Sherani District

Sherani or Shirani (Urdu: ضلع شیرانی) is a rural district in the Zhob Division of Balochistan province in Pakistan. The district is located within the Sulaiman Mountain Range, whose highest peak, Takht-e-Sulaiman, reaches the height of 3,487 metres (11,440 ft).

As of the 2023 census, it had a population of 191,687 people. Villages (also known as Dargah) in the district include: Ahmadi Dirga (also spelled as Ahmedi Dergga), Karama, Zarkai Landawar, Shinghar, Tsappar Kili, and Manikhawa (also known as Mani Kwa).

Administration

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

History

The Shirani tribe lived for centuries in the frontier region that is now divided between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Qais Abdul Rashid (575-661 A.D.), who is believed to be one of the progenitors of the Pashtuns, lived in the Sulaiman Mountains.

Outside rulers had little control over the Shirani for much of their history. This changed in the late 19th century, as the British Empire expanded into the region. In the winter of 1890, British forces carried out the Khiderzai Expedition, a military campaign aimed at bringing the Shirani under colonial authority and securing the frontier. After the campaign, Shirani territory was brought into the British administrative system.

Mountstuart Elphinstone (1779–1859), a Scottish statesman and historian associated with the British government of India, visited the region in the early 19th century and said 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 Appozai by the British Empire took place on 31 October 1890. By 13 November, all the principal points in Shirani 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 Durbar, at which the submission of the tribe was formally received and rewards conferred upon the deserving.

Events of the 21st century

On 8 June 2022, a minivan crashed in the Killa Saifullah District, killing 22 people. Rescue sources said that the bodies and injured were moved to Zhob and Mughal Kot. Less than a month later, on 3 July, 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.

Geography

In the northeast of the Balochistan plateau, the Zhob and Sherani Basin form an oval surrounded by mountains.

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 consisted of a long valley between two high rims, covered with Chilgoza Pine. 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 Takht-e-Sulaiman, 3,441 metres (11,060 feet) above sea level.

A number of legends are associated with this place. One legend says Noah's Ark settled here after the Deluge, while others connect it with King Solomon and his throne, hence the name Takht-i-Suleiman (Throne of Solomon). Ranges west of the Takht-i-Suleiman contain strata of the Liassic (lower Jurassic) and middle Jurassic (about 208 to 146 million years ago).

In autumn 1897, an earthquake was felt in Sherani District, in which several houses in Ghurlama, Kacchi, Burkhurdar, and Pasta collapsed. No human or livestock loss was recorded.

Demographics

According to the 1998 Population Census of Pakistan, the total population of Sherani District was 83,771. Of this population, 26,111 resided in the Harifal area, while 57,660 were settled in the Sherani area. Administratively, the district is subdivided 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. According to the available electoral records, the Harifal area contained a total of 8,728 registered voters. In the Sherani area there were 23,109 registered 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 to 100 and a literacy rate of 23.86%. 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.

Villages

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

Education

Balochistan is the least literate province of Pakistan, with a literacy rate of 37%, 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 religious schools. 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.

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 children seeking admission. All four high schools and the college are located in the Sherani District, whereas none are located in Harifal. Similarly, there are only eight middle-standard boys' schools with 263 enrolled students and 102 teachers in the whole district.

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,[peacock prose] 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.

Flora

Sherani District has plant life typical of the dry mountains and plains of northern Balochistan. Most plants are shrubs, grasses, and small trees that can survive low rainfall, rocky ground, and grazing. The district lies within the wider Shinghar (Shin Ghar) mountain range and includes desert, steppe, and mountain vegetation.

In higher and more mountainous areas, natural woodland is mainly made up of Pistacia khinjuk (khinjuk pistachio), locally called shina, which forms the main tree cover on mountain slopes. This tree is legally protected, though some cutting for fuelwood has been reported in nearby areas. In plains and low-lying land, Tamarix aphylla (athel tamarisk) grows near seasonal streams and open ground, but its numbers have decreased locally due to harvesting.

Calotropis procera (Sodom's apple) is a common shrub in the district and grows widely in dry parts of Pakistan; the plant is known to be toxic and typically occurs in disturbed or overgrazed areas.

A plant survey in the Shinghar area recorded 102 wild plant species from 42 families and 88 genera, showing that the region supports a wide variety of plant life despite its dry conditions. Herbs made up most of the recorded species, followed by shrubs and trees. The most species-rich plant family was Asteraceae, with Lamiaceae, Poaceae, Solanaceae, Fabaceae, and Apocynaceae also well represented.

Many wild plants in the area are used by local communities for traditional medicine, food, animal fodder, fencing, and household needs. At higher elevations, forested areas also include Pinus gerardiana (chilghoza pine), which is valued for its edible nuts and local importance.

Plant life in the Sherani District faces ongoing pressure from grazing, fuelwood collection, and limited forest management. Published studies indicate, however, that the district and surrounding mountains continue to support a wide range of plant species typical of northern Balochistan.

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31°56′02″N 69°47′48″E/31.933753°N 69.796761°E/ 31.933753; 69.796761