The fact that Killa Abdullah was only established as a district in the middle of 1993 contributes to the regrettable circumstance that solid information on the district, especially time series of data, is hard to come by. It can only be hoped that the publication of this District Profile will contribute to triggering a process towards creating more substantial data bases on Killa Abdullah, and in fact on all the other districts in Balochistan.

Killa Abdullah is one of the smaller districts in the province with a relatively high density. The location so near to Afghanistan has made the area a prime victim of the influx of refugees from Afghanistan in the early 1980's. This unfortunate development combined with the indigenous population growth, has caused a deterioration of the environment, especially with regard to forestry and vegetation. Over time this development might cause a definite risk for sustainable economic growth in the district. The lack of proper flood water management and of a system of waste disposal aggravates the environmental situation.

Religious and cultural attitudes are deeply rooted in the rural society of Killa Abdullah. The social organization is dominated by the tribal system. The homogeneity among different tribes with regard to their modes of living, their food habits and way of dressing in conjunction with common religion and language, has proved to be a binding force for the residents in the district and stimulated social integration. In the resolution of whatever conflicts arose, the customary laws still played a highly important role.

The joint family system is widely prevalent. It has its advantages as for instance the strength it gives to the family and the benefits derived from pooling of resources, while it also provides a platform for social interaction. It can however hamper individual development and frustrate individual ambitions.

Although Pushtoon society formally bestows honor and dignity on women, the position of women leaves much to be desired in reality. Many women are married at young age without having any influence on the choice of the husband. Once married they can hardly leave their houses or compounds, while they have to perform a great range of duties. Women are deprived of the right to property, although in better educated segments of the society some changes can be observed. In the few available official statistics women are just invisible or probably under-reported.

They have no influence in political parties and do not form a part of the public decision making process.

Public administration has been reformed by the separation of the

judiciary from the executive branch. Local government institutions are not very effective, lack of funds being one of the major reasons. They have however the potential to be of considerable value in promoting development brought about in a bottom-up, participatory approach. Coordination between the work of government Departments has to be improved. Frequent transfers of key figures in the district administration have hampered the effective implementation of development schemes.

The concept of non-government organizations is not yet familiar to the people of Killa Abdullah.

In education, special attention has to be given to the pupil/teacher ratio in primary schools, as well as to the enrolment of girls. On both accounts the districts scores low compared to other districts.

Water supply is another area where the district is in a backward position, although it is acknowledged that the government made considerable efforts in this respect. It is unfortunate that many beneficiaries of PHED schemes do not pay their bills.

The health facilities per capita are still very poor. Women are in a disadvantageous position, because of the gender imbalance among the health staff. Especially with regard to paramedical staff, Killa Abdullah is in a relatively bad position as far as this imbalance is concerned.

The backbone in Killa Abdullah's economy is formed by agriculture, especially horticulture. Many farmers concentrate on high value crops as fruits and vegetables, which means that they work for the market. Introduction of new technologies and improved varieties can further increase the yields of fruits, while a better organization of the market system and actually of the sector as a whole can enhance the income for the farmers.

There is some scope to further the importance of the livestock sector, if adequate attention is given to the exploitation of water resources and management of rangelands.

The economic basis is rather narrow since there is no industry of any significance and since the district lacks, contrary to many other areas in Balochistan, mineral resources. This situation and the sheer location of the district have created an environment in which smuggling could gain a rather significant role in the economic life of the people. All sorts of illegal trade have negatively influenced the development of local industry and have contributed to income inequalities among the population in the district.

To summarize a number of the most important constraints: