Maidan Wardak Province

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Related historical names of the region
Arachosia Aria Ariana Bactria Gandhara Iran Kabulistan Khorasan Kushanshahr Paropamisadae Sejestan Zabulistan
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During the communist times, the people of Wardak never gave significant support to the communist government.[3] Wardak Province was significant during the Civil War in Afghanistan, due to its proximity with Kabul and its agricultural lands. Hezb-e Wahdat had a significant presence in the area. Most of the area was captured by the Taliban around winter 1995.[3] It remains a major Taliban travel route to Kabul with Maidan Shahr a target for terror.

The security situation rapidly deteriorated in Wardak in 2008 and 2009. According to a report by Mohammad Osman Tariq Elias, both Logar and Wardak, by the end of 2008, were under de facto Taliban control.[3] As of April 2009, the Ministry of the Interior (Afghanistan) had listed the entire province as "High Risk."[4]

In October 2017 US Forces from elements of the 1st Battalion 87 Infantry Regiment and 10th Special Operations Group launched an offensive to wrest the province from Taliban control.

On January 21, 2019 a Taliban attack on a military base and police training center in the province resulted in 125 NDS officers killed. At least 30 people were reported to be injured. The attack came during a time of intense daily violence throughout the country.[5]

US Soldier in Wardak Province in 2011

Wardak province is located in the central and eastern region of Afghanistan; bordering Parwan to the northeast, Kabul and Logar to the east, Ghazni to the south and Bamyan to the west. The capital of Wardak province is Maidan Shar, which is located about 35 km from Kabul. Wardak province covers an area of 9,934 km². It is mountainous like the rest of the country with plains and many valleys, such as the Tangi Valley. The majority of its residents live in rural areas. The most heavily populated areas are along the Kabul–Kandahar Highway. The rest of the province is thinly populated, with villages concentrated in areas with available irrigation and water sources (CSO and UNFPA, 2003). Famous passes include the Unai Pass and the Hajigak Pass.

The current governor of the province is Mohammad Halim Fidai. His predecessor was Abdul Jabbar Naeemi. The town of Maidan Shar serves as the capital of the province. All law enforcement activities throughout the province are conducted by the Afghan National Police (ANP) along with the Afghan Local Police (ALP). The provincial police chief represents the Ministry of the Interior in Kabul. The ANP is backed by other Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), including the NATO-led forces.

In terms of industry, one marble factory is working in the province, and there are marble mines in the provincial center and Sayed Abad District although no mining is currently undertaken there due to the government ban. The majority of commercial activity in Maidan Shahr. Wardak is related to trade in agricultural and livestock products, although stone quarrying is also a growing business in the area. The people from Maidan Shahr are also experts in karez cleaning and repair and go to other parts of the country for this purpose. In Wardak, there are many natural resources like petroleum, iron, rubies, and emeralds.

Agriculture is a major source of revenue for 43% of households in Maidan Wardak province. Four-fifths (79%) of rural households own or manage agricultural land or garden plots in the province. However, nearly a quarter (24%) of households in the province derive income from trade and services, and around half (45%) of households earn some income through non-farm related labor.

A school being renovated in the Jalrez district of Wardak province in 2009

The overall literacy rate in Wardak province is 25%. There are around 251 primary and secondary schools in the province catering for 105,358 students. There are 2909 teachers teaching in these schools.[6]

Districts of Wardak province

As of 2013, the total population of Wardak province is about 567,600,[1] which is multi-ethnic and mostly a tribal society. The ethnic groups in this province include Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras and a small population of Qizilbashs.[7][8]

• Wardak (Pashtun tribe)
• Provinces of Afghanistan

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wardak Province.

• Wardak Province by the Institute for the Study of War
• Wardak Province by the Naval Postgraduate School