Battagram Tehsil

Battagram Tehsil is an administrative subdivision (tehsil) of Battagram District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.[2][3] It serves as the Tehsil headquarters and covers a total area of 300 square miles (780 km²). Battagram Tehsil merged into Pakistan as an administrative region before being raised to the status of a district in 1993. On October 8, 2005, a 7.6 magnitude earthquake in Kashmir badly affected the area.

Battagram Tehsil
Tehsil
Country	Pakistan
Province	Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
District	Battagram
Union Councils	12
Population  (2017)[1]
• Total	296,198
Time zone	UTC+5 (PST)

Overview and history

Battagram Tehsil is surrounded by Allai,[4] Shangla and Kohistan on the north and the east, and by the Kaghan Valley and Mansehra on the west. Battagram Tehsil is separated from Allai[4] on the north by a range of mountains rising to over 15,000 feet (4,600 m), and from Mansehra by another range running from the Afghanistan border to the Indus above Thakot. The mountain slopes at the eastern end are covered with forests. The total area of Tehsil Battagram is about 300 square miles (780 km²). Wheat, barley, corn, and rice are grown in the area. Cis-Indus known as the Swatis represent the dominant tribe of the Tehsil Battagram. Khan culture is dominant in the Battagram Valley.

The Swatis of Hazara are the descendants from Swat. They drove Hindus down from the upper Hazara and settled in Mansehra District and Battagram. The valley was ruled by Khans (tribal rulers) until they signed the Instrument of Accession with Pakistan in 1949. Battagram Tehsil was later merged into Pakistan in 1971, as an administrative part of the Battagram sub-division. In 1993, Battagram was upgraded to the status of a district and Battagram became one of the Tehsil of Battagram district.

2005 earthquake

The Battagram (Tehsil) valley was badly affected by the 2005 Kashmir earthquake on October 8, 2005. More than 4,500 people were killed and approximately 35,000 were seriously injured.[5]

Administration

The city of Battagram serves as the Tehsil headquarters; Tehsil is subdivided into 12 Union Councils:[6]

Union Councils	Union Councils
Ajmera	Banian
Battagram	Batamori
Gijbori	Kuza Banda
Paimal Sharif	Peshora
Rajdahri	Shumlai
Thakot	Trand

Consensus information

The population of Battagram Tehsil is 296,198, according to 2007 Pakistan Census.[2]

People

The area is mainly inhabited by Pashto-speaking Pathan tribes, the Swati and Syed. The Pashtun tribes are divided into many sub-tribes, including Ghouri Bhel(most living in Phagora village), Younas Khel, Khadar Khani, Arghoshal, Behram Khel, Raza Khani, Malakal, Mula Khel, Shams Khel, Deshan, Al-Sadatfamilies, Sahibzadgan, and Nikakhel Akhon Khail.

They have fought for the land in the past, but for the last decade, the fighting has ceased. The people often solve their problems with Jirga system in villages. People of Battagram do not have any proper source of income and mostly depend upon agriculture.

See also

• Allai Tehsil
• Battagram District

References

1. "District and Tehsil Level Population Summary With Region Breakup: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. 2018-01-03. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-04-20. Retrieved 2018-04-19.
2. "Pakistan Tehsil Wise Census 2017 [PDF]" (PDF). www.pbscensus.gov.pk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-11-07. Retrieved 2017-11-18.
3. "Battagram tehsil council presents tax-free budget". dawn.com. 2017-07-18. Retrieved 2017-11-18.
4. "District status demanded for Allai tehsil". dawn.com. 2017-11-13. Retrieved 2017-11-18.
5. "Quake victims get Rs45m in Battagram". dawn.com. 2005-11-01. Retrieved 2017-11-18.
6. Tehsils & Unions in the District of Battagram – Government of Pakistan Archived February 9, 2012, at the Wayback Machine