North-West Frontier Province (1901–1955)

For the modern-day region, see Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

This article is part of the series Former administrative units of Pakistan

Original provinces Baluchistan East Pakistan Federal Capital Territory North-West Frontier Province Sind West Punjab Princely states Baluchistan States Union Amb Bahawalpur Chitral Dir Hunza Kalat Khairpur Kharan Las Bela Makran Nagar Swat Minor states Jhalawan Phulra Sarawan One-unit provinces East Pakistan West Pakistan Other subdivisions Gilgit Agency    Trans-Karakoram Tract Marri-Bugti Country

North West Frontier

Capital Peshawar Area 70,709 km² Languages Pashto, Hindko Established  9th November 1901 Abolished 14th October 1955

Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

The North-West Frontier Province was a former province of British India and then Pakistan which was established in 1901 and dissolved in 1955. The province covered an area of 70,709 km² including much of the current Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province but excluding the former princely states of Amb, Chitral, Dir, Phulra and Swat. The capital was the city of Peshawar and the province was composed of three divisions (Peshawar, Dera Ismail Khan and Malakand. The province was bordered by five princely states, to the north, the Gilgit Agency to the northeast, the province of West Punjab to the east and Balochistan to the south. Afghanistan lay to the northwest with the tribal agencies forming a buffer zone.

History

The territory was a part of Afghanistan before 1901, Sikh empire of Raja Ranjit Sing captured Peshwar in 1834, and the British retained some frontier area within British India after Anglo-Afghan war ended. The Province was created in 1901 by the then British administration. After Indian independence in 1947 that divided the country into two, this land became part of the new nation of Pakistan. The province lasted until 1955 when it was merged into the new province of West Pakistan, under the One Unit policy announced by Prime Minister Chaudhry Mohammad Ali. It was recreated after the dissolution of the Unit.

Demographics

At independence there was a Muslim majority in then North-West Frontier with small minorities of Hindus and Sikhs who left for Afghanistan and India. The official language of the then North-West Frontier was Urdu but most of the population spoke Pashto.

Government

The offices of Governor and Chief Minister of the then North-West Frontier Province lasted until 14 October 1955.

Tenure	Governor of the then North-West Frontier Province
14 August 1947 - 8 April 1948	Sir George Cunningham
8 April 1948 - 16 July 1949	Sir Ambrose Dundas Flux Dundas
16 July 1949 - 14 January 1950	Sahibzada Mohammad Kursheed
14 January 1950 - 21 February 1950	Mohammad Ibrahim Khan (acting)
21 February 1950 - 23 November 1951	Ismail Ibrahim Chundrigar
24 November 1951 - 17 November 1954	Khwaja Shahabuddin
17 November 1954 - 14 October 1955	Qurban Ali Khan
14 October 1955	North-West Frontier Province dissolved

Tenure	Chief Minister of the then North-West Frontier Province	Political Party
1 April 1937 - 7 September 1937	Sir Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum Khan	All-India Congress
7 September 1937 - 10 November 1939	Dr. Khan Sahib (1st time)	Indian National Congress
10 November 1939 - 25 May 1943	Governor's rule
25 May 1943 - 16 March 1945	Sardar Aurangzeb Khan	Muslim League
16 March 1945 - 22 August 1947	Dr. Khan Sahib (2nd time)	Indian National Congress
14 August 1947	Independence of Pakistan
23 August 1947 - 23 April 1953	Khan Abdul Qayyum Khan	Pakistan Muslim League
23 April 1953 - 18 July 1955	Sardar Abdur Rashid Khan
19 July 1955 - 14 October 1955	Sardar Bahadur Khan
14 October 1955	North-West Frontier Province dissolved

See also

• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
• Federally Administered Tribal Areas
• Afghanistan

External links

• Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa