The Pashtuns are an ethnic group, who trace their origin to present day Iran. They are distributed mainly in Afghanistan and Pakistan (where they are the second largest ethnic group, yet a minority) though they have a healthy distribution in other regions such as the middle east and central Asia and are traditionally speakers of the Pashto language, but have also adopted localised languages such as Dari (in Afghanistan) and Urdu (in Pakistan). The Pashtun society follows a patriarchal structure with an intricate system of tribes of which the Sarbani, Bettani, Garghashti and Karlani are predominant.
Following immense pressurisation from the United States, Pakistan launched a campaign to counter insurgency and terrorism, within its territory. Most of these operations by the Pakistani Army are conducted in the Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) which provided a safe haven for cross border and domestic terrorists due to the mountainous nature of the terrain. These regions have a large amount of Pashtun population, and thus the community was heavily affected. The Pashtuns are essentially a martial race and are known for their immense mastery in warfare. In modern times, this has incorrectly and negatively translated into a stereotype of Pashtuns being war loving and rebellious. This has made them easy targets in the Pakistani military campaigns.
The pressure on the Pakistani authorities to eliminate terrorism, has led them to resort to nefarious activities such as kidnappings, disappearances, ethnic profiling of Pashtuns and extra-judicial killings. This, in combination with the repressive policies that Islamabad has directly implemented in this region has led to a sense of exclusion, marginalisation and targeting among the Pashtun community.
In recent times, these feelings culminated into a full-scale protest following the death of Naqeebullah Mehsud, who was abducted from restaurant and killed 10 days later on 13th January 2018 for suspected links to the Islamic State and Taliban and on charges of attacking Pakistani military convoys and bases. The 27-year-old was a social media influencer and a youth icon among the Pashtun community. The killing occurred without any judicial processes and he was denied basic human rights during confinement. Following large scale protests by the Pashtun community, Dr. Sanaullah Abbasi, the Additional Inspector General of the Counter-Terrorism Department led an investigation into the encounter, the results of which found Naqeebullah Mehsud to be innocent.
The immediate reaction to this was the start of the Long March Movement, spearheaded by the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement. It is a non-violent demonstration demanding the release of all illegally detained Pashtun prisoners and relaxation of administrative force in the Federally Administer Tribal Area. The recent protests in Peshawar and Islamabad, are among the few times the civilian population has come out against the politically powerful Pakistani Army.
The impact of a dissatisfied Pashtun community could be disastrous for the security situation in the entire nation of Pakistan. Its proximity to Afghanistan allows escaped underground Taliban leaders to access to population susceptible to radicalisation. Dissatisfaction of the Pashtun community with the centre will make them further inclined to anti state ideology. The disparity in the resources and opportunities available will further deepen the gap and could culminate in a secessionist movement. These potentially radicalised insurgents, will have free movement across the nation, thus creating a huge chink in national security. Rather than targeting the Pashtun, the security forces can use their knowledge of the local terrain and expertise to eliminate infiltration threats from Afghanistan.
The Pakistani central government’s treatment of the Pashtun communities also directly affects its relations with Afghanistan, as they are the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan. The 2430km stretch that Pakistan shares with Afghanistan is very important for maintaining security and for this Afghanistan is expected to play a major role in this. Thus, it is necessary to make the Pashtuns feel welcome in Pakistan. A sense of satisfaction within the ethnic and religious minorities is necessary for the smooth functioning of democracy and maintenance of the law and order situation. A nation like Pakistan, which is already facing a large spread issue of terrorism needs to pay particular emphasis on ensuring inclusion and equal treatment to all communities.
India is now a major player in ensuring stability in the South Asian Region. The Pashtun community enjoys a strong bond with India, right from the Mughal period. India’s newly strengthened bond with Afghanistan makes it even more important to closely monitor the situation, and if necessary, use diplomatic means to pacify any turbulence as it directly affects national security and interests of Indi.
While the Pakistani government can implement a large number of policies to find a short hand solution to the protests, but the long-term solution will be an expansive process to create equality and stability between the various Pakistani ethnic groups.