History of District
District Musakhel is located on the north eastern border of Balochistan bordering Khyber Phakhtoon Khawah and Punjab. The total area of the district comprises of 7552 Km2. The district is divided into four Tehsils: Musakhel, Drug, Kingri and Toisar. The headquarters of the district is Musa Khel Bazar.
According to early history, this area was previously a part of Kandahar province. In 1505 AD, the Mughals conquered the province of Kandahar and held it till 1559 AD. Thereafter the Safavid Kings of Persia acquired it.
The Mughals regained the province in 1595 AD, but lost it again in 1622 AD, to the Safavid Kings of Persi. In 1709 AD, the Afghan inhabitants rose under Mir Wais Ghilzai and established the Ghilzai empire in Kandahar.
The Ghilzai Empire was demolished by Nadir Shah in 1737 AD. After the assassination of Nadir Shah in 1747 AD, the first democratic government was established in Kandahar by the Afghans as they elected Ahmed Shah Durrani as their ruler. In 1826, the first Amir of Afghanistan, Dost Muhammad Barakzai, conquered the area and annexed it to Afghanistan.
After the first phase of the Afghan war of 1878-79 AD, the British took control of the northern areas of Balochistan under the Treaty of Gandamak. During 1879-84 AD, efforts were made to extend the British influence over the Khetrans and Musakhels of the, now Musakhel, territory.
On the 1st of November, 1887, the whole area was declared part of British India. Zhob agency was formed in 1890 and Musakhel territory was annexed. Musakhel was made a Tehsil in 1892, and was transferred to Loralai district in October, 1903. Musakhel Tehsil comprised of Sadar Union Council, Srakhawah, Toysar, Zam, Ghuryasa and Wah Hassan Khel Union Councils.
Musakhel became a district on the 1st of January, 1992 when Loralai District was divided into three districts, named Musakhel, Barkhan, and Loralai. The local language of district is Pashtu.
General Information
Musakhel is one of the most ecologically diverse districts in the province. The climate is arid and subtropical, and mostly receives monsoon showers during the summer. The natural vegetation of the area consists of sub-tropical thorn forest.
Musakhel area is covered with subtropical broad leave evergreen forest type. The trees and woody shrubs are sparsely scattered mainly confined to ravines and edges of ephemeral streambeds. According to the survey of Musakhel areas, there are nearly 211 plant species recorded in Musakhel area.
Pinus wallichiana is listed as an endangered species. There are an estimated 75 medicinal plants that play an important role in the villages. Some species have exhibited a remarkable capacity of regeneration especially, Acacia modesta, Pistacia khinjuk, olea ferrugiana and Ziziphus nummerulia.
Fourteen mammal species, 32 birds' species, 7 reptile species, 4 amphibian species and 6 butterfly species were recorded.
Among others, Sulaiman Markhore and Urial (Ovis vignei) have special importance. Sulaiman Markhore is the national animal, endangered and listed in the schedule-1 of [CITES]. Both these species are listed in the 3rd Schedule of Balochistan Forest and Wildlife Act 1974.
Presently very little information about the status and distribution of these species is available. Even in these targeted areas, population status of these species was not available before WWF-Pakistan's survey 2005. Even this survey needs to be repeated regularly to know the trend in population dynamics.
Wildlife is treated as a free commodity in the target area. Local Malaks and notables hunt the Markhore and Urial in particular. During the survey, the trophies of Markhore and Urial were also found in houses and graveyards, which indicate the large scale occurrence and distribution of these animals. Vitality, dynamic and biodiversity of entire ecosystem of the area is being damaged through grazing, cutting and removal of vegetation for fuel wood, capturing of lambs of Urial and Markhore to sell as pets and illegal hunting for trophies and game.