History
The town or village of Balakot is occupied mainly by members of the Khankhel Family (Swati) ,, Gujjar, Awan, Swati, Syed, Turk, Mughal and Hanki tribes. It is located on the banks of the River Kunhar before it enters the Kashmir Valley. The Sikhs tried to free Mansehra in the 1818 but were met with resistance from the occupying army. As the Mansehra region fell under Sikh control, it was a
nnexed to Punjab. The movement placed Waziristan, the Mohmand country beyond Kunhar, Chitral and Yusufzai tribes within the control and responsibility of the Indian government. Syed Ahmad Shaheed and Shah Ismail Shaheed, with the help of the Mujahadeen, including the local tribes of tehsil Balakot from Kaghan to Garhi Habibullah led many revolts and attacks against the Sikhs. At last on 6 May 1831, during a fierce battle, Syed Ahmad Shaheed and Shah Ismail Shaheed along with hundreds of their followers were killed.[4] The central mosque of Balakot is named after Syed Ahmed Shaheed. The areas includes diverse groups, the spoken languages are Hindko and Gojri. Location
Balakot is located at 34°33′N 73°21′ECoordinates: 34°33′N 73°21′E about thirty-eight kilometers north-east of the city of Mansehra, in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. It is a historical town, a famous tourist destination of the region and the gateway to Kaghan valley of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa of Pakistan. The river Kunhar, originating from Lulusar lake, runs through the city and merges with Jhelum River just outside Muzaffarabad in Azad Kashmir.