Kohat

Kohat, town, south-central Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan. The town lies just north of the Kohat Toi River at the entrance to the Kohat Pass, through which a military road was opened in 1901. The new town lies at some distance from the original 14th-century town, traditionally said to have been founded by the Buddhist raja Kohat. Products manufactured in Kohat include lungīs (cotton loincloths), turbans, textiles, shoes, and leather goods. Kohat’s primary agricultural product is guavas. Kohat was incorporated as a municipality in 1873, and it has a hospital, a library, and a government college affiliated with the University of Peshawar. A fort constructed by the British army stands near the centre of the new town. Kohat is connected by rail with Thal and the main (Peshawar–Karachi) rail line via Jand, across the Indus River, and by road with Peshawar, Rawalpindi, and Bannu. A 1.2-mile (1.9-km) tunnel connects Kohat with Peshawar. Pop. (1998 prelim.) including cantonment, 125,271.