Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-NW TD

Brief History – Governmental Structure – Administrative Divisions – Historic/ Heritage Sites; Tourist Attractions

Brief History of  North Waziristan Tribal District

Waziristan TD takes its name from the Wazir tribe that inhabits it. The main clan of Wazir tribe that live in North Waziristan TD (NWTD) are the Utmanzai Wazirs; another major tribe of NWA is the Daur (also spelled as Dawar). The Wazir tribe lives mostly along the border, while the Daur are spread from Miranshah to Bannu district. Compared to other Pashtun tribes, the Wazirs have historically been able to evolve a system due to which internal feuds have been dramatically reduced. Long standing blood fueds, triggered by retaliatory murders are common among most Pashtuns, but the Wazir tribe punishes a murder directly stopping blood fueds before they are launched

According to the tribal historical data, the Wazir are the descendants of Karlanr. Some historians believe that Wazirs are descended from Suleiman, a famous Pakhtun Sardar who had a son named Wazir. The Wazir tribe is believed to be his descendants through his two sons, resulting in two clans: the Ahmadzai Wazirs and Atmanzai Wazirs (also spelled Utmanzai). The Ahmadzai Wazirs settled in South Waziristan, and the Utmanzai Wazirs settled in North Waziristan.

The early history of Waziristan is obscure, but it is known that during Mughal rule, Waziristan was a part of the Mughal Empire, and Bahadur Shah Zafar, son of Aurangzeb Alamgir, is known to have visited this area, receiving a tribute from the Wazirs and Daurs.[1] During the declining years of the Mughal Empire, both tribes¾Wazirs and Daurs¾accepted the influence of the Durrani Kings (1747-1826)  who counted on them as a solid army always in readiness to help them in their forays against any exigency. When the British annexed Punjab in 1849, the tribes of North Waziristan were under the sovereignty of the Kabul government. Since the Wazirs and Daurs were engaged in a long-standing feud, the Daurs invited the British to enter their territory, hoping that the British forces would provide protection from the Wazirs. The British, therefore, entered North Waziristan in 1894 under an agreement with the tribes.

In 1910, North Waziristan was given the status of an Agency. In 1935-36, when a Hindu girl of Bannu married a Muslim, Hindu-Muslim clashes occurred leading to disturbances in Waziristan, and the tribesmen rallied round Mirzali Khan, a Tori Khel Wazir, who was later given the title of the Faqir of Ipi. He declared Jihad against the British, and thus, the Faqir of Ipi with his Lashkar (force) remained at war with the British till 1947, when the British withdrew from the subcontinent. He was categorically opposed to the founding of Pakistan, and opposed an allegiance of Waziristan with the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, but the Jirgas in Waziristan decided in favor of joining Pakistan at the time of Partition. The Faqir of Ipi died in 1960.

Figure 1.3 Faqir of Ipi

Governmental Structure; North Waziristan TD

At the Federal level, North Waziristan tribal district is allocated a set number of representatives in both the National Assembly and the Provincial Assembly:

• Number of seats in the National Assembly 1
• Number of seats in the Provincial Assembly 2

Under the Local Government Act, the Tribal District has 81 Councils, which include 75 Village and 06 Neighbourhood Councils.

[1] 1998 District Census Report North Waziristan Agency

Administrative Divisions; N. Waziristan TD

The Tibal District has a total area of 4,707 km² and is divided into 9 Tehsils as follows:

• Datta Khel Tehsil
• Dossali Tehsil
• Gharyum Tehsil
• Ghulam Khan Tehsil
• Mir Ali Tehsil
• Miran Shah Tehsil
• Razmak Tehsil
• Shewa Tehsil
• Spinwam Tehsil

Historic/ Heritage Sites/Tourist Attractions N Waziristan TD 

There are no protected heritage buildings/ sites in North Waziristan TD but there are some forts and shrines of historical value which need to be given the status of Protected by the Government of Pakistan. These are:

• Miranshah Fort/ Alexandria Fort; N Waziristan TD: This for was constructed by the British in 1905 near Razmak, and is also called Tochi Fort. It is now occupied by the Tochi Scouts
• Shrine of Faqir of Ipi  N Waziristan TD: This shrine is located in Gurweikt

Tourist Attractions

• Razmak; N Waziristan TD: This is a scenic town place with hiking and mountaineering aspects. Razmak Cadet College is located here
• Miranshah; N Waziristan TD: This is the TDs headquarters and offers mountaineering prospects
• Shawa; N Waziristan TDl: It is famous for its natural beauty, with fishing and hunting prospects
• Alexandria Fort: Located near Razmak; N Waziristan TD, the fort is named after the British General Alexander
• Gurweikht; N Waziristan TD: This town is famous because it is both the place of birth and death of the Faqir of Ipi
• Datta Khel; N Waziristan TD: A scenic town
• Ghulam Khan; N Waziristan TD: A town village located near Durand Line

Figure 1.5 Miranshah Fort, NWA

Figure 1.7 The Waziri Dance

Topography of North Waziristan Tribal District[1]

Geographically, the entire region of Waziristan is a single unit. However, for administrative convenience, it has been split into 2 Agencies: North and South Waziristan. The highland area of North and South Waziristan together takes the shape of a somewhat irregular parallelogram that is 258 km long and 97 km wide. The elevation rises gradually, moving to the west, until peaks of 3,048 m (10,000 feet) are found at the Afghan border. There are no regular mountain alignments, and hills appear to zigzag in every direction. The northern and southern boundaries are formed by the Kurram River and the Gomal River respectively.

The 2 Agencies are divided by a mountain range which terminates in the Ghalimighar Mountains. The mountains of North Waziristan are geographically separate from the larger mountain system of the Koh-e-Sufaid (Sufaid Koh) in the north, and the Suleiman range in the south.

The Waziristan hills were subject to igneous activity during the late Cretaceous period. The highly mineralized zone of Razmak is connected with it. The mountains and hills form a rampart between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The average height of the Waziristan hills is about 1,500 to 2,500 meters above sea level. The important ranges in the Waziristan hills are Derwesta, Laran, Vezda, Ingame, Shoidar, Shawal, Eblunkai, Alexandra, Muzdak and Zakha. The highest mountain in the TD is the Shoider, which peaks at 3,353 meters, to the west of Khaisora Valley.

The fertile valleys of North Waziristan TD include the Lower Kurram River Valley, the Tochi Valley, Kaitu River Valley and the Khaisora Valley in the south. The Tochi Valley is surrounded by the Wazir Hills, the highest peak of which reaches 2,340 meters.

The main plain areas between the fertile valleys of the TD are Sheratullah, between Kaitu and Tochi/ Gambila River; Dande, north of Miranshah; Spereragha between Kaitu and Kurram rivers; Spinwam in the north; and Mir Ali Plain between Tochi River Valley and Shin Algad.

The main mountain passes in the TD are Tochi Pass (this pass connects Ghazni, Afghanistan and Bannu), Shina Khwar Narai Pass (at an elevation of 957 meters), Wulai Narai Pass, and Gugurai Narai Pass.

Figure 1.4 The Shawal Valley, NWA

Rivers, Streams and Lakes; N Waziristan TD

There are 5 notable rivers of the tribal district: Tochi/ Gambila, Kaitu, Kurram, Khaisora and Shaktue. Other minor streams/ rivers include Khoni Algad, Chashma Algad, Saidgi Algad, Kanungo Algad, Sagga Algad, Shewa Algad, Tanda China Algad, Damoma Algad, Tarkhobi Algad, and Suedar Algad.

Some intermittent streams of the TD are Shina Khwar Algad, Gurgawi Algad, Spinkhora Algad, Gara Algad, and Kishai Algad.

Baran Dam Lake is an important lake of the TD.

Forests; N Waziristan TD

The TD is home to Montane Temperate Forests which include the dry temperate coniferous forests with dry steppe vegetation, and arid and semi-arid subtropical type of forests. The following table shows the status of forests as per FATA Development Statistics 2016-17: (KP Development Statistics 2020-21 do not record forestry statistics for TDs)

 

Total Forest Area	159,169 A	Man Made Plantation	31,174 A
Natural Forests	127,400 A	Linear Plantation	595 km

Table 1.3 North Waziristan Forests

The dominant tree species are oak (quercus), Mazri (Nannorhops ritchieana), phulai (Acacia modesta), ber (Zizyphus sp), kikar (Prosopis juliflora), chil ghoza (Pinus gerardiana), kail or blue pine (Pinus waalichiana), walnut (Juglans sp), deodar (Cedrus deodara), eucalyptus, sanatha (Dodonaea viscosa), jaamun or black plum (Syzygium cumini), bottle brush (Callistemon citrinus), mor pankh (Araucaria heterophylla), saru/sarin (Saccharum sponteunum), locust tree or false kikar (Robbinia pseudo acacia), shisham (Dalbergio sissoo), tree of heaven (Ailanthus), bakain (Melia azarderach), ash (Fraxinus), toot or mulberry (Morus alba), and poplar (Populus sp).

Shawal in Dattakhel Tehsil, Miranshah Tehsil, Mir Ali Tehsil and Razmak Tehsil are the main areas that have the major forests.

Soils; N Waziristan TD

The soils of the TD are variable, and consist of clay, clay loam, clay gravel, and loam soil. The Tochi/ Gambila River valley is composed of rich alluvial soil and is very productive.

Climate; N Waziristan TD

The TD has an arid climate with warm summers and very cold winters. Summer season starts from May and continues till September. June is generally the hottest month. The mean maximum and minimum temperatures during this month are 31 °C and 18 °C respectively. The winter begins in October and continues till April. December, January, and February are the colder months. The mean maximum and minimum temperatures during January, the coldest month, are 10 °C and -2 °C.

The TD is situated outside the Monsoon zone, yet, at higher altitudes, a fair amount of rainfall is received. Waziristan has an arid climate for the most part, and receives little precipitation generally. The Razmak area is an exception where rainfall is slightly higher. According to the Socio-Economic Profile of North Waziristan TD developed for USAID in 1990, the TD receives between 10 and 15 inches[2] of rainfall annually.

Seismic Activity/Seismicity; N Waziristan TD

The TD belongs to Zone 2B of the Seismic Zone Map of Pakistan which means minor to

moderate damage due to earthquakes.

[1] Extracted from Socio Economic Profile of N Waziristan Agency by USAID 1990

[2] Rainfall data has been extracted from rainfall records at Miranshah which range from 1961 to 1971

Population of North Waziristan Tribal District (NWTD)

Most of the population of the TD is Sunni Muslim and are staunch followers of Islam. There is joint family system in North Waziristan, as there is a strong interconnection of people with each other. The Waziri tribes usually run businesses whereas the Dawar/Daur tribes try to get employment with the government.

The Dawars/Daurs live in houses close together in a compact area mostly near plains and rivers. Large joint Waziri families live either in one house called ket or kot or in houses adjacent to one another, but separated from the houses of the other families. A walled enclosure of mud or mud and stones 3 to 5 meters (16.4 ft) high is called a kot. Most kots have a fort-like structure, with a tower in the center, which is used as a strategic point for fighting with the enemy when hostilities break out. Every section in a village has a Masjid and a common sitting place. One or more households have a private guest house hujra attached to the house. In a house, there may be one or several rooms. Wazirs people mostly live near mountainous areas and they have a generally different lifestyle from the Dawar tribes,

On ceremonial occasions like weddings etc. a special dance called the Waziri Dance is very popular. Cricket, football, polo and bukushi are favorite sports of the people.

 

The following table shows the population of the Tribal District and its Tehsils as per 2017 Census:

Tehsil/Taluka	Area Km2	Population	Male%	Female%	Urban %	Growth Rate%
North Waziristan TD	4,707	540,546	51.4	48.6	0.81	2.14
Datta Khel Tehsil	1,807	75,003	49.8	50.2	0	-1.99
Dossali Tehsil	250	39,945	52.0	48.0	0	3.57
Gharyum Tehsil	320	11,811	53.7	46.3	0	5.97
Ghulam Khan Tehsil	191	27,015	52.7	47.3	0	3.81
Mir Ali Tehsil	605	184,986	51.0	49.0	0	3,63
Miranshah Tehsil	402	100,644	51.5	48.5	4.34	2.12
Razmak Tehsil	191	15,681	52.5	47.5	0	5.43
Shewa Tehsil	393	39,290	50.9	49.1	0	2.86
Spinwam Tehsil	548	46,171	52.9	47.1	0	3.61

Table 1.4 North Waziristan Population Statistics

Religions, NWTD[1]

Muslims	99.7%
Christians	0.1%
Hindus	Negligible %
Ahmadis	0.2%
Schedule Castes	Negligible %
Others	Negligible %

Table 1.5 NWTD Religions

Languages; NWTD[2]

 

Urdu	0.2%
Punjabi	0.2%
Sindhi	Negligible%
Pushto	99.6%
Balochi	Negligible%
Seraiki	Negligible%
Others	Negligible%

Table 1.6 NW TD Languages

[1] 1998 Census; 2017 Census data has not been made public

[2] 1998 Census; 2017 Census data has not been made public

Economic Activity – Economic Infrastructure

Economic Activity; North Waziristan Tribal District

Data regarding the employed labour force in former FATA is not available, but subsistence level farming with its allied livestock breeding and fishing is the main source of employment, and remittances from other regions (both from within Pakistan and the Middle East) and the transport business are the main economic contributors.

Land Use; North Waziristan TD

The following table shows the main land use statistics of NWA as per KP Development Statistics 2020-21

Total Area	470,700 HA	Reported Area	470,696 HA
Total Cultivated Area	17,425 HA	Net Sown	15,135 HA
Current Fallow	2,290 HA	Total Uncultivated Area	453,271 HA
Culturable Waste	110 HA	Forest Area	361 HA

Table 1.7 North Waziristan Land Use Statistics

Irrigation Network; N Waziristan TD

The rivers and streams (both intermittent and perennial) are used for irrigating the lands. The following table shows the modes of irrigation and area irrigated by each mode as per KP Development Statistics 2020-21:

Total Irrigated Area	15,009 HA	Government Canal Irrigated	103 HA
Tube Wells	1,537 HA	Private Canals Irrigated	8,135 HA
Wells	2,697 HA	Others + Lift Pumps	1,526 HA

Table 1.11 North Waziristan Irrigation

The Government of Pakistan is constructing a number of small dams to help with irrigation and increase agriculture in the TDs. These include the Dandi Small Dam (construction is complete) and Kand Small Dam Project (expected completion: December 2013). These 2 small dams will help irrigate a large area.

Agriculture; N Waziristan TD

Data on Agro-Ecological Zoning in former FATA is not available. Agriculture with its allied livestock breeding and fishing is the most important economic activity of the TD. The crops grown in the district are maize, rice, sugarcane, wheat, barley, rice, moong, red poppy, tobacco, soya bean, and fodder.

Major fruits grown in the district are apricot, apples, peaches, grapes, dates, loquat, plums, walnuts, pears, citrus, mulberry, ber, jaamun, persimmon, pomegranate, and guava.

Major vegetables are onions, turnip, carrots, spinach, tomato, cauliflower, peas, radish, okra, tinda, brinjal, pumpkin, bitter gourd, tomatoes, bottle gourd, potatoes, and cucumbers.

Most of this agricultural produce is for local use, and very little is traded or exported to other parts of Pakistan.

Livestock Breeding; N Waziristan TD

The following table shows the total population of livestock in the TD as per FATA Development Statistics 2016-17: (KP Development Statistics do not record this data for the TDs)

Cattle	218,120 Heads	Buffaloes	19,395 Heads	Sheep	242,039 Heads
Goats	273,561 Heads	Camels	2,845 Heads	Asses	16,826 Heads
Mules	436 Heads	Horses	1,080 Heads

Table 1.8 North Waziristan Livestock Statistics

Balki sheep is the only indigenous breed of livestock in the tribal District.

Poultry Farms; N Waziristan TD

Table 17 (Number of Commercial Poultry Farms and Number of Birds by Size of Flock) does not include data on number of poultry farms in the TD.

Fishing; N Waziristan TD

Fishing is carried out in the rivers and streams in the TD, but most of this fish is consumed locally.

Bee Keeping/Apiary; N Waziristan TD

Commercial bee keeping is carried out in various forests and farms in the TD.

Minerals and Mining; N Waziristan TD

Marble, chromate, coal, manganese, and soapstone are being commercially mined in the TD. Deposits of copper have been discovered but, at present, it is not being mined.

Industry and Manufacturing; N Waziristan TD

There is no industrial estate in the TD, but there are 26 registered industrial units out of which 17 units are working in the TD. The following table shows the type and number of industries registered in the TD (according to FATA Industries Survey 2010; Latest available)[1]:

Industry	No.	Industry	No.
Sporting & Light Hunting Arms	01	Biscuits	01
Chips	05	Cold Drinks	01
Other Goods	O1	Flour Mills	03
Ice Factories	05	Knives	01
Old Tires	02	Pipes	01
Plastic Goods	01	Plastic Shoes	01
Salt	02	Soaps	01

Table 1.9 North Waziristan Industries

Handicrafts; NWTD

The traditional crafts of the TD are household items made with the leaves of the mazri palm, wood-based products like furniture and other household items, the raising of silk cocoons, and small scale sheet metal working.

[1] KP Development Statistics 2020-21 do not record data for former FATA Agencies

Economic Infrastructure; North Waziristan Tribal District

The TD Headquarters Miranshah is connected with Afghanistan and Bannu (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) with blacktopped road. The TD headquarters is also connected to other major towns via black topped roads.  The TD is not connected through rail or air.

Road Statistics; N Waziristan TD

There are two types of roads in NW TD: High type and Low type. The following table shows the road statistics as per KP Development Statistics 2020-21:

High Type	609.0 km
Low Type	225.0 km
Total	834.0 km

Table 1.10 NWA Road Statistics

Some important roads of the TD are:

• Bannu-Miranshah Road
• Isha-Razmak Road
• Razmak-Tuda China Road
• Mir Ali Road
• Miranshah-Dattakhel Road
• Bannu Ishakhel road-village Haiderkhel Road
• Miranshah-Ghulam Khan road
• Spinwam-Hassankhel Road

Rail and Airways; NWTD

There is no railway station in the TD, nor is there any airport in the TD. The nearest airport is at Bannu.

Radio and Television; NWTD

There is no data available on location or availability of radio stations in the TD. Cable TV can be viewed throughout the district.

Telecommunications; NWTD

There are 10 automatic telephone exchanges[1] operating in the TD. These provide 5,774 connections. Nearly all of the major cellular companies also operate in the TD.

Post Offices/ Courier Services; NWTD

There are 13 post offices[2] in the tribal district, this includes 06 sub-post offices and 07 branch offices. Nearly all the courier services of Pakistan provide their services in the district.

Banking/ Financial Institutions; NWTD

There are 10[3] branches of various banks in North Waziristan TD. The following banks have their branches in the TD:

• Allied Bank of Pakistan
• Muslim Commercial Bank
• National Bank of Pakistan
• Habib Bank Ltd.
• The Bank of Khyber
• United Bank Ltd.

Energy Sources; NWTD

Tribal Agency Electric Supply Company (TAESCO) looks after supply of electricity in the tribal district. No other data is available.

[1] KP Development Statistics 2020-21

[2] KP Development Statistics 2020-21

[3] KP development Statistics 2020-21

Educational Institutions. N Waziristan TD

The following table shows the number of educational institutes in the TD as per KP Development Statistics 2020-21:

Facility	Boys/Girls	Facility	boys/girls
Primary Schools	406/375	Middle Schools	50/35
High Schools	31/11	Higher Secondary	01/-
Degree Colleges	01/01	Community Schools	132
Govt. Elementary College	01 (at Mir Ali)	Mosque Schools	27
Technical Schools	03	Commercial Training	01
Vocational Training	-/-	Medical Colleges	–
Engineering Colleges	–	University	–
Cadet College	01/

Table 1.12 North Waziristan Educational Institutes: Government

Figure 1.8 Darul Uloom Haqqania, NWTD

Figure 1.9 A Madrassah in N WTD

Figure 1.10 Cadet College, Razmak

Healthcare Facilities; N Waziristan TD

The following table shows the number of government-owned health institutions in the TD as per KP Development Statistics 2020-21:

Facility	No./Bed	Facility	No./Beds
Hospitals	09/390	Dispensaries	191/-
Rural Health Centers	01/06	Basic Health Units	16/-
T.B. Clinics	05/-	Child Health Centers	43/-
Mother Child Health Centers	79/-	Leprosy Clinics	-/-

Table 1.14 North Waziristan Health Institutes

In addition, there are 87 Private Medical Practitioners working in the TD (KP Development Statistics 2020-21). 

Policing; NWTD

The District Police Officer (DPO) is directly responsible to the District Mayor for public safety. The Police Department is headed by the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP). The SSP supervises and controls the police force in maintaining law and order, and investigation of cases of a criminal nature. The Police Department operates under the Police Rules. There are no Police Stations in the District. (KP Development Statistics 2020-21).

The Levy Force, Khassadars and the Scout Troops operating in the erstwhile North Waziristan Agency have been absorbed into the KP Police as per the KP Levies Force Bill 2019

Environment and Biodiversity; North Waziristan Tribal District

The ambient air quality in the TD is excellent due to minimal sources of air emissions. The only source of impact on the quality of the ambient air is the rare vehicular traffic on the roads, which causes some dust emissions whose effect is localized. The main pollutants from vehicle exhaust are lead, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides. These emissions temporarily affect the air quality in the immediate vicinity of the roads.

Flora and Fauna; N Waziristan TD

Flora; NWTD

The most common flora of the TD include oak (Quercus), mazri (Nannorhops ritchieana), phulai (Acacia modesta), ber (Zizyphus sp), kikar (Prosopis juliflora), chil ghoza (Pinus gerardiana), kail/blue pine (Pinus walichiana), walnut (Juglans sp), deodar (Cedrus deodara), eucalyptus, sanatha (Dodonaea viscosa), jaamun/black plum (Syzygium cumini), bottle brush (Callistemon citrinus), mor pankh (Araucaria heterophylla), saru/sarin (Saccharum sponteunum), locust tree/false kikar (Robbinia pseudo acacia), shisham (Dalbergio sissoo), tree of heaven (Ailanthus), bakain (Melia azarderach), ash (Fraxinus), toot/mulberry (Morus alba), poplar (Populus sp), white cedar (Thuja occidentalis). Common grasses are kans grass (Saccharum spontanium), sargara (Cymbopogon), kachnar (Bauhinia variegate) and (Chrysopogan sp.).

Many of the plants, and bushes are used in medicines. Some of these are tandah/camel thorn (Alhaji maurorum), ranzaka/pigweed (Amaranthus viridis), sodom apple/spalmaka (Calotropis procera), bhang (Cannabis sativa), caperbush/ krherha (Capparis spinosa), maraginye/bitter apple (Citrullus colocynthis), hell’s bell/burbaka (Datura alba), and mowah/joint pine (Ephedra procera).

Fauna; NWTD

Mammals of the TD are jackal, fox, monkeys, and wild goat. Migratory avifauna includes varieties of cranes, endangered Siberian white crane, varieties of egrets, and a variety of ducks. No data is available on reptilian and amphibian fauna of the TD.

Protected Wildlife Areas and Endangered Wildlife; North Waziristan Tribal district

There are no wildlife protected areas[1] in the NWTD. The endangered wildlife includes nearly all the mammals and birds, and a critically endangered bird is the Siberian white crane.

[1] FATA tourism Sector Report, FATA Development Authority