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The history of the Federally Administered
Tribal Areas of Pakistan is full of romance and glorious adventures
and numerous legends are woven around the character of its
inhabitants.
This land of patriotic, virile and hardy mountaineers stood witness to
countless historic events. It saw the caravans of invaders passing
through the mountains and celebrated passes on their way to the rich
and fertile plains of the South Asian sub-continent. It witnessed the
march of renowned conquerors and soldiers of fortune, viewed with
interest the progidies of valour and feats of bravery and above all
scenes of spirited battles. This part had, perhaps, been involved in
more foreign invasions than any country of the world. Its charming
valleys were echoing with the cries of war and are still vibrating
with the thuds of the horses of Alexander, Mahmud, the idol breaker
and other famous captains who made this area their base of operations
against the rulers of India.
The tribal area comprising the territories lying between the
administered districts of NWFP and the `Durand Line' is spread over an
area of 10510 square miles. In this mountainous tract live 25,07,000
sturdy, well built and self reliant Pathans who prefer to be called
Pukhtoons.
Tribal area, partly a land of dry ravines and rocky hills and partly
consisting of green plateaus, enchanting valleys and picturesque
landscape is full of natural beauty. At places the rugged hills,
gushing streams, green fields and clusters of fortified hamlets among
the glens and dales present a fine and peculiarly attractive scenery.
The lush green valleys of Kurram Agency; the smiling dales of Bajaur
Agency; the picturesque valleys of North and South Waziristan Agencies
and heart-captivating scenery, lofty pine trees, groves and patches of
green fields of Tirah and Orakzai Agency present, happly, a scene
unrivalled anywhere. Tirah, the queen of the Khyber Agency, described
as "Garden of Eden" can be compared to Switzerland and the
Kurram Agency can favourably compete with Kashmir in beauty and scenic
grandeur. A romantic halo, in short, surrounds this much-talked but
less understood area. These lovely hills and dales of tourist
attraction have not yet been fully opened up for tourists.
The historic Khyber Pass and the craftsmanship of the un-educated
tribesmen working in the arms manufacturing factories of Dara Adam
Khel (Kohat Pass), Illam Godar (Khyber Agency) and Kaniguram (South
Waziristan Agency) further add to the splendour of the tribal belt.
It is a tangle of difficult mountains intersected by long narrow
valleys, innumerable gorges and torrent beds interspersed with patches
of cultivable land. This huge mass of mountains varies in elevation
from 5,000 to 15,000 feet. The highest is the Sika Ram peak in Sufaid
Koh range which is 15,620 feet above the sea level.
The climatic conditions of the region vary from extreme cold in the
snow-clad mountains to hot and sultry in the plains. The rain-fall is
scanty, varying from 60 inches in the hills to 15 inches or less in
the plains in a year.
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