Banuchi

The Banuchis originally lived in the Shawal area, which lies partly in the present-day North Waziristan tribal agency of Pakistan and partly in the Paktika Province of Afghanistan. The Banuchi, as well as their cousin tribe the Dawars descend from the Shitak supertribe who were settled in Shawal. In the 14th century, the Wazir tribe of Pashtuns, who were living in Birmal in the west, migrated eastwards to the Shawal area and fell into dispute with the Shitaks (Banuchis and Dawars), and succeeded to oust the Shitaks northeastwards towards the land between the Tochi and Kurram rivers. Eventually, the Banuchi Shitaks migrated to the Bannu District, where the Pashtun tribes of the Mangal and the Hani, as well as the Khattak were already settled. The Banuchis first defeated and drove away the Mangals and the Hanis, then gradually pushed the Khattaks northwards to Kohat and Karak, and eventually captured and settled in Bannu District.[1]

It is important to mention that the greater Shitak clan includes the sons from his other two wives who are stepbrothers to Banuchis (Dawar, Tani, Haved and Zalem) as outlined in the table underneath.[2][3]

Like other Pashtuns, Banuchi society is subdivided on patrilineal basis, each individual belongs to a Khel (section) a minor lineage and each Khel (section) than belongs to a major lineage. The purpose of the smaller khels (sections) is to identify genealogical lineages amongst themselves and major lineage (tribe) is to be identified by fellow Pashtuns and outsiders. Banuchis in total have many smaller Khels (Sections) that originate from the major lineage as outlined in the table underneath. The details of each original smaller Khel(section) is available in books, “Hayat-I-Afghani” and “Pashtana da tarikh pa Ranra Kshe”.[3]

Shitak (BannuZai) Genealogy

Main gates in Bannu city were named after some of the major clan names, Hinjal gate, Sukari gate, Miryan gate, Mandan gate and Haved gate.

• Capt. Dr.Baghdad Khan,First Pashtun (MBBS) doctor of Bannu and neighbouring regions and a Banuchi Tribal Chief.
• Baz Muhammad Khan, Former Member of Senate of Pakistan, Former Provincial Minister for Health, Former Provincial Minister for Forest and Former Provincial Minister for Irrigation.
• Akram Khan Durrani, Former Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
• Ghulam Ishaq Khan, Former President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan
• Abdul Hamid, Former Olympian and Ex Secretary General Pakistan Hockey Federation
• Dr Qibla Ayaz, chairman, Pakistan Council of Islamic Ideology
• Qazi Mohib, Former Olympian and Ex Captain Pakistan Hockey Team
• Zahid Akram Durrani, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan
• Dost Muhammad Khan, Former Chief Justice of Supreme Court of Pakistan,
• Nasir Iqbal, International Squash Player
• Noor Wali Jan Lolai Ustaad (Saqib Barakzai) Renowned poet , Landlord , businessman and a Famous elder of pashtun councils ( Jirga's )
• Ghazi Sial, Renowned Poet and Pashto Folk Songs Writer
• Sadia Gul, International Squash Player
• Abdul Rashid, Olympic field hockey player
• Khushdil Shah,Pakistani Cricketer.