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Abbottabad, Pakistan

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Location

The Resume

    (1863- )
    City in northeastern Pakistan
    Located in Hazara region of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
    Serves as the capital of the Abbottabad District, which lies west to the Kashmir region
    Population density (as of 2016) is estimated at 1,430,238
    Was administered by the United Kingdom, as the headquarters for the Hazara District during British colonization of the Indian Subcontinent
    Gained international attention after President Barack Obama announced that Al-Qaeda leader and terrorist, Osama bin Laden, had been killed at his residential compound, which was located in the city (May 2, 2011)
    Main languages spoken are Pashto, Urdu, Hindko, Sindhi, and English
    Home of the Pakistan Military Academy at Kakul (est. 1947)

Why Abbottabad, Pakistan might be annoying:

    It has a long history of Al-Qaeda related activity.
    Its proximity to Afghanistan's Kumar province makes it the ideal 'way station' for Al Qaeda-affiliated terrorists.
    The Pakistani Taliban had a huge foothold in the city.
    Local authorities managed to expel most Taliban influence from the area, but sporadic, bloody, clashes still occur in the area.
    One month prior to the Bin Laden raid, for example, Al Qaeda-linked militants from Indonesia were detained after it was discovered they were being sheltered by operatives within the city.
    Many found it hard to believe that the world's most wanted terrorist could reside - in all but plain sight - within two miles of a military base and academy, without any personnel being aware of it.
    Tourists to the city continue to seek out the spacious, multi-million dollar compound that housed Bin Laden in his last days, but Pakistani authorities demolished the building less than a year after the raid.
    Pakistani security forces destroyed the compound out of fear that it would become a Jihadi pilgrimage destination, but this didn't stop them from entertaining the notion of building a $2.7 million amusement park on the property and the surrounding area.

Why Abbottabad, Pakistan might not be annoying:

    It is renowned for its trees and local parks.
    Its agreeable climate and pleasant weather made it both a popular retirement and tourist destination, even before it became the center of worldwide attention.
    It is part of the Karakoram Highway, which links Pakistan with China through the Himalayas.
    It is named after 19th-century British officer Maj. James Abbott, who was credited with bringing peace to an area that saw violent confrontations between its Sikh and Muslim populations.
    It is the subject of a famous poem, also written by Maj. Abbott, in which the poet describes his fondness for the town and his unwillingness to leave it ('I remember the day when I first came here/And smelt the sweet Abbottabad air...')
    It was hit hard by the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, which resulted in the destruction of many of its older buildings (migrants also flowed in from outside regions that were also affected by the earthquake).
    It is where Bin Laden got his ass kicked.

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 2 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 56 Votes: 55.36% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 26 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 9 Votes: 55.56% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 18 Votes: 44.44% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 34 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 51 Votes: 50.98% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 15 Votes: 53.33% Annoying