Zazi

Not to be confused with Zazas.

The Zazi (Pashto: ځاځی; plur. ځاځي‎), also spelled Zazai, or Jaji, is a Karlani Pashtun tribe. Zazi is a (Pashtun tribe) which falls under the Karlani tribe of the Pashtuns. They are found in Paktia and Khost provinces of Afghanistan, but they have a small population in Kabul city and Baghlan province of Afghanistan as well. A large number of Zazi (Jaji) also reside in the Kurram Agency of North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan for the last few centuries. The Zazi are divided into nine wands: 1(Hashim Kehil),2(Lehwani), 3(Ada Khel), Petla (combined with the Allisengeh), Hassan Khel, Karaia Ahmad Khel, Ahmad Khel (combined with the Bayan Khel), Ali Khel, and the Jamu Khel.

Ethnicity and geography

The Zazi are similar to the Turi, except in that the Zazi are Sunni Muslims.

Zazi tribe is inhabited in four major geographic locations in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

• Aryob Zazi is in Paktia province and majority of Zazi tribe live here.
• Maidan Zazi, district in the Khost province.
• Kwarma (Kurram) Zazi is a political agency in the Federal Administered Tribal Area (FATA) in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan bordering with Aryob Zazai. A large population of Zazi have been living in Kwarma (Kurram) over the past few centuries.
• Kabul Zazi A very large population of Zazi tribe are also living in the Kabul city of Kabul province. Majority of the population in areas like Kalacha, kart-e naw, Shashdarak, Pul-e Mahmood Khan are inhabited by Zazi.

Notable Zazi

• Eng. Qutbuddin Hilal, Deputy Prime Minister (Afghanistan) during the period of Mujahideen (Eng. Gulbuddin Hekmatyar) and active member of Hezbi Islami from Zazi Maidan district.
• Nabi Misdaq, founder of BBC Pashto service
• Mohammad Omar Khan Mumtaz (died July 2006), a tribal chief of Ali Khel Zazi tribe of Paktiya Province and owner of The Afghan Mumtaz Transport and Company and commercial properties,farmlands in Afghanistan.
• Professor Ghulam Dastagir Khan, Professor University of Kabul
• Professor Ghulam Dastagir, a Scholar and intellectual completed his schooling from Aroub High School district of Paktia, and subsequently BS and MS from university of Kabul and Odessa State University - USSR. He has almost 30 years of teaching experience and an active member of university of Kabul
• Capt Hamidullah Zazai, pilot by profession serving Ariana Afghan Airlines as Vice President of Operations.
• Abdul Wahab Zazai, gold medalist in Taek Wando in Feather Weight over 51-55 KG 3rd International Taekwondo Championship in 2010.
• Tawab Zazai (Zafarzai), Ex- Afghanistan National Cricket team player & Manager Afghanistan national A Cricket Team.
• Majnoon Gulab Zazai, Minister Counsellor and Charged Affairs, Deputy Head of Mission, acting Ambassador
• A large number of Jaji Tribe people have been living in the Kurram Valley (Kurram Agency, FATA) for more than three hundred years. They are working as government servants in Pakistan since independence,1947. They are bona fide residents of Pakistan entitling all institutional and constitutional rights since the inception of Pakistan.
• People of Jaji Tribe working in Pakistan include Frontier Constabulary Jawans (FC), Army Jawans, Army officers, Doctors, Engineers, Professors,Lecturers, school Teachers,etc.
• The Vernacular Record Room testifies that a lot of people of Jaji tribe had participated in the 1947, 1965 and 1971 War against India. They are considered as patriotic citizens of Pakistan.

Sources

• Andumani, Khalid; Afghanistan: A land of many traditions

See also

• Aryob
• Paktia