Khyber District Profile

Khyber District Profile

Khyber district is a tribal area formerly known as Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) region of Pakistan. It is one of the eight tribal district areas, better known as agencies in Pakistan. It ranges from the Tirah valley down to Peshawar.
Khyber is named after the world famous Khyber Pass, which has served as the corridor connecting the Asian sub-continent with the Central Asia through Afghanistan. The location of this pass has given the agency and its people worldwide recognition and has made it the focus of attention of historians interested in this part of the world.
Khyber is a hilly tract with some narrow strips of valleys. It is the meeting place of the series of ranges of the Koh-e-Safaid, an off-shoots of the mighty Hindukush Mountains starting from the Pamir, the roof of the world. Lacha Ghar, Karagah Ghar, Surghar and Tor Ghar Morgah and Kalauch ranges are located in the agency. Water is scarce thus the valley has little land suitable for cultivation. Generally, the hills are barren. The historic Khyber Pass is situated at a height of 1,180 meters above the sea level, which starts about 5 kilometers beyond Jamrud Fort. It is a narrow gorge winding up to lofty mountains towards Afghanistan through Koh-e-Safaid range. The highest peak of the mountain in western side of Khyber Agency is about 1,029 meters with 509 meters at its eastern side.
Khyber covers a total land area of 2,576 square kilometers. The agency’s headquarters are Peshawar in winter and Landi Kotal in summer. The major tribe in Khyber Agency is the Afridi with eight major sub tribes. However there are important pockets of Mallagoris, Shilmanis, and Shinwaries. According to the 2017 census the population of the area is 986, 973.

Area: 2,576 kmÂ?2;
Number of Tehsils: 4
Population: 986,973 (2017)
Main language(s): Pashto (99.6%)
Headquarters: Landi Kotal
Established: 1873.


ECONOMIC PROFILE:
The economy of the Khyber is relatively underdeveloped compared to other Districts and administrative territories of Pakistan. The Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) are the most impoverished and least developed areas in the country. While FATA has 2.4% of Pakistan's population, it contributes only 1.5% to Pakistan's economy, making it the smallest Pakistani provincial economy in terms of GDP. As of 2016, the per capita income of FATA was $ 680 and roughly 34% of households had a sustainable living standard above the poverty level.
The local economy of Khyber is mainly pastoral-based, with some practice of Handicrafts. Households are involved in primary-level activities like subsistence agriculture, rearing of livestock and small-scale businesses. Many locals seek employment as skilled and unskilled laborers while others join security agencies and paramilitary forces. Those who are better off or are able to travel migrate to larger cities and urban centers outside the tribal areas within Pakistan and across the Middle East. A significant number of these are highly qualified professionals, contributing to a drain effect and shortage of skilled workers in Khyber.
There are abundant natural resources prevalent in Khyber such as Marble, Copper, Limestone and Coal which can create a potentially thriving mining industry, although the current socio-economic situation has partly hindered their profitable exploitation. Trade with neighboring countries like Afghanistan which plays an active role in Khyber Agency's and FATA’s economy, and items imported and exported to the country via trucks pass through supply routes in FATA. The area has also been influenced to a great extent by the active Afghan opium trade. This has made Khyber a Trade Hub for Import & Export via Torkham Custom Station. There is a sizeable indigenous weapons and firearms manufacturing industry present in Dara Adam Khel. The limited industry of gun manufacturing also exists in Bara.
There are about 200-250 small and large-scale industries in Bara [Bazaar] providing jobs to thousands of people in Bara Tehsil, Khyber Agency. There has been phenomenal increase in the production capacity of marble, The Mullagori marble deposits are one of the largest marble deposits of the world. Other mineral deposits in Khyber Agency include Soapstone, Limestone, Dolomite, Ciliate, Silica sand, Barite, Mica, and Graphite. Marble deposits are found in Mullagori, Sultan Khel, Ghundai Sarand and Loe Shalman. Soapstone is the second most important mineral of Khyber Agency. The major deposit lies 7 kilometers from Jamrud Bazaar. The mineral production figures for the year 2015-2016 include 9,260 tons marble, 1, 82, 160 tons of lime stone, 1200 tons of soapstone and 110 tons of barite. At least 39 silk power looms are also operating in Bara with 6,000 workers.
Khyber Agency has a low industrial base having only three industrial units of significance including the Bara Ghee Mills and two cigarette factories namely One More Cigarette Factory and Tatara Cigarette factory with a total employment estimated at 800 persons. There are other small silk processing units at Alam Gudar Bara, which is basically a cottage industry.