Pasni (city)

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title: "Pasni (city)" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["pasni", "pasni-bay", "populated-coastal-places-in-pakistan", "port-cities-and-towns-in-pakistan", "populated-places-in-gwadar-district", "gwadar-district"] topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasni_(city)" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

FieldValue
official_namePasni
native_name
settlement_typeCity
subdivision_typeCountry
subdivision_namePakistan
subdivision_type1Province
subdivision_name1Balochistan
subdivision_type2District
subdivision_name2Gwadar District
population_total43,494
population_as_of2023
population_footnotes
population_density_km2auto
blank1_name_sec1Native Language
blank1_info_sec1Balochi
coordinates
elevation_m10
image_map1File:Pasni Milkyway Balochistan Milkyway.jpg
map_caption1Milkyway over dunes
pushpin_mapBalochistan Pakistan#Pakistan
pushpin_label_positiontop
postal_code_typePostal code
postal_code91300
area_code2049
area_code_typeCalling code
timezone1PST
utc_offset1+5
image_skylinePasni PCG huts.jpg
image_captionBeach in Pasni
::

| official_name = Pasni | native_name = | settlement_type = City | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Pakistan | subdivision_type1 = Province | subdivision_name1 = Balochistan | subdivision_type2 = District | subdivision_name2 = Gwadar District | population_total = 43,494 | population_as_of = 2023 | population_footnotes = | population_density_km2 = auto | blank1_name_sec1 = Native Language | blank1_info_sec1 = Balochi | area_total_km2 = | coordinates = | elevation_m = 10 | elevation_m_min = | elevation_m_max = | image_map1 = File:Pasni Milkyway Balochistan Milkyway.jpg | map_caption1 = Milkyway over dunes | pushpin_map = Balochistan Pakistan#Pakistan | pushpin_label_position = top | pushpin_map_alt = | pushpin_map_caption = | leader_title = | leader_name = | leader_title1 = | leader_name1 = | postal_code_type = Postal code | postal_code = 91300 | area_code = 2049 | area_code_type = Calling code | timezone1 = PST | utc_offset1 = +5 | website = | footnotes = | image_skyline = Pasni PCG huts.jpg | image_caption = Beach in Pasni Pasni (), is a city and fishing port in Gwadar District, Balochistan, Pakistan. It is located on the Makran coast on the Arabian Sea, about 450 km from Karachi. Administratively, Pasni is the headquarters of Pasni Tehsil, a sub-division of Gwadar District. Astola, Pakistan's largest offshore island, lies 40 km ESE of Pasni, in the Arabian Sea. The city of Pasni is administratively subdivided into two Union Councils.

Topography

The topography of the area is marked by low jagged hills of the Makran Coastal Range, while flat land is more common towards the coast. Zarrénay koh is a small hill astride a promontory (Cape or Ras Juddi) south of Passini and marks the highest point (416' ASL) in the area. The unspoilt and pristine beaches of Passini offer some of the most enchanting sceneries along the Arabian Sea. Shádi Kawr river, fed by adjoining rainwater streams, drains into the Arabian Sea just north of the town. Vegetation is sparse and consists mostly of hardy desert shrubs. Most of the non-marine edible products are brought in from Turbat as well as faraway Karachi.

Pasni town, like the rest of Makkuran Coast, is affected by an active fault (the Makran Trench) caused by the northward movement (40–50 mm/year) of the Arabian Plate against the Eurasian Plate. Tectonic activity emanating from this subduction zone in the Arabian Sea causes occasional, low intensity quakes. On 28 November 1945, a tsunami, triggered by the 1945 Balochistan earthquake, completely destroyed Passini town.

Demographics

Population

As of the 2023 census, Pasni had a population of 43,494.[[File:Pasni City.jpg|thumb|Pasni street scene]] The population is predominantly Baloch in Passini. These Baloch clans include: Kalmati etc. who belong to traditional ruling communities and currently, tend to dominate land ownership and the fishing industry. Passini also has many Baloch tribes such as Bizanjo, Barr, Mullahzai, Sangur, Wadaila etc living in this small town, but the working classes have traditionally comprised Med, Darzádag, Puzzh, Maqsoodi, and some of whom are groups that were historically slaves of the ruling families. People of East African ancestry commonly known as Kohig or 'sheedis' can also be found in Passini in small numbers; this African lineage is found at low frequency in the rest of Makkuran, as well as Karachi. 'Sheedis' are mostly descended from female slaves brought in as concubines in the early 19th century, when slave trade flourished under Omani Sultans whose suzerainty extended over Gwadar till 1958. ::data[format=table title="Religious groups in Pasni City (1941 & 2017)"] | Religious group | 1941 | 2017 | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Total population | 3,616 | 34,557 | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Islam [[File:Star and Crescent.svg|15px]] | 3,547 | | 34,388 | | | | | | | | Hinduism [[File:Om.svg|15px]] | 69 | | 55 | | | | | | | | Christianity [[File:Christian cross.svg|15px]] | 0 | | 3 | | | | | | | | Others | 0 | | 111 | | | | | | | ::

Climate

Pasni experiences a hot arid climate (Köppen: BWh), which is characterized by long, extremely hot summers and short, mild winters. This classification indicates a region with very low annual precipitation and consistently high temperatures. Located on the coast of the Arabian Sea, Pasni benefits from some maritime influence that helps moderate extreme heat compared to inland desert areas.

During summer months, especially from May to July, daytime temperatures commonly reach around 34 °C, while winter nights in January typically remain above 12 °C. The city receives minimal rainfall, averaging around 98 mm annually, mostly from western disturbances in winter.

|metric first = Y |single line = Y | location = Pasni (1991–2020) | Jan high C = 25.1 | Feb high C = 26.9 | Mar high C = 30.2 | Apr high C = 33.5 | May high C = 35.4 | Jun high C = 35.4 | Jul high C = 33.5 | Aug high C = 32.5 | Sep high C = 32.8 | Oct high C = 34.1 | Nov high C = 31.1 | Dec high C = 27.3 | year high C = 31.5 | Jan mean C = 18.9 | Feb mean C = 20.3 | Mar mean C = 23.7 | Apr mean C = 27.2 | May mean C = 30.3 | Jun mean C = 31.3 | Jul mean C = 30.4 | Aug mean C = 29.3 | Sep mean C = 28.5 | Oct mean C = 27.6 | Nov mean C = 24.1 | Dec mean C = 20.6 | year mean C = 26.0 | Jan low C = 12.6 | Feb low C = 14.2 | Mar low C = 17.1 | Apr low C = 21.3 | May low C = 25.2 | Jun low C = 27.2 | Jul low C = 27.3 | Aug low C = 26.1 | Sep low C = 24.1 | Oct low C = 21.2 | Nov low C = 17.0 | Dec low C = 13.9 | year low C = 20.6 | rain colour = green | Jan rain mm = 26.6 | Feb rain mm = 12.0 | Mar rain mm = 13.5 | Apr rain mm = 2.9 | May rain mm = 0.6 | Jun rain mm = 9.6 | Jul rain mm = 7.1 | Aug rain mm = 4.7 | Sep rain mm = 0.7 | Oct rain mm = 0.7 | Nov rain mm = 4.8 | Dec rain mm = 16.0 | year rain mm = 99.2 | unit rain days = 1.0 mm | Jan rain days = 1.6 | Feb rain days = 0.9 | Mar rain days = 1.1 | Apr rain days = 0.3 | May rain days = 0.1 | Jun rain days = 0.3 | Jul rain days = 0.7 | Aug rain days = 0.3 | Sep rain days = 0.1 | Oct rain days = 0.1 | Nov rain days = 0.3 | Dec rain days = 0.9 | year rain days = 6.7 | source 1 = NOAA{{cite web |url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-2-WMO-Normals-9120/Pakistan/CSV/Pasni_41759.csv |title = World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020 — Sarghoda |publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |access-date = February 6, 2024}}

Facilities

The city houses a modern fish harbour and Port of Pasni, with fishing being the main occupation of the city dwellers. Frozen catch is also sent to Turbat and Karachi for sale in the larger markets.

Pasni Airport is shared by Pakistan Air Force (PAF), Pakistan Navy and civil aviation. PAF as well as PN-Aviation operational facilities are housed nearby. Daily commercial flights link the town with Karachi.

In 2008, the government approved the construction of Shadi Kawr storage dam 50 km north of Pasni, which was inaugurated in September 2017 and is expected to alleviate some of the water deficiency of the region.

History

Other than being a small fishing village, the city does not figure much in history. Alexander the Great is said to have stopped at Pasni (called 'Cysa' in Arrian's treatise Indica) while unsuccessfully trying to rendezvous with his admiral, Nearchus, during a disastrous exodus via Makkuran after the Indian Campaign (325 BC). According to one theory, Admiral Nearchus' well-stocked fleet was supposed to have continuously provisioned Alexander's army as the latter marched West along the barren coast towards Persia. In the event, a major portion of Alexander's route through Makran (Bela-Averan-Hoshab-Turbat and then south to Pasni-Gwadar) turned out to be much further inland than expected, apparently due to faulty knowledge of the terrain.http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/arrian-bookVIII-India.html

An unexplored Harappan-era settlement known as Sotkagén Koh is tucked away in the low hills, about 25 km north of Passini. It is conjectured that this was an ancient Harappan outpost which traded luxury wares with Mesopotamia and Persian Gulf settlements.

The city of Pasni, along with Gwadar, were burned by the Portuguese in 1581, having had some violent encounters with the Kalmatis in the area. The city was attacked again, by Baloch rebels during the 1898 Baloch uprising; the city was looted, and the telegraph lines running to Gwadar severed.

In 2005, parts of Pasni were flooded when the Shadi Kaur Dam burst following two weeks of heavy rainfall. In 2025 the government of Pakistan expressed interest in having investment from the United States in developing a mineral export terminal at Pasni.

References

References

  1. "Pakistan: Tehsils and Talukas (Districts and Subdistricts) - Population Statistics, Charts and Map".
  2. (15 June 2017). "Astola Island – Pakistan's first ever Marine Protected Area". [[IUCN]].
  3. link. (29 August 2009)
  4. "AREA & POPULATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS BY RURAL/URBAN: 1951-1998 CENSUSES". [[Pakistan Bureau of Statistics]].
  5. "AREA, POPULATION BY SEX, SEX RATIO, POPULATION DENSITY, URBAN POPULATION, HOUSEHOLD SIZE AND ANNUAL GROWTH RATE, CENSUS-2023, BALOCHISTAN".
  6. "Poster 573 - Mitochondrial DNA phylogeography and population history of West, South and Central Asia".
  7. "CENSUS OF INDIA, 1941 VOLUME XIV BALUCHISTAN".
  8. "Final Results (Census-2017)".
  9. "District Wise Results / Tables (Census - 2017) TABLE 9 - POPULATION BY SEX, RELIGION AND RURAL/URBAN".
  10. "Pasni Climate Overview".
  11. "Pasni, Balochistan Climate & Temperature".
  12. "Pasni Weather Averages - Balochistan, PK".
  13. [http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C04%5C20%5Cstory_20-4-2008_pg5_7 PC to initiate construction of two dams in Balochistan]. Daily Times. 20 April 2008
  14. Baluchistan (Pakistan). (1907). "Baluchistan district gazetteer series". printed at Bombay Education Society's Press.
  15. Baluchistan (Pakistan). (1907). "Baluchistan district gazetteer series". printed at Bombay Education Society's Press.
  16. (1 January 2006). "Weather". Disaster Prevention and Management.
  17. [https://www.ft.com/content/9f7c7bf2-76ed-4eb6-bb9a-f628d05b0068 Financial Times:October 4th, 2025:Pakistan courts US with pitch for new Arabian Sea port]

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pasnipasni-baypopulated-coastal-places-in-pakistanport-cities-and-towns-in-pakistanpopulated-places-in-gwadar-districtgwadar-district