Miranshah

Miranshah (Urdu: میران شاہ‎; Pashto: میران شاہ‎) (pronounced "mirānshāh") is a town and administrative headquarters of the North Waziristan Agency in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan.

 

Geography and topography

The town lies on the banks of the Tochi River in a wide valley surrounded by the foothills of the Hindu Kush mountains. It is situated approximately 17 km from the Pakistan-Afghanistan border at an elevation of approximately 3,050 ft.

The nearest town in Pakistan is Bannu and the nearest town across the border in Afghanistan is Khost.

  Administration

Miranshah is the administrative headquarters of the North Waziristan Agency in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan (FATA) and is governed by a political agent appointed by the Government of Pakistan.

  History

Miranshah was named after the Timurid ruler, Miran Shah, the son of Timur.

In 1905, the British constructed Miranshah Fort to control North Waziristan.

In the early 1950s, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and the "Tochi Scouts" of Pakistan's paramilitary Frontier Corps carried out counter-insurgency operations from Miranshah Airfield and Miranshah Fort against the insurgency fomented by the rebellious Faqir of Ipi. In the 1950s, Miranshah was also the site of a weapons firing range of the PAF, which was located next to the Miranshah Airfield.^[1][2]

After 9/11, Miranshah gained prominence in the United States-led War on Terror and has witnessed numerous drone strikes by the US Central Intelligence Agency targeting alleged militants hiding in the town and in the surrounding foothills.^[3] Miranshah and its surrounding areas have also witnessed fighting between militants and Pakistani military and paramilitary forces.

  Notable places

Miranshah has a historical fort built by the British in 1905, which, since Pakistan's independence on 14 August 1947, has been used as a garrison by the "Tochi Scouts" of Pakistan's Frontier Corps. The town also has a 7,000 ft. long airfield, which is used for both civil and military purposes.

Other notable places include a bazaar, a sports stadium, a primary school, a secondary school and a college.

  Notable people

Sirajuddin Haqqani, a Pashtun warlord who fought against the Soviets in Afghanistan in the 1980s and is currently fighting against the US-led ISAF coalition on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, is originally from Miranshah. He has been linked to attacks against US targets in Afghanistan, including the US Embassy in Kabul.^[4]