Peace-building in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , Pakistan in the 21st century

1. By
PROF. DR. ZAHID ANWAR
Department of Political Science
University of Peshawar, Pakistan
THE EMERGING REGIONAL
POLITICAL SCENARIO AND ITS
IMPLICATIONS FOR KHYBER
PAKHTUNKHWA
Presentation in the International Conference on “The Dynamics of
Change in Conflict Societies: Pakhtun Region in Perspective” (June
25-26, 2013) jointly organized by Hanns Seidel Foundation
(Islamabad) and the Department of Political Science, University of
Peshawar, PAKISTAN.

2. •This paper explores the impact of regional
political developments on the socio-
economic and political life of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa.
•To understand the dynamics of change
among the Pakhtuns of KP it’s
worthwhile to study the current scenario
in historical perspective.
•In this contest analyzing the political
dynamics in KP in global, regional,
national, and local perspectives will
help in grasping the ground reality.

3. •The NATO will considerably minimize its
footprints in Afghanistan in 2014.
•What will be its impact on the area along the
Durand Line?
•Will it help in the political stabilization of the
region or will it be a harbinger of a new
phase of violence?

4. •From time immemorial the area has been
crisscrossed by many great invaders and
remained a highway of conquest as well
as a graveyard of empires.
•Its inhabitants are custodian of a splendid
heritage. Pakhtunwali is a rich tradition
and Islam is not just a religion of peace
but of freedom and self respect.

5. •The majority of people of KPK are Pakhtuns other
ethnic groups are Gujar, Awan etc.
•Yousefzai, Mohmand, Afridi, Shinwari,
Mohmmadzai, and Durrani are some of the
major tribes of Pakhtuns living in the Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa.
• It has rich natural and human geography. Wheat,
maize, tobacco and sugarcane are some of the
major crops and small scale industries are
producing fabrics, caps, shoes, embroidery etc.

6. •Industrial zones have been created to galvanize
industrial development nevertheless it
remained backward in both agricultural and
industrial sectors.
•Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has produced great leaders and
contributing hugely to nation building through
its rich and talented human resources.

7. •Afghanistan was the last battlefield of the Cold War.
•Saur Revolution (April, 1978) and the Soviet
invasion of Afghanistan in its wake (December,
1979) made life gloomier for the people of this area.
•The important events which took place in neighboring
Afghanistan in 1978, 1979, 1989 and 2001 impacted
the people of KPK to a great extent.

8. •Pakistan was the front line state in the 1980s against
the Soviet troops in Afghanistan.
•In that time regional war economy developed,
narcotic, weapon, timber and transport mafia
strengthened and exploited the situation.
•KP became a corridor for transfer of weapons,
money and food to those forces which resisted
the Soviet troops in Afghanistan.
•KP gave refuge to millions of Afghans. After 9/11
again Pakistan became frontline state this time
an important partner in the war against global
terrorism. KPK bore huge human and material
losses.

9. •In this point in time Pakistan is caught in crisis and it
is struggling within and without to cope with it.
•KP is part of the federation of Pakistan which is
comprised Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,
Punjab, Sindh, federal capital, Northern Areas
and Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

10. •The implications of the war on terror are more serious
for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) due to the socio-
cultural similarity, geographic proximity with
Afghanistan and vulnerability of the porous border
which is stretched over more than 2400 km with more
than 300 passes.

11. •It was Peshawar, the capital of KP that was the largest
concentration camp of foreigners in the 1980s
which again became a very big camp of foreigners
in the first decade of the 21st century when
Pakistan became the frontline state in the war
against terrorism.
•KP became the frontline province and Peshawar the
frontline city in the war against terrorism.

12. •The war on terror and its ripple effects have
worsened the socio-economic conditions of the
North West Pakistan and there is hardly any
aspect of their lives which is not affected by
terrorism and counter terrorism.
•Radicalization, intolerance, suicide bombing, the
feeling of insecurity, kidnapping and killing
of professionals, of the Pakhtun elders, of the
members of political parties, the destruction of
educational institutions and other government
facilities have galvanized this deterioration.

13. •In the first decade of 211st century Pakistan and
particularly its north western regions have
suffered economically, politically, strategically,
socially and psychologically due to regional
political turbulence.
•For the last dozen of years the region is in political
commotion with Afghanistan it’s centre.
•The war against terrorism has cast its shadow on
Pakistan generally and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
particularly.

14. •Both sides of the Durand Line are arena of violent
conflict and the clash of interests of the
regional states has negatively affected KPK
people and their habitat.
•The global and regional political developments in the
wake of the tragic events of 9/11 further
increased the suffering of the inhabitants of this
region.
•The global war against terrorism has damaged
agricultural and industrial sectors of the
provincial economy considerably.

15. •The convergence and divergence of interests of
regional and global powers are shaping the
Political scenario in the region.
•The recent regional political developments affected
the thought processes of local people very
much.
•People have become victims of militancy, insurgency
and terrorism.
•What are the causes of KP social, economic,
cultural, and political suffering?
•Broadly they can be divided into internal and
external causes.

16. •Internal causes:
•Rampant corruption, pervasive ignorance, groomed
violence, poor rule of law, Poverty, Lack of
industrial and Agricultural Development,
Colonial Legacy, flaws of Social, Political,
Economic and administrative systems, and lack
of internal cohesion are some of the internal causes of
this suffering.

17. •Internal feuds, sectarianism, regional disparity,
political discrimination exacerbated the
situation in the province.
•Such factors kept the region and its people backward
and galvanized its suffering.
•Besides, the area was also kept backward in the
pretext of religion, Pakhtunwali, and
development.

18. •External Causes:
•Some of the external causes which influenced the
area in one way or the other were the end
Cold War, the Middle East Situation,
Afghanistan`s pandemonium, war against
Global Terrorism, Pakistan & India
relationship based on traditional rivalry,
regional zero-sum perspectives, divergence of
interests of great powers regarding regional
development.

19. •In 2002 elections MMA come out as largest political
force in KPK and formed Government.
•One important point in this emergence was its anti-
American stance during the election campaign.
•In 2002 election in KPK ANP and PPP emerged as big
provincial parties.
•The political scene was dominated by ANP which
consider itself the protector of the rights of
Pakhtuns which is the largest ethnic group of
the province.
•In 2013 elections PTI surfaced as the largest party
and succeeded in depicting itself as a party
that is struggling to restore national pride and
sovereignty.

20. •It has become a fashion to blame Pakistan for all
regional failures and it has become easy recipe
to consider Pakhtuns the perpetrator of
regional clutter.
•Its time to pause and think why Pakistan is suffering
like a tragic hero?
•What is its hamarsha (Tragic flaw)? Is it blind
following or something else?

21. •Political instability in Afghanistan will keep the
region disturbed. Its impact will be definitely
negative on North West Pakistan. Regional
engagement will help in the management,
transformation and resolution of
Afghanistan`s muddle. All stake holders
should be involved in the peaceful settlement
of the Afghan conflict. And this can be
done through persistent and consistent
efforts

22. •The need of the hour is to think critically and
independently to create win win situation?
•In the strength and weakness of a nation internal
unity plays vital role.
•Unity in diversity, flexibility and accommodation
strengthen national unity.
•United stand protect internal and external
sovereignty of a state.
•Our actions design our future, we are the makers of
our heaven and hell, we are our foe and friend, the
options we choose, the decisions we make, our
thinking and feeling shape our fate and future.

23. THANKS