This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. ( Learn how and when to remove these template messages) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources:  "Lower Dir District" –  news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (November 2014) ( Learn how and when to remove this message) This article possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. (February 2018) ( Learn how and when to remove this message) ( Learn how and when to remove this message)

Lower Dir District ضلع دیر زیریں ښکته دير ولسوالۍ‎
District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Top: Timergara, the district headquarters Bottom: Katora Lake
Lower Dir District (red) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Coordinates: 34°51′N 71°51′E / 34.850°N 71.850°E / 34.850; 71.850
Country	Pakistan
Province	Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Division	Malakand
Headquarters	Timergara
Government
• Type	District Administration
•  Deputy Commissioner	Muhammad Fawad (BPS-20 PCS)
• District Police Officer	Ikramullah Khan (BPS-18 PSP)
Area
• Total	1,583 km2 (611 sq mi)
Population  ( 2017) [1]
• Total	1,436,082
• Density	910/km2 (2,300/sq mi)
•  Urban	40,314
•  Rural	1,395,768
Time zone	PST
Number of Tehsils	5
Website	dirlower.kp.gov.pk

Lower Dir District ( Pashto: ښکته دير ولسوالۍ, Urdu: ضلع دیر زیریں) is a district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. ^[2] Timergara city is the district's headquarters and largest city. ^[2] The Lower Dir district was formed in 1996, when Dir District was divided into Upper Dir and Lower Dir districts. ^[2] On 22 January 2023, both Lower Dir and Upper Dir districts were further bifurcated to create a new Central Dir District.^{[ citation needed]} Lower Dir is famous for its beautiful snow-capped mountains, valleys, and pleasant weather.^{[ citation needed]} The primary industry in Lower Dir is tourism, which is now rapidly growing.^{[ citation needed]}

Lower Dir district borders with Swat District to the east, Afghanistan to the west, Upper Dir to the north and Malakand and Bajaur District to the south.

History

At the time of independence of Pakistan, Dir was a princely state ruled by Nawab Shah Jehan Khan. Dir was merged with Pakistan in 1969, declared a district in 1970, and split into Upper and Lower Dir in 1996. ^[2]

Education

• The University of Malakand is a public university located in Chakdara.
• The University of Dir is a newly established university located in Timergara.

Demographics

At the time of the 2017 census, the district had 153,788 households and a population of 1,436,082. Lower Dir had a sex ratio of 1023 females per 1000 males and a literacy rate of 61.83% - 74.45% for males and 49.45% for females. 40,314 (2.81%) lived in urban areas. 33.42% of the population was under 10 years of age. 471 (0.03%) people in the district were from religious minorities. Pashto was the predominant language, spoken by 99.30% of the population. ^[4]

Administration

National Assembly

NA-6 (Lower Dir-I) and NA-7 (Lower Dir-II) are constituencies of the National Assembly of Pakistan from Lower Dir district. These areas were formerly part of NA-34 (Lower Dir) constituency from 1977 to 2018. The delimitation in 2018 split Lower Dir into two separate constituencies, NA-6 (Lower Dir-I) and NA-7 (Lower Dir-II).

NA-34 constituency (2002-2018)

Since 2018: NA-6 (Lower Dir-I) and NA-7 (Lower Dir-II)

Provincial Assembly

Sudivisions

1. Adenzai Tehsil
2. Balambat Tehsil
3. Khall Tehsil
4. Lal Qilla Tehsil
5. Munda Tehsil
6. Samar Bagh Tehsil
7. Timergara Tehsil

Notable people

• Nawabzada Shahabuddin Khan, Former Ruler of Lower Dir ^{[5] [6]}
• Siraj ul Haq, politician
• Muhammad Bashir Khan, politician
• Naseem Shah, cricketer
• Zahid Khan, Ex-Senator
• Abaseen Yousafzai, Pashto poet

Gallery

• 
  Maidan Valley, Lower Dir
• 
  Lajbouk, Lower Dir
• 
  Chakdara, Lower Dir
• 
  Kalpani Top, Lower Dir

See also

• Constituency NA-6 (Lower Dir-I)
• Constituency NA-7 (Lower Dir-II)
• Education in Lower Dir District
• Upper Dir District

References

https://senate.gov.pk/en/profile.php?uid=804

External links

• Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Government website section on Lower Dir
• Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa news website section on Lower Dir