I do understand the popular resentment against Punjabis, but it does not explain away the fact that Pushtoons have played a prominent role in the history of Pakistan and that most are deeply committed to the ideal of Pakistan as a nation. The dynamics may be one of over emphasising the displacement of class conflict and failure of leadership within the Pushtoon community to Punjabi imperialism. Frankly, Pushtoon dominated parties in one form or another have been part of the ruling civilian or military establishment and they don’t have anything to show for it. This failure is not unique in the wider context of Pakistan.

Josh;

To wind this discussion down, the dissolution of borders or not recognizing one is ultimately not a well thought out solution. It will wreak the same havoc as insisting that given the historic roots and demographic realities of the Hispanic population in California and Texas, the US-Mexico border should be abolished.

Afghanistanica;

Yep… That is the crux of the problem and the reason why I abandoned political science.

Let me tell you, there are around 27 million people living in NWFP and until 2000, there were were only ~ 300 medical seats. Plus, area called Faisalabad, the textile world is dominated by punjab. most corporations, better infrastructure are all part of punjab. even in the 1990s Punjab stopped the transport of wheat to NWFP. Yet NWFP and Balochistan provided all the energy to Punjab and Sindh. There is a very high difference in the education quality of NWFP and Lahore (you can check). Least to say, I am disappointed at Pashtoons of NWFP and Balochistan for their lack of pride and bowing to punajbis.

But I feel much better for feeling like I don’t have a reasonable idea of what the tribal or qawm dynamics are like. It’s not just that I’ve been lazy (i.e. having a for-real job aside from blogging here).

As for the unsatisfactory nature of academic sources, I think the Pakhtun areas were percieved as being far too peripheral in the grand scheme of things for historians and too scary for modern anthropologists. Now political scientists, who feed off the aforementioned specialists, are being frustrated by the paucity of relevant sources. As for areas studies, Pashtuns don’t fit neatly into Central Asian studies nor South Asian studies, again Pashtuns are at the peripherey of these academic specialties.

Now unfortunately we have a rather dangerous situation and there seems to be little in the way of awareness and expertise regarding the Durand Line area and NWFP.

Point taken. Some related matter:

1. Although the situation in NWFP is no different than most other parts of Pakistan. The problem in these areas have always been that of feudalism.

2. NWFP has a significant non-Pushtoon population, and other provinces have sizable Pushtoon populations.

3. ANP because of their socialist overtures where aligned with the Communist PDPA government of Afghanistan. The call to rename the NWFP may have something to do with that rather than the Pushtoon demands from within Pakistan. Either way, the ANP lost significant ground to the Islamists and is no longer the vital force that it once was.

4. I think I will go with Afghanistanica on his sources (though it his list is fairly canonized). I have run into few sources that are really helpful in understanding the Pushtoon history within the context of Pakistan and the British Raj. The way academic pigeon holing works, this area usually falls under the purvey of Indian and Pakistan history. For my part, I rely on personal experience and encounters with the Pakistani army personnel.

Afghanistanica:

From my own encounters with the Pakistani army (I was in a Pakistani army college for a while), I know there are quite a few Pakistani Pushtoon officers. Wikipedia has something to say on this too:

“Pakistan’s Officer Corps are also mostly from Punjab and the North West Frontier Province and of middle-class, rural backgrounds. This has caused some resentment to the other ethnic groups in Pakistan especially when the Army conducts operation in those areas where Punjabis are not a majority. The army has been criticized by the locals for lacking ethnic sensitivity.”

Also note General Wahid Kakar (the head honcho) is a Pushtoon as are some of the other top generals. Admittedly, they usually come from the urbanized Pushtoons or from families with prior military connections and not from the rural back-waters. But nonetheless it is hard to say that Pushtoons as a whole are marginalized.

Either way, one can’t miss the significance of the middle and upper-middle ranking officers either (as with the US, the top appointments tend to be political) and they are usually the ones running the machinery.

According to CIA Fact The Afghans of Afghan or the Pashtu speakers called Pashtun which came from the word Pashtuwan makes up 8% of Pakistan but some say its around 5% and yet Pakistani Government calims there are more Afghans in Pakistan then there are in Afghanistan putting the number as high as 25%.

The question comes to Karzai would they listen to US and Pakistan and sign off the durand line which is not going to distory the KARZAI GOVERNMENT but also the State of Afghanistan which carries 70-80% Afghan Race whom all are nationalists and want unity with they blood brothers in Afgana (Pashtunistan)

Anyways thanks guys.

Also, “Heroes of the Age” is an excellent book by an anthropologist (David Edwards) who knows his Pakhtuns. It’s not a conventional book, but it’s brilliant. A short review here: http://afghanistanica.com/2007/03/26/the-moral-incoherence-of-afghanistan/

And please accept my apologies for shamelessly plugging my websites.

They are well-represented in the lower ranks. But the upper echelon of officers is a different story. So both of you are half right in my opinion.