Mianwali

Mianwali is a District in the north-west of Punjab province, Pakistan. It borders Lakki Marwat district in the west, Kohat and Karak districts in the North west and Dera Ismail Khan District in the southwest. Attock lies in the north, Chakwal in the north east, Khushab in the east and Bhakkar in the south.In November 1901, the North-West Frontier Province was carved out of Punjab and present day towns of Mianwali, Isa Khel, Kalabagh, and Kundian were separated from Bannu District (NWFP) and hence a new district was made with the headquarters in Mianwali city and placed in Punjab province.

According to the 1998 census of Pakistan, the district had a population of 1,056,620 out of which 20.39% i.e. 85,000 inhabitants live in the district capital Mianwali. Niazi tribe is the most dominant and major tribe of this district with an estimated 70% of the total population. Niazi tribe exists in all parts of the district but most notably living in Mianwali City, Shahbaz Khel, Musa Khel, Mochh, Utra Kalaan, Sawans. Another tribe known as Jats live mostly inDing Khola, New Ding Sharif , Saeed Abad ,Hashim Naggar/Lal wala(Saifun Pull),Khan Qah Sirrajia, Bakharra/Kacha Kalo, Kacha paar,khita-e-Atlas, Kacha Gujrat, Kacha Shahnawaz Wala, Phaati, Hurnoli, Alluwali, Duaba, Jaal Janub/Shumali , Piplan,Wan Bahhchran, Wichveen Bala,Kundian, Moosa Khel, Shadia an so on. There are small minority of Pashtuns and Punajbis.Mostly people in the district speak a unique dialect of Seraiki which borrows many words from Hindko, Pashto and Sindhi. However the Khattak tribes living in the suburbs of Isakhel, Chapri, Bhangi Khel, Sultan Khel, Makarwal and Bani Afghan are bilingual, Pashto being their primary language but can fairly communicate in Seraiki as well. Awans living in the Salt range of Mianwali speak a dialect of Potohari which is called "Uttraadi"(pertaining to the highlanders                                                    

Nawab of Kalabagh Malik Amir Muhammad Khan(1910–1967),Ex-Governor West Pakistan.Mianwali district covers an area of 5,840 square kilometres. The area in north is a continuation of the Pothohar 

Plateau and the Kohistan-e-Namak. The district consists of various towns, including Kalabagh, Is a Khel, Kundian, Paikhel, Piplan, Kamar Mushani, Mochh, Rokhri, Harnoli, Musa Khel, Wan Bhachhran, Daud Khel and the district capital - Mianwali city. 

Mianwali district has several educational institutions from elementary up to post-graduate level,affiliated with the University of Punjab. There are numerous private schools and colleges in the district.                                                     

 Traditionally all major rulers of South Asia governed this area in their turn. Mughal emperor Babur mentions Isa khel whilst he was fighting against the Pakhtuns as part of his campaign to conquer the Punjab during the 1520s (ref. Baburnama). Then came the Sikhs, that era was famous for lawlessness, and barbarism, they ruled until the annexation of Punjab in 1849 by the British. During British rule, the Indian empire was subdivided into province, divisions and districts, (after the independence of Pakistan divisions remained the third tier of government until 2000). The British had made the towns of Mianwali and Isa Khel tehsil headquarters of Bannu District then part of Dera Ismail Khan Division of Punjab province.  

 The populations of the district is split into four main groups, the predominant Niazi tribes who are mainly present in riverain Mianwali Tehsil and Isa Khel Tehsil, the Awans who are found mainly in the Salt Range and Kalabagh in Isakhel Tehsil. The Thal desert portion is held by Jat and Baluch tribes. The city of Mianwali and town of Wan Bhachran are both home to the Qureshi - Makhdooms and Miana tribes respectively. 

The district has been settled by triple immigration from opposite directions; Niazis from the north-west of Pakistan, Awans from the north-east, and Jats & Balochis up the valley of the Indus from the south.