Eidak (also known as Idak, Pashto: ادک or عیدک) is a village in North Waziristan, Pakistan, 50 kilometres (30 miles) to the east of Bannu, lying close to the border with Afghanistan.[2] Its inhabitants are mainly Pashtun-speaking Dawaris.[3]

Eidak
عیدک شمالی وزیرستان
Idak
Village
Tochi Valley in 1912
Tochi Valley in 1912
Eidak is located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Eidak
Eidak
Coordinates: 32°58′27″N 70°11′56″E / 32.9741°N 70.1988°E / 32.9741; 70.1988
Country Pakistan
Province Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
DistrictNorth Waziristan
TehsilMir Ali
Founded1910
Founded byHaji Mir Zali Khan
Government
 • CouncillorAli Noor Jan
 • MalikMuhammad Danir
Elevation
731 m (2,398 ft)
Population
 • Total22,724
DemonymEidaak عیداک
Time zoneUTC+5 (PST)
Postal code
28191
Area code0092-928-220

History

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Eidak was founded in 1910, by Haji Mirzali Khan.

In 1896, during the Tochi Expedition, the British set up a military post in the village as part of its defences against raids from the Waziris.[4]

War in Waziristan

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As part of the ongoing War in Waziristan, the region has become swallowed up by conflicts between Taliban-aligned groups and the Pakistani government. In 2009, it was reported that a prominent independent militia group led by Maulana Manzoor Dawar had its support base in the village. The group was said to have had around 300 members and had much foreign support to the dismay of other militias in the area.[5]

Operation Zarb-e-Azb

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In June 2014, Pakistani government forces launched an offensive (Operation Zarb-e-Azb) against extremist groups which had infiltrated the region. As a result of the conflict, many peoples of North Waziristan were displaced from their lands and migrated towards Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.[3]

Due to local co-operation with the military, in July 2015, villagers were allowed to return to their homes once the local threat had been neutralised.[6][7]

References

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  1. ^ "POPULATION AND HOUSEHOLD DETAIL FROM BLOCK TO DISTRICT LEVEL: FATA (NORTH WAZIRISTAN)" (PDF). www.pbscensus.gov.pk. 2018-01-03. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-04-03. Retrieved 2018-04-02.
  2. ^ "Maps, Weather, and Airports for Idak, Pakistan". www.fallingrain.com. Falling Rain Genomics, Inc. 27 February 2015. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  3. ^ a b Maham Javaid (24 Aug 2014). "Pakistan's Eidak tribe caught in crossfire". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  4. ^ Nevill, Hugh Lewis (1912). Campaigns on the North-West Frontier (New ed.). [S.l.]: The Naval and Military Press. p. 213. ISBN 1845741870. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  5. ^ Bergen, Peter; Tiedemann, Katherine, eds. (2013). Talibanistan : negotiating the borders between terror, politics and religion (first ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 150. ISBN 9780199893096. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  6. ^ "Eidak village back to life after repatriation of IDPs". The News International. July 22, 2015. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  7. ^ "In the lurch : IDPs from Eidak face food, water shortage". The Express Tribune. August 22, 2014. Retrieved 18 December 2015.