LETTERS: The nonpareil Ayesha Siddiqa’s column “The PPP and the State” (January 2008) is a thought provoking comment on the approach of the movers and shakers of the state.... From The Editorial Desk: Something to hope for Is this the beginning of a new, genuinely democratic era? Will the elections usher in a political phase different from what we have seen so far? How successfully has General (retd)... Images February ‘08 INTERNATIONAL: 01 Cold air and heavy snowstorms envelope most of China, bringing the country’s activities to a grinding halt.... PARTY PROFILES: The party’s on Our electoral cupboard is bursting with political outfits. Some of them are endangered or moribund while a few have reinvented themselves quite ingeniously. Still others are dull and devoid of ideological... In the shadow of victory As the elections draw closer, the clangour and the din created by the political players grows louder and louder. Like spoilt children they ensure that all the attention stays focused on... ‘Premier’ Land Despite being the ancestral home of two former prime ministers, Larkana presents a dismal picture... Building for the future The Chaudhrys of Gujrat may have brought prosperity to their constituency but they have not won over everyone in their hometown... Fate quite certain Despite having witnessed their National Assembly representative serve as the country’s prime minister for a short stint, the residents of NA-266 have not enjoyed much state patronage... INTERVIEW — Asif Ali Zardari, co-chairperson, Pakistan Peoples Party “The major issue in this country is the rapidly increasing population”... INTERVIEW — Asfandyar Wali Khan, president, Awami National Party “Provincial autonomy under 1973 Constitution is not enough”... INTERVIEW — Nawaz Sharif, quaid, Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz These priorities are very clearly defined in our manifesto. In it we have talked about national issues, economic issues and the eradication of poverty. But item number one on our agenda... INTERVIEW — Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, president, Pakistan Muslim League – Quaid-e-Azam “Sharif’s return will not affect our vote bank”... Oil is not well The economy is slowing down and some real dangers lurk behind the corner which may push it over the brink... INTERVIEW — Dr Ashfaque Hasan Khan, special secretary, ministry of finance “Cutting development expenditure can be another option”... INTERVIEW — Kaiser Bengali, economist Shaukat Aziz’s economic team had made it a habit to exaggerate figures in order to achieve high growth. This wheat crisis is a result of that... INTERVIEW — Sartaj Aziz, former finance minister during the PMLN government “We cannot keep pumping money into the economy to keep it going”... Electoral key to the Punjab It is an old adage that the party that wins the Punjab forms the government in the centre. Indeed since 1946, elections in the province have become the battleground for Pakistan.... The political divides within While the Pakistan Muslim League — Nawaz has been extremely successful in coming up with winning alignments in the more urbanised and industrialised regions of the Punjab, the Pakistan Peoples Party... Resurrecting Democracy? Eight years and four months ago, a man derailed the democratic system in Pakistan and brought forth a military dictatorship that paradoxically was called not martial law but “another path to democracy”.... INSIGHT: Do these elections matter? As in the past, elected civilians will be called upon to clean up the mess left behind by eight years of authoritarian rule... PROVINCIAL OVERVIEWS – Punjab: Destination unknown The uncertainty in the country may allow the people of the Punjab to vote independently of the establishment’s choice for once... PROVINCIAL OVERVIEWS – Sindh: PPP broom sweeps clean In the wake of December 27, 2007, Bhutto’s party is set to win in the province, even in constituencies that are not PPP strongholds... PROVINCIAL OVERVIEWS – Balochistan: The nationalists strike back With the boycott of the nationalist parties, the voter turnout in Balochistan will likely be very low... PROVINCIAL OVERVIEWS – NWFP: Devout people, resurgent liberals NWFP is reflecting the uncertainty prevalent in the country and the elections may yield a hung provincial assembly... SPOTLIGHT: Poll drivel Issues in national politics, that dominate debates and discussions all around, are drowned out in the election season... As manifest What the party manifestos promise regarding pressing issues of governance... Down to the last seat On the following pages are the detailed profiles of all 110 districts and 272 National Assembly seats. In order to make the profiles as comprehensive as possible, the Herald has included... District Profile: Central Punjab – Islamabad Geographically and culturally part of the Potohar region, Islamabad was built during the 1960s to replace Karachi as the capital. A large section of the population of Islamabad consists of government... District Profil: Northern Punjab – Rawalpindi Rawalpindi rose to prominence in the pre-Partition period after it was occupied by the British troops in 1849 and made the headquarters of their northern command.... District Profile: Central Punjab- Attock Attock dates back to the era of Ashoka the great. During the British Raj, the district was named Campbellpur and the General Ziaul Haq government changed it to Attock in 1978.... District Profile: Central Punjab- Hafizabad Hafizabad, one of the newest districts in Punjab, is also the province''s smallest in terms of area. It was formed in 1991, when the tehsil of Hafizabad was separated from the district of Gujranwala.... District Profile: Central Punjab- Chakwal Chakwal was given the status of a district in 1985. Interestingly, since the colonial era the district has produced some remarkable soldiers. The first Indian to become a general in the... District Profile: Northern Punjab- Jhelum Modern historians have designated Jhelum as the site of the famous battle between Alexander the Great and the Indian king, Raja Porus. Present day Jhelum district – comprising the tehsils of... District Profile: Central Punjab- Sargodha The district was home to Pakistan’s seventh prime minister, Sir Feroz Khan Noon, who before becoming the premier had served as chief minister of the Punjab (1953-56) and India’s high commissioner to the UK (1936-1941).... District Profile: Central Punjab- Khushab This mainly rural district is geographically diverse and includes parts of the Thal desert as well as the picturesque Soon Valley. The town of Jauharabad was proposed to be the site... District Profile: Central Punjab- Mianwali The region where Mianwali is located is dominated by the Afgan Niazi tribe. Hence, most of its population is ethnically Pashtun. Other major castes and tribes in the area are Syed, Jat, Qureshi, Awan and Baloch.... District Profile: Central Punjab- Bhakkar This area was carved out of the Mianwali district and declared a new district in 1981. The Nivanis, Shahanis, Dhandlas and Khanankhels are the district’s dominant political families.... District Profile: Central Punjab- Toba Tek Singh The town of Toba Tek Singh was developed by the British towards the end of the eighteenth century, when they built a canal system that attracted settlers from around the populous province.... District Profile: Central Punjab- Faisalabad Both the city and the district were originally set up as a canal colony in the late nineteenth century when farming started spreading to this part of the then united Punjab in British India.... District Profile: Central Punjab- Jhang This district in central Punjab is the setting for the tragic love story of Heer and Ranjha, immortalised in Punjabi literature by Waris Shah. Famous for its rich indigenous culture, Jhang... District Profile: Northern Punjab- Gujranwala Deriving its name from the Gujjar caste members who once dominated the area, Gujranwala is a major industrial and agricultural district in the Punjab. The district is famous for certain industries,... District Profile: Central Punjab- Lodhran Situated north of the River Sutlej, the district was home to Siddiq Kanju, minister of state for foreign affairs during Nawaz Sharif’s government in 1990. It was due to his initiative that Lodhran was made a district in 1991.... District Profile: Central Punjab- Gujrat Located between River Jhelum and River Chenab, the district of Gujrat encompasses 3,192 square kilometres. Divided into three tehsils – Gujrat, Sarai Alamgir and Kharian – the district is important in rice and sugar cane cultivation.... District Profile: Central Punjab- Mandi Bahauddin The district consists of Mandi Bahauddin, Malakwala and Phalia tehsils. It was given the status of a district in the 1990s after much protest from the local residents and stiff resistance from the Chaudhrys of Gujrat.... District Profile: Central Punjab- Rajanpur Rajanpur, which used to be part of Dera Ghazi Khan, is located at the confluence of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan. It is one of the most underdeveloped districts of the Punjab.... District Profile: Central Punjab- Sialkot This district bordering Indian-administered Kashmir is one of Pakistan’s most developed: it has emerged as the country’s hub of sports goods and surgical instruments’ manufacturing. Hence it came as no surprise... District Profile: Northern Punjab- Lahore The cultural and political hub, as well as the food capital of Pakistan, Lahore is the country’s second largest and most developed city after Karachi. Its rich history is evident in... District Profile: Central Punjab- Nankana Sahib Former chief minister of the Punjab, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, raised Nankana Sahib from the level of sub district to district in May 2005. Comprising the subdivisions of Safdarabad (formerly Mandi Dhaban... District Profile: Central Punjab- Sheikhupura Sheikhupura is named after the Mughal Emperor Jahangir, who built this city and was known to his father, Akbar, as Sheikhu. Jahangir built the city’s famous fort and its major landmark,... District Profile: Central Punjab- Kasur This district, adjacent to the Indian border, has been in the news frequently for all the wrong reasons. It is the home district of Nawab Mohammad Ahmed Khan, whose murder in... District Profile: Central Punjab- Okara Located 110 kilometres away from Lahore, this highly fertile region is known for its crop yield and fruit farms, particularly those of mangos and oranges. It is also home to a livestock research farm, and Pakistan’s largest military farm holding.... District Profile: Southern Punjab- Multan Multan is known as the city of saints because of the numerous Sufi shrines here, including those of Hazrat Bahauddin Zakaria, Shah Rukn-e-Alam, Shah Shams Tabrezi and Moosa Pak Shaheed.... District Profile: Central Punjab- Narowal The district of Narowal was carved out of Sialkot district in 1991 and comprises Narowal city and Shakargarh tehsil. The city is located just a few kilometres from India, making it a smuggling hub.... District Profile: Southern Punjab- Khanewal Khanewal was made a separate district in 1985 and comprises the tehsils of Khanewal, Kabirwala and Mian Channu, the last of them being the hometown of the late Ghulam Haider Wyne, a one-time provincial chief minister.... District Profile: Central Punjab- Sahiwal What is now Sahiwal city was originally named Montgomery in 1865, after Sir Robert Montgomery — then lieutenant governor of Punjab. Located 180 kilometres from Lahore, the city became known as Sahiwal in 1966.... District Profile: Central Punjab- Dera Ghazi Khan Unique to Dera Ghazi Khan is the mingling of Punjabi/Saraiki culture with the Baloch/Pashtun tribal way of living. Being the largest district of Punjab, it was lately in the news for... District Profile: Central Punjab- Pakpattan The town was christened Pakpattan, meaning “the sacred bank of a river”, upon saint Baba Farid Shakar Ganj’s arrival. Located at the bank of River Sutlej, it has seen the era... District Profile: Central Punjab- Vehari This district was carved out of Multan district in 1976 and consists of Vehari, Burewala and Mailsi tehsils. Located on the right bank of the Sutlej River, the district is aptly... District Profile: Southern Punjab- Muzaffargarh Muzaffargarh district in southern Punjab encompasses about 8,435 square kilometres, and is surrounded by River Chenab on its east and River Indus on its west. Its main city of Muzaffargarh dates... District Profile: Southern Punjab- Bahawalnagar Located on the Indian border, this primarily rural district was part of the state of Bahawalpur before Partition. After 1947, the Nawab of Bahawalpur had to decide whether the territory would... District Profile: Southern Punjab- Bahawalpur Lying south of the River Sutlej, Bahawalpur was one of the largest states of British India. A princely state ruled by the Abbasi dynasty, which claimed descent from the Abbasid Caliphs, Bahawalpur merged with Pakistan after Independence.... District Profile: Southern Punjab- Rahimyar Khan Rahimyar Khan, formerly known as Naushehra, was renamed by the Nawab of Bahawalpur in 1883 and declared a separate administrative district in 1943. At present the district covers the tehsils of Khanpur, Liauqatpur, Sadiqabad and Rahimyar Khan.... District Profile: Central Punjab- Layyah This district was formed a quarter of a century ago. It consists of Layyah, Chaubara and Karor Lal Esan tehsils and is home to the Thal desert.... District Profile: Upper Sindh – Sukkur While Sukkur district is home to many political groupings, only two among these can be counted as currently effective: the PPP and the MQM. Since 1985, the two parties have had... District Profile: Upper Sindh – Ghotki Ghotki district forms the last provincial pit stop on the National Highway. About 500 kilometres away from Karachi, the district’s boundaries end where the territory of the Punjab begins.... District Profile: Upper Sindh – Shikarpur Shikarpur had a glorious past under the Hindus during the pre-Partition era. The city produced many Muslim League and Congress stalwarts, ministers and leaders. However, after Partition the city has gradually... District Profile: Upper Sindh – Larkana Larkana enjoys significant importance in the political history of Pakistan as two prime ministers and a chief minister belonged to this district. The PPP barring once has won all its assembly seats.... District Profile: Upper Sindh – Jacobabad Jacobabad was once declared the cleanest city of Pakistan in the mid 60s. Ahmedmian Soomro, the father of caretaker prime minister Mohammedmian Soomro, was the municipal head at the time.... District Profile: Upper Sindh – Naushero Feroze Lying ahead of Nawabshah district on the National Highway, Naushero Feroze is famed for its Madrasah Alhando, established by Syed Alhando Shah. However his descendants have learnt little from his altruism... District Profile: Upper Sindh – Nawabshah Though once considered the stronghold of the Syeds and Shahs, Asif Zardari is the man who pulls the strings in Nawabshah. While most political activists and workers are against Zardari’s control... District Profile: Lower Sindh – Badin Badin may have lost its political significance today but there was a time in the Talpur era when the district was a power centre. Now this coastal district is more in... District Profile: Upper Sindh – Khairpur Under the rule of the Talpur Mirs, Khairpur was one of the richest states in all of Balochistan, the Punjab and Sindh. Faiz Mahal, situated in the centre of Khairpur city, remains a popular tourist site to date.... District Profile: Lower Sindh – Hyderabad There is a big question mark on the future of Hyderabad: will it ever be a vibrant city again? Once considered the cultural capital of Sindh, it has lost many of the places where citizens used to gather for entertainment.... District Profile: Lower Sindh – Mirpurkhas Mirpurkhas once richly deserved the epithet “khas” for encompassing a large territory. But after several areas were annexed from it, Mirpurkhas remains a poor shadow of its former self.... District Profile: Lower Sindh – Umerkot Umerkot is the celebrated birthplace of the great Mughal emperor Akbar. Had his birthplace been preserved the federal or provincial governments could have earned the district enough tourist dollars to cover several of its budgets.... District Profile: Lower Sindh – Tharparkar For all intents and purposes, Tharparkar has become a private fiefdom of the Arbabs. It was Arbab Ghulam Rahim’s long-cherished dream to grab political power which came true when he became the province’s chief minister.... District Profile: Upper Sindh – Dadu Dadu is a politically lively district which has produced men such as Pir Illahi Bux, G.M. Syed and Abdul Hameed Khan Jatoi. It gets reasonable earnings out of the Gurakh Hills, but certain snags have prevented its proper development.... District Profile: Lower Sindh – Sanghar A rare combination of mystical and political energy is at work in Sanghar district, the spiritual capital of Sindh. This energy seems to draw hundreds of people, particularly those speaking Sindhi, Balochi, Urdu and Punjabi, towards one spiritual leader, Pir Pagaro.... District Profile: Lower Sindh – Karachi The country’s biggest city is often called mini-Pakistan because its population of over 14.5 million includes people from every community and ethnicity in the country. Indeed, some people say that Karachi... District Profile: Upper Sindh – Kamber Shahdadkot The talukas of Kamber and Shahdadkot had been part of Larkana district since long. To weaken this PPP citadel and accommodate the Chandios, ex-chief minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim carved a new district out of Larkana comprising the two talukas.... District Profile: Upper Sindh – Kashmore Carved out of the Jacobabad district recently, Kashmore is the remotest region of Sindh, sharing its borders with the Punjab and Balochistan. Like its antecedent, Kashmore has a well-established tribal system... District Profile: Upper Sindh – Matiari Matiari may be a little known district, but as the birthplace of Sufi poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai and the Makhdoom family, it has special significance. The district is mainly inhabited by traders and businessmen, civil servants and growers. The sole sugar mill running in Matiari is owned by the Jamotes, a prominent feudal clan... District Profile: Lower Sindh – Tando Mohammad Khan For a long time, Tando Mohammad Khan remained in the administrative shadow of Hyderabad district. However Arbab Ghulam Rahim, the outgoing chief minister, transformed it into a district.... District Profile: Lower Sindh – Tando Allahyar Tando Allahyar, the richest revenue paying taluka in the province, was given the status of a district by Arbab Ghulam Rahim’s government. The move was aimed at fulfilling the political ambitions of the Magsis.... District Profile: Upper Sindh – Jamshoro Jamshoro residents are hoping for a trouble-free election since the last few polls were filled with tension and violence. Now that it has been given the status of a district, peace stakes have become a little higher.... District Profile: Lower Sindh – Thatta The old town of Thatta has never been an easy terrain to conquer for any political party, be it the PMLQ or the PPP. None other than Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had... District Profile: Northern Balochistan – Quetta A garrison town in the colonial era, Quetta was named the provincial headquarters in 1970 when Balochistan was given the status of a province. Within years, the city spread out in all directions from Sariab to Baleli.... District Profile: Northern Balochistan – Chagai Chagai came into the international limelight on May 28, 1998 when its hills were used by the Pakistan government to conduct nuclear tests. However, once the tests were over, the district quickly reverted to its hitherto anonymous existence.... District Profile: Northern Balochistan – Noshki Noshki district, some 142 kilometres west of the provincial capital Quetta, was formed recently after the bifurcation of Chagai district. The town lies at the base of the Quetta plateau and... District Profile: Northern Balochistan – Pishin Pishin was a part of Quetta district until 1975, when it was separated and made into its own district for administrative reasons. It derives its name from the locality Pishin, the... District Profile: Northern Balochistan – Ziarat This Pashtun-dominated district was formed in 1986 when Ziarat sub-tehsil of Sibi district was upgraded. In terms of population, it is the smallest of the four districts in Sibi division, the other three being Sibi, Kohlu and Dera Bugti.... District Profile: Northern Balochistan – Killa Abdullah This district is named after Sardar Abdullah Khan Achakzai, one of the leaders of the Afghan rebellion against the British at Kabul in 1841. It is one of the districts with a majority Pashtun population.... District Profile: Central Balochistan – Khuzdar Until February 1974, Khuzdar was a part of Kalat district. For long, the district has been a stronghold of the nationalists. In recent years, Rauf Mengal and Sanaullah Zahri have represented the district in the upper and lower houses of parliament.... District Profile: Northern Balochistan – Loralai Situated in northern Balochistan, Loralai is sandwiched between Kohlu, Sibi, Killa Abdullah and Musakhel. It is a happy hunting ground for the PMLN’s Sardar Yaqub Khan Nasir, a coal miner who... District Profile: Northern Balochistan – Barkhan The name Barkhan is derived from Baro Khan, the founder of the Barozai family of Pannis. The Pannis have historically either ruled this area or owned it.... District Profile: Northern Balochistan – Musakhel Until 1992, Musakhel was one of the three key areas that formed the Loralai district. In that year it was declared a separate district. It is named after the Pashtun tribe of Musakhel, a majority of whose inhabitants live here.... District Profile: Northern Balochistan – Zhob The district of Zhob shares its borders with the tribal areas of NWFP and Afghanistan. Three political groupings have a notable presence in the area: JUIF, PMLQ and PkMAP.... District Profile: Northern Balochistan – Sheerani Sheerani is a neighbouring district of Zhob. Forming a part of the National Assembly constituency of NA-264, the district is a powerhouse of the JUIF, as is indicated from its winning streak in the provincial assembly seat PB-18.... District Profile: Northern Balochistan – Killa Saifullah The JUIF has been holding sway in the district, undercutting the influential Jogezai family politically. The Jogezais head the biggest Pashtun tribe, Kakar, but they have been unable to defeat the maulvi brigade in the area.... District Profile: Eastern Balochistan – Sibi Known as the “hot spot” of Pakistan where temperature reaches 50 degrees Celsius in summer, district Sibi has a mixed Baloch and Pashtun population and they are the main political entities here.... District Profile: Eastern Balochistan – Kohlu Though from time to time Marri, the main tribe of district Kohlu, has been participating in the political process, on the whole it has preferred bullet over ballot to claim what it calls the rights of the Baloch.... District Profile: Eastern Balochistan – Dera Bugti Unlike the Marris of Kohlu, Bugti tribe of Dera Bugti has been participating in the political process more consistently. However, after the killing of their chieftain Nawab Akbar Bugti on August... District Profile: Eastern Balochistan – Jafarabad This district is not just the stronghold of the Jamali family but also derives its name from it. Jafarabad was named after Mir Jaffar Khan Jamali, a Baloch member of the... District Profile: Eastern Balochistan – Nasirabad Nasirabad is named after the great Baloch leader, Nasir Khan Noori, the founder of the Baloch Confederation and ruler of the Kalat Khanate from 1747 to 1794.... District Profile: Eastern Balochistan – Bolan Carved out of the district of Kachhi in 1991, this district is named after the historic Bolan Pass, which for centuries was the route that traders, invaders and nomad hordes traversed as they travelled between India and Central Asia.... District Profile: Eastern Balochistan – Jhal Magsi Home to a number of archaeological sites and the historical town of Gandawah, the history of which goes back to the pre-Arab-conquest era, Jhal Magsi can boast of a rich history and culture.... District Profile: Central Balochistan – Kalat Through the decades before and after Independence Kalat has been identifed with the dynasty of Khan Nasir Khan Noori. The former princely state chose to merge with Pakistan in March 1948 some seven months after the birth of the new country.... District Profile: Central Balochistan – Mastung This district, barely 50 kilometres away from the provincial capital Quetta, was once a useful appendage of the old Kalat state. Until it gained the status of a separate district, Mastung remained the district headquarters of Kalat.... District Profile: Southern Balochistan – Awaran This district is a little over a decade old, coming into existence in 1996 when it was annexed from Khuzdar district. Awaran is generally acknowledged as one of Balochistan’s most backward... District Profile: Southern Balochistan – Lasbela Lasbela is a political bastion of the Jams, ex-rulers of the former princely state of the same name. Mir Ghulam Qadir Jam, the first ruler of the former state, had twice served as the chief minister of Balochistan.... District Profile: Central Balochistan – Kharan A princely state that acceded to Pakistan in 1947, Kharan is one of the oldest districts in Balochistan. It was notified in the early 1950s. Little is known of its earlier... District Profile: Central Balochistan – Panjgur Panjgur in western Balochistan became a district in 1977 when Makran was divided into three tehsils. The district gets its name from two Balochi words, panch, meaning five, and gor, meaning... District Profile: Southern Balochistan – Kech Kech is famous as the land of Pannu, the Baloch prince who falls in love with a Sindhi girl in the tragic love story Sassi Pannu.... District Profile: Southern Balochistan – Gwadar Gwadar district, with its 600 kilometres long coastline, was part of the Gulf state of Muscat till 1958. In that year Pakistan bought Gwadar from Muscat under an agreement which was signed by the then prime minister Feroz Khan Noon.... District Profile: Central Balochistan – Washuk Carved into a separate district out of political expediency, Washuk was a tehsil of district Kharan till 2005. In fact, it had been a long-standing demand of the residents of Washuk... District Profile: Central NWFP – Peshawar The provincial capital of the Frontier province, Peshawar is bounded by tribal agencies on its three borders. It is the closest Pakistani city to Afghanistan, serving as a key route for trade and smuggling.... District Profile: Central NWFP – Nowshera Housing four major cantonments, a military college and a Pakistan Air Force academy, Nowshera is surely military-dominated. Mapped out in 1988, it is the Frontier’s link to the Punjab and is at the heart of the debate about the Kalabagh Dam.... District Profile: Central NWFP – Charsadda With a history that dates back to the ancient Gandhara civilisation, Charsadda is known for being the home district to many of the well-known politicians of NWFP.... District Profile: Central NWFP – Mardan Mardan, located in the Peshawar Valley, was made a district in 1937 with the bifurcation of the district of Peshawar. Swabi and Charsadda districts were later carved out of Mardan in the 1980s.... District Profile: Central NWFP – Swabi Swabi was separated from Mardan and made a district in July 1988. This area has a rich history dating back to the ancient kingdom of Gandhara and such archaeological sites can be found at numerous places.... District Profile: Southern NWFP – Kohat Famous for the traditional Khattak dance, the area is home to the Bangash and Khattak tribes. Kohat city is a military town, containing the main headquarters of the Signal corps in the army and an air force base.... District Profile: Southern NWFP – Karak Due to a rising literacy rate, Karak produces the bulk of bureaucrats and generals coming from the Frontier. Though it shares its border with the North Waziristan Agency, it has so... District Profile: Southern NWFP – Hangu The tehsil turned district of Hangu, otherwise famous for its scenic hills, rivers and ancient forts, is more often than not under curfew to keep peace among the warring Sunni and Shia sects.... District Profile: Northern NWFP - Abbottabad Lying on the fringes of the Himalayas, Abbottabad in its 1,967 square kilometres wide expanse is famous for its Galiyat, the summer escape of the well-heeled and the hoi polloi alike.... District Profile: Southern NWFP – Haripur Haripur is one of NWFP’s most developed and literate districts. The district borders Islamabad, with the Khanpur Dam here supplying water to the federal capital. The famous Jaulian Buddhist monastery overlooking Taxila is also located here.... District Profile: Southern NWFP – Mansehra Home to the most spectacular mountain ranges, Lake Saiful Muluk and Karakoram Highway, Mansehra has had a flourishing tourism industry. Most sites, however, stay closed due to inhospitable weather for a good part of the year.... District Profile: Northern NWFP – Battagram Once known for its towering Hindu Kush mountain range and the presence of the old Silk Route, Battagram was the epicentre of the disastrous October 2005 earthquake, which razed the district’s settlements.... District Profile: Northern NWFP – Kohistan Kohistan is one of the largest yet most sparsely populated districts in the NWFP. The district has been victim to a host of invasions and is therefore mottled with ethnic diversity.... District Profile: Southern NWFP – Dera Ismail Khan Dera Ismail Khan takes its name from Ismail Khan, a Baloch chief who settled here after migrating from Sri Lanka in AD 1469. The present day city is situated four miles away from Indus River.... District Profile: Southern NWFP – Tank The small district of Tank is two points behind its neighbour Dera Ismail Khan on the district development ranking and with whom it shares its sole parliamentary seat.... District Profile: Southern NWFP – Bannu Bannu is mainly a rural district, though its urban centres are well-populated and date centuries back in history. The old city of Bannu is walled and can be entered through one of its many gates.... District Profile: Northern NWFP – Buner Part of the Malakand division till 2000, Buner is surrounded by high hills densely covered by pine and other trees. This scenic district is also known for a number of great saints.... District Profile: Northern NWFP – Swat This conservative and religious district was a princely state till its dissolution in 1969. Swat’s Malam Jabba ski resort is popular with foreign tourists and so are the Gandharan civilisation sites.... District Profile: Northern NWFP – Shangla The isolated district of Shangla with its beautiful valleys has the lowest human development index in the entire province. This is unfortunate as the district is rich in natural resources and... District Profile: Northern NWFP – Chitral A landlocked northern district of the Frontier province, Chitral is cut off from the rest of the country for four to five months during winter. In the intervening period, its sole link is the whimsical PIA.... District Profile: Northern NWFP – Upper Dir Upper Dir is famous for its high mountain peaks and waterfalls. Timergara is the district headquarters, with the majority of its people from the Yousufzai tribe.... District Profile: Northern NWFP – Lower Dir Lower Dir is situated in the north-west of NWFP, bounded by a long chain of the Koh-e-Hindu Kush. This is a hilly and green area and has many tourism attracting valleys.... District Profile: Northern NWFP – Malakand Malakand is a small district encompassing an area of 952 square kilometers. Formerly known as Malakand Agency or Malakand Protected Area, it was given the status of a district in 2001....

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