ISLAMABAD: The population of the seven Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) has grown by 57 per cent over the past 19 years despite the fact that most residents have moved to settled areas because of military operations against militants in the region.

According to the provisional figures of the 2017 census compiled by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, the population of Fata stands at five million as compared to 3.2m of the 1998 census.

With slightly over 1m people, Bajaur Agency becomes the most populated tribal agency with an increase of 84pc from the 595,227 people who lived there in 1998.

Khyber Agency comes second with 986,973 residents with an increase of 80.5pc from 546,730 people in 1998.

Kurram Agency is third with 619,553 residents with more than 38pc increase in its population from 448,310 people in the last census.

South Waziristan ranks fourth with 679,185 residents with a growth of 58pc from 429,841 people in 1998.

North Waziristan comes fifth with a population of 543,254 with a 51pc increase from 361,246 people who lived there in 1998.

Orakzai Agency ranks last in the seven tribal agencies with 254,356 residents compared to 225,441 in 1998, registering an increase of 12.8pc. It is the only tribal agency which posted the least growth in its population perhaps because of the migration to the settled areas.

The Frontier Regions (FR) are a group of small administrative units lying immediately to the east of the tribal agencies. The overall administration of these regions is also controlled by the Fata secretariat.

The population of FR Bannu rose to 43,114 residents from 19,593; FR D.I. Khan to 68,556 from 38,990; FR Kohat to 118,578 from 88,456; FR Lakki Marwat to 26,359 from 6,987; FR Peshawar to 64,691 from 53,841 and FR Tank to 36,389 from 27,216.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2017