Orakzai Agency
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Orakzai Agency is one of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. It has a population of 450,000 and an area of 700 square miles.
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[edit] History
The Orakzai tribes take their name, which literally means the lost son (Wrak Dzoy), from a romantic legend about their ancestor, Sikandar Shah who was a prince from Iran and was exiled or lost, and after many adventures married and ruled in Tirah.
There are four major non-Orakzai tribes:
- Ali Khel
- Mullah Khel
- Mishti
- Shikhan
However, these tribes have been assimilated into the Orakzai culture and are considered to be Orakzai. Certain Orakzai tribes like the Masozai and half the Lashkarzai find themselves in Kurram Agency for historical and administrative reasons. A small Bangash tribe, the Buland Khel, is attached to the Orakzai agency also for administrative and historical reasons, although they live at some distance from the agency between Thal and North Waziristan.
Then Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto announced the creation of the agency at a grand tribal jirga at Samana and it began functioning on December 1, 1973. Before this, the Orakzai tribes were part of the Kohat and Hangu Frontier region. The headquarters of the agency are at Hangu District, but tehsil-level headquarters are situated in Kalaya and Ghiljo.
[edit] Geography
The valley is flanked by mountain ranges 6,000 to 7,000 feet high. Among the seven tribal agencies, Orakzai Agency is the second smallest in area after Bajaur Agency. It is bounded by Kurram Agency in the west, Khyber in the north, Kohat District on the south and Peshawar in the east. The hole of the territory of Orakzai agency is a mountainous tract dissected by numerous dry water courses, especially in the southwestern part of the agency. The two major streams are the Mastura River and Khanki Toi River, both of which originate from the hills to west and run the east.
Orakzai Agency is a hilly region with a fertile valley. The elevation of the hills varies from over 10,000 feet in the west and to less than 6,650 feet in east. Generally the elevation of the plain varies from 5,200 to 5,500 feet above sea level. Important peaks are Sangla (6325 feet) and chara Kandaco (5643 feet). The height of Kalaya and Sangla is nearly equal.
Orakzai Agency is characterized by intensely cold winters and mild summers. December, January and February are the coldest months and snowfall occurs in these months. Summers are mild and the maximum temperature dose not go above 30 degrees Celsius. Surrounding mountains are covered by dense and thick forests, which produce a cooling effect in summer. Due to geographical position of Orakzai and its thick forest cover, it rains throughout the year. In winter, the precipitation is in the form of snowfall over the surrounding mountains as well as in valley itself. There is no rain gauge, but rainfall is estimated to be around 36 inches per year.
[edit] Culture
Orakzai Agency has two tribal groups based on religious sect: Shia and Sunni. The Shias comprise 8.8% of the total population. The Shias and Sunnis are separated by a natural border. The Shias live along the southern portion of the Mastura River from And Khel to Kada. The Sunnis are found over almost the entire region. However, the two groups' basic lifestyle and laws are more or less the same.
[edit] Upper Orakzai
Upper Orakzai is a National Assembly constituency situated in the Orakzai Agency.[1]
Some of main areas of Upper Orakzai include:
[edit] References
- ^ LIST OF RETURNING OFFICERS AND ASSISTANT RETURNING OFFICERS OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY CONSTITUENCIES. Election Commission of Pakistan. Retrieved on 2008-02-20.
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