Area Profile

The land and the geography

Introduction:

The Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) are spread along the Durand Line on the porous Pakistan Afghanistan border. Fata is comprised of seven tribal agencies and six Frontier Regions (FRs), ie; South Waziristan, North Waziristan, Khyber, Bajaur, Kurram, Mohmand and Aurakzai and FR Dera Ismail Khan, FR Tank, FR Peshawar, FR Kohat, FR Shirani and FR Dara Adam Khel.

Each agency is headed by political agent and FRs is administered through District Coordination Officers (DCOs). Among those all tribal regions, South Waziristan is the largest agency in Fata while Aurakzai is the smallest one.

Tank serves as the winter while Wana is the summer headquarters for political agent. South Waziristan has a total area of 6,620 kilometers (KM). It borders North Waziristan Agency in the north, Bannu and Lakki Marwat in the northeast, Tank and D.I. Khan in the east and Zhob district of Balochistan in south.

It also shares about 70 KM border with Paktia province of Afghanistan. South Waziristan is mostly a mass of rugged and complex rocky terrains and ridges. The major portion of the area is barren hills in a zigzag shape. Only the upper part such as Shawal, Pir Ghar, Badar and Mantoi has green belt with thick forest. There is very limited land available for agriculture in these valleys. Wana and Zarmilan are plain areas. The weather system in South Waziristan is extreme in lower part with hot summers and extreme cold winters. The two main rivers of the Agency are Gomal River and Tank Zam River.

Demography of South Waziristan:

Before the arrival of British in this region, the whole area was called as Waziristan but during colonial time it was divided into two parts of North and South Waziristan for administrative purposes. In North Waziristan Utmanzai Wazir and Dawar are dominated tribes while in South Waziristan Ahmadzai Wazir and Mahsud are the main tribes.

Besides a small number of Dotani, Burki, Sulimankhail and Khalji tribes also live in South Waziristan. Mahsud area is administratively divided in Tehsils,ie: Laddha, Sararogha, Barwand and Serwekai. Chronologically, they are considered as Karlani Pashtun. Kakai and Kodi were the sons of Karlani and the Wazir derived their origin from Kakai. Wazir had two sons Kakai and Khazrai. Khazrai has three sons Musa alias Derwaish, Mahmud and Mubarik. Musa had two sons Utman and Ahmad. Utman settled in North Waziristan and his descendants are known as Utmanzai Wazir while Ahmad was settled in Wana, South Waziristan and his descendants are known as Ahmadzai Wazir. The family tree of Mahsud tribe comes from Mahmud, the second son of Khazrai. Mahsud is settled in the Centre of South Waziristan.

Mahsud Tribe:

Mahsud are divided into three major tribes such as Alizai, Bahlolzai and Shaman Khail. The word “Dray Maseed” means three Mahsuds is commonly used to refer to combined Mahsud tribes. Numerically, Alizai is the biggest tribe and is divided in two Khails (Branches), ie; Manzai and Shabi Khail. Manzai is further divided into three khails,ie; Malikdinai, Pali Khail and Gadi Khail.

These tribes also have their further divisions. Similarly, Bahlolzai are divided into four major casts, Aimal Khail, Nano Khail, Ishangai and Band Khail and has their further division. The Shaman Khailis are divided into five major casts, Khalil Khail, Char Khail, Galishai, Budinzai and Shahor Shaman Khail. These five Khails also have their further small division. The major populated centres of Mahsud are Spinkai Raghzai, Kot Kai, Sararogha, Shaktoi, Makin, Janata, Ladha, Karrama, Kinguram, Badar, Mantoi, Tiarza, Serwekai, Barwand, Shahoor and Chag Malai.