| Upper Dir District آپر دیر |
|
|---|---|
| — District — | |
| Location of Dir District (highlighted in yellow) within the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa map | |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Province | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |
| Capital | Dir |
| Established | 1996 |
| Government | |
| • District Nazim | |
| • District Naib Nazim | |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3,699 km2 (1,428.2 sq mi) |
| Population (1998) | |
| • Total | 575,858 |
| • Density | 194/km2 (502.5/sq mi) |
| Time zone | PST (UTC+5) |
| District Council | |
| Number of Tehsils | 6 |
Upper Dir (Pashto: آپر دیر) is one the 24 districts in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan. The district was formed in 1996, when Dir District was divided into Upper Dir and Lower Dir.
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Upper Dir district is 3,699 square kilometres in area and formed part of the former Malakand Division, lying along the Afghanistan border between Chitral, Bajaur Agency and Lower Dir.
It is connected with the Kohistan District via the Badawi Pass.
The majority of the population in this area are Yousafzai Pashtuns while the ruling class is khosro ancient Swati tribe speaking Pashto.
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:[1]
| Name of Tehsil | No. of Unions |
|---|---|
| Barawal | 3 |
| Chapar | 3 |
| Dir | 13 |
| Kalkot | 3 |
| Khal | 4-3=1 (3 UC shifted to Lower Dir) |
| Wari | 8 |
| Total | 31-3=28(3 UCs, shifted to Lower Dir) |
Upper Dir is represented in the National Assembly[2] and Provincial Assembly by one elected MNA and three elected MPAs respectively who represent the following constituencies:[3]
| Constituency | MPA | Party |
|---|---|---|
| NA-33 (Upper Dir)[4] | Najum-din Khan | Pakistan Peoples Party |
| PF-91 (Upper Dir-I)[5] | Muhammad Anwar | Pakistan Peoples Party |
| PF-92 (Upper Dir-II) | Bacha Salih | Pakistan Peoples Party |
| PF-93 (Upper Dir-III)Cum Lower Dir (3 Union councils in Dir Lower) | Hayat Khan | Independent |
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 the largest are
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 he administered by a single deputy Commissioner stationed at Timergara in Lower Dir.
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