Historically, the North-West Frontier Province (N.W.F.P.) has always been an important area due to its. strategic locale. The Afghan and the British Governments agreed in 1893 on delineating the Durand Line which has served, since then, as border between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The N.W.F.P’s borders touch or are close to those of China, the U.S.S.R., and the disputed territory of the state of Jammu and Kashmir in the north and Afghanistan to the west all along the mountains and highlands from the Pamirs to the rugged terrain of South Waziristan.

The area comprising the province has a rich past. Its barren hills and passes have seen many famous conquerors and adventurers, like Mahmood of Ghazni, Alexander the Great, Taimur, Emperor Babar, Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah Abdali.

Its snow-capped peaks and lush green valleys of unusual beauty attract tourists and mountaineers from far and wide while its art and architecture is not less known than the historic Khyber Pass.
Its climate various from very cold (Chitral in the north) to very hot in places like Di. Khan.

Once the cradle of Gandhara civilization, the area is now known for its devout Muslims who jealously guard their religion and culture and the way of life which they have been following for centuries.

In 1901, a province by the name of N.W.F.P., was created in place of the buffer zone and was divided into the ‘settled’ and ‘tribal’ areas. The tribal area is now being administered by the Federal Government under a separate administrative system, while the “settled” areas now constitute the North-West Frontier Province which enjoys a lot of autonomy like all other provinces of the country. It covers an area of 74,521 square kilometers. According to the 1981 census, the total population of N.W.F.P., was 11,061 million out of whom 5.761 million are males and

5.300 million females. The rural areas of the province are inhabited by 9.396 million persons, while the rest (1.665 million) constitute the urban population. The density of the population is 148 per square kilometer and the intercenSal change of population is of about 30 percent.

N.W.F.P. shares various common characteristics with other areas and provinces of the country, but the
consciousness for freedom, patriotism, courage and respect for Islamic values of its people make NWFP a distinct socio-physiographic region which could be divided into two zones: the northern one extending from the ranges of the Hindukush to the borders of Peshawar basin; and the southern one extending from Peshawar to the Derajat basin. The northern zone is cold and snowy in winters with heavy rainfall and pleasant summers with the exception of Peshawar basin which is hot in summer and cold in winter. It has moderate rainfall. The southern zone is arid with hot summers and relatively cold winters and scantly rainfall.

N.W.F.P. with its capital at Peshawar, comprises five administrative divisions, namely, Peshawar, Kohat, Hazara, Dera Ismail Khan and Malakand. Peshawar Division consists of the districts of Peshawar and Mardan. Kohat Division comprises the districts of Kohat and Karak; Hazara, those of Abbottabad, Mansehra and Kohistan: Dera Ismail Khan, the districts of D. I. Khan and Bannu; and Malakand, the districts of Swat, Dir and Chitral and the Malakand Agency.

Economy

The economy of the province is based on its agriculture, industry and mineral resources. In all these sectors, the resources are limited, but efforts are being made to boost its economy by tapping the available resources to the maximum extent.

Agriculture

The NWFP has an area of 10,170,000 hectares of land, out of which cultivated area forms about 20 per cent. The irrigated area is about 40 per cent of the total cultivated area, while the rest of the cultivated area is barani land depend on rains for cultivation. Although the cultivated area in the province is only around 10 per cent of the cultivated area of the whole country, its crops, particularly cash crops, contribute much to the export trade of the country and to the national exchequer in the form of various taxes. They mainly include sugarcane and tobacco. Other crops include mainly wheat, rice and maize, but the province is not self-sufficient in food.

Industry

The industrial base of NWFP is extremely limited. Sugar Mills and textile units were the traditional industries in the province. Non-traditional industries are, however, coming up. They include cement, fertilizers, paper, construction materials, food products etc. The public sector is also making much contribution to the industrialisation of the province, particularly in the medium and heavy industries. The Small Industries Development Board has established nine industrial estates throughout the province in which, besides private sector units, it has set up its own units mainly for training in woodwork, carpet-making, woollen textiles and embroideries.

Mineral Resources

A large number of mineral products are available in the province, deposits of which have been established at various quantities. They include: rock salt (Kohat district); soapstone (Abbottabad district); dolomite (Abbottabad and Mardan districts); magnetite (Chitral district); marble (Peshawar and Mardan districts); silica sand (Bannu, D.I. Khan and Abbottabad districts); Gypsum (Kohat district); Mica (Chitral district); baryte (Abbottabad district); chromite (Malakand); gemstone (Chitral); graphite (Mansebra and Chitral districts); phosphate (Abbottabad and Peshawar districts) and iron ore (Abbottabad district).

In 1984-85, production figures of various minerals were: marble 46,500 tones; rock salt 96,637 tones; barytes 437 tones; coal 34,298 tones; dolomite 12,659 tones; feldspar 5,973 tones; gypsum 55,046 tones; limestone 512,121 tones; clay-shale 47,203 tones; fuller earth 1,461 tones; magnetjte 1,203 tones; mica 22.6 tones and soapstone 17,806 tones.

Forests

NWFP has about 13,000 square kilometers under forests. Of the total area, 40 per cent lies in Hazara Division, 46 per cent in Malakand Division and the rest 14 per cent in the trans-Indus tract, south of Peshawar. Most of the forest wealth of the country is located in NWFP where climate is suitable for growth of lofty and durable timber. At the same time, very large area of the province, particularly in the mountains and marginal areas, is available for afforestation which is being done on a massive scale under the watershed management schemes being implemented with the assistance of FAO.

Education

The NWFP has four universities, out of which two are general universities which include Peshawar University at Peshawar and Gomal University at Dera Ismail Khan. The other two universities include Agriculture University and Engineering University, both located at Peshawar. Besides, it has two medical colleges, one at Peshawar and the other at Abbottabad. It has 28 degree colleges, 24 intermediate colleges, 460 High Schools, about 580 middle schools and around 4,700 primary schools. Mosque schools recently introduced in the country, are adding much to the primary level education, particularly in the rural areas of the province. The proportion of female students is poor in the province, less than 20 percent.

But the female enrolment in educational institutions is increasing. Professional and technical education is being promoted through existing as well as new institutions being opened gradually. Islamiat and Pakistan Studies have been included as compulsory subjects for all students so that they could grow into better Pakistanis and true Muslims. For improving primary students’ efficiency and skill and better training of the primary school teachers, a pilot project is being run with the help of computer.

Health

According to data available upto 1985, there were 97 hospitals and 346 dispensaries in NWFP with a combined provision for 6,967 beds. During the last eight years, 474 basic health units were established and 19 dispensaries improved and expanded.

Places of Historical And Tourist Interest

Khyber Pass: The biggest tourist attraction is the historic Khyber Pass which is 17.7 kilometers from Peshawar city and extends to Afghan territory and now forms part of the main Asian Highway. This legendary gateway to the South-Asian subcontinent is more than 35 kilometers long.

Takht-i-Bhai: About 13 kilometers from Mardan on the road to Swat, it presents a finely preserved specimen of true Gandhara architecture which evolved with the coming of the Greeks in the region.

Shahji-ki-Dheri: In the south-eastern outskirts of Peshawar city, lie the ruins of the city of Purushpura, which commemorates the conversion of King Kanishka to Buddism.

Udiyanu (Swat): In this picturesque valley, located near the headquarters city of Saidu Sharif, excavations at Udigram and Mingora depict the life and teachings of Buddha. The Udigram finds have also some traces of earlier periods around the time of Alexander’s invasion. At Saidu Sharif, there is a small museum mostly displaying relics of Gandhara art.

Charsadda: Some 30 kilometers north of Peshawar is the modern urban settlement of Charsadda near which lie the ruins~ of the historic city of Pushkalavati, the pre-Kushan capital of Gandhara, which was captured by Alexander in 324 B.C.

Bala Hissar Fort: An impressive landmark in Peshawar city, the fort, was originally built by Emperor Babur. It was destroyed by Afghans, rebuilt by Humayun, captured by the Roshanis led by Bayzid Ansari, reconquered by Emperor Akbar, surrendered by Han Singh Naiwa, and finally renovated by the British in 1849.

Mahabat Khan ‘s Mosque: Located in Peshawar city, it is a magnificent mosque built by Mahabat Khan, a Mughal Governor of Kabul in 1570 A.D.

Tombs of celebrities: Located near Akora Khattak, off the main Peshawar-Rawalpindi road, is the tomb of the poet Khushal Khan Khattak who fought the Mughals. The tombs of Shah Ismail Shaheed and Syed Ahmed Barelvi, the great freedom-fighters of the subcontinent, are in Balakot in Mansehra district.

Kaghan Valley: It is’the valley of honeymooners, of romance, of natural beauty and legend which combine to endow Kaghan in Mansehra district with a charm unmatched throughout the world. High mountains with their lofty peaks and lakes, including the famous Saiful Muluk lake, make the valley the tourists’ paradise. The valley has many suitable sites for hiking and hang-gliding.

Marghuzar: At a height of 1,281 meters about 13 kilometers south of Saidu Sharif in Swat, Marghuzar is a beauty spot featured prominently by the White Palace of the Swat rulers.. On the 2,745 meters high plateau behind lies the temple of Ram Takht believed by Hindus to be the throne of Ramachandra. According to the legend, Buddha also sat on one of the rocks in the temple and the second Buddha was born here.

Madyan: Situated at a height of 1,328 meters, 56 kilometers north-east of Saidu Sharif on the Kalam Road on the bank of river Swat, Madyan offers a superb view of the countryside and has excellent hiking and camping sites. About 10 kilometres north of Madyan is Bahrain which offers a wonderful view of natural waterfalls and a lovely view of snow-clad mountains. About 60 kilometers north of Bahrain and at an altitude of 2,074 kilometers is Kalam where Ushu and Utrat rivers meet to form the Swat river. Kalam is surrounded by snowcovered peaks, dense forests, wild flowers and green meadows, while the surroundings abound in wildlife including mountain goats, fowls, pheasants and partridges. Not far from Kalam are the valleys of Utrot and Gabral which offer breath-taking natural beauty.

Malam Jabba: A few kilometers from Saidu Sharif, Malam Jabba is the place where the first skiing resort of the country is being developed with the help of the Australian Government.

Ayubia and Galis: Situated at an average height of 2,135 meters, Ayubia has a chair-lift at Ghora Dhaka which attracts visitors to enjoy scenic beauty of pine hills. The nearby hill stations of Nathiagali, Changlagali, Khanspur, Khairagali and Kala Bagh present an unpolluted environment and scenic beauty.

Kalash Valley: Located in Chitral, Kalash Valley, the homeland of Kalash tribe, consists of three smaller valleys of Bombaret, Barrir and Rumbur. The Kalash are a fascinating people with their pagan rituals and taboos.

Garam Chashma: To the south of Chitral is Garam Chashma, the headquarters of Latkoh tehsil, famous for a large number of boiling sulphur springs which have a healing effect on skin diseases.

Other hill stations include Abbottabad, Thandiani, Parachinar, Cherat and Samana.

Tarbela: World’s biggest earth and rock-filled dam over Indus, Tarbela lies about 40 kilometers off Rawalpindi-Peshawar highway and is worth a visit.

Transport And Communications

NWFP is served by air, rail and road transport.

P.I.A. operates daily services to important cities of the country, while it operates periodical services to Gulf points like Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. NWFP has less than 800 kilometers of railway. The places linked by rail are Peshawar, Kohat, Hangu, Thai, Havelian, Mardan, Dargai, Nowshera, Charsadda, Landikhana (in Khyber Pass), Bannu and Tank. But road transport is preferred in the province because of peculiar geo-physical conditions. There were 135,000 vehicles on roads in 1985-86. The Government Road Transport Service which is very popular in NWFP operates about 800 buses, some even on uneconomical routes in remote areas, provided as a utility service by the Government. The total length of various types of roads is around 6,500 kilometers.

Arts and Crafts

Gandhara art, which was largely expressed through sculpture, is the valuable heritage of NWFP. In the Gandhara school of art, creation of the Buddha, after nearly 500 years of his death, means search for an ideal human being who is above the common man, but is not a god, who ultimately aims at bringing human beings under the influence of his moral teachings. The Buddhist architecture consisted of stupas and monastic establishments which one finds in Julian near Taxila.

Among visual arts, Persian miniatures and calligraphy can be seen in old buildings. Contemporary paintings still carry Persian influence under which calligraphy of the Holy Quran is taking the shape of a popular art. The Abasin Arts Council and the Department of Fine Arts of Peshawar University are promoting visual arts.

Among the crafts, NWFP possesses a great wealth of skills particularly in carpet-making, textiles, embroidery, wood work, pottery, metal work, lacquer work, jewellery and all sorts of small-scale arms and ammunition which has developed in Darra Adamkhel in the tribal areas.

Cultural Heritage

Life in the area started about 20,000 B.C., as the Sanghao cave of Mardan district shows use of stone tools. Gradually, primitive agriculture took shape in these valleys, but about 2,000 B.C., Aryans invaded this area and introduced metal. Towards sixth century B.C., the tribes of Gandhara who had so far been leading independent tribal life united themselves into a kingdom under King Pushkala Sakti. They introduced irrigation. Social life was improved by creating village councils called “Sabha” with village elders as its members, who used to settle all the disputes as~ is done currently under the ‘Jirga’ system. A higher council called Samiti was also introduced for implementation of king’s orders. In 331 B.C., Alexander the Great invaded the area. From third century B.C., onward, introduction of Buddhism led to new social developments Also new people like Greeks, Scythians, Parthians, Kushans, Huns and Turks came and settled here.

In seventh century A.D. the socio-political pattern and economy were shattered once again by the invasion and takeover by Hindu-Turkish rulers. Again in the eighth century A.D., Afghans took over in the wake of Muslim invasion. By that time, however, urban settlements had come into being due to improvement in agriculture, promotion of local handicrafts and participation of Gandhara in the international trade. Road system had also developed to the extent that routes from China and India passed through Gandhara for going onwards to Central Asia and Europe.

At the end of seventh century A.D., the economy of Gandhara stood shattered. By the 10th century A.D., socio-political pattern had changed completely. The Hindu-Turkish rulers known as Hindu Shahis had gone into hill forts. Now, the Muslim rulers from Ghazni and Ghor started invading the area, while in the 16th century A.D., the Mughals coming through the Khyber Pass, established themselves in India and set up an outpost in Peshawar. They also built a road connecting Peshawar with Kabul. The Mughals had, however, their attention concentrated on India and tribal system came into practice in this area once again. Later in the 19th century A.D., Sikhs were ruling this area. The British then came to rule the area upto 1947 when it got independence as a part of the Muslim state of Pakistan.

This brief historical account proves only one thing, that this area remained transitional in cultural formation due to which the culture that evolved formed pluralistic patterns, however, drawing heavily upon Gandhara and Muslim civilizations. Therefore, the folklores, the dresses, the ornaments and the tribal pattern of living — all represent the same tradition.

Sports and Recreation

Tribal dances like the famous Khattak dance, horse riding, pistol and rifle shooting are the well-known pastimes of the people. Dancing is also popular in Chitral and Hazara, particularly on festive occasions. In Chitral, polo is a common sport.
Among festivals, the religious festivals of Eidul Fitr, Eidul Azha and Urs of Rehman Baba, Pir Baba, Kaka Sahib, all big saints in their own right, and Jhanda Mela at Peshawar are famous. Celebration of seasonal festivals and rituals by Kalash tribe of Chitral present a cultural feat. Jashn-e-Khyber, a yearly festival arranged by the Government, presents a number of cultural activities and draws crowds and merchandise for display not only from the province, but from all over the country.