History
Baffa may date back to Sikh rule or even earlier.[3] In 1901, the population was 7,029. It was given the status of amunicipality in 1873 during British rule as a principal market town in Northern Hazara and of the neighboring independent tracts.
A vernacular middle school was maintained by the municipality and the District board. Baffa remained the educational hub for the Pakkhal valley, Konsh valley and Siran Valley because of the accommodation facility (hostel) attached to the Government Higher Secondary School Baffa. At that time, this was the only high school for these three big valleys. The Municipal Committee of Mansehra took credits from the Municipal Committee of Baffa to fulfill its expenditures because the Municipal Committee of Baffa's income and revenue was more than Mansehra's.[4]
Location
Baffa is situated in the Pakkhal valley of Mansehra District. The town is located on the east bank of the Siran river, in the north corner of the Pakkhli plain. Traveling via the Karakorum Highway, Baffa is 13 kilometres north-west of the district capital, Mansehra.
It is the headquarters of the historical “Pakkhal Valley”, also known as "Pakkhal Plain". This valley is the last and biggest plain between Pakistan and China. The Deosai National Park is the biggest plain on the Pak-China Himalayan frontier, covering an area of 3000 km². Beyond the Pakkhal Valley are the world's highest mountains, the Himalayas.
Baffa is the resting place of Mulana Ghous Hazarvi and, historically, the rallying point for Turks in the region. The main cantonment for Turks in the region was established at the nearby village of Guli Bagh.
Major tourist attractions include the Nanga Baba shrine, located at the top of a hillock overlooking the Pakhal Maidan (plain), Khar Maidan, Guli Bagh and Mount Tingalai. The scenery is beautiful due to Baffa's river, lush green trees and the surrounding mountains covered with snow.[5]
A number of crops are harvested locally, including paddy rice and vegetables, especially tomatoes, onions and potatoes. Fine quality Virginia tobacco is grown here, which has had a major impact in improving local economic conditions. A bridge constructed by the British government in 1935 links the small town Inayat Abad to Baffa. In 2002, floods damaged it badly; however, it has now been reconstructed.
Education
The overall literacy rate in Baffa is seen satisfactory for the region, and there are several education institutions serving Baffa and the surrounding areas. The town has one government Higher Secondary School for boys and one for girls. Recently, a Graduate level college for girls was established. There are also privately owned schools for boys and girls. The female literacy rate for the elderly population is now growing. Recently, a new university, Hazara University, has been established just a few kilometers away from Baffa. Educated Baffa women are mostly engaged in teaching at government and private schools. Before the partition of the country, Baffa remained an educational hub for the people of the northern Hazara division, The Government Primary School Baffa was established in 1873, Government Middle School Baffa was established in 1906 and the Government Higher Secondary School of Baffa was established in 1934, before the partition. At that time, in northern part of Hazara division Baffa was the only town that had an intermediate level institution.
