Sherpao

The Sherpao are a subgroup of the Muhammadzai (Charsadda) tribe. As their name suggests, they are found in the village of Sherpao in the Hashtnagar area of Charsadda District, Pakistan. Sherpao, the common ancestor of the subgroup, was the grandson of Muhammad, the common ancestor of the Muhammadzai tribe. According to Captain Hastings in 1878, the Sherpao had only one high-land hamlet named Dakai, as their other lands were lost to surrounding tribes.^[1]

The Sherpao family has played a prominent role in Pakistani politics. Hayat Sherpao was a founder of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and the youngest governor of the North-West Frontier Province (current Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) before his life was cut short by bombing at Peshawar University on February 8, 1975. His younger brother, Aftab Ahmad Sherpao, continues to play an active role in politics in his nationalist party Qaumi Watan Party, and in the past served as Pakistan's interior minister.^[2][3]

References

1. Hastings, E. G. G., Report of the Regular Settlement of the Peshawar District of the Punjab. Lahore: Central Jail Press, 1878. 103-108.
2. "Musharraf primarily wanted to 'secure his office': Sherpao." Indian Express.' 3 Oct. 2010. Accessed 8 Oct. 2010.
3. Riaz, Muhammad. "Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao." Khyber.org. Accessed 8 Oct. 2010.