Shangla District
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Shangla is a district in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan that contains two Tehsil Alpuri and Puran. Alpuari Town is the district headquarters of the district. And two main tehsils/Sub divisions. Tehsil Puran and Tehsil Alpuari Three sub tehsils : tehsil Besham, tehsil Chakesar, tehsil Martung.Tehsil Hq of Puran is situated in Aloch. Shangla has the lowest Human Development Index in the province and second lowest in the country.[1][2] Shangla, previously a subdivision of Swat district, was upgraded to the status of a district on July 1, 1995[3] by the then Chief Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao.
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[edit] History
There are remains from the ancient Greek period at Pirsar, Chakaisar and Daut it is believed that Alexander the Great camped at Pirsar for a few days. There are also remains from the Hindu Shahi in Qlandar-Ajmair[4]
[edit] Geography
Shangla hill (Shangla top), separates the district from Swat, and the Shangla Pass is the only way of communication between the two districts.
The district is bounded on the east by PATA district of Batagram and Kala Dhaka (Black Mountain of Hazara) along which the Indus River flows for about 75 kilometres, on the west by district Swat, on the south by district Buner and tribal area of Kala Dhaka and on the north by district Kohistan.
The total area of the district is 1,586 square kilometres.[3]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 general elevation of the district is 2000 to 3000 meters above sea level.[3] The highest point (3,440 m) is near Kuz Ganrshal in the north of the district.[3]There are beautiful isolated valleys most suitable for seed production of highly demanded cross pollinated vegetable crops. Moreover Shangla has got a tremendous potential for hydel power generation, one such project underway is at Khan Khwar.[5]
[edit] Administrative divisions
Under the devolved local government system Shangla is divided into five tehsils, namely
There are 28 Union Councils. Alpurai 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: [6]
| Constituency | MPA | Party |
|---|---|---|
| PF-87 (Shangla-I)[7] | Muhammad Zahir Shah Khan | Pakistan Muslim League |
| PF-88 (Shangla-II) | Fazalullah | Independent |
[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. [8] The total number of households is 64,391 with an average household size of 8.1. Almost the entire population of Shangla contains a Pathan tribe Yousafzai. The Babozai a sub tribe of the Yousafzai live in this area particularly in Puran valley. They are specially known for their hospitality.
Almost the entire population is Muslim (99.8%) with very small numbers of Christians, Hindus, and Ahmadis.[8]
[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 km² (104,674 acres) out of which only 30.75 km² (7,598 acres) is irrigated and the remaining 392.85 km² (97,075 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 are 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:[9]
- 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.[10]
- 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] Places to see
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. The region used to be known as Ghorband and is mentioned historically as a place 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 Peoples Party government in 1995, on the campaign of the District Bar Association and hard work and active support from a known Political Personality Mr.Pir muhammad khan of Puran.AT this time he was a minister of the Aftab ahmad khan sherpao government. Muhammad Sehrab Khan was the founding member of Pakistan Peoples Party and remained on important party positions during his political career. Now his nephew Muhammad Yar is active in politics and has contested 2008 election for the Provincial Assembly on the ANP ticket.
- Senator Sher Mohammad Khan (an ally of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto) was killed in a road accident, his Son Hamid Iqbal then became MPA for PF-87 Shangla. His brother and ex. MPA of Shangla Mr.Badir Zaman was also killed in Swat by the Taliban (Sufi Mohammad Group)[11].
- Ex.MPA Sultan Sham was killed at the age of 32 years. He was the first MPA from PF-88 Shangla. His brother Zahir Shah was elected MPA from PF-87 Shangla.
- Mr.Pir Mohammad Khan, an MPA from PF-88 Shangla of MMA , was also killed in a suicide bomb attack in Hayat Abad Peshwar, he did much for his area and was elected MPA 5 times. He was Minister For Revenue, Excise, Auqaf and Religious Affairs in the Nawaz Sharif government.Eng.Amir Muqam is president of PML"Q" and Ex-Federal Minister for political affairs also belongs to Tehsil Puran Distt Shangla.
- Senator Rehat Hussian of MMA belong to Shapure Shangla. Mutawakil Khan Advocate of Barkana Shahpur who remained member of social action board and chairman of biatulmal and now leading Pakistan Peoples Party Sherpao in Shangla.
Election 2008 From NA-31 Shangla Eng.Amir Muqam is elect as MNA. From PF-87 Zahir Shah & from PF-88 Fazalullah are elected MPAs of Shangla.
[edit] References
- ^ Deprivation profile of regions By Syed Shahid Husain DAWN September 23, 2002 Monday. Retrieved 21 june 2004
- ^ Ranking of Districts by Human Development Index 2003 Retrieved on 10 july 2005
- ^ a b c d 1998 District Census Report of Shangla, Population Census Organisation, Statistics Division, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad, 2000 P. 1
- ^ Shangla - Government of Pakistan tourism site
- ^ Major dams to bring about green revolution - Dawn Pakistan
- ^ Constituencies and MPAs - Website of the Provincial Assembly of the NWFP
- ^ PF-87 (Shangla-I)Result: Announced
- ^ a b 1998 District Census Report of Shangla, Population Census Organisation, Statistics Division, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad, 2000 P. 17
- ^ 1998 District Census Report of Shangla, Population Census Organisation, Statistics Division, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad, 2000 P. 2
- ^ 1998 District Census Report of Shangla, Population Census Organisation, Statistics Division, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad, 2000 P. 3
- ^ MPA Badiuzzaman was killed in Swat 13 years ago
| Administrative Divisions of North-West Frontier Province |  |
|
|---|---|---|
| Capital | Peshawar | |
| Districts | Abbottabad | Bannu | Batagram | Buner | Charsadda | Chitral | Dera Ismail Khan | Hangu | Haripur | Karak | Kohat | Kohistan | Lakki Marwat | Lower Dir | Malakand | Mansehra | Mardan | Nowshera | Peshawar | Shangla District | Swabi | Swat | Tank | Upper Dir | |
