science





The University began as an institute in 1970 to help people communicate and understand each other in different languages, to assimilate different cultures and to act as a springboard for emerging disciplines. At present it is a fully autonomous, degree awarding University. It has crossed several barriers and now teaches 23 languages in addition to many emerging arts and sciences. It is open to all persons, regardless of class, creed, gender, race or color.





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City university of Science & Information Technology




City university of Science & Information Technology, Peshawar is one of the first private-sector universities, chartered by the Govt. of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, recognized by the Higher Education Commission (HEC). It is an extension of Peshawar Model Educational Institutes (PMEI), founded in 1979 with an aim to impart quality education at an affordable cost. Initially, only a primary school was established, comprising of just one moderate campus with 300 students. But, in the course of time, the continuous efforts of our highly qualified faculty and dedicated management paid off and resulted in the establishment of eight separate school campuses, one degree college campus for boys and one degree college campus for girls, with a combined strength of over 16,000 students. Recognizing the extraordinary reputation of PMEI in providing quality education from primary to bachelor level, the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa granted the charter of City University of Science and Information Technology on August 30, 2001. By the grace of Allah, PMEI is now providing the facility of education from primary to postgraduate levels under one umbrella. The first batch of 89 graduates were awarded degrees and medals in MCS, MBA, M.Ed, B.Ed, and MA (Egnlish) during the First Convocation on 8th April, 2004 by the then Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Lt. Gen. (R) Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah. Since then the convocations are being held regularly. During the Second Convocation held on 24th November, 2005, 175 successful graduates of BCS, BSE, BBIT, B.Ed, M.Ed, MCS, MBIT, MBA (B&F), Ex-MBA and MA (English) were conferred degrees by the then Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mr. Khalil-ur-Rehman. Ten gold medals and distinction certificates were also awarded to the outstanding graduates. The third convocation was held on November 30, 2006. 174 graduates of BCS, BSE, BBIT, B.Ed, M.Ed, MCS, MBIT, Ex-MBA, MBA,MBA (B&F) and MA (English) were conferred degrees, medals and certificates by the Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Lt. Gen(R) Ali Muhammad Jan Aurakzai. These results are indicative of a steady progress made by the university. The Foundation-Stone was laid by honourable Mr. Khalil-ur-Rehman, the then Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This remarkable success story reflects the persevered efforts of the management and staff members. It is a great achievement for both the management and the staff of PMEI.


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Qurtuba University of Science and Information Technology




Qurtuba University of Science and Information Technology is one of the pioneer private sector universities of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa Pakistan. The university was established through a charter issued by the Governor Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa on 30th August 2001 and is recognized by the Higher Education commission (former UGC), Islamabad.

The University has been working sincerely towards the attainment of character-building and cultivate in its students the quest for inquiry so that they may extend the frontiers of knowledge & be able to bring peace & prosperity to the country. Our goal is to revive the memories of the city of Cordova, known as “Madinat-Ul-Ilm”. This city was known as the cradle of knowledge and research for centuries. European scholars & students also thronged to this seat of learning & acquired specializations in various fields of knowledge.





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Agriculture University 


Since its establishment in 1981, this University has been playing a vital role in imparting Agricultural Education and conducting basic and applied agricultural research throughout the Province, and disseminating the results of agricultural research among the farmers and general public through its outreach/public service activities.

Being one of the leading institutions in the country, the University has been enjoying the prestige of providing high quality agricultural education and research to its students. The graduates of this University are serving in public-private sectors organizations on key positions within Pakistan and abroad. They are ambassadors of this University and have been bringing in laurels to the name and prestige of this University.

During the present convocation 750 students are being awarded Bachelor, Master and Ph.D. degrees. Outstanding students will be decorated with Presidential Awards, Gold Medals, Silver Medals and Bronze Medals.
The university is a corporate body. It has powers, inter-alia, to provide instructions, trainings, research and outreach; in agriculture, animal husbandry and other such disciplines of learning. The mission of the Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa Agricultural University is:

To produce quality graduates in agriculture and related disciplines;
To conduct problem-solving farmer-oriented research to make the country self sufficient in food commodities








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Frontier Law College



Frontier Law College, an affiliated institution of University of Peshawar was established in the year 1990, after looking at the difficulties faced by the students of this province, who were seeking admission to LLB degree and were left over due to limited seats and age restrictions. Traveling only for the purpose of studying Law also included the difficult process of getting hostel accommodation and the expenses of travel to other provinces.

           
Besides this the quality of excel legal education and academics was also an important need to establish a Law college in Peshawar by involving the senior members of the Bar and the retired Judiciary.





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Frontier Women University 





The Frontier Women University has been established by the Provincial Government of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa in order to provide right education to the female of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa and promote maturity of thought and professionalism in them, so that they better understand the new world, and are able to compete in an effective manner. It is the first ever female university in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, established under the Frontier Women University Act 2004, passed by the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa on 5th October 2004 and assented by the Governor Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa/Chancellor, Frontier Women University Peshawar, on 7th February 2005. Professor Dr. Syeda Farhana Jahangir has been appointed as the first Vice Chancellor and she has assumed her charge from 10th of June 2005. A temporary campus has been provided to the university in a three story building within the premises of Government Frontier College for Women. This building is not spacious enough to accommodate a large number of students along with the administration.
The Frontier Women University intends to be a leading Public Sector University in providing the affordable educational opportunities to the female students of this region to develop scientific ,socioculture and economic norms, while strengthening their identity at National and International level.



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Khyber Medical College



Peshawar, a city of over 2.5million citizens, is situated in the Western part of the Country and close to historical and famous Khyber Pass. The City is an old settlement and has maintained a historical atmosphere. Khyber Medical College, which is situated at the doorstep of university of Peshawar, occupies in the site of ancient Buddhist academy. In 1954, the foundation stone of Khyber Medical College, as faculty of Medicine, of Peshawar University, was laid by the then Governor General of Pakistan,   Mr. Ghulam Muhammad. The College started functioning in 1955 with enrolment of fifty students with meager facilities. From 1955 to present the college has undergone tremendous development. It remained under the administrative control of health department after parting way from Peshawar University in 1975. Presently, the college and hospital has been given administrative and financial autonomy by the Government of K.P.K and is working under the institutional management committee, headed by Chief Executive. This will certainly overcome the problems faced by the faculty members, students and general Public.
Khyber Medical College is a pioneer institution in KPK in medical education and has created name for itself at national and international level by dedicated work of its staff and students. In fact, it can be proudly called as the mother institution for rest of the medical and dental colleges and other allied medical institution established in KPK over the past twenty five years.

Today, Khyber Medical College enrolls 250 students yearly, and our graduates, numbering over 8000, are providing health care, not only in K.P.K and FATA, but also in rest of the country. In addition, our graduates are holding key positions both at home and abroad. Beside undergraduate medical education, the college offers teaching and research facilities to the postgraduate students, i.e. M.Phil, in all basic Medical Sciences, FCPS in Clinical as well as basic medical sciences, and minor diplomas in many specialties. The college is affiliated with Peshawar University and is recognized by PMDC. General Medical Council of UK, Ireland and licensing authority of USA.

Khyber Teaching Hospital, established in 1976, in attached to the college for teaching/training purposes. It is a 1200-bedded hospital, which maintains high standards with competent medical staff and sophisticated equipments.





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Khyber Girls Medical College

As in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa there was a great need to have a medical college for girls. Such facility already exists in Punjab in the name of Fatima Jinnah Medical College Lahore and in Sindh Province People Medical College Nawabshah where only female students are admitted. The Government of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa took policy decision in this regard and in August 2003, the Provincial Cabinet approved the establishment of a separate Girls Campus of Khyber Medical College Peshawar.




  The Girls Campus of KMC Peshawar started functioning in PDA Building, Block-IV, Phase-V, Hayatabad and admitted first batch of 50 students during the academic session 2004-05. This institution admitted 2nd batch of 50 students of First Year MBBS during academic session 2005-06. The then Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa Mr. Akram Khan Durani announced the Girls Campus of KMC Peshawar as an independent "Khyber Girls Medical College"   w.e.f 8th December 2005. Hayatabad Medical Complex is its teaching hospital. The Provincial Government has approved creation of 159 posts of teaching and Para-medical staff to fulfill the staff requirements of Khyber Girls Medical College. Recruitment of KGMC's own teachers is completed through NWFP Public Service Commission. The college is recognized by PM & DC Vide Letter No. PF-7-E-2008(Council)/108573, dated 26th December 2008, and vide Notification No. F.3-46/2008-MER, dated 17th January 2009.
 The Department of Anatomy Biochemistry, Physiology, Pharmacology, Pathology, Forensic Medicine and Community Medicine have been established with well equipped laboratories, Lecture theatres, Dissection Hall, and museums. Self Learning Resource Center (SLRC) and a Library for staff and students with sufficient number of latest books, reference books and journals.
 Professor Dr. Zia-Ul-Islam was the first Principal of  Khyber Girls Medical College Peshawar. The present principal and Dean of the college is Professor Dr. Muhammad Zubair Khan





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In order to provide dental health facilities to the people of the region, it was considered necessary to set up a teaching dental department at Khyber Medical College, Peshawar. The idea to start a dental department came from late Dr. Hassan Raza Shah, the then principle of de, Montmorency College of Dentistry, Lahore. It was gladly accepted; appreciated and very much encouraged by General Mohammad Akram, the then Principle of Khyber Medical College and Mr. Mohammad Ali, the then Vice Chancellor of the University of Peshawar. The Department of Dentistry was formally declared open by the then Minister for Health Begum Mahmuda Salim on 12th October, 1964.

The first batch graduated in 1968 while Pakistan Medical and Dental Council accorded permanent recognition to BDS degree in its session held in Dacca (Bangladesh), the capital of the then East Pakistan in November, 1968.

From the modest start, it has grown to become a fully developed teaching institute with its modern Oral and Dental Hospital and Surgeries, Operation Theatres and Wards in its new building complex, which was opened on 9th September, 1978.

The annual intake of students has gone up gradually from 14 in 1964 to 50. So far more than 600 dental graduates have qualified from this institute. Nearly 300 patients receive daily dental treatment of various natures. This includes highly specialized treatment modalities like orthodontics appliances, treatment for oro-facial pain, facial injuries, oral cancer and fixed and removable prostheses of various kinds.

Three new blocks housing the Department of Orthodontia, Prosthetic and Conservation were added to the present set-up in 1992. After the completion of Basic Science Block, it can be said without any hesitation that Khyber College of Dentistry Peshawar is the largest teaching dental Institute in Pakistan. On 11th January 1990, the Department of Dentistry was upgraded to the status of the College by the then Chief Minister, Mr. Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao who made this announcement while presiding over the inaugural function of the Silver Jubilee of the Department of Dentistry. A five story Maxillofacial Surgical Block with modern operation theatres and elevators is almost complete and will be functional in three months.

http://www.kmc.edu.pk/

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