The Buner Valley lies between
Swabi to the south and
Swat to the north. It is a valley dotted with villages and divided into four sub-divisions. The Mora Hills and the Ilam range divide it from the
Swat Valley, while the Sinawar range from Yusafzai, the Guru mountains from the
Mardan Valley, and the Duma range from the
Puran Valley. During the 1580s, a significant uprising against the
Mughal Empire took place among the
Yusufzai tribe. In late 1585, Mughal Emperor
Akbar sent military forces under
Zain Khan Koka and
Birbal to crush the rebellion. In February 1586, near the
Karakar Pass, about 8,000 Mughal soldiers, including Birbal, were
killed by the
Yusufzai lashkar, led by
Kalu Khan. This was the greatest disaster faced by the
Mughal Army during Akbar's reign. During the 19th century, the inhabitants of Buner stood up twice against the
British Raj during the
Ambela Campaign and their
rebellion in the
1897 Frontier Revolt. In April 2009, militants of the extremist
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan seized control of Buner after a short battle with the local residents and began imposing strict regulations, which reportedly included the closure of video stores, ban on trimming beards, and restrictions on women's presence in public spaces. On 29 April, the Government of Pakistan responded to the Taliban by deploying the army to the region, even parachuting troops in via helicopters. By the end of May 2009, almost the entire Buner was liberated from the Taliban's grip.
2025 flash flood On the morning of August 15th, 2025, a cloudburst occurred in Beshonai village of Buner, causing more than 150 mm of rain in one hour only. This led to flash floods in the district. Other villages affected severely included Pir Baba, Qadar Nagar, and Chagharzi. The destruction caused by the flash flood was devastating. More than 200 people tragically lost their lives in Buner alone. Entire families were wiped out along with their homes when the Beshonai village was hit by giant rocks that were forced down from a mountain by the intense cloudburst. In the aftermath of the flood, the KP government released PKR 150 Million to cater to the immediate needs of the situation. Afterwards, the government raised PKR 500 Million for Buner. == Demographics ==