Pakistan's Tribal Areas: Perception and Reality
By Noshad Khan
15 May 2008
A thin wedge the size of Belgium, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan are in the words of Toynbee the ‘Crossroads of Civilisations’ connecting Central Asia with South Asia. The FATA consists of a combination of seven agencies and six Frontier Regions (FR), with a population of more than 3.5 million. Primarily a semi-arid mountainous region of 2,700 square kilometres, it is located to the east of the Pakistani-Afghan border along the Durand Line and occupies a crucially important geo-strategic location. Yusafzais, Mohmands, Afridis, Shinwaris, Osrakzais, Turis, Bangash, Wazirs and Mehsoods are the chief Pashtun tribes of the FATA, united at a visceral level by their famous tribal code of conduct, Pukhtunwali.
15 May 2008
A thin wedge the size of Belgium, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan are in the words of Toynbee the ‘Crossroads of Civilisations’ connecting Central Asia with South Asia. The FATA consists of a combination of seven agencies and six Frontier Regions (FR), with a population of more than 3.5 million. Primarily a semi-arid mountainous region of 2,700 square kilometres, it is located to the east of the Pakistani-Afghan border along the Durand Line and occupies a crucially important geo-strategic location. Yusafzais, Mohmands, Afridis, Shinwaris, Osrakzais, Turis, Bangash, Wazirs and Mehsoods are the chief Pashtun tribes of the FATA, united at a visceral level by their famous tribal code of conduct, Pukhtunwali.
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