Azra District

Azra District
Coordinates: 34°06′33″N 69°37′28″E / 34.1092°N 69.6244°E / 34.1092; 69.6244

Azra District is a district of Logar Province, Afghanistan. It is located in the eastern part of the district and is 142 kilometers (88 mi) from the capital Kabul. The district is geographically mountainous and produces a large amount of hashish.

The area was used by Afghan mujahideen groups during the Soviet–Afghan War as there is a direct route to the country's capital of Kabul,^[1] which is 142 kilometers (88 mi) away.^[2]

On 30 June 2008, the Taliban seized control of the district.^[3] In 2011, a car bomb exploded outside a hospital in the district, killing 29 people and wounding 53; this was the third-most deadliest terrorist attack in Afghanistan after 2001.^[4][1] All of the roads leading to the district were seized by the Taliban in 2018.^[5]

The Shajra-e-Nasab — Ahmadzai (Babakar Khail) Family:

---

1. Ahmad — Founder of the Ahmadzai Tribe

Ahmad was the founder and chief of the great Ahmadzai branch of the Ghilzai tribe. He belonged to the Gharghasht branch, which descended from one of the three sons of Qais Abdul Rashid (the ancestor of all Pashtun tribes). The Ahmadzai tribe was renowned for its bravery, skill in tribal politics, and traditions of horsemanship. Their original center was in the Afghan provinces of Paktia, Logar, Ghazni, Zabul, and parts of Kandahar.

---

2. Musa — Successor of Ahmad

Musa, the son of Ahmad, was the head of a sub-branch of the Ahmadzai tribe. During his leadership, the tribe became well established in the fertile valleys of Paktia and Logar. Musa’s descendants later divided into different “Khails” (clans), some of whom traveled with trade caravans as far as Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent.

---

3. Dad Muhammad — Builder of the Land of Azra

Dad Muhammad, son of Musa, promoted agriculture and livestock farming. He strengthened his tribe’s presence in the mountainous areas and passes of Azra (in Logar Province). His family held a key position in the jirga (tribal council) system and played a central role in local tribal decision-making.

---

4. Hashim — Root of Babakar Khail

Hashim, the son of Dad Muhammad, was the chief of the branch from which the Babakar Khail originated. During his time, regional alliances and defense agreements were strengthened. Hashim was famous for his political insight and strategic skills in the jirga.

---

5. Dadoq — Era of Bravery and Migration

Dadoq, son of Hashim, led the tribe in the regions of Azra and Paktia, but during his era, some migrations took place — possibly including the migration of a part of your ancestors toward present-day Pakistan. In Pashtun traditions, Dadoq is remembered as a symbol of courage and wisdom.

---

6. Muhammad Hashim — Heir of the Wartime Period

Muhammad Hashim, son of Dadoq, lived during the period overlapping with the Anglo-Afghan wars, when tribal areas faced political and military pressure. Some members of his lineage joined military services and took part in the defense of the tribes.

---

7. Abdul Shakoor — Era of Stability

Abdul Shakoor, son of Muhammad Hashim, maintained discipline within the tribe and preserved the traditional Pashtunwali code. It was from his lineage that your family settled in Pakistan, where the present generation has flourished.

ahmadzai #babakarkhail #pakhtuns

The Azra district is located in the eastern portion of the Logar Province.^[2] Almost the entirety of the district is mountainous and the Safed Koh passes through it.^[1]

In 2002, there were local shura in charge of mediating disputes, but they would refer issues to the district administrator appointed by the government if they were unable to resolve the issues.^[2]

Hashish has been produced in the area since the 1980s and 50% of the agricultural lands in the district were used for cannabis cultivation according to a 1989 report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Abdul Wali Wakil, a local councilor, reported in 2016 that 80% of the arable land in the district was being used for hashish.^[1]

There was one high school and five primary schools in 2002, that had a total of 30 teachers and 1,200 male students. At the time, these schools were lacking desks, chairs, textbooks, stationery, and salaries for teachers. The literacy rate was 10-15% in 2002.^[2]

The district is almost entirely populated by Pashtuns.^[1] An UNHCR for Refugees report lists the population of the area as 100% Pashtun in 1990, with 16,670 people inhabiting the area while an additional 14,497 were refugees in Pakistan.^[2] The population in 2019 was estimated to be 22,588.^[6]

• "Afghanistan: Deadly attack on Logar hospital". BBC. 25 June 2011. Archived from the original on 16 June 2025.
• "Taliban claims capturing Azra district". Afghan Islamic Press. 30 June 2008. Archived from the original on 16 June 2025.
• Azizi, Abdul (6 August 2018). "Taliban close all roads to Logar's Azra district". Pajhwok Afghan News. Archived from the original on 16 June 2025.

• "District Profile" (PDF). United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. 31 July 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 October 2005.
• "Estimated Population of Afghanistan 2019-20" (PDF). National Statistics and Information Authority. 18 November 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 June 2020.
• Ruttig, Thomas; Sabawoon, Ali (18 July 2020). "A Threat at Kabul's Southern Gate: A security overview of Logar province". Pajhwok Afghan News. Archived from the original on 16 June 2025.