Some forts were built by the rulers at vulnerable points to protect the territory from invasions; Attock Fort is one of such forts. The Attock District where the fort is constructed was a passage to India. Many invaders like Alexander the Great and the Mughal Emperor Babar entered India through this region.
The Attock Fort was built on Akbar’s orders to guard the area against invasions. The fort is built on a hill along the banks of River Indus and it took two years (1581-1583) to complete. Khawaja Shamsuddin Khawafi supervised its construction.
It was also built to protect the passage of River Indus. In 1758, it was captured by Martha Empire. Ahmad Shah Durani was the one to reclaim it after the Third Battle of Paniput. During the Battle of Attock, it played an important role in Afghan-Sikh Wars.
It is located between Peshawar Road and River Indus. Not much is known about its interior as the fort is not open to general public. From the outside, it is showing signs of deterioration. It consists of four gates. The name of the gates are: Delhi gate, Lahori gate, Kabuli gate and Mori gate.
The parameter wall is 1600m long. Many people raise this point that Attock Fort is located at a beautiful place, and it has such a picturesque surrounding that it can prove to be a very popular picnic and tourism spot.
It is located in a region where people can access easily for one day picnics. However, as the fort is not open to the public (because it is a military base), it is generally not the case. It can be said with some degree of confidence that Attack fort in Pakistan can add further to its tourism potential, but somehow it is not being utilized as one source.
