Homepage of Razwal Kohistani

ECONOMY

The people in Kohistan largely depend on livestock for their livelihood and this is also the reason for their seasonal migration to sub-alpine and alpine pastures of Kohistan and neighbouring valleys and districts. Agriculture development is comparatively poor with only one crop growing in high altitudes and two in the lower areas. Cultivation of crops such as barley and rice has almost been given up.

People usually keep buffaloes, cows, sheep, goats and bullocks. Milk of these animals is not usually sold, but by-products of milk such as butter, are. Other by-products such as wool and skin are utilized for house-consumption and are also sold in the market.

Cash income is rare and people resort to the sale of timber, such as Deodar, Pine, Spruce, Acacia and Oak. Sale of medicinal herbs is also common though there is no check, which impact the seasonal removal of these plants has on the overall population of the species or on the health of the ecosystem.

Besides this, people are also involved in the sale of fuel-wood, farm products such as walnuts and walnut bark (vernacular: dindasa). Honey is also sold in local and provincial markets. In winter season, the local men go to urban areas in search of work.

DEVELOPMENT

Aside from 3 districts of Baluchistan, District Kohistan is the least developed of the 64 districts of Pakistan.  A 1989 survey showed that Kohistan has no industry, poor agricultural production (4.8% of the land area cultivated: mean farm size 1-2 ha; low yields/ha); and ‘abysmal' social sector provisions (literacy rate 1.4%; one doctor per 205,000 people).

SERVICES AVAILABLE

Though most Line Departments are present in Kohistan, their working effectiveness is severely limited. There are various reasons to this, but the two main attributes must be the working conditions and capacity of local people.

 Land use pattern of Kohistan District, NWFP, Pakistan

Source: Land Utilization Statistics NWFP, 1997-98