Bridge of Boats and Fort over Indus at Attock, 1863

Bridge of boats and Fort was taken by William Baker in 1863. In 1883 a fortified railway bridge replaced the pontoon bridge. The location continues to have great strategic importance today. Next to the bridge flows a pipeline that carries natural gas to the people of the NWFP. Attock Fort belongs to the Pakistani Army.The bridge over the Indus River at Attock is the gateway to the North-West Frontier from the Punjab. This thin row of boats on the Grand Trunk Road from Calcutta to Kabul was a vital artery for British forces during their invasion of the area and later campaigns in Afghanistan( Alexander used a similar bridge in 328 B.C.E.). The sprawling fort on the Punjab side was built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1581 support his own wars in Afghanistan. Famous Hindu mathematician Panini was born in Attock in 520 BC.