Akakhel

 ( Ghilji Pashtun Tribes ) 

The Akakhel, pronounced Akaa Khel or Akakhail (Pashto and Urdu: اکاخیل,آقاخیل), are a Pashtun sub-tribe of the Ghilji/Ghilzais confederation. Their mother language is Pashto. In the early 20th century, the tribe was generally pastoral. The Akakhel are one of the largest Ghilji Pashtun subtribes. A reasonable majority of those who were living on the Durand Line migrated since 1800s into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Punjab provinces of Pakistan to Sikander Abad (Jarra Kalay) Charsadda, Peshawar, Swat(Barikot), Buner(Topdara), Abbottabad, Nowshera, Mardan, Attock, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Gujranwala, Gojra, Faisalabad, Lahore, Multan, Hyderabad, Karachi and Quetta. The exact population number of this clan is not known; however, it is estimated to be around 2 million all around the world The population of this tribe primarily lives in Pakistan and Afghanistan. 85% live in Pakistan and about 1% or 2% live in Afghanistan and remaining 13% lives in England, Germany, United Arab Emirates, China, Malaysia, Canada and United States of America.

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Distribution Tribal Research Cell of Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, Home and Tribal Affairs Department, have provided the available old/historical record copies of the Akakhail tribe since British era i.e. 1932–34.In which it is clearly stated that: (the original words of the copies) "217. The Aka Khel are true Ghilzais and related to the Alikhel and Sulaimankhel with whom they are friendly. The association of Aka Khel of Katawaz and Ali Khel with the Sulaiman Khel of Katawaz is so close that, often, when asked to what tribe they belong, they say that they are Sulaiman Khel. The tribe is almost entirely nomadic. Those who come from Katawaz to the Damam of Dera Ismail Khan in winter use the Gomal route, and they form only a comparatively small portion of the whole tribe. Many of the Aka Khel spend the summer in the Hazarajat and in autumn take their families to Ningarhar, carrying on trade between Kabul and Peshawar.

The population of this clan is estimated at 1 million worldwide. About 70% of the Akakhel population lives in Afghanistan and about 25% lives in Pakistan. The remainder live in England, Germany, United Arab Emirates, China, Malaysia, Canada and the United States. People of Aka Khel tribes living in Pakistan have their basic roots in Pakistan community but are still facing problems of self recognition and identity rights just because of their resemblance in Pashto dialect to the Afghan people east of the Durand Line.

• Tribal Research Cell, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Home and Tribal Affairs Department, TRC(HD) 3-25/81, Volume IV, Peshawar, 12 March 2013.

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