Parachinar is a beautiful place in the tribal areas and headquarter of Kurram Agency surrounded by Afghan areas on three sides. In the north-east is the Afghan province Nangarhar. The famous Tora Bora and Koh-e-Safed of Afghanistan are also located here.

Koh-e-Safed‘s tall mountain ranges, which get covered with snow every year, are a natural border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Afghan province, Paktia, is on the west of Kurram Agency and in the south is Khost.

The eastern part of Kurram Agency meets Tull in Pakistan’s Hangu district.

The name of the subdivision, Central Kurram Agency, was changed from ‘Frontier Region’ (F. R. Kurram) a few years ago. Central Kurram shares its borders with Orakzai Agency, Khyber Agency, and Afghanistan’s Tora Bora. North Waziristan has easy access to the agency.

Various operations have been carried out in the past years in the areas of Central Kurram and at this time the operation of forces continues in these areas. In various operations where militants suffered heavy losses, forces too suffered badly. The tribes of Jaji (Zazai), Maqbal, Mangal, and Kharoti and Khiljis are settled on both sides of the border in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The Kurram Agency is ahead of all agencies in the field of education in Fata. Due to government’s lack of attention, the whole agency, including Parachinar, is deprived of various facilities. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto approved a medical college at Parachinar, which General Ziaul Haq later moved to Abbotabad.

A cadet college has been established in the subdivision of South Waziristan but even though Kurram Agency has a significant position in the educational field, cadet college has still not been established.

Most of the roads in Kurram Agency are in a bad shape. Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has announced Rs7 crore for repairing the main road. The people of Kurram Agency are very friendly and hospitable. The Kurrami rice is extremely delicious and cooked mostly once a day in all houses. Various dry fruits of Kurram Agency are very famous among which the apples of Shalozan near the Afghan border are remarkable.

The hills have clean springs and spring water is provided for drinking to houses in Zeran and other areas through pipelines. Among these springs, the "Foladi Chashma" is worth mentioning. Parachinar is surrounded by dozens of popular tourist points. Some of the natural wonders among this point include the Mast Baba located in Zeran, Shalozan’s garden, Malana Dam, Maikay , and a Chapri Bangla located 16,000 feet above sea level.

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These tourist places have not received any attention from the government. There is a need to provide a variety of facilities including chair lifts at some venues.

The tribes of Kurram Agency follow ancient customs and small problems are resolved through jirga. When a problem is not resolved, a Jirga is formed by the political administration. The assistant political agent or political agent affirms the decisions of the officially appointed jirga members. After this, the opinion and decisions of the jirga members attain legal status.

If they are unhappy with the decision, an appeal is sent to the commissioner’s court, and if the commissioner’s decision is not acceptable then it is referred to the Fata Tribunal. But according to the process of reforms that is underway in Fata, judicial system will also be enforced soon.

There is also a Riwaj Act being implemented to make changes in the jirga system. There is a traditional justice system known as Riwaj Kurram which the Jirga members follow.

-- Translated from Urdu by Sarah Hameed