Bannu District (Pashto: بنو ولسوالۍ, Urdu: ضِلع بنوں) is a district in Bannu Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It was recorded as a district in 1861 during the British Raj.[2]:3 It is one of 26 districts that make up the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It borders North Waziristan to the northwest, Karak to the northeast, Lakki Marwat to the southeast, and South Waziristan to the southwest. It is represented in the provincial assembly by four MPAs.[3]
.[2]:3–16
The major industries of Bannu are cloth weaving, sugar mills and the manufacturing of cotton fabrics, machinery and equipment. It is famous for its weekly Jumma fair. The district forms a basin drained by the Kurram and Gambila (or Tochi) rivers, which originate in the hills of Waziristan. Although Bannu is surrounded by rugged and dry mountains, it is a fertile place, and early English visitors had been known to refer to it as a "paradise" – see the beautiful description by Edwardes quoted by Thornton.[2]:6–7
The history of Bannu goes back to prehistoric times, due to its strategic location. Sheri Khan Tarakai is an ancient settlement site located in the Bannu District with ruins of the oldest known village settlement in the Bannu region, which was occupied from the late fifth until the early third millennium BC.[6]
The sacred texts of Zend Avesta and Vendidad mentions Varəna, the Avestan predecessor of the name for Bannu, as one of the sixteen most beautiful and perfect lands created by Ahura Mazda.[7] Bannu is the homeland and birthplace of FerΘraētaona/Frēdōn/Afrīḏūn;[8]:47–50After the British annexation of Punjab, then including parts of the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), the valley was administered by Herbert Edwardes.[5] As a result of his administration, the region became a source of strong support[clarification needed], during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Although the valley itself was peaceful, it was subject to incursions from the Waziri tribes of the Tochi Valley and the neighbouring hills. The primary export of the region was wheat, Salt and alum were also quarried at Kalabagh.[5]
As of 1911, the Indus had no bridges within the district, but was navigable for local boats throughout its course of 76 mi (122 km).[5]
Demographics[edit]
The district has a population of 675,667, according to 1998 consensus, spread over an area of 1,227 square kilometres (474 sq mi). According to 2017 consensus, the population of Bannu district is 1,167,892.[9]
The major first language is Pashto (Banuchi Dialect), accounting for 99.3% of the population.[13]:23
The main tribes are the Bannuchi, Wazir, Yusufzai , Bettani, Mehsud, Dawar, Marwat, Khattak, Bangash, Arain and Sulaimankhel who speak the local Pashto dialects Bannuchi and Wazir
