Lower Dir District
ضلع دیر زیریں ښکته دير ولسوالۍ | |
---|---|
Top: Katora Lake Bottom: Timergara, the district headquarters | |
![]() Lower Dir District (red) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | |
Coordinates: 34°51′N 71°51′E / 34.850°N 71.850°E | |
Country | Pakistan |
Province | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |
Division | Malakand |
Headquarters | Timergara |
Government | |
• Type | District Administration |
• Deputy Commissioner | Muhammad Fawad (BPS-20 PCS) |
• District Police Officer | Ikramullah Khan (BPS-18 PSP) |
Area | |
• Total | 1,583 km2 (611 sq mi) |
Population | |
• Total | 1,650,183 |
• Density | 1,000/km2 (2,700/sq mi) |
• Urban | 47,855 |
• Rural | 1,602,327 |
Time zone | PST |
Number of Tehsils | 5 |
Website | dirlower |
Lower Dir District (Pashto: ښکته دير ولسوالۍ, Urdu: ضلع دیر زیریں) is a district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.[2] Timergara is the district's headquarters and largest city.[2] The Lower Dir district was formed in 1996, when Dir District was divided into Upper Dir and Lower Dir districts.[2] On 22 January 2023, both Lower Dir and Upper Dir districts were further bifurcated to create a new Central Dir District.[3] Lower Dir is famous for its beautiful snow-capped mountains, valleys, and pleasant weather.[citation needed] The primary industry in Lower Dir is tourism, which is now rapidly growing.[citation needed]
Lower Dir district borders with Swat District to the east, Afghanistan to the west, Upper Dir to the north and Malakand and Bajaur District to the south.
History
[edit]At the time of independence of Pakistan, Dir was a princely state ruled by Nawab Shah Jehan Khan. Dir was merged with Pakistan in 1969, declared a district in 1970, and split into Upper and Lower Dir in 1996.[2]
Education
[edit]- The University of Malakand is a public university located in Chakdara.
- The University of Dir is a newly established university located in Timergara.
Demographics
[edit]Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
---|---|---|
1972 | 277,481 | — |
1981 | 404,844 | +4.29% |
1998 | 717,649 | +3.42% |
2017 | 1,436,082 | +3.72% |
2023 | 1,650,183 | +2.34% |
Sources:[4] |
In the 2023 census, 4,439 (0.27%) people in the district were from religious minorities, mainly Christians.[5] Pashto was the predominant language, spoken by 99.54% of the population.[6]
Administration
[edit]National Assembly
[edit]NA-6 (Lower Dir-I) and NA-7 (Lower Dir-II) are constituencies of the National Assembly of Pakistan from Lower Dir district. These areas were formerly part of NA-34 (Lower Dir) constituency from 1977 to 2018. The delimitation in 2018 split Lower Dir into two separate constituencies, NA-6 (Lower Dir-I) and NA-7 (Lower Dir-II).
NA-34 constituency (2002-2018)
[edit]Member of National Assembly | Party Affiliation | Year |
---|---|---|
Qazi Hussain Ahmad | Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal | 2002 |
Maulana Ahmad Ghafoor Ghawas | Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal | 2003 |
Malak Azmat Khan | Pakistan Peoples Party | 2008 |
Shahib Zada Muhammad Yaqub | Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan | 2013 |
Since 2018: NA-6 (Lower Dir-I) and NA-7 (Lower Dir-II)
[edit]Member of National Assembly | Party Affiliation | Constituency | Year |
---|---|---|---|
Mehboob Shah | PTI | NA-6 (Lower Dir-I) | 2018 |
Muhammad Bashir Khan | PTI | NA-7 (Lower Dir-II) | 2018 |
Provincial Assembly
[edit]Member of Provincial Assembly | Party Affiliation | Constituency | Year |
---|---|---|---|
Muhammad Azam Khan | Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf | PK-13 (Lower Dir-I) | 2018 |
Humayun Khan | Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf | PK-14 (Lower Dir-II) | 2018 |
Shafi ullah | Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf | PK-15 (Lower Dir-III) | 2018 |
Bahdur Khan | Awami National Party | PK-16 (Lower Dir-IV) | 2018 |
Liaqat Ali Khan | Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf | PK-17 (Lower Dir-V) | 2018 |
Sudivisions
[edit]- Adenzai Tehsil
- Balambat Tehsil
- Khall Tehsil
- Lal Qilla Tehsil
- Munda Tehsil
- Samar Bagh Tehsil
- Timergara Tehsil
Notable people
[edit]- Nawabzada Shahabuddin Khan, Former Ruler of Lower Dir[7][8]
- Siraj ul Haq, politician
- Muhammad Bashir Khan, politician
- Naseem Shah, cricketer
- Zahid Khan, Ex-Senator
- Abaseen Yousafzai, Pashto poet
Gallery
[edit]-
Maidan Valley, Lower Dir
-
Lajbouk, Lower Dir
-
Chakdara, Lower Dir
-
Kalpani Top, Lower Dir
See also
[edit]- Constituency NA-6 (Lower Dir-I)
- Constituency NA-7 (Lower Dir-II)
- Education in Lower Dir District
- Upper Dir District
References
[edit]- ^ "District Wise Results / Tables (Census - 2023)" (PDF). www.pbscensus.gov.pk. Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
- ^ a b c d "About District". Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Deputy Commissioner Dir Lower.
- ^ "KP gets another district". Dunya News. 2023-01-18. Retrieved 2024-07-14.
- ^ "Population by administrative units 1951-1998" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
- ^ "Pakistan Census 2023" (PDF).
- ^ "Pakistan Census 2023" (PDF). www.pbscensus.gov.pk. Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
- ^ "Tribe seeks ban on sale, purchase of shared land". www.thenews.com.pk.
- ^ High Court, Peshawar (17 November 2016). "Judgment Sheet In The Peshawar High Court - The Government Of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa & Others Vs. Nawabzada Muhammad Shahabuddin Through Lrs & Others" (PDF). Retrieved 18 January 2024.
https://senate.gov.pk/en/profile.php?uid=804