Lower Dir District

Lower Dir ( ，) is one of the 27 districts in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is in the north-western part of the province and has an area of 1583 square kilometers.  Timergara city is the district headquarters and largest city.

It used to be one district named Dir but in 1996 it was divided into two, Upper Dir and Lower Dir.The population of lower dir is mainly Yousafzai pashtoon including Clans (khadagzai, Adenzai , Malizai) and partly utmankhel tribe.

 History 
At the time of Pakistan's independence in 1947, Dir was a princely state ruled by Nawab Shah Jehan Khan. It was merged in Pakistan in 1969 and later on declared a district in 1970. Later on in 1996 it was divided into Lower Dir and Upper Dir.

 Geography 
Some of Dir is mountainous with peaks rising to 5000 meters.

 Demographics 
The population of the Lower Dir district was 797,852 according to the 1998 census report. The population of Dir Lower was predicted to be 1.037.091 in 2005.

 Administration 
Lower Dir is divided into seven Tehsils which contain a total of 41 union councils.
TehsilUnion councilsAdenzaiAsbanr, Badwan, Chakdara, Khadagzai,Tazagram, Khanpur, Kotigram, OuchBalambatBalambat, Hayaserai, Lajbook, Munjai, Koto, RabatKhallkhall ,khall Shalfalam, Tormang-1, Tormang-ii,Sultan Khel.Lal Qila MaidanBishgram, Lal Qilla, Gall Maidan, Kotkai (Maidan), Zaimdara,MundaKhazana, Mia Kalai, Munda,Samar BaghDarangai, Kambat, Mayar, Maskini, Sadbar Kali, Samar BaghTimergaraBagh Dush Khel, Bandagai, Khungai, Malak Abad Ghara, Noora Khel, Shahi Khel Ziarat Talash, Timergara (Urban)

 National Assembly 
This district is represented by two elected MNA's (Member of National Assembly) in Pakistan National Assembly. Its constituencies are NA-6 & 7.
Member of National AssemblyParty AffiliationYearQazi Hussain AhmadMuttahida Majlis-e-Amal2002Maulana Ahmad Ghafoor GhawasMuttahida Majlis-e-Amal2003Malak Azmat KhanPakistan Peoples Party2008Shahib Zada Muhammad YaqubJamaat-e-Islami Pakistan2013Mahboob ShahPakistan Tehrik Insaf2018Bashir KhanPakistan Tehrik Insaf2018
Qazi Hussain Ahmad won the general elections in 2002 but he left the seat as he had also won from his native constituency. Therefore, in January 2003 another election was held.

 Provincial Assembly 
The district is represented by five elected MPAs in the provincial assembly.
 PK-13 (Lower Dir-I)
 PK-14 (Lower Dir-II)
 PK-15 (Lower Dir-III)
 PK-16 (Lower Dir-IV)
 PK-17 (Lower Dir-V)

Related pages
 Upper Dir District
 Swat District

References