Pashton nationalism and taliban insurgency

1. Course Contents
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Pashtun ethnonatinaisam
 After part ion
 The Rise of Taliban
 Pakistan Tehrike Taliban
 Conclusion
 References

2. Pashton ethno nationalism and Taliban insurgency
Abstract
The article examines the rise of Taliban and argue that it’s not product of
Pashton nationalismbut basically it’s product of a specific interpretation of Islam.
The role of Pakistan during soviet intervention in Afghanistan and after the
defeat of soviet Pakistan role in Afghanistan and its effects on Pakistan spicily
in pashtuns.
Introduction
This article examines insurgency in Khyber Pukhtonkhwa and Federal
administered tribal areas and the rise of Taliban ,the article argue that the
Taliban are not product of Pashtun ethno nationalism .The fact is that the
Taliban insurgency is not on base on linguistic or cultural . But it’s a product of
specific interpretation of Islam . The majority of Taliban ware Pashtuns but there
are many other groups also involve with them like punjabis, balochis etc. if we
trace root of Taliban we can find Afghani Taliban and simply it was product of
Pakistan but Pakistan did not handle it on proper way .The current insurgency in
KPK and FATA is because of USA and NATO presence in region.
The Taliban are Muslims but their way of Islam is different they have killed many
moderate Muslims who opposed their strict implementation of Islam .Their main
goal to impose their strict Islamic sharih not Pashton code of conduct its true
that there are majority of Taliban are Pashton but they did not demand for
Pashton their demand is always for Muslims .They want a free Afghanistan from
foreign intervention and want Islamic state.
If we looked past of this region it was ground of great power they played their
games in this region in which majority of population are pashtun suffer from
these games .Thus why pashtun involve in these games from time to time the

3. soviet intervention in 1979 mujahidin who fought against soviet from support of
other actors like US and suodia Arabia .
The seed of current Taliban ware from 1980 when US provide arms and
financial support while Pakistan trained militant they successful defeated soviet .
But after these groups can’t handle Afghanistan and as a result civil war started
in Afghanistan. Pakistan and US supported Taliban for a strategic partner .This
led victory of Taliban over mujahiden.Taliban rule was short because of their
strict rule of religious and politics and soon after 9/11 attacked the whole world
enter to new world order . As a result Pakistan become allay of US in war of
terror against Taliban it was a major u turn in Pakistan policy against Taliban .as
a result Khyber Pukhtunkhwa and its adjoing area federal administrative area
become the frontline of this global war.
Pashtun ethnonatinaisam
Pakistan is multi language and multi ethnic country. Pashtun the major ethnic
group in KP have a brought history of an active ethnonatinalist before the part
ion KHUDAYE KHITMATGAR Movement led by Ghaffar khan known as Bacha
khan from 1929 it was a social as well political movement against Briton. The
KKM played important rule in Briton raj their struggle was against Briton .Ghffar
khan was against part ion of India and struggle for independent india.He was
friend of Mahatma Gandhi and known as Gandhi of NWFP.
Ghaffar khan was active in verity of religious and political movements like khlifat
movement, Indian nationalcongress and struggle with congress leaders against
Briton. He did not support Muslim league because it was pro Briton party and it
was difficult for him to support them because Muslim leagues ware against KKM
in NWFP.
After partion

4. When the Pakistan came into being Pashtun felt it would be Punjabi dominance
state then KKM demand for Azad Pushtunsiton , in 1947 the khudaye khitmat
ghar boycotted from referendumbecause they want include pushtunistan option
in referendum. The NWFP officially became part of Pakistan through referendum
however after he accepted referendum and show loyalty to Pakistan but having
some demands. in 1928 KKM was banned by provincial government and
imprisoned Ghaffar khan .
In 1957 Ghaffar khan , Abdul hammed khan bashani (Bengali ladder) And G M
syed (sindhi nationalist ) formed NAP .Ghffar khan was against one unite
scheme he critsixe one unite . Many other leftist parties merge in NAP their
demands was more autonomy for provinces .Wali khan son of Ghaffar khan
enter politics in 1967.
In 1972 NAP formed coalition government with JUI in NWFP and Baluchistan
but Bhutto dissolved their governed .NAP started strikes against Bhutto . Bhutto
banned NAP for destabilizing country this time fall down of KKM was started .
People of NWFP involve in different religious and other parties and at last KKM
become ANP Awami National party.
The Rise of Taliban
Soviet invasion in Afghanistan change the scenario of this region specially FATA
and NWFP (KPK) . The pashtun areas in Pakistan ware base for mujahedeen
.They were trained by Pakistan by support of US and Saudi Arabia to defeat
soviet there were many other groups of mujahedeen also involve in these jihads
like Arabs .Uzbeks ,tajaks but majority of them ware pashtun.
When Mujahedeen successfully defeated soviet union there are many groups
play important rule in jihads now every group want their rule in Afghanistan
Pakistan support pro Pakistani mujahedeen for their interest in region as a

5. result civil war started in Afghanistan . Eventually mullah become powerful and
Malik’s lose powers .
In 1994 Taliban a new group rise in Afghanistan leading by Mullah umar with
support of Pakistan capture two-third of territory without any major resistance .
Their aim was to impose Islamic sharih in Afghanistan .Taliban government
ware recognized by Pakistan ,suadia Arabia and UAE.from 1995 to 2001
Pakistan support Afghani Taliban in international community . Pakistan support
Taliban because of two resones one that Taliban would recognize Durand line
the other was Taliban ware anti-India anti-shia . The whole scenario changed
after attacked on world trade centre in September 09 2001. .
The new world order ‘’War on terror’’ started by USA their main target was Al
Qaeda but Taliban not ready to give Osama and did not ready to broke up
relation with al Qaeda they started fighting against USA while Pakistan was the
front line ally of USA in this war .
Pakistan Tehrike Taliban
The emergence of Pakistan Taliban when Pakistan army started operation in
tribal area against foreigner many of them ware Afghani ,Arabs and central Asia
.it was demand of USA to started operation in tribal area because they thought
that Osama and other al Qaeda leader ware in these area.. Many of TTP
leaders ware fought against Soviet Union and now fighting against NATO and
USA. They did not ready to broke up their relation with those forghiner whose
ware now setup their from last 30 ,40 years .in 2007 about 13 groups of militant
established TTP leading by bitullah masood . Pakistan lunched many operation
against Taliban they success little bit but the process of peace agreements gave
time to Taliban established themselves effectively in tribal areas as well as other
areas of Pukhtunkhwa like in swat mullah fazal ullah challenge rat of
government but the operation Rah-e-haq was fought against Taliban but the
operation was soon ended by peace agreement which critsize by west and the

6. second operation was started in 2009 as know as Rah-e-Rast and secure the
whole areas. Time to time Taliban attacked on public places and govrement
officials. They kidnapped many innocent people and slaughter them in public
places and some areas they impose jazyea on non Muslims. FATA was now
perceived as a global threat, as many plans for terrorist attacks discovered in
Europe were traced back to training or contacts in the tribal region...
The Pakistan government tried to dialogue with all militant but did not
succeeded as a result Pakistan lunched operation zarb azab against various
militant groups including TTP in June 2014. The oprtion has support all over
Pakistan politicians as well as peoples of Pakistan.
Conclusion
The Taliban insurgency in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa badly destroy the Pashtuns
nationalist some people argue that it is because of pashtun ethnuntionalist but in
fact it stress realigues identity.pashtun ethnunationlist such as ANP condemned
TTP and do not support them.
The Pakistan state as responsible for that they started policy against soviet and
become a close ally of USA .they trained thousand of militant in province and
provide a place to all over the world extremist to come here and start fighting
against communism to stopped the communism many actors ware involve in this
game and USA was the champion of this game while Pakistan was the main
player of this game. Pashtun was the main community suffers from these all it
was a very critical time for pashtun now the province has become more
dangerous for the Pashtuns themselves.
Refrences
 Abubakar Siddique.(2014). The Pashtun Question: The Unresolved Key
to the Future of Pakistan : c hurts & co : united kingdom .

7.  Ahmed Rashid (2012). Pakistan on the Brink: The Future of America,
Pakistan, and Afghanistan .Penguin Publishing
 Zahid hussain. (2007). Front line Pakistan . inby I.B.Tauris & Co Ltd
.London.
 Rasul bakhsh,(2008). Recovering the frontier state :war, ethnicity and
state un Afghanistan .oxford university press.
 Pashtuns suffer as messy war rages nearby . 2011. Matthew Green in
Jalozai Camp.
 Nasreen Ghufran .(2009) Pushtun Ethnonationalismand the Taliban
Insurgency in the North West Frontier Provinceof Pakistan.
University of California .