Dir District

Dir or Deer دیر
Natural region (former Princely state)
Coordinates: 35°10′N 72°00′E / 35.167°N 72.000°E / 35.167; 72.000Coordinates: 35°10′N 72°00′E / 35.167°N 72.000°E / 35.167; 72.000
Country	Pakistan
Area
• Total	5,282 km2 (2,039 sq mi)
Population (1998)
• Total	1,373,710
• Density	260/km2 (670/sq mi)
Languages
• Spoken Language	Pashto
Time zone	PST
Largest city or town	Timergara and Dir town

Dir is a region in northwestern Pakistan, in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Lying in the foothills of the Himalayas it has beautiful valleys and scenic mountains. Before Pakistan was created, Dir was a princely state, and it remained so until 1969 when it was abolished by a presidential declaration,^[1] with the Dir District being created the following year. Dir District was 5,280 square kilometres in area and lay along the disputed border controlled by the Afghan nationalists. The region is situated between Chitral and Peshawar. In 1996 the district was split into Lower Dir and Upper Dir.

It is bordered by:^[2][3]

• Chital to the northwest and north
• Swat to the east
• Malakand to the south,
• Bajaur Agency to the southwest,
• and Afghanistan to the west.

Etymology and history

Lajbouk village

Dir derives its name from an Arabic word that means place of worship, monastery/convent where one can live in seclusion from others. The history of Dir goes back to at least the 2"d millennium BC, which is testified by the excavations of numerous burials of Aryans at Timargarha and other places, dating from 18th to 6th century BC. The Aryans were followed by the Achaemenians, who were ousted by the invasion of Alexander in 327 BC, though he faced great difficulties in subjugating the local population. Greek historians have paid great tributes to the population, the army and the queen of Massaga, an ancient site near the modern Ziarat village, located between Chakdara and Timergara. After the Greeks, the area witnessed the Gandharan Civilization, which achieved great fame. This period is signified by the presence of the monumental remains of the Buddhist stupas and monasteries, a few of which has already filled the museum at Chakdara.

The Yousafzai Pathans, who established themselves here in the 5th century AD, are responsible for the tribal, social, political and economic life of the region. Akhund lIyas Painda Khel of the Malaizi tribe (1640) enjoyed popular support among locals and was recognized as a spiritual leader. His descendants built upon this support and ultimately increased their power over the people and laid the foundation of a distinct political state, then called the state of Nawabs. The British annexed Dir in 1897 and demarcated its boundaries. After independence of Pakistan, it still enjoyed the status of a separate state, but was amalgamated with Pakistan in 1960 as a tribal agency. It was finally merged as a district with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 1969. In 1996 the decision was made to divide Dir District into two districts, Lower Dir and Upper Dir, with Timargarha and Dir as their respective headquarters, but, due to lack of funds, until 2000 they continued to be administered by a single district commissioner operating out of Timergara.

River panjkora flow through the region

Dir occupied an important position as a centre of Gandhara Art. Pilgrims and historians have defined Gandhara, (the land of fragrance and beauty), as "the area to the west of Indus and north of Kabul rivers which included the valleys of Peshawar, Swat, Dir and Bajaur, extending westwards to Hadda and Bamiyan in Afghanistan and Taxila Valley in Punjab in the east". The region of Dir is therefore littered with the remains of the Gandharan Civilization and the Dir Museum, Chakdara, offers a fine and unique collection of Gandharan Art.

Demographics

In dir, 98% are Pashtuns and Pashto is the main language. The majority of the population in this area are Yousafzai, Mishwani WARDAGS (Pashtune), Tarran تاراڼ Tajak, Atrafi( اطرافي) Bahadur shah Khel, Mast Khel, Khilji( Ghilji) Miangan( Sadat) and Swati Pashtuns while the ruling class was Yousafzai pashtuns . Kalami and Kohistani is spoken in upper dir. Pashto and Urdu are also Spoken and Understood.

Geography

Dir lies on the southeast side of the Hindu Kush and the major river is the Panjkora River which flows southwest through the region.

Upper Dir

Upper Dir (Pashto: دیر بالا‎) is one of the 26^[4] districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. At the time of independence, Dir (princely state) was a state ruled by Nawab Shah Jehan Khan. It was merged with Pakistan in 1969 and later on declared as a district in 1970. In 1996, it was bifurcated into Upper and Lower Dir districts. This district is situated in the northern part of Pakistan. It borders Chitral district and Afghanistan on the north and north west and Swat district to the east, and on the south by Lower Dir District.^[5]

Kalkot Kumrat valley, Upper Dir

Except for Dir and a number of rapidly growing bazaar towns along the main roads, the population is rural, scattered in more than 1200 villages in the deep narrow valleys of the Panjkora and its tributaries.

Of these, notable villages are

• Khas Dir
• Barawal
• Gandigar
• Toormang
• Darorra
• Ganori
• Shalkani
• Bibyawar
• Wari

The district is administratively subdivided into Tehsils which contain a total of 37 Union Councils:.^[6] In lower dir there are two tehsils:

National Assembly

This district is represented by one elected MNA (Member of National Assembly) in Pakistan National Assembly. Its constituency is NA-34.^[7]

Qazi Hussain Ahmad won the general elections in 2002 but he left the seat as he had also won from his native constituency. Therefore, in January 2003 bye-elections were held.

Provincial Assembly

The district is represented by four elected MPAs in the provincial assembly who represent the following constituencies, after shifting of three union council from the Upper Dir to Lower Dir the provincial constituency of upper Dir, PF-93 now consists of UCs Khall, Toor Mang and Akha Gram of Lower Dir :^[8]

• PK-94 (Lower Dir-I) ( Inayat Ullah khan ).
• PK-94 (Lower Dir-I)
• PK-95 (Lower Dir-II)
• PK-96 (Lower Dir-III)
• PK-97 (Lower Dir-IV)

Lower Dir

Lower Dir (Pashto: لر دیر‎ ，Urdu: دیر زیریں‎) is one of the 26^[9] districts in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The district was formed in 1996, when the district of Dir was divided into Upper Dir and Lower Dir. Timergara city is the district headquarters and largest city.

Dir District was officially split into Upper Dir and Lower Dir in 1996. Until 2000 as funds were not available to provide the accommodation needed at Dir town by government departments at a district headquarters, both districts continued to be administered by a single deputy Commissioner stationed at Timergara in Lower Dir.

Popular Tourists oriented Places^[10]

• Kumrat Valley
• Ushirai Dara
• Shahi Koto
• Nehag Dara
• Barawal
• Ganori
• Nowra

The place is located at a distance of 16 km from the Asbanr village and can be approached from this village in a four-wheel drive vehicle.

The district is administratively subdivided into Tehsils which contain a total of 37 Union Councils:.^[11] In lower dir there are two tehsils:

Upper Dir District is 3,699 square kilometres in area and formed part of the former Malakand Division, lying along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border between Chitral, Bajaur Agency and Lower Dir.

It is connected with the Kohistan District via the Badawi Pass and connected with Chitral District through Lawari Pass and with Afghanistan through Bin Shahi Pass.

The topography of Upper Dir is dominated by high mountains. The most important mountain range is the Hind kush.^[12] It runs from north east to south west along the northern borders with Chitral District. In winter whole area remains snow-covered. The mountains in the western part of the district are covered with forests, while the eastern mountain range, Dir Kohistan is barren. Panjkora River is the main river of the district, which originates from Dir Kohistan. Upper Dir headquarters is connected to all tehsil headquarters.^[13]

Tourist Places

Laram top in winter lower Dir

In reality, the entire Dir region is a wonder of creation but to high authorities negligence and lack of communication roads, most of the areas are clouded in the mystery of infamy but still few areas which are recently developed includes;

Laram Top also known as "Laram Sar" is a scenic hill station in the Lower Dir District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan at a distance of 30 km from Chakdara. It is located at elevation of 8500 ft above the sea level, surrounded by verdant mountains, towering trees and drenched in clouds. The Top receives heavy snow fall during winter season and attract a lot of tourists to its lap for a cool feeling in the sizzling heat of summer.

Jakar Baba Top is another picturesque hill station in the Lower Dir District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is encircled by lush green and towering trees of Pine species.

National Assembly

This district is represented by one elected MNA (Member of National Assembly) in Pakistan National Assembly. Its constituency is NA-34.^[14]

Qazi Hussain Ahmad won the general elections in 2002 but he left the seat as he had also won from his native constituency. Therefore, in January 2003 bye-elections were held.

Provincial Assembly

The district is represented by four elected MPAs in the provincial assembly who represent the following constituencies, after shifting of three union council from the Upper Dir to Lower Dir the provincial constituency of upper Dir, PF-93 now consists of UCs Khall, Toor Mang and Akha Gram of Lower Dir :^[15]

• PK-94 (Lower Dir-I)
• PK-95 (Lower Dir-II)
• PK-96 (Lower Dir-III)
• PK-97 (Lower Dir-IV)

Administration

The district is administratively subdivided into six tehsils which contain a total of 31-3=28 (3 UCs shifted to Lower Dir namely Khall, Akhagram and Toor Mang) Union Councils:^[16]

Upper Dir is represented in the National Assembly^[17] and Provincial Assembly by one elected MNA and three elected MPAs respectively who represent the following constituencies:^[18]

Notable people

Inayat Ullah khan , Senior Minister KPK of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan ,Health minister KPK ( 2002-2007 ), Ex-president Al Khidmat, Minister P&D KPK.

• Siraj ul Haq, Emir of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan
• Zahid Khan, current senator of Awami National Party
• Bakht Baidar, member of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly
• Sufi Muhammad, Pakistani rebel
• Imran Khan (cricketer, born 1987), Pakistani cricketer

Gallery

See also

• Swat District
• Constituency NA-34
• Dir (princely state)
• Education in Lower Dir District
• Upper Dir District
• Timergara

Notes and references

External links

• "Dir Map". Directorate of Information Technology, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Archived from the original on 20 May 2015. 
• Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Government website section on Lower Dir
• Dir Maps
• "Map of Lower Dir District" (PDF). UNICEF. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 March 2012. 

	Konar, Afghanistan	Upper Dir District
			Swat
		Dir District
	FATA	Malakand

Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Provincial capital: Peshawar
Bannu	Bannu Lakki Marwat
Dera Ismail Khan	Dera Ismail Khan Tank
Hazara	Abbottabad Battagram Haripur Mansehra Tor Ghar Lower Kohistan Upper Kohistan
Kohat	Hangu Karak Kohat
Malakand	Buner Chitral Lower Dir Upper Dir Malakand Shangla Swat
Mardan	Mardan Swabi
Peshawar	Charsadda Nowshera Peshawar

Administrative divisions of Lower Dir District
Capital	Timergara
Tehsils	Adenzai Balambat Khal Lal Qilla Munda Samar Bagh Timergara
Union councils	Asbanr Badwan Balambat (union council) Bagh Dush Khel Bandagai Bishgram Daranga Gall Maidan Hayaserai Kambat Khadagzai Khanpur, Lower Dir Khazana Khungai Kotigram Kotkai Koto, Lower Dir Lajbook Lal qila, dir lower Maskini Mayar Miakili Munda, Lower Dir Munjai Noora Khel Ouch (union council) Rabat, Lower Dir Samar Bagh Sadbar Kali Timergara (union council) Zaimdara Ziarat Talash