Bajaur

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Bajaur (Urdu: باجوڑ) is an Agency (district) of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan. Its location on the Pakistan-Afghan border makes it important strategically. It has two subdivisions, Nawagai and Khar. In the near past, the Nawab of Khar Bajaur used to run this strategic border area nearly autonomously. Remnants of the Nawabi system still exist, and the Nawab family is represented by Nawabzada Dawood Khan (Tehsil Khan), Shams-ul-Wahab Khan (Paccha Khan) and their sons.

[edit] Political situation

Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), an alliance of religious-political parties, has great influence in this area. Sahibzada Haroon-ur-Rashid (Jamaat-e-Islami) and Maulana Mohammed Sadiq (Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F) are members of the National Assembly of Pakistan and Maulana Abdur-Rasheed (JUI-F) is a senator, all three from the MMA. The Nationalist parties, especially the Awami National Party, are well-organised, while the mainstream Pakistani political parties like Pakistan Muslim League (Q) and Pakistan Peoples Party are not much active.

The Khan of Pashat, currently Shahab-ud-Din Khan, holds great political influence over the local people/tribes.

As of September 19, 2006, there were unconfirmed rumours about the region being a possible hiding place of Osama bin Laden.