Sherani Tehsil

Sherani or Shirani () is a rural district in the Zhob division of the Balochistan province in Pakistan. The district lies within the Sulaiman mountain range, and its highest point is the Takht-e-Sulaiman at 3,487 metres (11,440 ft).

According to the 2023 census, it had a population of 191,687. Notable villages in the district include (also known as Dargah), Karama, Zarkai Landawar, Shinghar, Tsappar Kili, and Manikhawa (Mani Kwa).

Administration

Before 2006, Sherani was a subdivision (sub-district) of Zhob district. The new district was created on 3 January 2006.

History

The Sherani tribe maintained significant autonomy and resisted external domination until the British Empire consolidated authority over the region. In the winter of 1890, the Khiderzai Expedition formally brought Sherani under British rule.

The Traditional History of Bargha

The Bargha lands or highlands were historically occupied by the Hazaras an ethnic group originally from Afghanistan, who later migrated to Rozgan ( Urazgan) in the northern area. According to hypotheses grounded in traditional knowledge and supported by the Gazetteer, it is suggested that in the 17th century, the Bargha lands were abandoned due to fears of the Wazirs, while the Sheranis were involved in continuous and prolonged conflicts with the Baitanis.

During the early period, the Bargha land was known for its common incidents of banditry and violence. According to legend, the Sheranis' leader encountered a Syed boy who had migrated from Pishin and possessed a saintly demeanor. Seeking his supernatural assistance, the Sheranis achieved victory over the Baitanis with his miraculous help. As a result, a group of Sherani tribe members, led by the Syed boy, occupied the abandoned lands of Bargha. Subsequently, the Syed boy married a Shirani woman and became regarded as "the nucleus and progenitor of the Harifal tribe."

As a mark of respect, all Shiranis commonly refer to the Harifals as "Neeka," which translates to "grandfather," a term denoting a status commanding more reverence than even that of a father. When Mountstuart Elphinstone (1779–1859), a Scottish statesman and historian associated with the British government of India, visited the region in the early 19th century, he noted that the Shiranis were led by a "Neeka" who received an annual tax of one lamb and one calf from those who owned such animals. The Neeka functioned as both a judge and a commander-in-chief, with his authority believed to be derived from the conviction that he was "Under the immediate guidance and protection of providence."

British occupation

The occupation of Apozai by the British Empire took place on 31 October 1890. By 13 November, all the principal points in Sherani were occupied. At Karama, a grand inquest was held into the conduct of the tribe and fines imposed, and the proceedings were terminated by a darbar, at which the submission of the tribe was formally received and rewards conferred upon the deserving.

Recent Account

On 3 July 2022, a bus traveling from Rawalpindi to Quetta carrying 33 people fell into a ravine, killing at least 20 people and injuring 11 others near Sherani District. It was the second major accident in a month. Earlier, on 8 June, a minivan crashed in Killa Saifullah District, killing 22 people. Rescue sources said that the bodies and injured were moved to Zhob and Mughal Kot.

Geography

In the northeast of the Balochistan plateau, Zhob and Sherani Basin form an oval surrounded by mountains. Qais Abdul Rashid (575-661 A.D.), who is believed to be one of the progenitors of the Pushtoons, lived in the Suleiman Mountains. Natives call the place where he is buried "Da Kase Ghar" (the mountain of Qais). In Pushto, "K" is used for "Q".

In 1883, with the consent of the chiefs of the Sherani tribe (the inhabitants of the range), a survey party under Major Holdich, R.E., ascended the mountain, accompanied by a military escort. They found the summit of the ridge to consist of a long valley between two high rims, covered with the Chilgoza, or Edible, Pine (''Pinus gerardiana''). At the north end of the western rim is the highest peak, known as Kaisa Ghar, 11,300 feet above sea level; at the south end of the eastern rim is the Takht, properly so called, 3,441 meters (11,060 feet) above sea level.

Many legends attach to this place; one legend says Noah's Ark alighted here after the Deluge, while others connect it with King Solomon, whose throne alighted on this peak, which has ever since borne the name of Takht-i-Suleiman. Lofty ranges west of the Takht-i-Suleiman contain strata of the Liassic (lower Jurassic) and middle Jurassic (about 208 to 146 million years ago).Gazetteer

Sheen Ghar

Shin Ghar is a subsidiary of the main Suleiman range and separated from it by the Lahar Valley. It extends from Kurchpina on the north and the Sulyazai valley on the south. The height of the main peak is 9,273 feet. It is about 50 km from Zhob City and almost due west of the Takht-i-Sulaiman. The top is fairly level and affords a pleasant site which was used as a sanatorium during summer months in the British era, and has been taken over by FC.

Adjoining the mountain's top is the shrine of a famous Sufi saint, Babakr Nika Harifal. Devotees visit the shrine regularly for answers to their prayers. The saint was prone to religious ecstasy and mystical trances. He was a man of miracles; it is believed that many trees followed him when he migrated from his native place. PMDC has reported many coal deposits in Shinghar; prospects are high if they are mined. The western slopes of the range drain into the Zhob river, and the eastern into the Khaisara stream. This watershed demarcates the boundary line between the Harifal and Sherani tribes.

In autumn 1897, a slight shock of earthquake was felt in Sherani District in which several houses in Ghurlama, Kacchi, Burkhurdar, and Pasta fell down. No human or livestock loss is on record.

Demographics

According to the 1998 census, the recorded population of the district was 83,771, with 26,111 residing in Harifal and 57,660 in Sherani. The district is divided into seven union councils: Kapip, Manikwa, Dhanasir, Mughal Kot, Ahmedi Derga, Shinghar Harifal South, and Shinghar Harifal North.

The total number of voters in the district was 31,837, consisting of 17,535 male voters and 14,302 female voters. Within Harifal, there were 8,728 voters, including 4,797 male voters and 3,931 female voters. In Sherani, there were 23,109 voters, with 12,738 male voters and 10,371 female voters.

As of the 2023 census, Sherani district has 36,100 households and a population of 191,687. The district has a sex ratio of 122.02 males to 100 females and a literacy rate of 23.86%: 31.53% for males and 15.02% for females. 75,400 (39.34% of the surveyed population) are under 10 years of age. The entire population lives in rural areas. 636 (0.33% of the surveyed population) are religious minorities, nearly all Christians. Pashto is the predominant language, spoken by 99.87% of the surveyed population.

Composition and infrastructure

A typical tribal society prevails in the district, with its own demographic dynamics. As elsewhere in Pashtun society, customs are strictly observed according to the tribal code of honor; as J.P. Ferrier puts it, the ''lex talionis'' is rigorously observed amongst the Pashtuns, and the murderer is put to death by the nearest relative of his victim. It sometimes happens that the person on whom this duty devolves is a child, when the punishment remains in abeyance until he is strong enough to hold the dagger placed in his hands with which he performs the office of executioner. He possesses the right to grant the murderer his life, but there is no instance of this right ever having been exercised except for a compensation, which the criminal is obliged to make in money or in land; sometimes he gives one of his daughters in marriage to the son or the brother of the murdered man, without the father being obliged to give her any dowry.

The level of development can be well imagined from the fact that there is not a single inch of metal road in the entire Harifal area. The Sherani District is entirely rural. The whole district is a "B" area except Manikhwah, and so is controlled by a Deputy Commissioner through Levies force. Only one police station exists in Manikhwa, having jurisdiction over a 5 km. radius. Sherani District holds a unique place in terms of missed opportunities, infrastructure and roads not taken. There is not a single township (or for that matter a bazaar) or a single Jumu'ah mosque for Jummah prayer, so no Jummah prayer is offered anywhere in the district. The whole district is economically oriented to Zhob city, but it contains not a single branch of any bank.

No district hospital exists in the whole district. There are three regional health clinics, one each at Manikhwa and Mir Ali Khail, while a third is under construction at Killi Ibrahimkhail Harifal. Similarly there are five BHUs, located in Kapip, Killi Gul Muhammad, Kuraiwasta, Karamma and Surlakai. All five BHUs are in the Sherani area, none in Harifal country. Sherani, like Awaran, Kalat and Turbat, has a growth rate of less than 1 percent, which is unusual for Pakistan. The district is saturated with malaria and infested with corpionsand snakes. In 2009, 132 cases of tuberculosis were detected in the district, and in 2008, 75 cases of tuberculosis were treated though TODS therapy. The rate of contraception in the district is: by any modern method, 4.7%, by traditional method, 1%, for a total of 5.7% by any method.

There are eight civil dispensaries, one in the Harifal area and seven in the Sherani area. Three are run by PPHI located in Ibrahinkhail Harifal, Dag-Lawara and Asthshai, while five are still being operated by D.H.O., located in Mir Ali Khail, Adil Abad, Nor Warsak, Skharyae Kazha and Surlakai. Only four doctors, four pharmacists, and two L.H.V. form the total health staff for the entire district. There is no female doctor, no dentist, no nurse, and no midwife in the whole of the district. There are 9,210 electricity connections in the district. The total length of its roads is 205 km, of which 85 km is NHA and 120 km is farm to market roads. The road density in Balochistan is 0.15 km per square kilometer, which is less than half the national average and the lowest among Pakistan's four provinces, partly reflecting the sparse population located in a few areas. There is no public toilet, no park and no playground.

Tribes and their habitats

Harifal chapter

The Harifal genealogically are of Syed descent, but over a period of time, through social assimilation, have been so much subsumed in Sherani that they are indistinguishable from them to an outsider and are presumed to be collaterals of Sherani. The tribe as a whole is held in high esteem by all Sheranis for their high descent. Tribal norms bound them in a pledge of reciprocal assistance and to common participation of weal and woe. This gave birth to a homogeneous tribal set-up. This homogeneity accelerated the process of assimilation to the extent that Sherani (not Marani) has almost become a common denominator in terms of geographical nomenclature. If either tribe were attacked by a third they both would stand together. On the social side they are organically linked in a curious love and hate relationship.

Villages

According to the 1998 census, there were 186 rural villages in Sherani district, though 16 of these were unpopulated.

Mir Ali Khel is the birthplace (1938) of Senator Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani, also Chairman of the Islamic Ideological Council. He was previously elected as an MNA in 1988–1990, 1990–1993 and 1997–1999. He was also elected as a member of the National Assembly in 2002 from NA-264, Zhob-cum-Killa-Saifullah.

Mani Khwah. Manikhwa is the Tehsil headquarters and most relatively developed area in the district. It is situated approximately 25 kilometers from the Zhob district, along Zhob D.I. Khan road. Mani Khwah (elevation 5600 feet) is at the head of the Spasta Valley, almost covered by wild olive trees which fringe upon the valley and cover the hillsides. The Takht-i-Suleiman can be seen to the northeast, as well as the Kaiser Ghar. Both make an impressive picture with their grim and grey precipices rising high above the plantations of "chilghoza" on their sides below. Shin Ghar and the Spasta plain can also be seen. There is one police station, a high school, RHC, FC post, veterinary hospital, college, and the only telephone exchange in the district.

This area has provided several executive officers to the government of Balochistan. Prominent amongst them are Dr. Muhammad Akbar Harifal BCS, Provincial Secretary to the Government of Balochistan, Dr. Muhammad Anwar Harifal, Muhammad Asghar Harifal, BCS Provincial Secretary to the Government of Balochistan, Taj Muhammad Harifal, BCS Deputy Commissioner, Shah Muhammad, Provincial Bureau Chief APP, Muhammad Akram Tehsildar, Yasir Ahmed, M&EO in PMU Labour and Man Power Department, Quetta, Balochistan, and Baaj Gul Harifal, an educationist. They belong to a town-bred class with aboriginal links to Kazha Malezai. Dr. Muhammad Akbar (T.st) was awarded the Tamgha Shujat by President Rafiq Tarar on 23 March 1999 in recognition of his meritorious and dedicated services with selfless devotion in recovering an abducted child, Shaji-ul-Haq, son of Dr. Mobin-ul-Haq, in Naurak Sulaiman Khail Gulistan Killa Abdullah District in 1996. During this operation, which he led in his capacity of SDM Gulistan on 22 October 1996, he sustained a bullet in his thigh, resulting in a compound fracture of his right femur, for which he underwent four major surgical operations with bone grafting at Jokhio Hospital, Karachi. He was also awarded a Gold Medal as best administrator in 1997, in recognition of his exemplary courage and devotion beyond the call of duty, by the then Provincial Minister S&GAD, Mr. Bismillah Khan Kakar. Mr. Shahbaz Khan Mandokhail, then Commissioner Quetta Division, also awarded him a T.T. Pistol for the same actions. Dr. Muhammad Akbar Harifal held various key positions in the Government of Balochistan, including Assistant Commissioner, SDM, Deputy Commissioner, Commissioner, District Coordination Officer, District Administrative Officer, Joint Chief Economist, and Provincial Secretary for Home and Tribal Affairs, Livestock and Dairy Development and Law and Parliamentary Affairs. Muhammad Asghar Harifal BCS also held various key positions in the Government of Balochistan: Assistant Commissioner, SDM, District Coordination Officer, Zhob, D.C.O. Musakhail, D.A.O. & D.C.O. Kohlu Deputy Commissioner, Punjgoor,Deputy Commissioner Killa Abdulla, Additional Secretary,Secretary Social Welfare,Secretary Food and is Secretary Culture, Tourism and Archives.

Ibrahim Khail Harifal. Ibrahimkhail is the most famous and well populated village in the entire Harifal country, having more than 200 households, and is the capital of the Harifal country. There is a perennial spring called Cheena which irrigates the land nearby Lalak wam. The present Sardar Qasam Khan Harifal belongs to this village. The members of Ibrahimkhail Harifal are credited with powers to cast out devils, and their charms are much sought after.

Maulana Shams-ud-din Harifal Shaheed, who happened to be the first Deputy Speaker of the Balochistan Assembly during the era of Z.A. Bhutto, was also from this village. He was elected from PB10 Zhob in 1972, and assassinated on 14 March 1974. Molvi Ahmed Shah Harifal, Paish imam military mosque Zhob, also belongs to this village.
Almost all documentation for declaring Harifal an independent Tehsil is completed, with Ibrahimkhail as its Tehsil headquarters. In the vicinity of Ibrahimkhail are various villages, including Pahlan, Dwalgad, Kaza Landawar, Killi Malik Arsala Harifal, and Killi Malik Balak, which are nothing more than irregular collections of stone houses, such as are seen elsewhere in Balochistan. Killi Zawar Kar, Sacha, Samazai, Manda Harifal, and Howdaki are some other major villages of the Harifal tribe. Molvi Jamal ud Din, Dabzai Harifal, was a prominent political figure of JUI who was murdered in the prime of his youth. Molvi Naik Muhammad and Jalil Harifal are two other notables, from Dwalgud and Landawar respectively.

Killi Draykhanzai. This is the fatherland of Saleem Khan Kahool, the most popular and powerful Kahool in the entire tribe. The late Shahbaz Khan alias Shabai, a legendarily rich and generous man, was from this village. Mr. Amanullah Khan Harifal alias Lallo is a notable and prominent political figure, affiliated with ANP, a leader in the making. He also contested the election in 2008 for Provincial Assembly from PB18 on the ticket of the ANP and won 1175 votes.

Stano Raaghah is the district headquarters. This area belongs to the Muhammad Zai sub-caste of the Sherani tribe. It is near the Zhob River. Construction of district complexes is in progress. Unfortunately none of the planned development elsewhere has ever gone beyond blue prints. The development-starved district needs crash programs in every sector.

Spusta is a wavy plain covered with wild olives. It is high, cold, and barren, and is inhabited in summer by the Murhails, a pastoral tribe, who move in winter into Damaun. They live entirely in tents, and have the manners of the other shepherd tribes.

Education

Although no society is immune from religious exploitation, the abysmally low literacy rate exposes their raw minds to religious purveyors who play upon their ignorance. Balochistan is the least literate province of Pakistan, with a literacy rate of 37% (20% for women), compared to 54% nationally. The lack of secular education is more noticeable in Balochistan than in any other province, with 50% of children compelled to attend the religious schools. This is not surprising, given that the national budget for the MRA (Ministry of Religious Affairs) is around 1.2 billion rupees, whilst the secular education ministry is allocated 200 million. These factors encourage seminaries, and thus religion invariably lay its heavy hand on the social life of the district. Extremism incubates in these religious seminaries, and cleaning Pakistan of this malaise is no mean enterprise.

There is only one intermediate college in the entire district, with 19 teachers and 70 students, and four high schools with 67 teachers, insufficient for the thousands of boys aspiring to admission. All four high schools and the college are located in the sherani area, none in Harifal. Similarly, only eight middle-standard boys' schools with 263 enrolled students and 102 teachers exist in the whole district.

Though no authentic figures of female literacy rate are available, even rudimentary guesses make the female literacy rate not more than 3%, while the male rate as reported by the NCHD is about 18%. 76 schools are working with one teacher and one room without any shelter. There are five registered Seminaries and five private Schools. The NCHD is running five feeder Schools. Teachers in these private schools work in a quack fashion and use very crude methods of teaching, including bastinado-type caning on the hands. 83% of schools are without electricity, 45% are without a boundary wall, 50% are without a toilet, and 35% are without drinking water.

Income resources

In the British era the majority of Harifal and Bargha Sherani used to go to Siahband, Herat and Maimana in Afghanistan to collect asafetida . Asafoetida is a plant of the parsley family; a fetid resinous gum is obtained from its roots, used in herbal medicine and Indian cooking, and also as a bactericide in preparing "landi". Many Harifal and Sherani families are still settled in Loghar, Makwar, Ghazni and Kabul in Afghanistan. They used to travel there from April to October, the journey occupying two months. They used to sell the asafoetida in Dera Ismail Khan, and go as far as Bombay in the south and Kanpur in the north of India. Shahbaz Khan Harifal alias Shabai, son of Saleem Khan Harifal, was the richest trader in those early days in this business.

Employment

Sherani District's economy is predominantly agrarian, with agriculture and livestock breeding serving as the main sources of livelihood. The region's hilly terrain and limited arable land result in primarily rain-fed (barani) farming practices. Key crops include wheat, barley, maize, and various fruits such as apples, almonds, and pomegranates. Livestock farming is integral, with significant populations of sheep, goats, and cattle.

Forestry, particularly the harvesting of Chilgoza pine nuts, contributes to the local economy. In 2021, a processing facility for Chilgoza pine nuts was established to promote sustainable forest use and provide employment opportunities.

The district lacks industrial development, with no significant industrial units present. Handicrafts such as embroidery and leatherwork are practiced on a small scale, primarily by women.

Employment opportunities in the public sector are limited but include positions in health and education departments. Recent recruitment efforts have focused on roles such as medical technicians, dispensers, and teaching staff.

Due to limited local opportunities, many residents seek employment in other regions of Pakistan or abroad, particularly in Gulf countries, contributing to the local economy through remittances.

For individuals seeking employment opportunities, online platforms such as Kaam Ki Talash provide job listings and resources tailored to job seekers across Pakistan, including those from Sherani District.

Flora and fauna

Aak in Urdu, Sodom's Apple or swallow-wort in English, karagh in Balochi, spelmai in Pashto (''Calotropis procera''), grows prolifically in Shinghar. It is deadly poison if eaten, as Alexander the Great discovered when his starving horses and cattle ate them on their long march back from the Indus through the Mekran. Even the juice rubbed onto a horse's hide will kill it, yet a deer can eat the leaves without any ill effects. Then it can go for months without needing other food or water, even as long as two years. Its juice in human eyes causes instant blindness. For committed suicides, humans have used it, and it is an arbortifacient. It contains the toxic glycosides uscharin, calotropis and calotoxin. Uscharin is an effective pesticide for land snails. Skin from the root is used in decoctions for skin problems. It was a sacred plant in Vedic times, as the leaves were used in sun-worshipping ceremonies.

Local cuisine

Bread made of maize, locally called dabbali, is found in many areas, especially Khiderzai Harifal. Amongst fruit locally available, ''shinae'' (Pistchio Khanjak) is most common, which is eaten both dry and fresh. ''Shinae'' are also ground to make a halwa called ''shinkhary''. It is eaten with bread. Another fruit is ''shinanae'' ('' Olea cuspidata''). Skimmed milk (''shnombi'') is the favourite beverage in the summer season. Being an isotonic beverage, it is far better than hypertonic Coca-Cola and other cold beverages.Mushtaq Biochemistry. Due to its specific chemical composition it also induces sleep.

References

External links

Sheerani District
a
www.balochistan.gov.pk

{{coord, 31.933753, 69.796761

2006 establishments in Pakistan
Districts of Balochistan, Pakistan