The History of Karachi

                                              
                   
                                                                             Introduction of Karachi.

Karachi, city (1998 pop. 9,269,265), largest city and former capital of Pakistan, SE Pakistan, on the Arabian Sea near the Indus River delta. The capital of Sind prov., it is Pakistan's chief seaport and industrial center, a transportation, commercial, and financial hub, and a military headquarters. It has a large automobile assembly plant, an oil refinery, a steel mill, shipbuilding, railroad yards, jute and textile factories, printing and publishing plants, media and entertainment industries, food processing plants, and chemical and engineering works. Karachi airport is one of the busiest in Asia. Karachi has a university and other educational institutions; the national museum, with a fine archaeological collection; and the tomb of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan.
An old settlement, Karachi was developed as a port and trading center by Hindu merchants in the early 18th cent. In 1843 it passed to the British, who made it the seat of the Sind government. Steady improvements in harbor facilities made Karachi a leading Indian port by the late 19th cent., while agricultural development of the hinterland gave it a large export trade. Karachi served as Pakistan's capital from 1947, when the country gained independence, until 1959, when Rawalpindi became the interim capital pending completion of Islamabad. The political base of the Bhutto family, Karachi has been troubled since the 1980s by violence between local Sindhis and the descendants of muhajirs, the Muslim immigrants who fled to Pakistan following partition in 1947; the lawlessness in the city was further aggravated by Sunni-Shiite fighting in the 1990s. In the late 1990s the government began efforts to suppress the violence, but these have been only sporadically successful.

HISTORY OF KARACHI​

The Baloch tribes from Balochistan and Makran established a small settlement of fishing communities, many of whom still inhabit sections of Sindh, and called it Kolachi. The modern port-city of Karachi, however, was developed by authorities of the British Raj in the 19th century. Upon the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the city was selected to become the national capital, and was settled by Muslim refugees from India, which radically expanded the city's population and transformed the demographics and economy. Karachi has faced major infrastructural and socio-economic challenges, but modern industries and businesses have developed in the city, and the population expanded even after the capital was moved to Islamabad in August 1960. 
The area of Karachi has been known to the ancient Greeks by many names: Krokola, the place where Alexander the Great camped to prepare a fleet for Babylonia after his campaign in the Indus valley; 'Morontobara' port (probably the modern Manora Island near the Karachi harbour), from where Alexander's admiral Nearchus sailed for back home; and Barbarikon, a sea port of the Indo-Greek Bactrian kingdom. It was also known as the port of Debal to the Arabs, from where Muhammad bin Qasim led his conquering force into South Asia in 712 AD. According to the British historian Eliot, parts of city of Karachi and the island of Manora constituted the city of Debal.

The present city started its life as a fishing settlement where a Sindhi fisherwoman by the name of Mai Kolachi took up residence and started a family. The village that later grew out of this settlement was known as Kolachi-jo-Goth (The Village of Kolachi in Sindhi). By the late 1700s this village started trading across the sea with Muscat and the Persian Gulf region which led to its gaining importance. A small fort was constructed for its protection, armed with cannons imported from Muscat. The fort had two main gateways: one facing the sea, known as Khara Darwaaza (Brackish Gate) and the other facing the adjoining Lyari river known as the Meetha Darwaaza (Sweet Gate). The location of these gates corresponds to the present-day city localities of Khaaradar (Khārā Dar) and Meethadar (Mīṭhā Dar) respectively. 

In 1795, the village became a domain of the Balochi Talpur rulers of Sindh. A small factory was opened by the British in September 1799, but was closed down within a year. After sending a couple of exploratory missions to the area, the British East India Company conquered the town on February 3, 1839. The village was later annexed to the British Indian Empire when the province of Sindh was conquered by Charles Napier in 1843. Kolachi was added along with the rest of Sindh to the jurisdiction of the Bombay Presidency. 

The British realized its importance as a military cantonment and a port for exporting the produce of the Indus basin, and rapidly developed its harbour for shipping. The foundations of a city municipal government were laid down and infrastructure development was undertaken. New businesses started opening up and the population of the town started rising rapidly. Karachi quickly turned into a city, making true the famous quote by Napier who is known to have said: Would that I could come again to see you in your grandeur!

In 1857, the First Indian War for Independence broke out in the subcontinent and the 21st Native Infantry stationed in Karachi declared allegiance to revolters, joining their cause on September 10, 1857. However, the British were rapidly able to reassert their control over Karachi and defeat the uprising. Karachi was known as Khurachee Scinde (i.e. Karachi, Sindh) during the early British colonial rule.

In 1864, the first telegraphic message was sent from India to England when a direct telegraph connection was laid down between Karachi and London. In 1878, the city was connected to the rest of British India by railway line. Public building projects such as the Frere Hall (1865) and the Empress Market (1890) were undertaken. In 1876, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, was born in the city, which by now had become a bustling city with railway, churches, mosques, courthouses, markets, paved streets and a magnificent harbour. By 1899 Karachi had become the largest wheat exporting port in the east (Feldman 1970:57). The population of the city had also risen to about 105,000 inhabitants by the end of the 19th century and was a cosmopolitan mix of Hindus and Muslims, European traders, Jews, Parsis, Iranians, Lebanese, and Goan merchants. By the turn of the century, the city faced street congestion, which led to India’s first tramway system being laid down in 1900. 

By 1914, Karachi had become the largest grain exporting port of the British Empire. In 1924, an aerodrome was built and Karachi became the main airport of entry into India. An airship mast was also built in Karachi in 1927 as part of the Imperial Airship Communications scheme, which was later abandoned. In 1936, Sindh was separated from the Bombay Presidency and Karachi was made the capital of the new province. By the time the new country of Pakistan was formed in 1947, Karachi had become a bustling metropolitan city with beautiful classical and colonial European styled buildings lining the city’s thoroughfares. Karachi was chosen as the capital city of Pakistan and accommodated a huge influx of migrants and refugees to the newly formed country. The demographics of the city also changed drastically. However, it still maintained a great cultural diversity as its new inhabitants arrived from all parts of the subcontinent. In 1958, the capital of Pakistan was shifted from Karachi to Rawalpindi and then to Islamabad in 1960. This marked the start of a long period of decline in the city, owing to a lack of governmental attention and development. The 1980s and 1990s saw an influx of refugees from the Afghan war into Karachi. Political tensions between the Mohajir groups (descendants of migrants from the partition era) and other groups also erupted and the city was wracked with political and sectarian violence. Most of these tensions have now simmered down. 

Karachi continues to be an important financial and industrial centre for the country and handles most of the overseas trade of Pakistan and the central Asian countries. It accounts for a large portion of the GDP of Pakistan and a large chunk of the country's white collar workers. Karachi's population has continued to grow and is estimated to have passed the 20 million mark, although official figures still show a population of around 14.5 million. The current economic boom in Pakistan has also resulted in a new period of resurgence in the economy of Karachi. 

GOVERMENT OF KARACHI​

The City of Karachi Municipal Act was promulgated in 1933. Initially the Municipal Corporation comprised the mayor, the deputy mayor and 57 councillors. The Karachi Municipal Corporation was changed to a Metropolitan Corporation in 1976. The administrative area of Karachi was a second-level subdivision known as Karachi Division, which was subdivided into five districts: Karachi Central, Karachi East, Karachi South, Karachi West and Malir. In 2000, the government of Pakistan designed a new devolution '';' financial resources and responsibilities. This plan abolished the earlier second-level division and merged the five districts of Karachi into a Karachi District. When the devolution plan was implemented in 2001, this district officially became a City District, with the City District Government of Karachi handling its government. Karachi now has a three-tier federated system, formed by:

The City District Government (CDG) 
Town Municipal Administrations 
Union Council Administrations
The City-District of Karachi is divided into eighteen towns governed by elected municipal administrations responsible for infrastructure and spatial planning, development facilitation, and municipal services (water, sanitation, solid waste, repairing roads, parks, street lights, and traffic engineering), with some functions being retained by the CDG.

The towns are sub-divided into 178 localities governed by elected union councils (UC's), which are the core element of the local government system. Each UC is a body of thirteen directly elected members including a Nazim (mayor) and a Naib Nazim (deputy mayor). The UC Nazim heads the union administration and is responsible for facilitating the CDG to plan and execute municipal services, as well as for informing higher authorities about public concerns and complaints.

In the local body elections of 2005, Syed Mustafa Kamal was elected City Nazim of Karachi to succeed Naimatullah Khan & Nasreen Jalil was elected as the City Naib Nazim. Mustafa Kamal was the provincial minister for information technology in Sindh before assuming office as the city's mayor. His predecessor, Naimatullah Khan was chosen as one of the best mayors in Asia. Mustafa Kamal is advancing the development trail left by Naimatullah Khan, and has been actively involved in maintaining care of the city's municipal systems. 
Baldia Town 
Bin Qasim Town 
Gadap Town 
Gulberg Town 
Gulshan Town 
Jamshed Town 


Kemari Town 
Korangi Town 
Landhi Town 
Liaquatabad Town 
Lyari Town 
Malir Town 


New Karachi Town 
Orangi Town 
Saddar Town 
Shah Faisal Town 
SITE Town





Note: Defence Housing Society Karachi is located in Karachi but is not a town of Karachi nor part of any town of Karachi. It is administered by the Defence Housing Authority, Karachi of Pakistan Army.

ECONOMY​

Karachi is the financial capital of Pakistan; it accounts for the lion's share of GDP and revenue. It generates approximately 65% of the total national revenue (federal and provincial taxes, customs and surcharges) On the Gross regional product (GRP) front, Sindh's share almost comprising 28% of the total GDP Karachi produces about 42 percent of value added in large scale manufacturing. Recently in February 2007, World Bank has termed Karachi the most business-friendly city in Pakistan. 

The city’s economy is large and diverse, Most of Pakistan's public and private banks have their head offices in Karachi. Nearly all of them are located at Ibrahim Ismail Chundrigar Road (usually shortened to I.I. Chundrigar Road (Pakistan's Wall Street). During the 1960s, Karachi was seen as an economic role model around the world, and there was much praise for the way its economy was progressing. Many countries sought to emulate Pakistan's economic planning strategy and one of them, South Korea, copied the city's second "Five-Year Plan" and World Financial centre in Seoul is designed and modelled after Karachi.

Karachi possesses a versatile industry. The economy of the city concentrates on Cement plants, corn mills and shipbuilding, in addition, automobile, steel, textiles, chemicals, refined oil, shoes, machines and food are produced in the city. The city gains 60 per cent of the tax receipts of the country and 70 per cent of the taxes of the province Sindh. The Per-head income of the city is about four to five times more highly than in the state average. Karachi is also a location of a nuclear power station & many large banks.

Besides being the banking and finance capital of the country, Karachi also hosts the offices of almost every major foreign multinational corporation as well as corporations based in Pakistan. It is home to the largest stock exchange in Pakistan: the Karachi Stock Exchange, which was considered by many economists to be one of the prime reasons for Pakistan's 8% GDP growth across 2005. The Port of Karachi and nearby Port Qasim are the two main seaports of Pakistan, and Jinnah International Airport is the largest & the busiest airport in Pakistan.

The recent trends involving ICTs (Information & Communications Technology), electronic media and call centres have become a significant part of Karachi's business hierarchy. Call centres for foreign companies have been targeted as a significant area of growth, with the government making efforts to reduce taxes by as much as 80% in order to gain foreign investments in the IT sector.

Karachi is also the software outsourcing hub of Pakistan. Many of Pakistan’s independent television and radio channels are headquartered in Karachi. Geo, ARY, Hum and AAJ TV are the most popular ones; some of the local stations include KTN, Sindh TV, Roshni News, and Dawn News. 

Karachi has a huge industrial base, with several large industrial zones such as SITE, Korangi, Northern Bypass Industrial Zone, Bin Qasim and North Karachi located on the fringes of the main city. The primary areas are textiles, pharmaceuticals, steel, and automobiles. In addition, Karachi has a vibrant cottage industry and there is a rapidly flourishing Free Zone with an annual growth rate of nearly 6.5%. Real Estate industry growing rapidly in Karachi. There was huge constrution in progress which listed Pakistan as developed country. Karachi has an Expo centre which hosts many regional and international exhibitions.

Toyota, Honda, BMW, Mercedes, Nissan and Suzuki Motor Company are located in Karachi. Among others, Millat Tractors, Adam Motor Company, HinoPak and Ghandhara Nissan Buses and Trucks manufacturing plants are also located in Karachi. The automobile manufacturing sector is one of the fastest growing industries in Pakistan, and a large vendor industry associated with it is also located principally in Karachi.

DEVELOPMENT​

There are many development projects proposed, approved and under construction in Karachi city. Among projects of note, Emaar Properties is proposing to invest $43bn (£22.8bn) in Karachi to develop Bundal Island, which is a 12,000 acre (49 km²) island just off the coast of Karachi. The Karachi Port Trust is envisioning another Rs. 20 billion project, the Port Tower Complex, which will be 1,947 feet high, the height indicating the Independence of Pakistan (14 August 1947), and is slated for completion within six years. It is expected to comprise a hotel, a shopping centre, and an exhibition centre. The main feature of the venture is supposed to be a revolving restaurant, which will also contain a viewing gallery offering a panoramic view of the coastline and the city. The tower is planned to be located at the Clifton shoreline. 

Some other mega projects that are proposed or under construction include: MCB Tower (completed), Port tower complex (proposed), Crescent Bay, Karachi (under construction), Karachi Waterfront (approved), Karachi Creek Marina (under construction), Dolmen Towers (under construction), I.T Tower (approved), Bundal Island (under construction), Buddo Island (approved), Square One Towers (under construction), Sign Tower (approved), Karachi Mass Transit System, Enshaa Towers (approved), Karachi FPCCI Tower (proposed) and, IT Tower (approved), Dolmen Mall (Hyderi) (under construction), City Centre (proposed), Malir Expressway (proposed),Northern Bypass Industrial Area (under construction).

The Swat Valley (The Beautiful Place of Asia)

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Swat is the most accessible of all the valleys of northern Pakistan, the most interesting historically and one of the most beautiful. Its capital of Saidu Sharif can be reached in 4/12 hours by car from Islamabad, or 30 minutes by air. In all seasons you can drive half way up the valley, and from April to November right to the head of the valley, in an ordinary saloon car. Its scenery is gentler and the land more fertile than the other northern valleys. Everywhere in lower Swat you can see terraced fields, startlingly green rice paddies, abundant fruit orchards, and views of snow-capped peaks. In upper Swat the river narrows into turbulent gorges, the mountains tower above and pine forests cling defiantly to the slopes. Swat offers the best walking in Pakistan, and excellent fishing and climbing. For the historian and amateur archaeologist it is paradise; it has several thousand archaeological sites spanning 5,000 years of history waiting to be explored.

Many of the archaeological and historical sites will of little interest to the general tourist, for much imagination is required to envisage Swat as an important Buddhist centre or the scene of fierce battles between the tribesmen and such diverse characters as Alexander the Great and Winston Churchill. Nevertheless, for the dedicated explorer in the tracks of history, we have given an account of most of the sites. As at Taxila and Vale of Peshawar, no single published work on Swat is available, and many reports on the excavations in the valley are either unavailable or have not been published.

Swat's history goes back to at least 3,000 BC when Stone Age people lived there. In 1,700 BC a wave of Aryans arrived from Central Asia. They were the forerunners of the Hindus. They composed the Rigveda, the oldest religious text in the world. In one of the 1028 hymns still existing, a chief sings of a victory won on the banks of the river Suvastu, the Swat.

In 327 BC Alexander the Great invaded Swat on his way from Afghanistan to the Indus, and fought four battles there. From the 2nd century BC to the 9th century AD Buddhism flourished in the valley, leaving behind a legacy of beautiful sculpture and more than 1,400 monasteries. Tantric Buddhism was developed in lingered on in Swat until the 16th century.

From the 8th to 10th centuries the Hindu kings built their fortified cities on the tops of many of the hills in lower Swat. You can still see massive stone walls crowning the peaks on every side.

Mahmud of Ghazni took the valley in the 11th century after a fierce battle at Udegram, where his commanders Khushal Khan was killed and buried. The Moghuls came to Swat in the 16th century but failed to add it to their dominions. Babur took a wife from Swat, and Akbar suffered a disastrous defeat in the Karakar Pass.

In the 19th century the Akund of Swat rose to power. He was a Sufi ascetic with a highly charismatic and warlike personality who united the Swatis and made his capital at Saidu Sharif. He became known in the west because of the poem by Edward Lear.

Who or why, or which, or what,Is the Akond of Swat?

Is the tall or short, or dark or fair?

Does he sit on a stool or a sofa or chair, or squat,

The Akond of Swat?

Is he wise or foolish, young or old? etc, etc

Churchill Piquet:

If it is not too hot, a climb up to the Churchill Piquet on Damkot Hill is rewarding. You can park opposite the main gate of Chakdara fort. This fort was built in 1896 by the British on the foundation of the Emperor Akbar's 16th century fort, and is still occupied by the Pakistan army. The footpath up the hill to Churchill Piquet takes about 15 minutes to climb. The view from the top of the hill is magnificent. On a clear day the whole of the lower Swat valley is spread out before you, against a backdrop of snow-clad mountains receding into the distance.

Here the young Winston Churchill, reporting for the London Daily Telegraph, covered the Pathan uprising in 1897. There was a ragged volley from the rocks; shouts, exclamations, and a scream. One man was shot through the breast and pouring with blood; another lay on his back kicking and twisting. The British officer was spinning round just behind me, his face a mass of blood, his right eye cut out. Yes, it was certainly an adventure.

It is a point of honour on the Indian frontier not to leave wounded men behind. Death by inches and hideous mutilation are the invariable measure meted out to all who fall in battle into the hands of the Pathan tribesmen. We all laid hands on the wounds and began to carry and drag them away down the hill.

I looked around to my left. Out from the edge of the houses rushed half a dozen Pathan swordsmen. The bearers of the poor Adjutant let him fall and fled at their approach. The leading tribesmen rushed upon the prostrate figure and slashed at it there or four times with his sword. I forgot everything else at this moment except a desire to kill this man. I wore my long cavalry sword well sharpened. After all, I had won the public school facing medal. I resolved on personal combat a lame blanche. The savage saw me coming, I was not more than twenty yards away. He picked up a big stone and hurled it at me with his left hand, and then awaited me, brandishing his sword. There were others waiting not far behind him. I changed my mind about the cold steel. I pulled out my revolver, took, as I thought, most careful aim, and fired. No result. I fired again. No result. Whether I hit him or not I cannot tell. I looked around. I was all alone with the enemy. I ran as fast as I could. I got to the first knoll. Hurrah, there were the Sikhs holding the lower one.

We fetched up at the bottom of the spur little better than a mob, but still with our wounded, while the tribesmen, who must have now numbered two or three thousand, gathered in a wide and spreading half-moon around our flanks. The Colonel said to me, The Buffs are not more than half a mile away. Go and tell them to hurry or we shall be wiped out.

But meanwhile I heard an order: Volley firing. Ready. Present. Crash! At least a dozen tribesmen fell. Another volley, and they wavered. A third, and they began to withdraw up the hillside. The bugler began to sound Charge. Everyone shouted. The crisis was over, and here, praise be to God, were the leading files of the Buffs.

(Churchill was getting a column, so it paid him to spin it out a bit). The door to Churchill Piquet is usually open. A shaky ladder inside leads to the roof. From the ramparts you can see why the position was so important; not only does it guard the river crossing, but it is high enough to overlook the Malakand Pass to the west: the Shah Kot and Mura Passes (from Thana to the Peshawar basin) to the south: Barikot, gateway to Buner and to Swat proper, to the east: and the Chakdara plain and the ancient trade route to the north.

The foundations of the Churchill Piquet rest on an 8th century Hindu Shahi wall. But the history of all the hill goes back to 1,700 BC, when a wave of Aryans swept inform Afghanistan and settled in the area. They lived in stone houses, made elegant grey and black pottery on a slow wheel, and cultivated the land using stone and wooden implements. At first their only use of metal was copper and gold for jewellery. But later a knowledge of iron spread into the area, and they made knife blades, hoes, sheep shears, and needles.

One of the many Aryans graveyards that have been excavated in Swat is Samlai, at the foot of the north side of Damkot Hill. The graveyard is still used by the villagers of Chakdara. The Aryans buried the partially cremated body, surrounded by the necessary utensils of daily life, in graves lined and sealed with large stone slabs. Five graves were excavated at Samlai, but were filled in again, so nothing of interest remains to be seen.

Damkot Hill was then abandoned until the Buddhist community resettled it at the beginning of the 1st century AD. The excavated remains of their stupa and monastery can be seen just below the top of the hill on the south side. The community came to a catastrophic end in the late 5th century.

The Hindu Shahi (the Turkish Hindu kings) were the next to occupy the hill in the 8th century. They built a large fort surrounded by a strong defensive wall that extended down to the river, thus ensuring a safe water supply. The houses, rubbish pits, shops, stables and the remains of smithy on the north-eastern side of the excavated citadel are fun to explore. The Hindu Shahi fort was destroyed by fire at the end of the 10th century, probably by Mahmaud of Ghazni, who invaded Swat in 1001 AD, and the hill was not occupied again until the British came in the late 19th century.

At the foot of the hill, to the west, is a local bathing place, near which stand six boulders with Buddhist carvings on them. The figures shown are mostly of Padmapani, the Lotus Bearer Bodhisa-ttva, with his slim body and diaphanous robes. The carving date from the 6th or 7th century AD, when Bhddhism, though on the decline, was still active in Swat, despite the White Huns.

It is possible to drive a jeep round the north side of Damkot Hill, past Samlai graveyard, to a point fairly close to these carvings. The jeep road continues on this side of the river for another 15 km past more unexcavated Buddhist stupas, to a bridge across the Swat river below Batkhela.

Chat Pat: Chat Pat is a Buddhist monastery. To get there from the bridge drive 1.6 km and park just before the road to Dir enters the ford. The footpath to Chat Pat runs left (west) for about 1 km through the fields, past the village, and up the stream. A guide can be found at the museum if necessary.

Chat Pat is a typical Buddhist monastery site, nestled into a fold in the hills beside a small stream, where the monks could retreat and mediate with a peaceful view down the glen, yet within easy reach of the alms-giving travellers on the main road. We recommend it here because it is a reasonably easy, and very pleasant, walk, and the site itself, though small, is refreshingly well maintained.

It dates from the last 1st to the 4th century AD. There is no main stupa, and a landslide has buried the monastery on the east. The site is important because the excavators found there a quantity of Buddhist Gandharan sculpture decorating its 38 stupas and chapels. These were chronologically dated and showed a surprising decline in style from the 1st to 4th century AD.

The History of Malakand

                  

Malakand agency lies at a strategically important position as it acts as a Gateway to Swat, Dir, Chitral and Bajaur. It is in the lower Swat region amidst high mountains thick with evergreen olive and pine trees. It stands at the exit of a pass known as Malakand Pass or Darrah Malakand; now much less difficult to cross than before as one travels from Peshawar to Swat.

In history the name has appeared as Malakhand or Mulah Khandao. The name is stated to have been derived from the words Mullah Khandao. It is the combination of two words; Mullah and Khandao. Mullah means a religious saint and Kandao means a lofty place. Nowadays it is known as Malakand, and the name has been adopted in the same form by many other villages in the Swat and Dir districts.

The area surrounded by Malakand -- on the south till Sakhakot board, on the north Chakdara bridge and towards the east till Landakay comes in the limits of Malakand. In papers the area is still an agency known as Malakand Agency but full fledged district government has been established which is headed by the District Nazim Engineer Mohammad Hamayun Khan.

A part of Malakand is occupied by the Uthmankhel clan of Pukhntoons (Pathans), while towards the south, at the bottom of Malakand Pass, live the Ranizais known as Sam Ranizai. Those living beyond the pass towards Swat are Swat Ranizai. This is also evident in the administration division; where one is called the Swat Ranizai and the other as Sam Ranizai.

The road in the pass has many turns and zigzags and appears to have been scientifically designed. Being a key route to Swat, Dir, Buner, Shangla and Chitral districts the Malakand pass has remained for years the target of foreign invasions. Before the British occupation, it represented Pukhtoon grandure. It was inhabited by prominent Pukhtoon Sardars particularly Ranizais division of the Yousafzai Pathans. The chief town of Ranizais was Dheri Allahdand, where there is the tomb of a holy man, Mian Allahdad, a dervish, held in great reverence by the Pukhtoons of these parts.

Malakand today is vastly different from the land of yore. After partition major changes have taken place. The distinctive characteristic of the land is that it serves as a gateway for trade to the other districts in the Malakand Division. (Now divisional status has been abolished and district governments are set up in all the districts coming in the limits of Malakand Division). The Malakand Pass is the shortest and safest route for trade caravans going towards Swat, Dir, Bajaur, Buner, Shangla and Chitral Districts.

The soil of Malakand is loamy and moist, and is irrigated by the Swat River which flows from Swat, through Kohistan and joins the river Kabul near Peshawar. The average rainfall is not enough, therefore the soil requires artificial irrigation.

There are rare scenic places and tourist resorts in Malakand like Jabban and Malakand hydro-electric project. Water passes through a three-mile long tunnel, and has a natural fall of 350 feet. The main income- generating source in Malakand is the two power houses at Dargai and Malakand Khas. There are about 11 other suitable sites for construction of Small Hydel Power Projects that needed investors attention.

Malakand as already mentioned is surrounded by high mountains rich with mineral resources which are yet to be exploited. However, deposits of chromite iron, china clay and fuller earth have been found in Malakand. There are vast chances of mineral exploration but due to poor status of the local denizens they are not in a position to invest and exploit the mineral resources in Malakand. If investors from the other districts and provinces diverted their attention towards mineral wealth they can find and get vast mineral treasures.

Archaeologically, Malakand has a separate history. The land had remained a seat of Gandhara art culture. It has a large number of ancient relics still unexplored. Buddhism also has roots in this land and places like Penjon, Magoshah, Haryankot, Hati Darrah, Sakhakot, Batkhela etc.

After the imposition of Devolution Plan in the country, District Government has been established in Malakand. Engineer Mohammad Hamayun Khan, son of the former federal minister Mohammad Hanif Khan (Late) is the District Nazim of Malakand. With him Syed Ahmad Ali Shah Bacha works as Naib District Nazim and Abdul Jalil Khan is the existing District Coordination Officer of Malakand.

The High court extended its jurisdiction to this area in 1974 and district and civil judges work here ever since.

Brief History:

Historic ruins, founded at different places in the agency, indicate that this area was part of Ghandara civilization and Buddist peoples lived here. The last Buddist ruler, Raja Gira, seems to have ruled over here about 900 (Nine Hindered) years ago. Sultan Mahmood of Ghazni, a Muslim ruler, came here from Afghanistan through Bajaur and defeated the Buddist ruler, Raja gira.

Later, another Afghan ruler, Muhammad Ghauri, invaded this area and Islam began to spread here. The Yousafzai Pathan tribe came to inhabit this area is the wake of the invasion. About 400 years ago, successive Mughal rulers attemped in vain to capture this area. After the fall of the Mughals, Sikh rulers tried to conquer this area but we repulsed. The British had always looked at this area with covetous eyes but dared no venture to flirt with it openly. In 1882, The British approached to the elders of Malakand Agency with the request to allow the passage of post to Chitral, which was then in the Administrative sphere of Gilgit. With the common consent of Aslam Khan and Inayat Khan of Thana, Saadat khan of Alladand and Sarbiland Khan of Palai, the postal runners were allowed through the Agency in exchange for a considerable amount of money to be paid yearly to each. In 1885, the Chitral relief expedition however necessitated the British intervention in this area. British officer and troops had been besieged in Chitral by Chitralis under Sher Afzal in association with Umara Khan of jandol. To reinforce their forces there, they needed a route to Chitral as the Gilgit-Chitral road, the only route at that time, was covered with snow and they had no option left except to pass through Malakand Agency. The British therefore, laid siege of the Malakand pass. The people fought bravely and offered stubborn resistance to the enemy. The British artillery particularly proving more than a match for the old and rusty guns and swords of the natives. To fortify their position and ensure the safety of the strategically Important Chitral road, they constructed two forts at Malakand and Chakdara with many piquet overhead the surrounding hills. One of them Churchill piquet, was name after Lt. Churchill who later on became the Prime Minister of Britain. Since then the British intervened in the politics of the area. A political Agent was stationed at Malakand to mediate between the British and the people of the Area.