Logar (

Pashto Pashto (,; , ) is an Eastern Iranian language in the Indo-European language family. It is known in historical Persian literature as Afghani (). Spoken as a native language mostly by ethnic Pashtuns, it is one of the two official langua ...

Dari Dari (, , ), also known as Dari Persian (, ), is the variety of the Persian language spoken in Afghanistan. Dari is the term officially recognised and promoted since 1964 by the Afghan government for the Persian language,Lazard, G.Darī ...

: ; meaning Greater Mountain ( لوې غر)) is one of the 34

provinces of Afghanistan Afghanistan is divided into 34 provinces (, '' wilåyat''). The provinces of Afghanistan are the primary administrative divisions. Each province encompasses a number of districts or usually over 1,000 villages. Provincial governors played a c ...

located in the eastern section of the country. It is divided into 7 districts and contains hundreds of villages.

Puli Alam Puli Alam ( prs, پل علم), also spelled Pul-i-Alam or Pol-e Alam, is the provincial capital of Logar Province, Afghanistan as well as of Puli Alam District. The population of the district is estimated to be around 108,000, and is composed of ...

is the capital of the province. As of 2021, Logar has a population of approximately 442,037. It is a

multi-ethnic Mixed race people are people of more than one race or ethnicity. A variety of terms have been used both historically and presently for mixed race people in a variety of contexts, including ''multiethnic'', ''polyethnic'', occasionally ''bi-eth ...

tribal society, while about 65% of its residents are made up by Pashtuns whereas the remainder are Tajiks and Hazaras. The

Logar River The Logar River (also Lowgar) is a river of Afghanistan. It gives the name to the Logar Valley and Logar Province. In Maidan Wardak Province where the river originates, it is called Chak River. The Chaki Wardak Dam is built on the river in Chak ...

enters the province through the west and leaves to the north.

History

Pre Islamic era

A 2,600-year-old a

Zoroastrian Zoroastrianism is an Iranian religion and one of the world's oldest organized faiths, based on the teachings of the Iranian-speaking prophet Zoroaster. It has a dualistic cosmology of good and evil within the framework of a monotheistic ...

fire temple was found at Mes Aynak (about 25 miles or 40 kilometers southeast of Kabul). Several

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

stupas A stupa ( sa, स्तूप, lit=heap, ) is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics (such as ''śarīra'' – typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns) that is used as a place of meditation. In Buddhism, circumamb ...

and more than 1,000 statues were also found. Smelting workshops, miners’ quarters (even then the site's

copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...

was well known), a mint, two small forts, a citadel, and a stockpile of Kushan,

Sassanian The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th centuries AD. Named ...

and Indo-Parthian

coins A coin is a small, flat (usually depending on the country or value), round piece of metal or plastic used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order t ...

were also found at the site.

Recent history

During the

Soviet–Afghan War The Soviet–Afghan War was a protracted armed conflict fought in the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989. It saw extensive fighting between the Soviet Union and the Afghan mujahideen (alongside smaller groups of anti-Sovie ...

, Logar was known among some Afghans as the Bab al-Jihad (Gates of Jihad) because it became a fierce theatre of war between US-backed/trained mujahideen groups and the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan's

Afghan Army The Army of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (), also referred to as the Islamic Emirate Army and the Afghan Army, is the land force branch of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The roots of an army in Afghanistan can be tr ...

. Ahmadzai Suleman Khel Ghilzai

Pashtuns Pashtuns (, , ; ps, پښتانه, ), also known as Pakhtuns or Pathans, are an Iranian ethnic group who are native to the geographic region of Pashtunistan in the present-day countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were historically r ...

is dominant in this region. Haji Shuja, Haji Zareen and Haji Bahadur were the prominent traders and chieftains in the region before the soviet invasion of Afghanistan. It was one of the main supply routes of mujahideen rebels coming from Pakistan. Like other parts of the country, Logar has also seen heavy fighting since the Soviets started a crackdown against the elders of the

Ahmadzai tribe Aḥmadzai ( ps, احمدزی, "descendants of Aḥmad"; also spelled Ahmedzai) is a Sunni Muslim Pashtun people, Pashtun tribe found in South Waziristan and Bannu District in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. They are a clan ...

during the 1980s. Swedish journalist Borge Almqvist, who visited the province in 1982, wrote that: "Everywhere in the Logar province the most common sight except for ruins are graves". Soviet operations included using bombing, the use of flammable liquids to burn alive people in hiding, poisoning of drinking water, and destruction of crops and farmland. One writer who witnessed the events argues that the Soviet actions in Logar amounted to genocide. By 1995, the province had fallen to the

Taliban government The government of Afghanistan, officially called the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is the central government of Afghanistan, a unitary state. Under the leadership of the Taliban, the government is a theocracy and an emirate with political powe ...

. After the removal of the Taliban and the formation of the

Karzai administration Hamid Karzai (; Pashto/ fa, حامد کرزی, , ; born 24 December 1957) is an Afghan statesman who served as the fourth president of Afghanistan from July 2002 to September 2014, including as the first elected president of the Islamic Repu ...

in late 2001, the

International Security Assistance Force ' ps, کمک او همکاري ' , allies = Afghanistan , opponents = Taliban Al-Qaeda , commander1 = , commander1_label = Commander , commander2 = , commander2_label = , commander3 = , command ...

(ISAF), Afghan National Army, and

Afghan National Police The Afghan National Police (ANP; ps, د افغانستان ملي پولیس; prs, پلیس ملی افغانستان), is the national police force of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, serving as a single law enforcement agency all across ...

gradually took over security of the area. The Provincial Reconstruction Team Logar (PRT Logar) was established in March 2008. It provided several benefits to the locals, including security, development, and jobs. In the meantime, Taliban insurgents are often causing major disturbances in the area. This includes major attacks on key projects, suicide bombings in civilian areas, and assassinations of Afghan government employees. On 19 August 2014, a major

Taliban The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalist, militant Islamist, jihadist, and Pasht ...

offensive took place with 700 militants aiming to take control of the province, while the

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

-led foreign force mistakenly killed three civilians in an airstrike in December 2014. On 20 January 2019, the Taliban claimed responsibility for a car bomb attack on the province's governor and his convoy, which killed eight security forces and wounded at least 10 on the highway to Kabul. The governor and the provincial head of the

National Directorate of Security The National Directorate of Security (NDS; ps, د ملي امنیت لوی ریاست; prs, ریاست عمومی امنیت ملی) was the national intelligence and security service of Afghanistan. The headquarters of the NDS was in Kabul, ...

were uninjured. On 14 August 2021, the

Taliban offensive {{Infobox military conflict , partof = the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) and the Afghanistan conflict , image = 2021 Taliban Offensive.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Map of the 2021 Taliban o ...

reached

(the province capital), and the province of Logar fell to the Taliban, setting their sights to

Kabul Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acco ...

the following day.

Geography

Logar can be generally described as a relatively flat river valley in the north and central regions, surrounded by rugged mountains to the east, south, and southwest. The district of Azra, in the east, consists almost entirely of mountains, while travel to the Paktia Province to the south is limited to the

Tera Pass The Tera Pass is the primary route connecting Logar and Paktia provinces in Afghanistan. The pass was unimproved until 2006, when construction of a paved surface was completed as part of the ongoing international reconstruction effort. History T ...

, a 2896 m high road that was recently completed as part of the international reconstruction effort in Afghanistan. The Kabul-Khost Highway runs north–south through Logar Province, from the Mohammed Agha District. The government of Afghanistan officially recognizes all the districts of the Logar province as part of the province.

Capital city

Puli Alam is the capital city of Logar province, located in the district of Puli Alam. It's on the main road running south and southeast from Kabul to

Khost Khōst ( ps, خوست) is the capital of Khost Province in Afghanistan. It is the largest city in the southeastern part of the country, and also the largest in the region of Loya Paktia. To the south and east of Khost lie Waziristan and Kurram ...

. Rebuilding of the city is going on. There is a lot of room for infrastructure and investment. Puli Alam has seen reconstruction since the fall of the Taliban. The main road to Kabul was completed in 2006, significantly reducing travel time to the national capital. Additional projects include numerous schools, radio stations, government facilities, and a major Afghan National Police base situated south of the city. The city is open for investment. Like many Afghan cities, there is municipal planning and services. During the tenure of President

Ashraf Ghani Mohammad Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai (born 19 May 1949) is an Afghan politician, academic, and economist who served as the president of Afghanistan from September 2014 until August 2021, when his government was overthrown by the Taliban. Born in ...

the city gained electricity, clean drinking and water facilities.

Economics

Logar is an agricultural province with a wealth of minerals such as copper and chromite. In terms of industry, the province has one textile and one copper factory. Agriculture, commerce and services, and livestock products account for the majority of commercial operations. Agriculture is a significant source of income for 31% of households. However, commerce and services provide income to 30% of rural households, while non-farm-related labor provides income to 46% of rural households. Tobacco and sugar extract are the two most important industrial crops. The main industry is honey production, which is a small industry. Jewelry, ceramics, and carpets are made in a small number of settlements. Eighty-four percent of the province's households have access to irrigated land. Wheat, maize, potatoes, alfalfa, clover, and other feed are among the most significant field crops. Sheep, cattle, camels, and poultry are the most frequent livestock.

Healthcare

The percentage of households without clean drinking water fell from 45% in 2005 to 14% in 2011.Archive, Civil Military Fusion Centre, The percentage of births attended to by a skilled birth attendant increased from 9% in 2005 to 73% in 2011. In 2008, the province of Logar has 32 health clinics and a 137-bed hospital. According to data from 2008, the Ministry of Health employs 48 doctors and 218 other health professionals in the province. There are 156 pharmacies in the province. The majority of villages do not have a permanent health worker. To access their nearest health center, the majority of the populace must travel 5 to 10 kilometers.

Education

The overall literacy rate (6+ years of age) increased from 21% in 2005 to 30% in 2011. The overall net enrolment rate (6–13 years of age) increased from 22% in 2005 to 45% in 2011. The overall literacy rate in Logar province was 21% in 2005 however, while nearly one-third (31%) of men are literate this is true for just under one-tenth (9%) of women. There are around 168 primary and secondary schools in the province catering for 81,538 students. There are nearly 2,082 teachers working in schools in the Logar province. There are several girls schools in the province, mostly located in Koshi and Pul-e-alam. Due to the large Taliban presence in Chark and Baraki Barak, the freedom of women in Logar does not always allow for an education. As of 2007, the province had a literacy rate of 17%. There are 19 religious centers including a Dar-ul-Ulum, three Darul Hifaz and the rest are Madrasas. Three technical and vocational high schools and two private high schools function in Logar Province.

Demographics

As of 2021, the total population of Logar province is about 442,037. Logar is dominantly Sunni, multi-ethnic and a tribal society.

and

Tajiks Tajiks ( fa, تاجيک، تاجک, ''Tājīk, Tājek''; tg, Тоҷик) are a Persian-speaking Iranian ethnic group native to Central Asia, living primarily in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Tajiks are the largest ethnicity in Taj ...

make up the majority population of Logar province. 7.2 percent of the population lived below the national

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, the lowest of all of Afghanistan's provinces. In 2008, the population of Logar was estimated to be at 349,000 people. The province has 44,209 households, with an average of eight individuals per home. 72 percent of the population live in the rural areas.

Kochi people Kochis or Kuchis (Pashto: کوچۍ Kuchis) are pastoral nomads belonging primarily to the Ghilji Pashtuns. In the southern, western and northern regions of Afghanistan they are also referred to at times as maldar (Pashto: مالدار maldar, ...

(nomads) live in the province of Logar, and their numbers fluctuate with the seasons. During winter, 96,280 people, or 4% of the

population, stay in Logar and live in 29 settlements.

Districts

Until 2005 the district was administratively subdivided into five districts. In that year the province gained Azra District from neighboring Paktia Province; also part of Charkh District was split off into the new district of Kharwar.

Sport

Cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by str ...

is the most popular sport in the province. Logar has been a major supplier of players for the

Afghanistan national cricket team The Afghanistan men's national team ( ps, د افغانستان کرکټ ملي لوب‌‌‌‌‌‌ډله, fa, تیم ملی کریکت افغانستان) represents Afghanistan in international cricket. Cricket has been played in Afgha ...

. Former players include Dawlat Ahmadzai, Ahmad Shah Pakteen and former national team captain Raees Ahmadzai. Among the active national players hailing from Logar are:

Mohammad Nabi Mohammad Nabi Eisakhil ( ps, ; born 1 January 1985) is an Afghan cricketer and former captain of the Afghanistan national cricket team. Nabi is an attacking batting all-rounder, playing as a right-handed batsman and off b ...

(captain of the national team), Shahpoor Zadran, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Nasir Jamal Ahmadzai and Gulbadin Naib Ahmadzai. Football is the second most popular sport in the province. De Abasin Sape (meaning "Waves of Abasin") plays in the

Afghanistan Premier League The Afghanistan Premier League (APL) ( ps, ; fa, ), officially Gulbahar Afghanistan Premier League for sponsorship reasons, is a Twenty20 cricket franchise tournament run by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), held in the United Arab Emirat ...

. ''Abasin'' means "father of the rivers" in Pashto and refers to the Indus River. The team represents the provinces of Khost, Paktia, Logar, and Paktika. Other popular sports are volleyball, boxing, taekwondo, Washoe, kick boxing and wrestling.

References

External links

Logar Province
- Naval Postgraduate School
Tribal Map of Logar province on nps.eduLogar Province ولایت لوگر
{{authority control Provinces of Afghanistan Provinces of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan