ABOUT MALAKAND REGION:
Malakand is a region in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. Named after Malakand Agency, a part of this region, it covers one third of the total area of the province.The area of Malakand Region is 29,872 sq. Km and its population is 5.52 million. The region is further divided into Chitral, Dir upper,Dir Lower, Swat, Buner, Shangla Districts and Malakand Agency.

Malakand Agency:
Malakand agency lies at a strategically important position as it acts as a Gateway to Swat, Dir, Chitral and Bajaur. It is surrounded by a series of mountains that were overgrown with different kinds of trees. In the past though, they have a barren look today.
The swat river flows through it down towards Charsada district where it falls into the Kabul River. Malakand Agency is bounded on the north by Dir district on the East by swat district, on the south east and south west by Mardan and Charsada districts respectively and on the west by Mohmand and Bajour Agencies. The area of Malakand protected area is 952 sq.km. Malakand agency is divided into two sub-division. Swat Ranizai and Sam Ranizai. Malakand is the head quarter of Malakand Agency.

The Administration has raised a levy force for the control of law and order situation. High court extended its jurisdiction to this area in 1974 and district and civil judges work here ever since. Historic ruins, founded at different places in the agency, indicate that this area was part of Ghandara civilization and Buddhist peoples lived here. The last Buddhist 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 Buddhist ruler, Raja Gira.

While traveling form Mardan towards Swat, one comes across the town of Dargai, form where a road leads to the top of a pass in the mountains, which is known as the Malakand pass. While coming down of the Malakand pass one can see a beautiful village of Jolagram on the left. Its is one of the most beautiful village of Malakand Valley. it lies in the foot of a hill and on the brink of a river.
As one passes down the famous Malakand pass small hamlet of Piraan kalay is located. At the foot steps of Malakand pass a tributary of the main road leads to Dheri Jolagahm and the main GT road passes through a large commercial centre and a town called Batkhela.

As one goes along the GT road and at the end of Batkhela baazar a place called Amaandarra comes. Here a road separates and leads to twin villages called Dherai and Aladhand.This is the village(s)where the tomb of Malik Ahmed Khan Baba is situated at Gul-e-Nargis Ghardi ( called Gulingass Gardi locally ).
Malik Ahmed Khan Baba was the chief of Yusufzais who led his tribe after the great Exodus of Yusufzais from Kabul, Afghanistan in the days of Mirza Ulugh Beg, the Moghul king, who brutally and coldblooded killed 300 of the strong elders and sardars of Yusufzais and order the tribe to flee.This was the second exodus of Yusufzais Pukhtuns after the first Great Exodus of Pukhtuns, as a Hebrew tribe, at the time of the fall of Hebrew State at Jerusalem in the hands of 'Bakhth Nasre'.

The main GT road then leads to Chakdarra, a famous ancient town on the side of river Swat where the famous Churchil pique t is located and from here a road leads to Dir, Chitral, Bajaward and onward to Afghanistan and another road goes to Swat, Kohistan/Bisham , Northern Areas and ultimately to China.Another small road leads to the historic Shahkote, famous for Bhudist remains and through Shahkote pass to Katlang and Mardan. As we pass along the road towards Swat a well known historic village and now town called Thana ( locally called Thandra )in located. This the place of great sophistication and civility of Yusufzais,then and now, where the chief of Yusufzai, The Khan , use to live.The clan of the khan called as 'Khankori' mean the 'Family of Khan' still is a commonly used nobility. It is still one of the highly educated and most respected people and place in NWFP .

The town is located close to river Swat on one side and the famous mountain of 'Mora',a well known name in Hindu mythology and place of worship where Chandar Gupt Moria stayed and worshiped. A road tributary passes from here to Katlang and Mardan via Charat, a pass adjacent to 'Mora'.Mora is also known in the history of Yusufzai where the Moghul king Babur met Mubaraka Bibi,and got married with her. From Thana the GT road goes to Mingora and Saidu Sharif with many historic and ancient places of Pukhthun ,pre-Pukhtun times.As one passes down the Malakand Pass the Swat valley starts and reaches up in the mountains to Kohistan.

DISTRICT SWAT:
Swat lies between 340-13'-55" and 350-53'-40" north latitudes and 700-47'-15" east longitude in Malakand Division of North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. The area of Swat is about 3798 sq. km with a population of 1577000 in 2004-05.

The historical record about the background and ancient history of Swat is scanty. However, the excavations, carried out in Swat by various archaeological missions in A.D. 1954-1981 has exposed many remains to careful study and have added valuable information to the ancient history of the region.

The first ever mention of Swat in historical documents is found in the accounts of Arrian, a Greek historian. In his arduous campaign of the East, Alexander invaded Swat but suffered great hardships. He left Swat for his campaign of India. The inhabitants of Swat so detested the alien rule that whilst Alexander was encamped among the rivers of the Punjab that they “threw off fear and renounced allegiance.

It is not known that when the Mauryans brought Swat under their control in the course of the expansion of their domain and to what extent and for how long they maintained their sway here. However, Hiuen Tsiang reports a stupa called Lu-hi-ta-kia (Rohitaka) built by Ashoka (Asoka) Raja at a distance of fifty li or so, in the west, from the town Mungali, which hints at Ashoka’s authority or, at least, influence in the area.

The fertile land of Swat proved fertile for Buddhism as well and emerged as its great centre. Buddhism flourished here, the attractive remains of which abound in t he region and speak volume of Buddhist era.
The Indo-Greek and Indo-Scythian coins found in Swat indicate that either Swat remained directly under the Indo-Greeks (those Greek rulers who occupied the seats in India after the downfall of the Mauryans) and the Scythians or had its relations and economic ties with them. Among the Indo-Greeks Menander occupied the Swat Valley first and later handed it over to a sub-king Antimachus II. It was afterward ruled by a number of other persons.

Another Scythian tribe, the Sai of the Upper Ili also reached and occupied Swat and the adjoining area. It was soon after 100 B.C. that Maues, the first known Saka King in India, followed the Indo-Greek rulers in the Swat Valley and Gandhara by overthrowing Apolodotus from the area. Kadphises I, leader of the Kushanas, seized vast territories extended to the south of Kabul River and established his rule.

During the reign of the Kushana dynasty in the west and south of Swat the factual position whether Swat became an integral part of the Kushana Empire or retained its own independent status is uncertain. It is most probable that Swat or its petty chiefs had been a tributary of the Kushanas. In the course of the extension of the Turki Shahi (also spelled as Turki Sahi) kingdom of Kabul, in the middle of the seventh century A.D., Swat was annexed in about the year A.D. 745.

The Hindu Shahi (also spelled as Hindu Sahi) dynasty established its rule after the downfall of the Turki Shahis. Information about Swat of the Hindu Shahi reign is also scanty. Nevertheless “the Bari Kot inscription of the reign of Jayapaladeva found on a hill to the north of Bari Kot”7 hints at Swat being a part of the Hindu Shahi or at least under their over-lordship at the time. However, the question that whether Swat remained an integral part of the Hindu Shahi kingdom or not, is not easy to settle.
When the Hindu Shahi rule was swept away by the Muslims under Mahmud of Ghazna, Swat was also not spared.

The Muslims attacked Swat (ca. A.D. 1001-1002), it seems, after the defeat of Raja Jaipal and besieged the castle of the reigning Raja near Udigram and occupied the area. After the occupation of the valley by the Muslims, people from different Afghan tribes settled in Swat. They came to be known as Swati Pukhtuns. They established their rule for centuries. Practically, they remained independent and out of the sphere of influence of the neighboring Muslim rulers of Afghanistan and India.

The sixteenth century proved a turning point in the history of Swat as the Yusufzai Afghans occupied the land. At that time Swat was in possession of the Swati Pukhtuns and Sultan Uwais was its chief ruler. Although the Yusufzais did not make their advance towards the mountainous area of the Swat Kohistan, they continued their inroads in the other bordering areas. They also extended their occupation to the territories of Ghwarband, Puran, Chakisar and Kanra.

While the Yusufzais gained footing in Swat, Babur made himself master of Kabul. With the intention of attacking the Yusufzais, Babur marched for Swat and dismounted in between the water of Panjkora and the united waters of Jandol and Bajawar. He, however, refrained from advancing into Swat. Instead of arms he used diplomacy and tactics and left for Ashnaghar (Hashtnagar) from Bajawar. The Yusufzais of Swat retained their independent position during Babur’s, Kamran’s and Humayun’s reign. Swat remained impenetrate by the Mughals till Akbar’s time.

In December 1585 Akbar sent an army under the command of Zain Khan Koka into Bajawar and Swat. The Mughal forces faced stiff resistance. Reinforcements were sent but the combined Mughal forces met disaster due to the loss of some 8000 soldiers including Birbal, Akbar’s favorite. Although Akbar’s forces made another bid under the command of Zain Khan and fought in Bajawar and Swat from 1587 to 1592 “but without any real or lasting success. Jahangir and Shah Jahan did not make bid for Swat. In Aurangzeb’s reign the Mughal Commander-in-Chief entered the Swat Valley in retaliation but returned in haste.

The Swatis, therefore, retained their freedom throughout the Mughal period and also during the reigns of the Durranis and the Sikhs.
With the annexation of Punjab and occupation of Peshawar by the English in 1849, a new phase in the history of Swat began. Swat remained independent and a centre of anti-British sentiments and activities. Moreover, anxious for their independence, the Swati chiefs got alarmed with the British power at their doorstep. They held jargas and installed Sayyad Akbar Shah as the king of Swat.

The Swatis had no significant collision with the British until the Ambela campaign in 1863 when the British forces made their advance through the Ambela Pass, in October 1863, for crushing the followers of Sayyad Ahmad Shaheed Brailwi, in their colony, at Malka. Their advance was blocked and the tribes of Buner and Swat rose en masse. The Imperial Power failed but its diplomacy worked and a truce was concluded. In 1895, the political developments once more resulted in a collision and stiff fighting between the Swatis and the British forces.

The tribesmen, most of whom were unarmed, continued resistance with great gallantry, against the well-equipped and well-organized massive British troops. The British, however, succeeded in making the advance and “for the first time since the days of Zain Khan, leader of Akbar’s armies, a host from the south entered the green belt of the Swat Valley. They established garrisons at Malakand and Chakdara. The Political Agency of Dir and Swat was also instituted with its head quarter at Malakand.10
At the flight of Umara Khan of Jandol, the British Indian Government reinstalled Sharif Khan (who assisted and sided with the English Government in the grave situation) as the Khan of Dir.

The territories previously occupied by Umara Khan, were bestowed upon him and he was raised officially to the status of the Nawab of Dir in 1897. Although the British Indian Government was satisfied with the new arrangements, it was not easy to win hearts of the people who considered presence of the colonial Indian authority as a common danger. Emotions ran high and within the passage of barely two years a formidable revolt against the British arms took place. Heavy fighting continued at Malakand and Chakdara from 26th July 1897, actually almost never ceased, until Malakand was relieved on the 1st August and Chakdara on the second. During the post-Malakand War years, we come across no significant armed struggle against the British Indian Government in Swat. It was in 1915, that once more a bid was made, after the formation of Swat State, but without success.

It is to be noted that the areas outside Swat Valley and latter formed parts of Swat State also remained politically independent of the imperial powers prior to their occupation by Swat State.

Mingora and Saidu Sharif:
These two towns at 991 meters have grown into each other and now form a single city, the biggest north of Peshawar and Rawalpindi, Saidu Sharif, swat’s traditional seat of government, remain the administrative headquarters of Malakand division (swat, dir and Chitral) and swat district. Mingora is an old market town with a big bazaar, some government offices, many hotels and all the long distance transport offices. Local speech is Pashto. Mingora is the district headquarter and commercial centre of Swat. The Swat Museum, located between Mingora and Saidu, has a rich collection of Gandhara art which is worth viewing. For a traveler coming from the north, Mingora’s noise, traffic and frenetic atmosphere may come as a shock. Saidu Sharif is one of the twin cities of Mingora-Saidu Sharif. Saidu Sharif has several government buildings, the Swat Museum, the Tomb of Akund (RA) of Swat and the archaeological remains of the Butkara Buddhist Stupa.

Mingora is beside the main road up the swat valley, on the south bank of the swat river. The general bus stand is on the G.T road west of the bazaar, and a regional bus stand is north on airport road. The airport is about four km North West of the bazaar. Saidu sharif on the other hand is south of Mingora. Further south is Marghazar along the Saidu River. The towns meet across the tributary jambil river, though saidu’s center is three km south at the old royal compound.

Saidu Baba:
This is the honorific nickname of the colorful shrie to the akhund of swat, behind the Saidu sharif police station and near the old wali’s (ruler) residence.

Swat Museum:
Swat Museum is on the east side of the street, halfway between Mingora and Saidu. Japanese aid has given a facelift to its seven galleries which now contain an excellent collection of Gandhara sculptures taken from some of the Buddhist sites in Swat, rearranged and labeled to illustrate the Buddha's life story. Terracotta figurines and utensils, beads, precious stones, coins, weapons and various metal objects illustrate daily life in Gandhara. The ethnographic section displays the finest examples of local embroidery, carved wood and tribal jewellery.

Jambil Valley:
At Panrh (or pahn) on the east side of the jambil river are a stupa and a monastery from the 1st to 5th centuries ad. There is allegedly a path and a bridge about 1 ½ km beyond Butkara number 3, or go three km out Haji baba road from Mingora bazaar. Further out at the west side, are an Aryan graveyard from the 2nd to 1st Millennia BC and a 3rd to 4th century AD stupa.

Butkara Stupa:
One of the most important Buddhist shrines in Swat is near the museum. Take the dirt track on the left (north) side of the museum for one kilometer (about half a mile). The stupa is 400 meters (above a quarter of mile) across the fields to the left (north).

The stupa, which dates from the second century BC, was possibly built by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka to house some of the ashes of the Buddha. In subsequent centuries, it was enlarged five times by encasing the existing structure in a new shell. Italian excavators working in 1955 exposed the successive layers of the stupa, each layer illustrating a stage in the evolution of building techniques.

Udigram:
This historic town is known as "Ora" where Alexander the Great fought a battle in 327 BC. Later on Mehmood of Ghazni (RA) also made an attack on Hindu Shahi rulers. He built a mosque here. The ruins of Hindu Shahi period can also be seen scattered in the area. The shrine of Hazrat Pir Khushal (RA) of Khushab Baba (RA) is also situated here.

Kabal:
Kabal is a golfer's paradise: an eighteen-hotel course is open all year round and anyone can play there by paying the green fees.

Upper Swat Valley:
The Swat Valley becomes more beautiful the higher you go. In mid-winter it is sometimes blocked by snow above Bahrain, but in summer you can drive up beyond Kalam and from there trek north to either the Chitral Valley or the Gilgit Valley. From Khwazakhela, the road across the Shangla Pass to the Karakoram Highway is usually open only from April to December.

Miandam
Miandam is a small summer resort ten kilometers (six miles) up a steep side valley and 56 kilometers (35 miles) from Saidu Sharif, making it an hour's drive. The road passes small villages stacked up the hillside, the roofs of one row of houses forming the street for the row of houses above. Tiny terraced fields march up the hillside right to the top.

Miandam is a good place for walkers. Paths follow the stream, past houses with beehives set into the walls and good-luck charms whitewashed around the doors. In the graveyards are carved wooden grave posts with floral designs, like those used by Buddhists 1,000 years ago.

Madyan:
By the time you reach this small town at 1320 m and about 55 Km from Mingora, the mountains have closed in and the valley is almost snug. Here one senses why Swat is so popular among the tourists. There are a lot of embroidered shawls in the Bazaars of Madyan.

At 1,321 meters (4,335 feet) above sea level, Madyan is neither as cool nor as beautiful as Miandam, but it is a larger town and has many hotels in all price ranges and some good tourist shopping. Antique and modern shawls, traditional embroidery, tribal jewellery, carved wood and antique or reproduced coins are sold along the main street. This is the last Swati village, offering interesting two-and three-day walks up to the mountain villages... ask in the bazaar in Muambar Khan's shop for a guide. North of Madyan is Swat Kohistan where walking is not recommended without an armed guard.

The central mosque at Madyan has carved wooden pillars with elegant scroll capitals, and its mud-plastered west wall is covered with relief designs in floral motifs. Both bespeak the Swati's love of decoration.
Bahrain:
A quarter of an hour past Madyan, the road squeezes through Bahrain. Tourists stop to shop or have a look around for beautiful carved wood chairs and tables and other handicrafts. Bahrainis are a mix of Pashtuns and Kohistanis.

Bahrain is ten kilometers north of Madyan and only slightly higher, at about 1,400 metres (4,500 feet). It is another popular riverside tourist resort, with bazaars worth exploring for their handicrafts. Some of the houses have carved wooden doors, pillars and balconies. These show a remarkable variety of decorative motifs, including floral scrolls and bands of ornamental diaper patterns almost identical to those seen on Buddhist shrines and quite different from the usual Muslim designs.

Kalam:
2070 m high and 100 km from Mingora, it was the centre of an independent state in the 19th century. It was later taken by Chitral then given to swat after partition.

Kalam, 29 kilometers (18 miles) from Bahrain and about 2,000 metres (6,800 feet) above sea level, the valley opens out, providing rooms for a small but fertile plateau above the river. In Kalam the Ushu and Utrot rivers join to form the
Swat river. Here, the road ends and shingle road leads to the Ushu and Utrot valleys. From Matiltan one gets a breath-taking view of the snow-capped Mount Falaksir 5918 metres (19,415 ft.), and another un-named peak 6096 metres (20,000 ft.) high. PTDC offers motel accommodation in Miandam, Kalam and Besham.for booking please contact: PTDC Motels, Ground Floor, Block 4-B, Markaz F-7, Bhitai Road, Islamabad. Tel: (92) (51) 111 555 999.

Beyond Kalam:
Just North of Kalam are the Utrot and the Ushu Rivers, which join together to form the Swat River. The scenery is alpine and heavily forested and the trekking is best of all. 25 km further from Kalam is the Mahodand valley. It has a un obstructive view of Swat's highest peak, the 5918 m Falaksir. Also, situated here is the beautiful Mahodhand Lake.

The valleys of Ushu, Utrot and Gabral beyond Kalam, constitute some of the most beautiful parts of Swat. There is good trout fishing around Utrot. Foreign tourists are advised to contact the local police authorities at Kalam before proceeding to the valleys of Ushu, Utrot and Gabral.
The waters of the Swat River around Kalam and in the valleys of Ushu and Gabral abound in brown trout. Fishing licenses must be obtained from the office of the Assistant Commissioner, Fisheries at Madyan and Kalam.

DISTRICT DIR:
Dir is administratively subdivided into Upper Dir and Lower Dir districts. Dir district is 5,280 square kilometers in area and part of the Malakand division, lying along the Afghanistan border between Chitral and Peshawar.

Almost all of it lies in the valley of the Panjkora which raises high in the Hindu Kush at Lat. 35.45 and joins the Swat River near Chakdara, where the district is usually entered, at Lat. 34.40. Apart from the tehsils of Adenzai round Chakdara and Munda in the south-west, Dir is rugged and mountainous with peaks rising to 16,000 feet in the north-east and to 10,000 ft. along the watersheds with Swat to the east and Afghanistan to the west.

The only motor road to Chitral reaches 10,234 ft at the Lowarai Pass. Timergara, however, the district headquarters, lies at only 2,700 ft. twice the altitude of Peshawar but much lower than the traditional and eponymous capital of Dir at the foot of the Lowarai. Except for them and a number of rapidly growing bazaar towns along the main roads the population is rural, scattered in more than 1200 villages over the plains of Adenzai and Munda and the deep narrow valleys of the Panjkora and its tributaries. Of these the largest are Barawal, Usherai, Nihag, Karo and Toormang.

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.

with its beautiful terraced fields possesses a thrilling historical past, dating back to the Buddhist era and even beyond. Spread over 4000 sq. miles the discovery of remains of Dir civilization gives a new dimension to the study of Buddhist Civilization. It is discovered that Dir remained the main battlefield for many intruders. Many fights have been fought in this area. It was discovered that the inhabitants of this civilization were warriors. Many old weapons were discovered during such an exploration. The inhabitants mainly adopted Agriculture as their main business. They enjoyed rich affluence and fruits of farming.

The topography of Dir is mainly hilly. The Punjkora River flows through and divides Dir in almost two equal parts. The climate is extremely cold in winters and moderately warm in summer. Dir for its rich heritage poses to attract both archeologists and naturalists. A visit, worth remembering...

Accessibility:
Dir is well connected by road with the rest of the country by Timergarah and Mardan.Peshawar International airport has air linkage to all over the country as well as with the rest of the world.

History of District Buner:
Valleys of Buner are still echoing with gallant armies of the past, most of them faced military disaster at the hands of militants of these mountains areas. Olaf Caroes has pointed out that the armies of Alexander the Great has passed through Karakar, Daggar, Ambela and Malndrai passes in 327-326 BC. The same route was later on followed by Mughal armies in 1586 AD. This has been referred by Sir Robin Lane Fox in his book “Alexander the Great” and the Olaf Caroes in his book “The Pathan”. The Yousafzai Tribe had occupied Buner shortly before 1519 AD after which the great land settlements by venerated Sheikh Mali had been carried out in this area. Throughout history, even in this time of Alexander the Great. Akbar, Aurang Zeb, the Sikh or the British, the ancient inhabitants and later on the Yousafzai of the area had never remained the subject of any empire.

In 1587 AD Akbar’s armies had passed through Karakar, To rwarsak, Daggar (Barndu) who were ultimately defeated at Malndrai wherein King Akbar’s beloved Raja Bairbal and his 8,000 men lost their lives. Akbar could not get even the body of Raja Birbal to be burnt. During Sikhs rule over Frontier, they could never enter the area of Buner. This area became sanctuary and strong citadel for the Muslims fighters of Syed Ahmed Shaheed and his followers for about 130 years. The great Syeds of Sitana, Malka and Takhtaband loyally stood in support of those Mujahiddins against the Sikhs and the British. The people of Swat and Buner got united and formed state, under the rule of the great freedom fighters Syed Akbar Shah Sitana from 1849-1857. After his death in 1857(exactly on the same day the independence War of 1857 started), the area remained without a ruler till 1915 which period is known as “Era of Pukhtoo” where every tribe was ruled by its own elders.

The armies tried to reach Malka, a strong hold of Mujahiddin through Ambela in 1863 AD which resulted in the famous AMBELA WAR. The Raja shamefully failed to achieve the target. The British persuaded the Khans of Buner through Ajab Khan and Aziz Khan of Sudham, District Mardan to strike a deal, who went to British officers, burnt few houses and thus saved their prestige. The British, as per their own record had lost the largest number of British officers and soldiers in a single military expedition in India i.e. 238 dead and 670 injured. They could not establish their rule in Buner till independence in 1947.

The light of Islam had reached the area through Sufis and Ulamas much earlier but shortly after 1000 AD, the forces of Sultan Memood of Ghazna defeated the last Budha ruler Raja Geer under the command of “Pir Khushal” and the Yousafzai tribe started entering Buner and thus spread the religion of Islam.

The arrival of Pir Baba (1502-1575 AD) accelerated the spread of Islam in the area. His shrine at Pacha Kalay is still the center of attraction for Muslims throughout sub-continent. In 1915 Syed Abdul Jabbar Shah of Sitana became Badshah of Swat but in 1917 Mian Gul Abdul Wadood manipulated his expulsion from Swat and became a ruler himself. He was succeeded by his son Mina Gul Jehanzeb in 1949. Buner remained as a pert of Swat state till it merged with Pakistan. On 29th July 1969 In 1991 Buner was upgraded to the District level.

The whole area is homogenous; however Hindus and Sikhs minorities are also living in the district since partition in a scattered shape. Local language is Pashto. The Ajars and Gujars from Behrain (Swat) seasonally visit the area and speak Gojri language.
The whole population belongs to Sunni sect of Islam and dress themselves in the traditional Shalwar, Qamees and Chaddar. Hospitality, locals of the areas are divided into sub-tribes known as Khel. Economically, majority of the people are poor while few people are engaged in marble business and are relatively rich. Majority of the people depend on agriculture and livestock. At village level 95% income comes from agriculture and livestock, 4% from daily labour and 1% from other activities. Joint family system is common in the area. Most of the houses area made of mud. Living standard is gradually improving as most of the people are presently serving abroad or in the down cities of Pakistan
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LOCATION:
Buner lies between 34-9 and 34-43 N latitude and 72-10 and 72-47 E longitude. It is bounded on the North by Swat District, on the West by Malakand Agency, on the South by Mardan District, and on the East by river Indus and Hazara Division. The region is encircled by hill on all side and is separated from Swat by a range of mountains. Elevation vari es from 1200 ft in Totalai (Khudukhel) in the South to 9,550 ft of Dosara Peak in the North. The hilly tracks are enriched with mineral which has now become the vivid symbol of business in the area.

The District for revenue administration is divided into six (6) Tehsils vis-à-vis Gadezai, Daggar, Gagra, Chagharzai, Chamla, and Totalai. Buner is one of the less developed Districts of the North West Frontier Province.

GEOLOGY & PHYSICAL FEATURES.
Buner lies between 34-9 and 34-43 N latitude and 72-10 and 72-47 E longitude. It is bound on the North by Swat District, on the West by Malakand Agency, on the South by Mardan District, and on the East by River Indus and Hazara Division. The region is encircled by hill on all side and is separated from Swat by a range of mountains reaching to an elevation of 9,550 ft Elevation varies from 1200 ft in Totalai (Khudukhel) in the South to 9, 55, ft of Dosara peak in the North. The hilly tracks are enriched with mineral, which has now become the vivid symbol of business in the area.

The area of Buner District is mostly surrounded by big hills which are covered with pine trees. There are three main rivers namely Barandu, Chamla and Budal and the former flows in the midst of the District. Most of the population is rural and main source of their livelihood is agriculture. Main crops of the area are wheat, maize, tobacco, and sugarcane.

GEOLOGY MINING:
The Mountains of Buner District are rich in various mines and very little efforts have been made in this regard in the past. However, marble industry is well developed in the area. There are around 150 marble industries in Buner District and about 40-50 marble industries are under construction.

LANGUAGE AND DIALECTS:
The common spoken language is Pashto. However, “Ajars” and “Gujars” also speak Ajari and Gujari languages respectively.
CLIMATE: The climate of Buner varies with the elevation and may be classified as dry sub-tropical. Most part of the year remains pleasant. Moon-Soon rains during summer while in winter; snowfall on the mountain peaks is also common. During Rabbi crop season people grow crops like tobacco and wheat and during Kharif maize and sugar-cane. The temperature in summer steadily raises up to 44 C0 and in winter it gradually drops and goes down to -2 C0. Rainfall throughout the year is 105 CM with un-even distribution. The average annual rainfall is approximately 30 inches.

FORESTRY:
Total area covered with the forest is32102 hectares. Buner District falls in the subtropical ecological zone with warm summer and mild winter. Generally Forest is very weak. Main forest types are shrubs (acacia, kaha sanatha etc) at lower elevation and chir pines at higher elevation. Local people are dependent on this forest to meet their timber, fuel wood and fodder requirements. About 30 years ago during era of “Wali Swat”, the area was known for its best forests. Those forests comprised of Chir, Samantha, Olea and Phulai etc. at that time, after merger of the area with Pakistan, road network was developed and administration control become loose that led to over exploitation of forest. In addition to that, few locals and non-local and non-local started illegal timber business. Resultantly forest resources were badly damaged in only two decades. Seasonal Ajars (Nomadic grazers) have also played their role in forest depletion. With the ever-increasing population pressure locals are forced to think over the situation but no joint effort/decision could be made in this regard.

AGRICULTURE:
The average annual rainfall is approximately 30 inches in the area. Buner is mostly surrounded by high hills, which are densely covered by pine and other trees. Main crop of the area are wheat, Maize, Tobacco, sugarcane, barley and pulses. Vegetable production is very low. However potato, ladyfinger, pumpkins, beans, tomato, etc. are grown on small scale. A few types of fruits are also grown in the area such as apricot, mulberry, fig, plum, walnut, wild-persimmon, and apples etc. 61.7% of the land is cultivable.

Buner has a total surface of 172096 hectares out of this 111733 hectares are uncultivable and are classified as forest, pasture or unusable leaving 60,363 hectares of potentially cultivable land. Various projects which previously operated such as B.D.P. (Buner Development Project) etc. had constructed lift irrigation schemes and tube-wells which have increased the production of cereal crops but still the gap between demand and supply could not be bridged.

CULTURE & TRADITION:
Ethnically and religiously, the whole population of Buner is homogenous. However, Hindus and Sikhs minorities are also living in the district since partition in a scattered shape. The main and common spoken language is Pashto; however, “Ajars” and “Gujars” seasonally visiting Buner also speak Ajari and Gujari languages. The people of Buner belong to Sunni seet of Islam and dress themselves in the traditional Shalwar Qameez. The people of Buner are divided into “Khel”, Sub-Khels/Sub-Tribes. Generally people prefer to marry within their “Khels”. Socially Buner is a male dominated area and females play negligible role in decision-making.

Economically, majority of the people are poor and joint family system is common in the area. Most of the houses are made of mud; however, living standard is gradually improving because many people of Buner are serving abroad. Buner is a rural area with no known urban center. Pir Baba and Sowari Bazaars, which the people consider urban settlement, also carry rural features. Tobacco and marble industries are though vivid symbols of business in the area. Yet, agriculture is still the main source of livelihood for most of the people. Other major sources of income of the local population are daily labour, business and Government services. Along side this many people are also serving abroad cities of Pakistan and also in several countries of the World specifically Saudi Arabia, England, America, India, Japan, Jordan, Malaysia and UAE.

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 subtehsils : tehsil Besham, tehsil Chakesar, tehsil Martung.Tehsil Hq of Puran is situated in Aloch. Shangla has the lowest Human Development Index in the province. Shangla, previously a subdivision of Swat district, was upgraded to the status of a district on July 1, 1995 by the then Chief Minister Aftab Khan Sher.

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.

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.[1]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.[1] The highest point (3,440 m) is near Kuz Ganrshal in the north of the district.[1]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.

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. [6] 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
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.

District Chitral:
The small airstrip at Chitral is in Pakistan's northwest. The single runway is 5800 feet long and 100 feet wide. PIA operates daily flights between Peshawar and Chitral, subject to weather conditions. The flying time is 50 minutes.

Chitral district has Afghanistan on its North, South and West. A narrow strip of Afghan territory, Wakhan, separates it from Tajikistan. It has always been a very important route for many invaders to south East Asia, Including Alexander the great Scythians, Mangol Changez Khan and numerous others. The Chitral Valley, at an elevation of 1,100 meters (3,700 ft) is popular with mountaineers, anglers, hunters, hikers, naturalists and anthropologists. Chitral is located in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan, amidst the range of the Hindu Kush. The total area of Chitral is 243,818 acres and the population is 222,241 (1988). The people of Chitral are called the Kho and their language is Khowar. Khowar belongs to the Dardic group of Indo-Aryan language and is spoken not only in Chitral but also in some other northern areas of Pakistan; some parts of Yasin, Gilgit, and Swat.

The capital of the Chitral district is Chitral town, situated on the western bank of the Chitral River (or Kunar River). The population is about 20,000. Chitral is situatated near the the Karakorams, the Hindu Kush and the mighty Himalayas. The city stands at the foot of the Tirich Mir, the highest peak of Hindu Kush, about 25,000 feet high. In the middle of the town where the river makes a big turn, there is the former ruler's palace surrounded by the woods. Aside the fort and at the edge of the sport ground is the Shahi mosque. The main street runs straight from north to south and along it is the bazaar with its various shops. At the end of the bazaar is the polo ground.

Chitral is a small town with a few tourist class hotels. The tourist season in Chitral is from June to September. Chitral is accessible from Peshawar by the 227-mile jeep able road which goes via Malakand, Dir and the 3200 meters high Lowari Pass. Chitral can also be reached from Gilgit via the 3719 meters high Shandur Pass. Distance 405km (252miles). Time required will be 25 hours.

The maximum temperature in June is 35°C (95°F) and the minimum is 20°C (67°F). In September, the maximum is 24°C (75°F) and minimum 8°C (46°F). Spring begins in February, with the valleys turning green by March. The heavy rains of April can wash away lower roads, and by May the melting snow increases river flow. By June the temperatures rise, and the major passes that remained impassable through the winter finally reopen for road traffic. Chitral’s most noteworthy building is the Shahi Mosque, with an ornate dome and minarets.