History of the Pashtun people
Arab Gul Khattak belonged to the Darish Khel village of Karak. Initially he was a soldier in the British-Indian army. After committing honour killing, he was forced to seek refuge in Waziristan where he created a gang of raiders. He looted wealthy Hindu traders of Karak and kidnapped them for ransom. It is said that … Read more
The Bahadur Khel mine yields black salt. Black salt or tora malga is also known as or Sulemani namak. Black salt consists primarily of sodium chloride and trace impurities of sodium sulfate, sodium bisulfate, sodium bisulfite, sodium sulfide, iron sulfide and hydrogen sulfide. “The salt of Bahadur Khel is exported to Kabul, Baluchistan, the Derajat, Sind, … Read more
Photo of Mehrdil Khan Khattak, a principal Khalifa (lieutenant) of Faqir of Ipi. The boy sitting at front was named by Quid-e-Azam , according to the caption on the photo. Mehr Dil Khattak was an ex-Tochi Scout havildar. His greatest raiding achievement was an attack on Bannu City on the night of 23-24 July 1938. … Read more
The Khattak dance or the Attan of Khattaks in the past was essentially a war-dance, which would be performed as a warm-up exercise before taking on their enemies in a battlefield or after scoring a victory over the enemies. It is still preserved with the original essence of a war-dance and is performed with swords. … Read more
Khattak horsemen as described in 17th century by their chieftain Khushal Khan Khattak in his poetry: خټک چه به اس سور شي درسته وتړی په کونه شمله ډ دستار پريږدي په ټڼدي کښي اوږده پلنه “A Khattak, when he mounts on horse-back, Binds his shield upon his back; Let’s loose the end of his … Read more
The Barak clan belongs to the Tari division of the Khattaks, descended from the Yasinzai sub-division. They occupy the Barak Tappa. This tract is bounded in the east by Shakardarra and the Isa Khel Tehsil of Mianwali district and in the south and west by the Wazirs and Bannu district. The Baraks were managed by … Read more
On 12th May 1948, the Mirza Ali Khan alias Faqir of Ipi published and issued an anti-Pakistan poster from his headquarters, at Gurweik. In the poster he claimed that “Pakistan was a creation of the British and Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a British agent”. He further declared that “he would start an operation against the … Read more
Risaldar Fateh Khan Khattak belonged to the Khan Khel family of Jahangira (Nowshera district, KP). Initially he had served in the Irregular Cavalry Lancers of Sikh Regiment at Lahore. Later, he was transferred to the Corps of Guides by then British officers attached with the Khalsa Durbar. Fateh Khan Khattak was of very loyal service … Read more
In 1897 there was a great uprising of Pashtuns against the British occupiers in which an outpost called Saragarhi (in Orakzai district), manned by 21 Sikh soldiers of the British-Indian army, was attacked by a lashkar of local Pashtun freedom fighters. The latter bravely climbed the ascent despite of being fired upon from the top … Read more