Page "Wana, Pakistan" Paragraph 2

During the British Empire period, beginning in the late 19th century, the British established a cantonment on the Wana Plain which was used as a headquarters by the British forces in South Waziristan until they departed India after the partition in 1947.

During their rule, the ferocious Pushtun tribes of Waziristan-part of the Karlanri Tribal Confederation-gave the British much headache.

In fact, the British, known then as the ' foreigners ', had to deal with a full fledged insurgency in Waziristan in the 1930s.

At one point during the 30s, the British had up to 18, 000 troops in and around Waziristan, with Wana being used as the forward headquarters and airbase.