FATA Profile by Directory Pakistan.

 Introduction to Federal Administrated Tribal Area:

The  Federally,  Administered  Tribal  Area  (FATA)  runs  along  the  Pak Afghan  Frontier  for  about  500 Kilometers  and  Provincially  Administered  Tribal  Area  (PATA)  is  attached  to  adjoining  districts  of Peshawar,   Kohat,   Bannu   and   DeraIsmail   Khan.   FATA   is   federal   Area.   It   has   been   divided

administratively into the following seven agencies.

• Khyber Agency
• Mohmand Agency
• Bajour Agency
• Kurram Agency
• Aurakzai Agency
• North Waziristan Agency
• South Waziristan Agency

The  Federally  Administered  Tribal  Area  (FATA)  is  situated  in  a  narrow  belt  along  the  Pak-Afghan border,  known  as  Durand  Line  named  after  Sir  Mortimer  Durand  who  surveyed  and  established  this borderline between 1890-94.Administratively,  FATA  is  divided  into  seven  political  agencies  viz  Bajaur.  Mohmand, Khyber.  Orakzai, Kurram. North and South Waziristan and six Frontier Regions: Peshawar FR, Kohat FR, Bannu FR, D. l.

Khan FR. Tank FR and Lakki Marwat FR. The set up of the administrative agencies of Khyber, Kurram and North and South Waziristan all date back to the I880s and 90’s. The other three agencies were created after the inception of Pakistan.

Location:

Although the British never succeeded in completely calming unrest in the region,it served as a buffer from unrest in Afghanistan. The British Colonial Government attempted to control the population of the annexed tribal regions with the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR), which granted large amounts of power to local leaders along the North-West Frontier as part of the process of indirect rule^. Due to “the extremely harsh, inhuman and discriminatory provisions” contained within the FCR, the legislation came to be known as the “black law.”

After Independence:

The annexed areas continued to be governed through the Frontier Crimes Regulations after the creation of Pakistan in 1947, by the Dominion of Pakistan in 1947, and into the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in 1956.

According to the United States Institute of Peace, the character of the region underwent a shift beginning in the 1980s. Mujahideen entered to fight against the jirgas as allies of the CIA Operation Cyclone; both were opposed to forces of the Soviet Union prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall and collapse of Soviet Union.

In 2001, the Tehrik-e-Taliban militants began entering into the region^.In 2003, Taliban forces sheltered in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas began crossing the border into Afghanistan, attacking military and police after the United States invasion. Shkin, Afghanistan was a key location for these frequent battles. This heavily fortified military base housed mostly American special operations forces since 2002 and is located six kilometers from the Pakistani border. It is considered the most dangerous location in Afghanistan.

Since the September 11 attacks in the United States of 2001, the tribal areas were a major theatre of militancy and terrorism. The Pakistan Army launched 10 operations against the Pakistani Taliban since 2001, notably the Operation Zarb-e-Azb in North Waziristan. The operations displaced about two million people from the tribal areas, as schools, hospitals, and homes have been destroyed in the war.

With the encouragement of the United States, 80,000 Pakistani troops entered the Federally Administered Tribal Areas in March 2004 to search for al-Qaeda operatives, meeting with fierce resistance from Pakistani Taliban. It was not the elders, but the Pakistani Taliban who negotiated a truce with the army, an indication of the extent to which the Pakistani Taliban had taken control.Troops entered the region, into South Waziristan and North Waziristan, eight more times between 2004 and 2006, and faced further Pakistani Taliban resistance. Peace accords entered into in 2004 and 2006 set terms whereby the tribesmen in the area would stop attacking Afghanistan, and the Pakistanis would halt major military actions against the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, release all prisoners, and permit tribesmen to carry small guns. On 4 June 2007, the National Security Council of Pakistan met to decide the fate of Waziristan and take up a number of political and administrative decisions to control “Talibanization” of the area. The meeting was chaired by President Pervez Musharraf and it was attended by the Chief Ministers and Governors of all four provinces. They discussed the deteriorating law and order situation and the threat posed to state security. To crush the armed militancy in the Tribal regions and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the government decided to intensify and reinforce law enforcement and military activity, take action against certain madrasas, and jam illegal FM radio stations.

History of Region:

The areas constituting Federally Administered Tribal Area have held a unique position in the history of the Sub-Continent. The harsh mountain land interspersed with many passes, the most famous of these being  the  Khyber  Pass,  has  over  the  centuries  provided  passage  for  invaders  from  the  north.  The Aryans  entered  India  through  these  passes  as  did  Alexander  the  Great.  The  British  realizing  the importance of this area, during the period of the Forward Policy of Lord Curzon,  demarcated this area through  the  Durand  Line  as  a  buffer  zone  for  their  Indian  Empire  against  the  threat  of  the  Tsarist Russia’s expansion.  The  demarcation  of  the  area  however,  did  not  totally  subsume  the  political autonomy  of  the  region.  Except  where  strategic  considerations  dictated,  the  area  was  allowed  to exercise its peculiar administration based on tribal laws and institutions.One  of  the  earliest  references  to  this  area  and  its  people  dates  back  to  the  invasion  of  Alexander  the Great  circa  323  B.C.  in  which  a  tribe  called  the  Apurtae  were  said  to  inhabit  the  hills  of  the  present Khyber Agency. The change of name to the present Apredai in the local dialect is not difficult to discern.

The  autonomous  status  of  FATA  was  accepted  by  Pakistan  on  its  independence  through  the  famous Instrument  of  Accession  signed  by  the  Father  of  the  Nation,  Quaid-e-Azam  Muhammad  Ali  Jinnah,  at the Bannu Tribal Jirga in January 1948. The same has been enshrined in all constitutions of the Islamic Republic  of  Pakistan,  including  the  Constitution  of  1973  in  its  Article  247.Under  Article  247  of  the constitution  of  the  Islamic  Republic  of  Pakistan  the  Federally  Administered  Tribal  Areas  (FATA)  fall under  the  executive  authority  of  the  Federation.  In  terms  of  Article  247  and  the  linked  SRO  109  of 25/6/1970,  administrative  powers  with  respect  to  FATA  vest  in  the  President  of  Pakistan  who  has appointed the  Governor  North  West  Frontier  Province  to  act  as  his  Agent  for  FATA  for  exercise  of executive authority in these areas, in such manner and to such extent as the President may from time to time direct. The Agent to the President is to he assisted in this function by the various heads of the line departments  in  their  specific  areas  of  administration.  The  exception  outside  the  purview  of  the  line departments  of  NWFP  is  the  FATA  Development  Corporation  supervised  by  a  Board  of  Directors established to lookafter the development of industry, minerals and water resources in FATA.

Races And Tribes:

The Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) as its name suggests is characterized by a strong tribal structure. There are 11 major tribes with several small tribes and sub tribes. The overwhelming majority of the population is Muslim with a sprinkling of minorities such as Sikhs, Hindus etc. Pushto is the main language with the softer dialect of ‘Pushto’ being spoken in the south and the more guttural dialect of Pakhtu spoken in north. A less spoken language is Urmari in the south.

CULTURE

Dress And Ornaments:

The  tribesmen  generally  wear  loose  shirt  and  trousers.  A  large  turban  is  placed  on  the  head  with Achadar and  rifle  on  shoulder.  The  women folk generally  use  printed  cloth.  Their  working  and  festival dressesare  all  the  same  with  the  exception  that  they  wear  new  dress  on  festivals.  In  winter  season achadaror  woolen blanket is used by the males. While in the case of females their dress remains the same.The following ornaments are generally used by women:

Bangles

Bracelets

Pazeb (anklet)

Karah (a type of bangles made of silver or gold)

Nath (nose ring)

Golden rings and ear rings

Food:

Wheat, maize, barley and rice with meat and vegetables, are the staple foods. The bread is large in size either  baked  on  iron  pans  or  in  ovens.  Chillies  and  other  spices  are  not  very  much  liked.  On  festivals roasted meat isserved. It is very delicious in taste and the most favorite diet of tribesmen.Since wheat is the mostly cultivated crop in the area, the people are very fond of eating seikh tikka with it, which is the most delicious item of food in tribal areas.

Dwelling:

Dwelling  houses  of  all the  tribesmen  are  alike  and  are  in  the  shape  of  fortress  with  towers.  These houses are mostly situated at commanding sites on the hills. Some of these little forts comprise 10 to I5 houses within the enclosures. In tribal areas each family has its own separate dwelling, proportionate in size to the members of the households and their cattle and flocks.In some areas people have two dwellings places, one for summer and other for winter season and move along with their families and flocks to these dwellings.

As regards construction material, the walls of hamlets are always built of stone and mud. Wood is used for  doors,  windows  and  ceilings.  Entrance  to  the  fortress  is  through  main  gate,  while  for  the  use  of women flock there is a small side door. As one enters the main gate, he finds a vast courtyard with one or two rooms, depending on the social status of the family, for use of guests and male members of the family. There is also a mosque in the same compound. In most of the villages, only the mosques will be found with cemented floor, the interior of house is very simple with no decoration and furniture. Mostly they keep cattle inside their houses.Every  cluster  of  houses  has Hujra where  the  male  members  of  the  community  daily  discuss  their  local issues and spend time. It is also a common place used as a guest room as well. It is an important part of the Pakhtoon culture which is now gradually changing with the passage of time.

Occupation:

Generally, the people are not literate; some people have gone to the Middle East for earning which has brought  some  prosperity to  the  area.  Most  of  the  people  are  involved  in  business  as  shopkeepers, merchants  and  transporters  etc.  A  significant  number  of  people  are  also  found  in  large  cities  of  the country in different occupations.

Rituals:

Birth:

At  the  birth  of  a  male  child,  parents  receive  congratulations  but  the  birth  of  a  female  child  generally passes unnoticed. The village Maulvi intonesazaninto the ears of the child. There is great rejoicing on the  birth  of  a  male  child,  guns  are  fired  in  the  air  and  musicians  beat  their  drums. The  first  ceremony after a child’s birth issarkalai(shaving  the  head).  The  circumcision  follows.  All  relatives  are  invited, refreshments are served and gifts are received.

Marriages:

The tribal people follow a classical Pakhtoonmarriage custom. Generally, marriages are held within the tribe  but  there  is  no  restriction  on  marrying  out  of  the  tribe.  The  parents  of  the  boy  and  girl  arrange marriages. During negotiations in some areas some parents of the girls demand money and amount is fixed according to the position of parties. That amount is calledwalwar(bride money) It includes a sum of marriage expenses and jewelry. A certain quantity of rice, sugar, edible oil etc are also included in the demand. After engagement, a culturaltaboo forbids the girl to appear before her fiancé. On the day of the wedding, a large procession called janjfrom the boy’s family moves to the girl’s house on the fixed date.  The  bride  is  brought  in  a  big  procession  of  fanfare  and  the  young  fire  gunshots  in  the  air  in jubilation. In the night, the wedding knot is affirmed by reading of some holy verses from the Quran.

Death:

Corpses  of  the  dead  are  buried  according  to  Islamic  rites.  The  villagers  jointly  prepare  grave  and  the men and women assemble in the house of the deceased for condoling the death. Men in large number.

Merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa:

On 2 March 2017, the federal government considered a proposal to merge the tribal areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and to repeal the Frontier Crimes Regulations.However, some political parties opposed the merger, and called for the tribal areas to instead become a separate province of Pakistan.

The proposed merger was near finalized at a meeting presided over by President Mamnoon Hussain at the Presidency in January 2017. The Prime Minister gave approval after discussing the issue with all the stakeholders.By March 2017, the federal cabinet approved the merger of  FATA with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other reforms.

National Implementation Committee on FATA Reforms:

On 18 December 2017, the National Implementation Committee (NIC) on FATA Reforms, chaired by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, endorsed the FATA-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa merger and agreed to let FATA elect 23 members to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly in the July 2018 general elections. The NIC also decided to remove controversial sections of the Frontier Crimes Regulations and to allow colonial-era regulation to continue with a sunset clause to be replaced entirely once a proper judicial system is in place in the tribal region.

Constitutional Amendment:

On 24 May 2018, the National Assembly of Pakistan passed a bill to enact the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan which called for the merger of FATA with the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The vote was 229–1 in favor of the amendment. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party lawmakers walked out from the assembly ahead of the vote. The sole dissenter was Dawar Kundi of the PTI.

On 25 May 2018, Twenty-fifth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan was passed with a majority in the Senate of Pakistan. A total of 69 votes was needed for the bill to be approved; the vote was 71–5 in favor of the amendment for FATA, K-P merger.

On 27 May 2018, Thirty-first Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan was passed with a majority in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. A total of 83 votes was needed for the bill to be approved, the vote was an 87–7 in favor of the amendment for FATA, K-P merger.

Qabailistan Proposal:

Parliamentarians from tribal areas took strong exception to a resolution adopted by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly asking for merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas with their province. The Awami National Party also made similar demands that the FATA be merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. These proposals were opposed by tribal parliamentarians in Islamabad.The name Qabailistan was proposed for FATA as a new province separate from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Qabailistan proposal never got any traction and was dropped in favor of merging FATA into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The total population of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas was estimated in 2000 to be about 3,341,080 people, or roughly 2% of Pakistan’s population. Only 3.1% of the population resides in established townshipsAccording to 2011 estimates FATA gained 62.1% population over its 1998 figures, totaling up to 4,452,913. This was the fourth-highest increase in population of any province, after that of Balochistan, Sindh and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Languages:

According to the 2017 census of Pakistan, 98.4% of the population of FATA had Pashto as mother tongue, followed by 0.49% Urdu, 0.28% Punjabi, 0.10% Sindhi and 0.08% spoke Balochi.

Religions:

Over 99.6% of the population was Muslim belonging to the Sunni Hanafi Fiqh.According to a report by the government of Pakistan there were around 50,000 religious minority members living in former FATA region.These included 20,000 Sikh, 20,000 Christians and 10,000 Hindus.

Relations with the Pakistani Military:

In 2001, the Pakistani military entered the Federally Administered Tribal Areas for the first time which was previously governed by Frontier Corps. In 2010, The New America Foundation and Terror Free Tomorrow conducted the first comprehensive public opinion survey in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. The results showed that, on the issue of fighting militancy in the region, the people of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas overwhelmingly support the Pakistani military. Nearly 70 percent back the Pakistani military pursuing Al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters in the Tribal Areas. According to a survey, when asked how the Federally Administered Tribal Areas should be governed, 79 percent said it should be governed by the Pakistani military^.

In 2014, about 929,859 people were reported to be internally displaced from North Waziristan as a result of Operation Zarb-e-Azb, a military offensive conducted by the Pakistan Armed Forces along the Durand Line.

Administrative divisions:

Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).The Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) consisted of two types of areas, the Tribal Agencies, and Frontier Regions. There were seven Tribal Agencies and six Frontier Regions.

Tribal Agencies:

The Tribal Agencies were further divided into Subdivisions, and Tehsils. According to the Election Commission of Pakistan, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas consisted of the following subdivisions and tehsils:

Bounderies:

It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Lower  Dir,  on  the  east  by  Malakand  Protected  Area,  Charsadda, Peshawar, Nowshera, Kohat, Hangu, Karak, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Tank and D. I. Khan Districts, on the south  Dera  Ghazi  Khan  District  (Punjab  Province)  Zhob  and  Musa  Khel  Districts  (Baluchistan)  and  on the west is Afghanistan.

Area:

Total area of the Federally Administered Tribal Area is 27,220 square kilometers.

Physical Features and Topography:

Geographically,  Federally  Administered  Tribal  Area  can  be  divided  into  three  parts  the  northern,  the central and the southern regions.

Northern Region: The northern region lying between the Swat and Kabul rivers comprises the agencies of  Bajaur  and  Mohmand.  In  Bajaur  land  is  extensively  cultivated  but  is  severely  affected  by  indifferent flows  in  hill  torrents  and  seasonal  streams.  The  land  is  mostly  mountainous  with  deep  ravines  which limit irrigated agriculture. The temperate climatic conditions however, make it possible to grow a variety of cash crops including oil seeds, fruits and vegetables.

Central  Region:  The  central  region  comprises  the  Khyber,  Kurram  and  Orakzai  agencies  and  the Frontier  Regions of Kohat  and Peshawar. The Khyber Pass, which serves as a key international trade route,  has  promoted  the  development  of  a  major  service  and  retail  industry  in  the  area,  providing employment  for  the  tribesmen,  In  the  foot  hills  of  the 4,000  meters  high  snow  clad  Sufed  Koh  (White Mountain)  lie the fertile  Khanki Toe. Mastura River  and the Bara River  valleys.  The Kurram valley  has extensively  cultivated  agricultural  land  in  Federally  Administered  Tribal  Area.  Kurram  Agency  also abounds in high hill coniferous forests.The  Khyber  hills,  however,  composed  of  carboniferous  materials,  are  largely  barren.  The  Kohat  hills, which  extend from the Kurram valley to  the  lndus, are equally barren but offer huge rock.

The Former FATA region was amongst the most impoverished parts of the nation. Despite being home to 2.4% of Pakistan’s population, it made up only 1.5% of Pakistan’s economy with a per capita income of only $663 in 2010 only 34% of households managed to rise above the poverty level.

Due to the Former FATA region’s tribal organization, the economy was chiefly pastoral, with some agriculture practiced in the region’s few fertile valleys. Its total irrigated land was roughly 1,000 square kilometres. The region was a major center for opium trafficking, as well the smuggling of other contraband.

Foreign aid to the region was a difficult proposition, according to Craig Cohen, an analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. Since security is difficult, local nongovernmental organizations were required to distribute aid, but there was a lack of trust amongst NGOs and other powers that hampered distribution. Pakistani NGOs were often targets of violent attacks by Islamist militants in the Former FATA region. Due to the extensive hostility to any hint of foreign influence, the American branch of Save the Children was distributing funding anonymously in the region as of July 2007.The concept of setting up Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs) in the former FATA region and Afghanistan was an element in the United States Government’s counter-terrorism and regional economic integration strategies.

Health:

There was one hospital bed for every 2,179 people in the former FATA region, compared to one in 1,341 in Pakistan as a whole. There was one doctor for every 7,670 people compared to one doctor per 1,226 people in Pakistan as a whole. 43% of the former FATA region’s citizens had access to clean drinking water. Much of the population is suspicious about modern medicine, and some militant groups are openly hostile to vaccinations.

In June 2007, a Pakistani doctor was blown up in his car “after trying to counter the anti-vaccine propaganda of an imam in Bajaur”, Pakistani officials told The New York Times.

Education:

The Former FATA region had a total of 6,050 government education institutions out of which 4,868 were functional. Out of these 4,868 functional institutions, 77 percent (3,729) were primary schools. Total enrolment in government institutions was 612,556 out of which 69 percent were studying at primary stage. Total number of working teachers in FATA was 22,610 out of which 7,540 were female. The survival rate from Grade KG to Grade 5 was 36 percent while the transition rate from primary to middle in public schools in Ex-FATA was 64 percent (73 percent for boys and 45 percent for girls).

The Former FATA region has one university, FATA University in Akhurwal, Darra Adam Khel, FR Kohat, which was approved by Mir Hazar Khan Khoso in May 2013. Classes commenced on 24 October 2016, under the direction of Dr. Mohammad Tahir Shah, former professor of geology at University of Peshawar.The university plans to open sub-campuses at Khar, Miran Shah, and Parachinar.

The Former FATA region’s literacy rate is 22%, which is well below the nationwide rate of 56%. 35.8% of men, and only 7.5% of women received education, compared to a nationwide 44% of women.

Salt Deposits:

These are for commercial extraction.Southern  Region:  The  southern  region  consists  of  the  North  and  South  Waziristan  and  the  Frontier Regions of D. l. Khan, Tank, Bannu and Lakki. Towards the south of this region is the Gomal River while the  Kurram  River  flows  towards  the  north.  The  region  is  bound  on  its  western  side  by  the  Afghan districts of Birmal and Khost and by the Bannu basin and Derajat on its east. Igneous rock formations in the Waziristan hills suggest a specifically active area, particularly in the Tochi valley around Datta Khel, and the Makin Kaniguram area, where also a number of important minerals are available in commercial quantities.

Soil:

The Federally Administered Tribal Area consists of four (4) major landform/ physiographic units such as piedmont plains/valleys, gravely fans/aprons, rough broken land/ gullied land and mountains. The plain areas  of  valleys  are  mainly  of  alluvial  and  partly  loessic  origin.  The nearby  level  areas  are  loamy whereas  the  slightly  low-lying  lands  are  of  clayey  textured.  They  are  homogenized  with  weak  to moderate profile development and are slightly to strongly calcareous. The content of organic matter and available phosphorus is very low.

The  gravely  fans  and  aprons  are  encountered  near  the  foot-hills  as  the  higher  graded  intermittent torrents/streams  shed  their  load  due  to  sudden  decrease  in  velocity.  The  alluvium  is  composed  of heterogeneous  material  with  little  soil.  The  natural  vegetation  is  also  scanty  consisting  of  artemisia, kaloxylon and ziziphus special which are grazed by local animals.The rough broken and gullied lands are characterized by steep slope, active geological erosion and high run-off. The natural vegetation is spared.The  mountains  comprise  sandstone, limestone,  shale,  quartzite,  schist,  Phyllis,  diorite  and conglomerates. High relief, steep slopes and severe erosion are the identifying feature of these units. There is a little soil cover on the mountains. The natural vegetation is of mixed type and its density depends upon the amount of rainfall and geological formation of the hills.

Issues in the Region:

Pakistan: FATA people facing trouble after merger with KP

Interim Governance Regulation:

The abolition of FCR and promulgation of the Interim Governance Regulation for the interim period to provide                  legal cover to the transition period.

Health:
Extension of the Independent Monitoring Unit (IMU) to the merged areas to demonstrate immediate provision of staff and removal of deficiencies from 7 District Head Quarters (DHQs). Immediate recruitment will offer livelihood to 2,200 families.

Law and Order:

To fill the 2,200 vacant posts of levies, training of levies to be conducted according to police standards and the police to move inside in a sequential manner. Establishment of courts for a uniform judicial system with the provision of Dispute Resolution Councils (DRCs), a method of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), which has been beneficial to the people despite the violations of human rights.

Finance:

Punjab and KP, along with the Federal Government, to provide three percent of their share from the federal development budget. The provincial budget shall include a budget for erstwhile FATA in FY 2019-2020 making it the legal responsibility of the Provincial Assembly and the Cabinet.

Education:

To show the immediate presence of the government, checking for absent teachers and identification of missing facilities, extension of the IMU system, fulfilling the needs of all high schools, vacant posts to be filled and sanctioning of new posts needs to be carried out.

Political Participation:

Enact the Local Government Act and hold local government elections at the same time as provincial which will ensure grass-root level ownership. District level elders nominated by tribes for peacekeeping and conflict resolution in coordination with elected local bodies members.

Overall Governance:

Abolition of all posts of Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) (FATA); matters dealt by the ACS to be transferred to secretary home and tribal affairs. Ministers and secretaries will start visiting merged districts to ensure the visibility of the government. The Cabinet is to take an update of the progress through a special cabinet meeting every two months for better coordination and better supervision. Vigilance by the administration so that corrupt and inefficient practices are shunned.

 Conclusion:

The Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) is a semi-autonomous tribal region in northwestern Pakistan, consisting of seven tribal agencies (districts) and six frontier regions, and are directly governed by Pakistan’s federal government through a special set of laws called the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR). It borders Pakistan’s provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan to the east and south, and Afghanistan’s provinces of Kunar, Nangarhar, Paktia, Khost and Paktika to the west and north.