Shangla Swat
Shangla District is located in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. The district headquarters are located at Alpurai.[1] It was previously a subdivision of Swat District, but was upgraded to the status of a district on July 1, 1995[2] by the then Chief Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao. The total area of the district is 1,586 square kilometres.[2]
Shangla comprises two sub division, Alpuri and Puran.[1] There are three sub tehsils i.e. Besham, Chakesar, Martung.
Shangla has the lowest Human Development Index in the province and second lowest in the country.[3][4]
Contents[hide]
1 Location
2 History
3 Geography
4 Administrative divisions
4.1 Constituencies
5 Population
6 Demographics
7 Flora
8 Fauna
9 Well-known sites
10 Politics
10.1 Notable politicians
11 References
//
[edit] Location
The district is bounded in the north by Kohistan District, in the east by Battagram District and the tribal area of Kala Dhaka (Black Mountain of Hazara), in the west by Swat District and in the south by Buner District.[2]
[edit] History
There are relics of the ancient Greek period at Pirsar, Chakesar and Daut. it is believed that Alexander the Great camped at Pirsar for a few days. There are also relics of the Hindu Shahi in Qlandar-Ajmair[5]
[edit] Geography
The only means of communications with Swat, is Shangla hill (Shangla top)[2]
Shangla district, consists of small valleys, is situated between the hillocks and surrounded by high mountains full of forests comprising Pindrow Fir, Morinda Spruce, Blue Pine (Kail), Chir Pine and Deodar Cedar trees. The average elevation of the district is 2000 to 3000 meters above sea level.[2] The highest point (3,440 m) is near Kuz Ganrshal in the north of the district.[2] There are beautiful isolated valleys most suitable for seed production of highly demanded cross pollinated vegetable crops. Moreover Shangla has got pretty enough potential for hydel power generation, one such project underway is at Khan Khwar.[6]
[edit] Administrative divisions
Under the devolved local government system Shangla is divided into five tehsils, namely
Alpuri
Puran
Besham
Chakesar
Martung
There are 28 Union Councils. Alpuri Tehsil (Sub division) consists of 19 Union Councils and Puran Tehsil (Sub-division)consists of 9 Union Councils.
[edit] Constituencies
The district is represented in the provincial assembly by two elected MPAs who represent the following constituencies:[7]
[edit] Population
According to the 1998 census, the district had a population of 435,563 with an average annual growth rate of 3.3% and population density of 274 persons per square kilometre.[9] The total number of households is 64,391 with an average household size of 8.1. Almost the entire population of Shangla belongs to the Pathan tribe Yousafzai. Major subtribes of Yousafzai living in Shangla are Azikhel and Babozai. Azikhel live mainly in Chakesar, Martung and Shahpur while Babozai live in Puran. The People of Shangla are known for their hospitality and great moral values. Almost the entire population is Muslim (99.8%) with very small numbers of Christians, Hindus, and Ahmadis.[9]
[edit] Demographics
Most of the local inhabitants are agriculturists. Though the agricultural area of the district is fertile but the agricultural holdings are very small as compared to the number of owners. The total cultivated area of the district is 423.6 square kilometres (104,700 acres) out of which only 30.75 square kilometres (7,600 acres) is irrigated and the remaining 392.85 square kilometres (97,080 acres) is non-irrigated. Shangla District is full of natural resources, having a vast scope for investment and development.
It was severely hit during the October 8, 2005 earthquake and many people were left homeless, without attracting any major sympathy from the international community.
[edit] Flora
A number of medicinal plants are found in the area including the following:[10]
Tarkha (Artemizia species)
Unab (Zizyphus Sativa)
Althea (Althaca Officinalis)
Banafsha (Viola serpens)
Mushki Bala (Valeriana species)
Musli Sufed (Aspargus species)
[edit] Fauna
The district is home to a variety of fauna including deer, bears, pheasants and leopards.[11]
Markhur (Capre falconeri)
Himalayan ibex (Capre ibex sibirica)
Urial (Ovis orientalis)
Himalyan black bear (Selenaretos thibetanus)
Brown bear (Ursus arctos)
Bear (Lepus nigricollis)
Leopard (Panthera pardus)
Snow leopard (Panthera Uncia)
Wolf (Canis lupus pallipes)
Rhesus Monkey (Maaca mulatta)
Blue rock pigeon (Columba livia)
Spotted dove (Streptopelia chinensis)
Little brown dove (s. senegalensis)
Chakor (Alectoris chukar)
Himalayan snow cock (Tetracollus himalayensis)
Red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus)
Monal pheasant (Lphororus impejanus)
Koklas pheasant (Pucrasis macrolopha)
Satyr tragopan (Tragopan satyra)
Hoopoe (Lupupa epops)
White breasted kingfisher (Halcyon smyrensis)
Indian robin (Saxicoloides fullicota)
[edit] Well-known sites
Shangla is also a historical place in South Asia: home to several Buddhist hermits, as well as a small but thriving Hindu community in the Chakesar region. It is said that the region known as Ghorband in the north west of Shangla was visited by Alexander the Great's Army in 326 B.C. where it fought a battle with the locals at the mount Pir Sar. Later on in the 15th century Shangla witnessed a population shift from neighbouring Afghanistan (Pakhtun tribe Yousafzais) with locals migrating into Hazara.
[edit] Politics
Shangla was given District status by the then Chief Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao in 1995, on the demand of lawyers of Shangla Bar association. The chief minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao upgraded Shangla to the status of district on July 10, 1995 in a public meeting in Alpuri.
In January 2001, Sayed Iftikhar Hussain Shah the then governor of NWFP decided to revert the District status of Shangla to the previous position of July 1, 1995. For this purpose he visited Shangla to convince the elders and politicians of the area. All political and social groups of Shangla strongly opposed, resisted and condemned the decision of the government and two prominent lawyers of Shangla Bar association Sultan Rome Advocate and Mazharul Haq Advocate were arrested by administration while raising their voice for Shangla. The government however withdrew the decision.
[edit] Notable politicians
Senator Sher Muhammad Khan, (an ally of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, died in a road accident)
Hamid Iqbal Ex MPA (Son of Late Sher M. Khan)
Fazlullah Khan MPA (Son of Late Ex-Minister Pir Muhamad Khan) Fazlullah Khan is member of N.W.F.P Assembly. He belongs to Puran and is member of Assembly from constituency PF-88 Shangla. Click for Detail [2]
Zahir Shah Khan MPA He is the member of N.W.F.P Assembly. He belongs to PF-87 Shangla.
Badiuz Zaman Ex MPA(He was killed in Swat by the Sufi Mohammad Group ofTaliban ).[12])
Dr Afsar ul Mulk Khan Dr Afsar ul Mulk Khan is the son of late Haji Badiuzaman Khan. He won the elections 1995 and was selected as an MPA. He is now a Divisional Coordinator of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians.
Sultan Shaham KhanEx MPA (He was killed at the age of 32 due to tribal enmity in 1987)
Pir Muhammad Khan, (He was elected five(5) times as member of the provincial assembly in 1988, 1990, 1993, 1997 and 2002. He remained Provincial Minster during 1997-1999. He was killed in a terrorist attack at Peshawar in November 2007.)
Eng.Amir Muqam Amir Muqam, born in Puran Shangla on July 25, 1963, was elected for his first term as MNA on an MMA seat. He was politically affiliated with Jamaat-e-Islami. After joining the National Assembly, he changed his loyalties and joined the ruling pro-Musharraf party named as Pakistan Muslim League (Q)PML(Q). During Pervez Musharraf era, he became provincial president of the ruling party PML(Q). He remained on posts of State Minister for Water and Power and Federal Minister for Political Affairs during the PML(Q) pro-Musharraf government.
An engineer by profession, Amir Muqam obtained a B.Sc. Engineering degree from the University of Engineering and Technology in Peshawar. He was elected unopposed as Nazim Union Council Bengalai Puran Shangla from 2001-2002 and General Secretary of Cantonment Association, Swat from 1998-2001. He has been a member of the Pakistan Engineering Council since 1989. Married and father of four sons and two daughters, he has travelled to Saudi Arabia and U.A.E. U.K, Russia etc. He is also a member of the Young Parliamentarians Forum (YPF) of Pakistan.
Senitor Rehat Hussian (He belongs to Jamat-ul-ulama Islam (F))
Mutawakil Khan Advocate (He belongs to Pakistan Peoples Party Sherpao and very close companion of Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao. He remained a member of Social Action Board & Chairman of Bitul Mal. Presently he is president of Shangla Bar Association and chairman of Shangla Action Committee,)
Anwar Ali Khan Advocate (He belongs to ANP and is a very popular leader. He remained nazim of union council Chawga and presently his brother Rahat Ali is UC nazim)
Muhammad Zahid Khan (He belongs to JUI-(F) and he is very popular & young leader & U.C. Nazim of Aloch Teshil Puran Hq.)
Shangla comprises two sub division, Alpuri and Puran.[1] There are three sub tehsils i.e. Besham, Chakesar, Martung.
Shangla has the lowest Human Development Index in the province and second lowest in the country.[3][4]
Contents[hide]
1 Location
2 History
3 Geography
4 Administrative divisions
4.1 Constituencies
5 Population
6 Demographics
7 Flora
8 Fauna
9 Well-known sites
10 Politics
10.1 Notable politicians
11 References
//
[edit] Location
The district is bounded in the north by Kohistan District, in the east by Battagram District and the tribal area of Kala Dhaka (Black Mountain of Hazara), in the west by Swat District and in the south by Buner District.[2]
[edit] History
There are relics of the ancient Greek period at Pirsar, Chakesar and Daut. it is believed that Alexander the Great camped at Pirsar for a few days. There are also relics of the Hindu Shahi in Qlandar-Ajmair[5]
[edit] Geography
The only means of communications with Swat, is Shangla hill (Shangla top)[2]
Shangla district, consists of small valleys, is situated between the hillocks and surrounded by high mountains full of forests comprising Pindrow Fir, Morinda Spruce, Blue Pine (Kail), Chir Pine and Deodar Cedar trees. The average elevation of the district is 2000 to 3000 meters above sea level.[2] The highest point (3,440 m) is near Kuz Ganrshal in the north of the district.[2] There are beautiful isolated valleys most suitable for seed production of highly demanded cross pollinated vegetable crops. Moreover Shangla has got pretty enough potential for hydel power generation, one such project underway is at Khan Khwar.[6]
[edit] Administrative divisions
Under the devolved local government system Shangla is divided into five tehsils, namely
Alpuri
Puran
Besham
Chakesar
Martung
There are 28 Union Councils. Alpuri Tehsil (Sub division) consists of 19 Union Councils and Puran Tehsil (Sub-division)consists of 9 Union Councils.
[edit] Constituencies
The district is represented in the provincial assembly by two elected MPAs who represent the following constituencies:[7]
[edit] Population
According to the 1998 census, the district had a population of 435,563 with an average annual growth rate of 3.3% and population density of 274 persons per square kilometre.[9] The total number of households is 64,391 with an average household size of 8.1. Almost the entire population of Shangla belongs to the Pathan tribe Yousafzai. Major subtribes of Yousafzai living in Shangla are Azikhel and Babozai. Azikhel live mainly in Chakesar, Martung and Shahpur while Babozai live in Puran. The People of Shangla are known for their hospitality and great moral values. Almost the entire population is Muslim (99.8%) with very small numbers of Christians, Hindus, and Ahmadis.[9]
[edit] Demographics
Most of the local inhabitants are agriculturists. Though the agricultural area of the district is fertile but the agricultural holdings are very small as compared to the number of owners. The total cultivated area of the district is 423.6 square kilometres (104,700 acres) out of which only 30.75 square kilometres (7,600 acres) is irrigated and the remaining 392.85 square kilometres (97,080 acres) is non-irrigated. Shangla District is full of natural resources, having a vast scope for investment and development.
It was severely hit during the October 8, 2005 earthquake and many people were left homeless, without attracting any major sympathy from the international community.
[edit] Flora
A number of medicinal plants are found in the area including the following:[10]
Tarkha (Artemizia species)
Unab (Zizyphus Sativa)
Althea (Althaca Officinalis)
Banafsha (Viola serpens)
Mushki Bala (Valeriana species)
Musli Sufed (Aspargus species)
[edit] Fauna
The district is home to a variety of fauna including deer, bears, pheasants and leopards.[11]
Markhur (Capre falconeri)
Himalayan ibex (Capre ibex sibirica)
Urial (Ovis orientalis)
Himalyan black bear (Selenaretos thibetanus)
Brown bear (Ursus arctos)
Bear (Lepus nigricollis)
Leopard (Panthera pardus)
Snow leopard (Panthera Uncia)
Wolf (Canis lupus pallipes)
Rhesus Monkey (Maaca mulatta)
Blue rock pigeon (Columba livia)
Spotted dove (Streptopelia chinensis)
Little brown dove (s. senegalensis)
Chakor (Alectoris chukar)
Himalayan snow cock (Tetracollus himalayensis)
Red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus)
Monal pheasant (Lphororus impejanus)
Koklas pheasant (Pucrasis macrolopha)
Satyr tragopan (Tragopan satyra)
Hoopoe (Lupupa epops)
White breasted kingfisher (Halcyon smyrensis)
Indian robin (Saxicoloides fullicota)
[edit] Well-known sites
Shangla is also a historical place in South Asia: home to several Buddhist hermits, as well as a small but thriving Hindu community in the Chakesar region. It is said that the region known as Ghorband in the north west of Shangla was visited by Alexander the Great's Army in 326 B.C. where it fought a battle with the locals at the mount Pir Sar. Later on in the 15th century Shangla witnessed a population shift from neighbouring Afghanistan (Pakhtun tribe Yousafzais) with locals migrating into Hazara.
[edit] Politics
Shangla was given District status by the then Chief Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao in 1995, on the demand of lawyers of Shangla Bar association. The chief minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao upgraded Shangla to the status of district on July 10, 1995 in a public meeting in Alpuri.
In January 2001, Sayed Iftikhar Hussain Shah the then governor of NWFP decided to revert the District status of Shangla to the previous position of July 1, 1995. For this purpose he visited Shangla to convince the elders and politicians of the area. All political and social groups of Shangla strongly opposed, resisted and condemned the decision of the government and two prominent lawyers of Shangla Bar association Sultan Rome Advocate and Mazharul Haq Advocate were arrested by administration while raising their voice for Shangla. The government however withdrew the decision.
[edit] Notable politicians
Senator Sher Muhammad Khan, (an ally of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, died in a road accident)
Hamid Iqbal Ex MPA (Son of Late Sher M. Khan)
Fazlullah Khan MPA (Son of Late Ex-Minister Pir Muhamad Khan) Fazlullah Khan is member of N.W.F.P Assembly. He belongs to Puran and is member of Assembly from constituency PF-88 Shangla. Click for Detail [2]
Zahir Shah Khan MPA He is the member of N.W.F.P Assembly. He belongs to PF-87 Shangla.
Badiuz Zaman Ex MPA(He was killed in Swat by the Sufi Mohammad Group ofTaliban ).[12])
Dr Afsar ul Mulk Khan Dr Afsar ul Mulk Khan is the son of late Haji Badiuzaman Khan. He won the elections 1995 and was selected as an MPA. He is now a Divisional Coordinator of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians.
Sultan Shaham KhanEx MPA (He was killed at the age of 32 due to tribal enmity in 1987)
Pir Muhammad Khan, (He was elected five(5) times as member of the provincial assembly in 1988, 1990, 1993, 1997 and 2002. He remained Provincial Minster during 1997-1999. He was killed in a terrorist attack at Peshawar in November 2007.)
Eng.Amir Muqam Amir Muqam, born in Puran Shangla on July 25, 1963, was elected for his first term as MNA on an MMA seat. He was politically affiliated with Jamaat-e-Islami. After joining the National Assembly, he changed his loyalties and joined the ruling pro-Musharraf party named as Pakistan Muslim League (Q)PML(Q). During Pervez Musharraf era, he became provincial president of the ruling party PML(Q). He remained on posts of State Minister for Water and Power and Federal Minister for Political Affairs during the PML(Q) pro-Musharraf government.
An engineer by profession, Amir Muqam obtained a B.Sc. Engineering degree from the University of Engineering and Technology in Peshawar. He was elected unopposed as Nazim Union Council Bengalai Puran Shangla from 2001-2002 and General Secretary of Cantonment Association, Swat from 1998-2001. He has been a member of the Pakistan Engineering Council since 1989. Married and father of four sons and two daughters, he has travelled to Saudi Arabia and U.A.E. U.K, Russia etc. He is also a member of the Young Parliamentarians Forum (YPF) of Pakistan.
Senitor Rehat Hussian (He belongs to Jamat-ul-ulama Islam (F))
Mutawakil Khan Advocate (He belongs to Pakistan Peoples Party Sherpao and very close companion of Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao. He remained a member of Social Action Board & Chairman of Bitul Mal. Presently he is president of Shangla Bar Association and chairman of Shangla Action Committee,)
Anwar Ali Khan Advocate (He belongs to ANP and is a very popular leader. He remained nazim of union council Chawga and presently his brother Rahat Ali is UC nazim)
Muhammad Zahid Khan (He belongs to JUI-(F) and he is very popular & young leader & U.C. Nazim of Aloch Teshil Puran Hq.)
