Halimzai
Encyclopedia
The Halimzai are the largest sub-tribe or clan of the Mohmand
Mohmand
The Mohmand are a clan of Sarban Pashtuns, living primarily in the FATA & Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan & northeastern Afghanistan.- Demographics :...

 Sarbanri Pashtun
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...

 tribe. They live primarily in the Mohmand Agency
Mohmand Agency
The Mohmand Agency is a district in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan created in 1951. Before that, the Mohmand Tribes were administered by the Deputy Commissioner based in Peshawar, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. However it was not until 1973 that the headquarters of...

 of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas
Federally Administered Tribal Areas
The Federally Administered Tribal Areas are a semi-autonomous tribal region in the northwest of Pakistan, lying between the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and the neighboring country of Afghanistan. The FATA comprise seven Agencies and six FRs...

 (FATA) and also in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

. Part of their territory includes the historic Gandab valley that runs north west from Pir Killa (charsadda), a village on the Michni Shabqadar road, 32 km north of Peshawar.

History

Along with the rest of the Mohmand, the Halimzai migrated to their current territory from central Afghanistan between the 13th and 15th centuries.

During the period of British rule they was largely self governing though they also came under the influence of the Khan of Lalpura. The clan were often seen as being loyal to the government; they undertook to maintain law and order in their territory and were, in turn, afforded military assistance by the Indian Army and R.A.F. against incursions by the Bajauris and the Northern Mohmands.
Halimzai sub sections
Hamza Khel "Durba Khel, Babi Khel, Sultan Khel"
Wali Baig " Shati Khel"
Upper Kadai, "Hameed Khan Qilla"
Lower Kadai "Ghallanai"

Governance

On 2 February 2009, a fifty member Jirga
Jirga
A jirga is a tribal assembly of elders which takes decisions by consensus, particularly among the Pashtun people but also in other ethnic groups near them; they are most common in Afghanistan and among the Pashtuns in Pakistan near its border with Afghanistan...

 of the Mohmand assured the government of its support against militancy and pledged to fulfil their consequent territorial responsibilities. In the past they have: handed over heavy weapons originating in Afghanistan, agreed to not to afford sanctuary to foreigners and agreed to co-operate with the government in acting against those who damage public property. These agreements are enforced within their territory by taking internal action, with punishments that include fines, demolition of property and expulsions from the Agency.

Tribal elders from both the Halimzai and the Safi
Safi Clan
Safi is a major branch of the greater Gharghasht Pashtun tribe, originating in the Kohi Safi district of Parwan province, and also makes up majority in the Pech Valley of Kunar, Afghanistan. Safi clans are said to have inhabited mainly region Kunar Province. Currently Safi tribesmen are all around...

have co-operated to avoid tensions between their respective communities and to control activities seen as objectionable to Pashtun society.
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