Bannu

INTRODUCTION:

The administration of the tribal area is looked after by the deputy commissioner Bannu district. It is located between 32°56’ and 33°16’ north latitudes and 70°22’ and 70°52’ longitudes. It is bounded on the north by Karak district, on the east by Bannu district, on the north by tribal area adjoining Lakki Marwat and on the west by North Waziristan agency. Its total area is 745 square kilometers. The total population of the area in 1998 was 19,593. There is no urban locality in the area. There were 160 villages in 1998.

PHYSICAL FEATURES:

The entire territory of this tribal area is composed of hills of medium height between 450 to 11200 meters. The highest peak (1,216) of the area is located to the south of Walai. Kharaghora is the prominent range in the southern part of the area with an average height of almost 850 meters. Three of the important western tributaries of the Indus namely Kurram, Baran and Tochi rivers flow across this tribal area. The cultivated area is about 33,000 acres. Wheat, maize and sugarcane are the main crops. Some dates and citrus trees are grown in the orchards in the plains of the kurram and Tochi rivers.

WEATHER:

It experiences hot summers and cold winters. Summer season starts in April and continues till October. June, July and August are the hottest months. Winter season starts in November and lasts till March December, January and February are the coldest months.

DWELLINGS:

There is no major concentration of population as the people live in small hamlets called “kotkas”. Due to intense heat the majority of the population migrates to the hills of Shawal and Birmal in North and South Waziristan agencies.

ADMINISTRATIVE SETUP:
The Bannu Frontier Region had been administered through the deputy commissioner with the district officer Frontier Constablary Daryoba as assistant political agent for the Ahmadzais and the political tehsildar for the Utmanzais wazirs and Bhittanis. However, in 1976 a separate post of assistant political agent was sanctioned for the entire tribal area under the administrative control of the deputy commissioner, Bannu. The Bannu Frontier Region is the federally administered tribal areas and all the financial liabilities for economic development and general administration, are borne by the federal government. The district coordination officer (the defunct deputy commissioner office) Bannu is actively supported by the Frontier Constabulary in addition to Khasadars engaged for political administration. The affairs of FR Bannu are largely regulated through for essentially involving Jirga system. Besides FCR, most of the cases of Bannu FR areas are decided by the local laws (Riwaj) and Shariat.