Ornach Tehsil

Ornach, also spelled Urnach (Balochi: اورناچ) is an administrative subdivision (Tehsil) of Khuzdar District in Balochistan, Pakistan.^[1] It is one of ten administrative units, comprising tehsils and sub-tehsils, in the district, alongside Aranji, Gresha, Karakh, Khuzdar, Moola, Nal, Saroona, Wadh, and Zehri. The tehsil spans an area of 3,368 square kilometres.^[1]

Ornach اورناچ
Tehsil of Khuzdar District
Ornach Show map of Balochistan, Pakistan Ornach Show map of Pakistan
Coordinates: 27°58′N 66°07′E
Country	Pakistan
Province	Balochistan
District	Khuzdar District
Tehsil	Ornach
Area
• Tehsil of Khuzdar District	3,368 km2 (1,300 sq mi)
Population  (2023)[1]
• Tehsil of Khuzdar District	41,811
• Density	12.41/km2 (32.1/sq mi)
• Urban	-
• Rural	41,811
Literacy
• Literacy rate	21.58%[2]
Time zone	UTC+5 (PST)
Main language	33,910 Balochi, 7,850 Brahui[3]

Geographically, Ornach Tehsil comprises much of the territory west of the N-25 National Highway, between the towns of Bela and Wadh.

Population

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1951	...	—
1961	...	—
1972	...	—
1981	20,772	—
1998	20,907	+0.04%
2017	37,588	+3.14%
2023	41,811	+1.79%
Source: Pakistan Bureau of Statistics:[4]

According to the 2023 census, the tehsil has a total population of 41,811, all of whom reside in rural areas, making it one of the more sparsely populated parts of the district. The overall literacy rate stands at 21.58%, with a male literacy rate of 27.00% and a significantly lower female literacy rate of 15.09%.^[2]

In recent years, Ornach has increasingly been the scene of clashes and violence between the law enforcement agencies and armed insurgents.^[5][6]