Dera Ismail Khan District
Encyclopedia
Dera Ismail Khan is one of the 24 district
s in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan
. The capital of the district is the town of Dera Ismail Khan
. The district has an area of 7,326 km² and a population of 852,995 as of the 1998 Census.
and Bhakkar
districts of Punjab, to the southwest by South Waziristan
district, and to the northwest by Tank
and Lakki Marwat
districts.
, which intersected it from north to south. To the west of the Indus the characteristics of the country resembled those of Dera Ghazi Khan
. This region included lar, home of the BALOCHS of lar. To the east of the present bed of the river there is a wide tract known as the Kachi, exposed to river action. Beyond this, the country rises abruptly, and a barren, almost desert plain stretches eastwards, sparsely cultivated, and inhabited by nomadic tribes of herdsmen. In 1901 the trans-Indus tract was allotted to the newly formed North-West Frontier Province, the cis-Indus tract remaining in the Punjab
jurisdiction. The cis-Indus portions of the Dera Ismail Khan and Bannu districts now comprise the new Punjab district of Mianwali
. Wheat and wool were exported. In 1901 it contained an area of 3403 sq mi (8,813.7 km²) and a population of 252,379, chiefly Baluch and Pashtun
Muslims. In 1947 it became part of the newly independent Pakistan
.
, Pashtuns, and Saraikis. The main Baloch tribes include the gishkori
, Rind
, Kulachi
, Lashari
, Soomrani
, Gadi
, Nutkani
, Buzdar, Leghari
, Korai
and Kunara
. The Seraiki people include the Lakhasor, Kuhawar and others. The Pashtun tribes
include: Gandapur
, Alizai
, Khakwani
, Hafiz Khel
(Gandapur), Mian Khel,Dotani, Achakzai Tareen
, Sadozai, Qasuria, and others.
. Pashto is spoken as a second language. Some of the major tribes in the city speak Saraiki as their first language, including the Awan, Lakhaser, Alizai, Qasuria, Khakwani, MianKhel, Baloch, gishkori,Badozai, Sadozai, Achakzai Lashari
, Rind
, Tareen, Kunara
, Rajput, Babar, Hafiz Khel
(Gandapur), Leghari
, Dhap
and Deyal. They are considered to be the local peoples of Dera Ismail Khan
. Other tribes living in Dera Ismail Khan speak Pashto as their mother language, such as the Gandapur
, Kundi
, Mehsud, Wazeer, Marwat and Dotani.
As per the 1998 census of Pakistan, the following are the demographics of the district, by spoken language:
Traditionally Dera politics has been dominated by Jamiat Ullema Islam because of the charismatic and dynamic personality of Maulana Mufti Mahmood. After his death his son Fazlur Rehman became the Chairman of JUI-F.
The people of D I Khan feel let down by the two dominant parties PPP and JUI-F as they have not done any significant efforts to improve the quality of life, build the city infrastructure or create jobs. People want change in the status quo which has provided a room for new leadership to emerge under the banner of Pakistan Tehrike Insaf (PTI). PTI has quickly gained ground in the city as many notables including Abdul Quayyum Khan Kundi
, Khalid Awan, Humayon Khan Gandapur has joined the party. Ali Amin Gandapur, the son of ex-minister Aminullah Gandapur joined the party to organize its base among the Gandapur tribe in Tank area. The Youth Wings under the leadership of Irfan Khan has gained momentum among professional youth and students. The Party is slowly but effectively growing in strength and would emerge in in the City as a dominant force in the next elections.
ANP despite having two MPAs with them as a Party exists in only in the Student Federations and not in the streets or among the electorates.
PML (N) which in the mid 90s had developed considerable street power but the local leadership has failed and the party position is rather weak.
s which contain a total of 48 Union Councils
:
The district is represented in the provincial assembly by five elected MPAs who represent the following constituencies:
Districts of Pakistan
The Districts of Pakistan are the second order administrative divisions of Pakistan. Districts were the third order of administrative divisions, below provinces and "divisions", until the reforms of August 2000, when "divisions" were abolished...
s in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. The capital of the district is the town of Dera Ismail Khan
Dera Ismail Khan
Dera Ismail Khan is a city in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. It is situated on the west bank of the Indus River, west of Lahore and northwest of Multan. The city is the capital of the district and tehsil of the same name. In Pakistan, its name is often abbreviated to D. I...
. The district has an area of 7,326 km² and a population of 852,995 as of the 1998 Census.
Location
The district of Dera Ismail Khan is bounded on the east by the MianwaliMianwali District
Mianwali is a district in the northwest of Punjab province, Pakistan. It borders eight districts: Attock District in the north, Chakwal District in the northeast, Khushab District in the east, and Bhakkar District in the south, while Lakki Marwat lies to the west, Kohat and Karak districts to the...
and Bhakkar
Bhakkar District
Bhakkar is a District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The district was created in 1981 with Bhakkar city as the capital. It is located between 31° 10' and 32° 22' N. and 70° 47' and 72° E. with an area of , most of it lies in the desolate plain of the Thal, but the Kachhi or strip of...
districts of Punjab, to the southwest by South Waziristan
South Waziristan
South Waziristan is the southern part of Waziristan, a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and covering some 11,585 km² . Waziristan comprises the area west and southwest of Peshawar between the Tochi River to the north and the Gomal River to the south, forming...
district, and to the northwest by Tank
Tank District
Tank , is the southern district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, the city of Tank is the capital of the district, which consists Union Council City I and Union Council City II. There are totally sixteen Union councils of district Tank. Tank was formerly part of district Dera Ismail...
and Lakki Marwat
Lakki Marwat District
Lakki Marwat is one of the Southern Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan. It was created as an administrative district on July 1, 1992, prior to which it was a Tehsil of Bannu District.-Etymology:...
districts.
History
Dera Ismail Khan was created as an administrative unit of British India, part of the Derajat Division of the North-West Frontier Province, though this was not accepted by the local rulers. It was formerly divided into two almost equal portions by the Indus RiverIndus River
The Indus River is a major river which flows through Pakistan. It also has courses through China and India.Originating in the Tibetan plateau of western China in the vicinity of Lake Mansarovar in Tibet Autonomous Region, the river runs a course through the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir and...
, which intersected it from north to south. To the west of the Indus the characteristics of the country resembled those of Dera Ghazi Khan
Dera Ghazi Khan
Dera Ghazi Khan is a city located in Dera Ghazi Khan District, Punjab, Pakistan. Dera Ghazi Khan is one of the most populous cities in Southern Punjab, and it is the largest district in Punjab in terms of area, being approximately in extent....
. This region included lar, home of the BALOCHS of lar. To the east of the present bed of the river there is a wide tract known as the Kachi, exposed to river action. Beyond this, the country rises abruptly, and a barren, almost desert plain stretches eastwards, sparsely cultivated, and inhabited by nomadic tribes of herdsmen. In 1901 the trans-Indus tract was allotted to the newly formed North-West Frontier Province, the cis-Indus tract remaining in the Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
jurisdiction. The cis-Indus portions of the Dera Ismail Khan and Bannu districts now comprise the new Punjab district of Mianwali
Mianwali
Mianwali is the capital city of Mianwali District and situated in the north-west of Punjab province, Pakistan. The city is located on the eastern bank of the Indus River...
. Wheat and wool were exported. In 1901 it contained an area of 3403 sq mi (8,813.7 km²) and a population of 252,379, chiefly Baluch and Pashtun
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
Muslims. In 1947 it became part of the newly independent Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
Demography
The district is home to a variety of ethnic groups and tribes but the most popular tribe or the clan, which is also a spiritual one, is the Pir Zakori Sharif situated at Khanqah Zakori Sharif, Dinpur Road. Its Sajjada Nashin is the Pir Habib Ullah Jan Zakori, but after his death, it is devolved to his sons Pir Hidayat Ullah Jan Zakori and Pir Habib-ur-Rehman Zakori, some other important groups include Qasuria, BalochBaloch people
The Baloch or Baluch are an ethnic group that belong to the larger Iranian peoples. Baluch people mainly inhabit the Balochistan region and Sistan and Baluchestan Province in the southeast corner of the Iranian plateau in Western Asia....
, Pashtuns, and Saraikis. The main Baloch tribes include the gishkori
Gishkori
Gishkori is a village in the Punjab of Pakistan. It is located at 31°2'0N 70°53'20E with an altitude of 137 metres ....
, Rind
Rind (tribe)
Rind are a Baloch tribe settled in the Balochistan province of Iran, and the Balochistan Province of Pakistan, Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan....
, Kulachi
Kulachi
Kulachi is a city and the headquarters of Kulachi Tehsil of Dera Ismail Khan District in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is located at at an altitude of 209 metres...
, Lashari
Lashari
Lashari is the name of a Baloch tribe in Pakistan and Iran. The Lasharis have migrated and settled in the United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, India, Indonesia, USA, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, England, and many other countries of the world...
, Soomrani
Soomrani
The Soomrani are a sub-tribe of the Magsi, a Baloch tribe of Pakistan, Iraq and Iran. Many Soomrani live in Pakistan in the provinces of Punjab, Sindh, khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. In Punjab, their communities can be found in Layyah, Sahiwal and Dera Ismail Khan,. Soomrani are powerful and...
, Gadi
Gadi
The House of Gadi was a dynasty of kings of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The dynasty is also called the House of Menahem, after its founder. The dynasty lasted for only twelve years and ruled from the then capital of Israel, Samaria. The dynasty is so named because Menahem was the son of Gadi...
, Nutkani
Nutkani
The Nutkani or Notkani Nodhkani are a Saraiki, Sindhi and Balochi speaking Baloch tribe of Eastern Pakistan.The name of the Nutkani tribe is derived from Notak Khan, who was with the chieftain Sardar Mir Chaker Khan Rind when he migrated to Punjab from Baluchistan .-Sub tribe :The descendants of...
, Buzdar, Leghari
Leghari
The Leghari , or Laghari) are a Baloch tribe living in Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan. The Leghari Baloch primarily speak the Seraiki, Sindhi, and Balochi language, and are largely Sunni Muslims....
, Korai
Korai
The Korai are a Baloch tribe settled in the Balochistan province of Iran, Balochistan Province of Pakistan; Sindh; Punjab provinces of Pakistan; and the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujrat, Maharastra, Haryana, and Indian Punjab....
and Kunara
Kunara
The Kunara are a Baloch tribe, sub tribe of Azam Khel clan, which is a major clan of Lashari tribe. Azam Khel and Kundo Khel had been migrated to Mianwali District after the Baloch civil war in Balochistan. They are a branch from the main Baluchi tribe...
. The Seraiki people include the Lakhasor, Kuhawar and others. The Pashtun tribes
Pashtun tribes
The Pashtun people are the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan and the second largest in Pakistan. Pashtun, tribes are divided into four supertribal confederacies: the Arbanee , Betanee , Gharghasht, and Karlanee .Traditionally, according to folklore, all Pashtuns are said to have descended, at...
include: Gandapur
Gandapur
The Gandapurs are a Pashtun tribe inhabiting the environs of Dera Ismail Khan, a major commercial center on the west bank of the Indus River, in the southern region of the Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa of Pakistan, near the frontier with South Waziristan. The Gandapurs reside principally in the small town of...
, Alizai
Alizai (tribe)
The Alizai are Pashtun Tribe of Afghanistan and Balochistan . The Alizai tribe usually reside in Afghanistan and Balochistan as well as various areas of Tarbela Dam and Attock. Alizai is the biggest tribe of Afghanistan and the Alizai tribe are considered to be a warrior tribe since their...
, Khakwani
Khogyani (tribe)
The Khogyani tribe is a Pashtun tribe of the Karlani or "Hill Tribes" branch. The tribe originated from the Khogyani District along the Koh-i-Safed mountain range in Nangarhar Province of Afghanistan...
, Hafiz Khel
Hafiz Khel
Hafiz Khel is a sub-tribe of Gandapur tribe. About 80-85% are now migrated to Dera Ismail Khan, Tank and Zhob Districts of North West Frontier Province and Baluchistan.-Language:They are bilingual. Members living in Zhob and Tank speak Pashto...
(Gandapur), Mian Khel,Dotani, Achakzai Tareen
Tareen
The Tareen are a prominent Sarbanri Pashtun tribe residing in Afghanistan and in Pakistan. They are one of the largest Pashtun tribes.-History:...
, Sadozai, Qasuria, and others.
Language
The major language spoken in the city is saraikiSaraiki language
Saraiki , transliterated as Sirāikī and sometimes spelled Seraiki and Saraiki, is a standardized written language of Pakistan belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages. It is a language spoken in the heart of Pakistan...
. Pashto is spoken as a second language. Some of the major tribes in the city speak Saraiki as their first language, including the Awan, Lakhaser, Alizai, Qasuria, Khakwani, MianKhel, Baloch, gishkori,Badozai, Sadozai, Achakzai Lashari
Lashari
Lashari is the name of a Baloch tribe in Pakistan and Iran. The Lasharis have migrated and settled in the United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, India, Indonesia, USA, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, England, and many other countries of the world...
, Rind
Rind
Rind may refer to:*Peel *Pork rind*Rind , a giantess in Norse mythology*Rind, Armenia, also Rrind*Rind et al. controversy, about a study on child sexual abuse*Rind , a tribe in Baluchistan...
, Tareen, Kunara
Kunara
The Kunara are a Baloch tribe, sub tribe of Azam Khel clan, which is a major clan of Lashari tribe. Azam Khel and Kundo Khel had been migrated to Mianwali District after the Baloch civil war in Balochistan. They are a branch from the main Baluchi tribe...
, Rajput, Babar, Hafiz Khel
Hafiz Khel
Hafiz Khel is a sub-tribe of Gandapur tribe. About 80-85% are now migrated to Dera Ismail Khan, Tank and Zhob Districts of North West Frontier Province and Baluchistan.-Language:They are bilingual. Members living in Zhob and Tank speak Pashto...
(Gandapur), Leghari
Leghari
The Leghari , or Laghari) are a Baloch tribe living in Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan. The Leghari Baloch primarily speak the Seraiki, Sindhi, and Balochi language, and are largely Sunni Muslims....
, Dhap
Dhap
Dhap is a village development committee in Darchula District in the Mahakali Zone of western Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 4092 people living in 694 individual households.-External links:*...
and Deyal. They are considered to be the local peoples of Dera Ismail Khan
Dera Ismail Khan
Dera Ismail Khan is a city in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. It is situated on the west bank of the Indus River, west of Lahore and northwest of Multan. The city is the capital of the district and tehsil of the same name. In Pakistan, its name is often abbreviated to D. I...
. Other tribes living in Dera Ismail Khan speak Pashto as their mother language, such as the Gandapur
Gandapur
The Gandapurs are a Pashtun tribe inhabiting the environs of Dera Ismail Khan, a major commercial center on the west bank of the Indus River, in the southern region of the Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa of Pakistan, near the frontier with South Waziristan. The Gandapurs reside principally in the small town of...
, Kundi
Kundi
The Kundi are a Pashtun tribe of Pakistan.Its the most famous tribe of Tank. They are settled in the Tank District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, some parts of Balochistan and in Mianwali District of Punjab Pakistan.Some other notable people from the Kundi tribe are:...
, Mehsud, Wazeer, Marwat and Dotani.
As per the 1998 census of Pakistan, the following are the demographics of the district, by spoken language:
- SaraikiSaraiki languageSaraiki , transliterated as Sirāikī and sometimes spelled Seraiki and Saraiki, is a standardized written language of Pakistan belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages. It is a language spoken in the heart of Pakistan...
(locally called Derawali): 70% - Pashto: 20%
- UrduUrduUrdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
: 7% - Other: 3%
Politics
Dera Ismail Khan is represented in the National Assembly of Pakistan through two seats which are NA-24 (D I Khan) and NA-25 (D I Khan cum Tank). The incumbent on these seats are Faisal Karim Kundi of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) from NA-24 and Maulana Atta ur Rehman of Jamiat Ullema Islam- Fazalur Rehman (JUI-F) from NA-25.Traditionally Dera politics has been dominated by Jamiat Ullema Islam because of the charismatic and dynamic personality of Maulana Mufti Mahmood. After his death his son Fazlur Rehman became the Chairman of JUI-F.
The people of D I Khan feel let down by the two dominant parties PPP and JUI-F as they have not done any significant efforts to improve the quality of life, build the city infrastructure or create jobs. People want change in the status quo which has provided a room for new leadership to emerge under the banner of Pakistan Tehrike Insaf (PTI). PTI has quickly gained ground in the city as many notables including Abdul Quayyum Khan Kundi
Abdul Quayyum Khan Kundi
Abdul Quayyum Khan Kundi is a Pakistani businessman and political activist. He was elected as president of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce-USA in 2010. He is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of getTickets, LLC and Interactive Ventures...
, Khalid Awan, Humayon Khan Gandapur has joined the party. Ali Amin Gandapur, the son of ex-minister Aminullah Gandapur joined the party to organize its base among the Gandapur tribe in Tank area. The Youth Wings under the leadership of Irfan Khan has gained momentum among professional youth and students. The Party is slowly but effectively growing in strength and would emerge in in the City as a dominant force in the next elections.
ANP despite having two MPAs with them as a Party exists in only in the Student Federations and not in the streets or among the electorates.
PML (N) which in the mid 90s had developed considerable street power but the local leadership has failed and the party position is rather weak.
Administration
The district is subdivided into three tehsilTehsil
A Tehsil or Tahsil/Tahasil , also known as Taluk and Mandal, is an administrative division of some country/countries of South Asia....
s which contain a total of 48 Union Councils
Union Councils of Pakistan
A sherwan or village council in Pakistan is an elected local government body consisting of 21 councillors, and headed by a nazim and a naib nazim...
:
| Name of tehsil | No. of Unions |
|---|---|
| Dera Ismail Khan Dera Ismail Khan Dera Ismail Khan is a city in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. It is situated on the west bank of the Indus River, west of Lahore and northwest of Multan. The city is the capital of the district and tehsil of the same name. In Pakistan, its name is often abbreviated to D. I... |
21 |
| Kulachi Kulachi Kulachi is a city and the headquarters of Kulachi Tehsil of Dera Ismail Khan District in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is located at at an altitude of 209 metres... |
15 |
| Paharpur Paharpur Paharpur is a census town in Gaya district in the Indian state of Bihar.-Demographics: India census, Paharpur had a population of 5758. Males constitute 68% of the population and females 32%. Paharpur has an average literacy rate of 78%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is... |
12 |
The district is represented in the provincial assembly by five elected MPAs who represent the following constituencies:
| Constituency | MPA | Party |
|---|---|---|
| PF-64 (D.I.Khan-1) | Khalifa Abdul Qayyum Gandapur | Sipah-E-Sahaba |
| PF-65 (D.I.Khan-2) | Israr Ullah Khan Gandapur | PPP (S) |
| PF-66 (D.I.Khan-3) | Sanaullah Khan MianKhail | MMA |
| PF-67 (D.I.Khan-4) | Muhammad Mazhar Jamil Khan Alizi | ANP |
| PF-68 (D.I.Khan-5) | Murid Kazim Shah | ANP |