Kurram Agency

Kurram Agency has an area of 1,305 square miles with its headquarters at parachinar. It was occupied in 1892 by the British at the invitation of the turi shia tribe who feared aggression by the neighbouring sunni tribes. Half the agency was called the administered area, mainly along the Kurram river valley , and the other half the frontier regions.

The administered areas are mostly inhabited by turi and bangash shias and contain fine cultivated lands. The waters from the Kurram feed lush green paddy plots. The frontier regions in constrast remained closed until 1974 and as a result of this, the Para Chamkani Massozai, Ali Sherzai and Zai Musht, totalling just over half of the agency population, have lagged behind in development. The first political agent, W.R.H. Merk, was appointed in 1892. Because of its semi settled history, Kurram has attracted more tourists than any other agency. Parachinar (5391 feet above sea level) is delightfully situated and the snow covered mountains above it provide a scenic setting of great splendour. It is approached by a good motorable road that runs parrallel to the Kurram river. Parachinar has grown into a bustling little market town.

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