Situated over a ridge at an altitude of more than 6,500 feet, Samana is at a distance of about three hours from Kohat in the NWFP. As one travels from Kohat to District Hangu on the way to Samana, one comes across the beautifully maintained headquarters of Orakzai agency, the only agency in the tribal areas of Pakistan that does not share any border with Afghanistan.
The landscape is plain up till Hangu but after Hangu the road starts taking an upward gradient and soon one enters the green shrubby mountainous region. The road is narrow but in acceptable condition. The gradient becomes steeper and steeper and the engines start panting as the height increases. In the absence of altimeters, the cool air of the surroundings clearly points to a change in atmosphere. The view throughout the journey is eye catching. It takes about two hours to reach Samana from Hangu with of course a few sightseeing stopovers. Although sandwiched between tribal areas, Samana is part of settled Hangu District.
The first thing that comes into sight on reaching Samana is a tall concrete monument built by the British in the memory of those 21 Sikh soldiers who died here fighting against the tribal people in 1897. One really wonders what the British must be doing in this far-flung area a hundred years back where one even now feels as if he is living in the eighteenth century. It also makes one realize the devotion with which the British served their sovereign. The Samana ridge effectively dominates the scenic Tirah valley in the west and equally breathtaking Hangu valley to the east.
One of the most important landmarks of Samana is Fort Lockhart, which was constructed in 1891 after the conclusion of the Miranzai expedition by General Sir William Lockhart, commander of Kohat Garrison. The fort was basically built as a military outpost to humble formidable Orakzai tribes who did not want to submit to the mighty British Empire.
The fort is located at an altitude of 6,743 feet above sea level and is a small rectangular structure consisting of stonewalls with flanking bastions. In 1897 during the operation against Orakzai tribes, the fort was initially housed by the 36 Sikh regiment and later by the 2nd Gorkha rifles. It is interesting to note that in the tribal areas, which always proved the hardest nut for the British to crack, they usually employed either Sikh or Gorkha regiments, both known for their unflinching courage and valour.
A post namely “Saragarhi” was also maintained in the fort. This post was used to convey and receive signals from a similar post at Fort Cavagnari (Fort Gulistan) in Kohat with the help of mirrors or lamps. After the partition of the subcontinent the Frontier Constabulary occupied the fort. During the Russian invasion of Afghanistan, an air defence unit was deployed here later to be replaced by an army battle school.
It may be worth mentioning here that due to peculiar culture of the tribal and associated frontier regions the British built a series of forts all over the tribal areas of which Fort Alexandra in Razmak, Miranshah Fort in North Waziristan, Burki Fort in Kurram Agency and Bajaur Fort are more important. These forts were usually although not necessarily built on heights from where a watch on vast area could be possible. These forts were not a luxury but a necessity for British and helped them in keeping the hostile tribal lashkars away.
Samana has a few good buildings most of which reminds us of British rule. These include old Deputy Commissioner’s residence that has now been taken over by some other agency; the residence has a splendid view of the surrounding valley.
This building has the full potential to be turned into a tourist motel if somebody cares. Similar to forts, British also built elegant rest houses throughout tribal areas known as Governor’s cottage. Out of these the Governor’s cottages of Razmak, Parachinar and Samana are worth seeing. With its lush green lawns, apple orchards, and lovely surrounding views, the Governor’s cottage of Samana also known as Orakzai House is very tastefully maintained. Besides Governor’s cottage there is a C&W rest house where lodging is available on prior booking. As one strolls in Samana one comes across a few very well maintained parks and lawns.
While moving around in Samana one really wonders why places like these cannot be developed into tourist resort, probably its proximity to tribal areas and sectarianism stricken Hangu is one reason. Still Government should consider developing Samana into an all season tourist resort. This will not only provide people with a scenic valley to explore but also will be a source of employment to local people.
Situated over a ridge at an altitude of more than 6,500 feet, Samana is at a distance of about three hours from Kohat in the NWFP. As one travels from Kohat to District Hangu on the way to Samana, one comes across the beautifully maintained headquarters of Orakzai agency, the only agency in the tribal areas of Pakistan that does not share any border with Afghanistan.
