PESHAWAR: Fulfilling a longstanding demand of the local population, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has formally divided South Waziristan tribal district into two distinct administrative territories representing the separate demographic entities of Mehsud and Ahmadzai Wazir tribes.

An official notification said that South Waziristan had been divided into two districts; South Waziristan Upper and South Waziristan Lower.

The decision has been taken under the Land Revenue Act, 1967.

According to the notification, the South Waziristan Upper will comprise two sub divisions – Sarwakai and Ladha. Spinkai Raghazai has been notified as the headquarters of newly-created Upper district. Tiarza, Serwakai, Shawal, Ladha, Makin, Shaktui and Sararogha have been made tehsils of South Waziristan Upper.

Wana has been declared as the headquarters of Ahmadzai Wazir tribe-dominated South Waziristan Lower district. The lower district comprises one sub-division (Wana) and four tehsils, including Wana, Shakai, Tolkhela and Birmal.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa now has 36 districts with the bifurcation of South Waziristan. A senior official told Dawn here on Thursday that the provincial cabinet had approved bifurcation of South Waziristan district about four months ago.

He said the provincial task force had also recommended bifurcation of South Waziristan. He said the decision was pending because of the census and ban by the Election Commission of Pakistan on delimitation.

“Since the commission has lifted the ban the provincial government issued the notification to divide the South Waziristan into two districts,” he said.

Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2022