Why I dislike pashtuns

[Azad Khel]

Girls are bad:

You are stressing three things in your posts:

1- New culture i.e. pukhtoon culture
2- Uneducated population and
3- Payment of taxes


In your opinion all the above reasons are responsible to make the Pukhtoon of Karachi unreasonable, to be disliked and even killed by the people who have the same feelings like you. Many of the Urdu speaking or Muhajirs community have the same feelings as I am the inhabitant of Karachi since my childhood/school days. Now I want to discuss all the above points one by one.

Pukhtoon brings with them a new culture:

You said in several of your posts that theses people coming from the North-West bring with them a culture which is new to the city Karachi. This is totally wrong as Pukhtoon are living in Karachi even before the partition, thus, this culture is as old as the Pukhtoon inhabitants here in Karachi.

How you can call your culture, which is almost an Indian/hindu culture, an original culture of the city. Many of your people came here after 1947 and some specially Biharis came after the fall of Dhaka. How you are justified to call your culture the original one for Karachi?

Another important point in this respect is that people all around the world can not change their culture overnight, this takes time and with the passage of time society changes and people of different cultures mixes they adopt things from different cultures thus a new culture comes into being. You can call it give and take and this cycle is always moving on.

Being a permanent resident of Karachi, I have learned from experience and observation that Urdu speaking people think themselves superior than the other culture and ethnic groups of the city thus in their opinion their language and culture is better than the other ethnic groups of Pakistan.

Historically, Urdu, being invented by the Mughals and you know they were not Indians by origin. Urdu, being a common language to all ethnic groups is spoken by all and it was also made the national language of Pakistan.

In contrast to language culture is a different thing. This is not the urgent need of a man. Language is the means of communication and all the people an area need a common language to communicate with the different people of the same area. Thus, it proves that culture is a thing of choice and language a thing of necessity.

With the passage of time I see a new culture for Pukhtoon in Karachi. Pukhtoon boys wear jeans/paints. In their mouth we see gutka/pan, if they speak Pashto it is full of Urdu words and if a person don’t understand Urdu he/she may not be able to understand that new Pukhto/Pashto. Even the dress of ladies are almost similar if not the same. Your ladies wear more tight dress i.e. kameez shalwar our ladies wear the same but not that tightly fitted and made of thin fabrics. Some Pukhtoon girls/women wear even the same dress as wore by your girls/women.
If you go in depth, you will find our culture is more Islamic, being a Muslim you have to adopt that good things from our culture. You should not impose your culture on others if they are next door to you and if even that is a non-Muslim culture.

To save my post to be called very lengthy, I am posting the next points in the post/posts to com.

[girls-are-bad]

made some additions

I am glad you are aware of that. Without us Pashtuns, you won't be able to get on that 11-c or G-3 to travel to Saddar. We pretty much work for a low income, and our employment at the end of the day assists your growing economy. Don't be xenophobic brother, we Pashtuns have fought wars for your nation. Embrace them with love.

Well. I think that if pashtuns were not there it would simply have been a situation where some one else would have done as these are largely unskilled jobs. I'm not saying their contribution hasn't played its part. it has but it would be fantastic if the migration managed better and pushtun areas were developed rather than all the burden being placed on the 1 city's resources that taxpayers of that city are entitled to.

Do you think Pashtuns travel to Karachi by choice? Do you think a Pashtun of Mardaan or Swabi or even Swat wants to leave his homeland to become a Chowkidaar in Al-Asif square or something? Since the government doesn't focus on their areas, they are forced to come to your side of the town for employment. Besides, it's not really tax-evasion because these very Pukhtuns are getting jerked left and right daily by Muhajirs. If you don't believe me, ask any Pashtun rickshaw driver how he has to pay unnecessarily to traffic police officers who swear that he missed this imaginary red-light. And the minute he objects the "chalaan" he is abused, and insulted. So please, if anything, Pashtuns have helped various ethnic groups earn their livelihoods. Pashtuns work hard for their money, yet they are consistently being terrorized. I'm sure you are aware of the "units". Most Muhajirs are highly educated, and they don't want to be Rickshaw drivers, so Pashtuns sort of fill up those spots.

Absolutely. However, the government has ignored Pashtunkhwa. Do you honestly think your current government views Swat on the same level as it views Lahore and Karachi? No one wants to leave their homeland. Kandahar is full of UrduSpeakers too. I can name many other Pashtun areas as well. The few places that currently offer some economic incentives are also full of your people too. We can't point fingers at one another for minor things. We have to work together in developing our region. If you fix your internal policy vis-a-vis Pashtuns, things will change. Oh, and while your at it the foreign policy also needs some work.

Har insaan ta khpal watan Kashmir dey.
Har insaan ko aapna watan Kashmeer lagta hain.

Get used to it. That's all I can say. This isn't something new. We have been following Pashtunwali/Afghanwali for quite sometime now. We don't bite though, we are very hospitable people.
Pashtuns are different. We speak a different language, and our culture is extremely different.

Well. The law and order situation of pushtun areas has been so bad it's hard to develop. Pushtuns won't accept govt of pakistan laws, they have their own jirgas and customs, everything, who is going to convince them to accept the govt of pakistans laws. Also, skilled personnel will have to go there from the country if economic acticty was to be started and i'm not sure many would be willing to signup to go there as everyone there has guns AK-47's slung over their shoulders and there are no laws about it. That isn't exactly ideal for economic activity.


To be honest i don't believe in having different cultures in one state. it doesn't allow people to develop a common national feeling. they will always favor punjabi, pushto, muhajir over others as long these cultures continue to exist. Muhajirs don't really have a "culture" as such. they dont have any customs, codes or anything like that so its not like we "imposed" something on sindhis. also if you see sindhi customs on honor killings etc, i think they are very cruel. anyhow, its our choice whether to continue to preserve 4 cultures and remain in the stone age while the rest of the world has already gotten over such petty issues. i'm willing to stop calling msyelf a muhajir, if you ask me it doesnt matter as its just where i was born, i could have been boprn anywhere so i dont take it personally. and i believe everyone including muhajirs should stop referring to themselves by their ethnic group and work towards a common culture/language. or else only bloodshed will ensue. language plays an essential role in the development of a country, its not merely a communication tool. its hard to try and avance 6 languages at once. why not focus on just one. honestly what would you rather have? seperate culture, different language and a backward society.....OR ...same language, same culture and a higher standard of living.

Another problem with pashtuns is that most are a bit ssensitive to critcism or anything about pashtun culture that the pashtun doesnt agree with even if it was not intended to insult their culture. i wonder why is that. i mean, if someone told me to go back to india or i would just laugh. punjabis and sindhis dont take it that personally either. no offence but its a fact. anyhow it shouldnt matter because we all need to work towards making the country an economically developed one!! if all european countries and US can unite why cant we all unite within one country. also whats the point of having a culture, and codes if the country remains backward and this applies to all ethnic groups in pakistan including muhajirs. just so that you dont think I'm biased. muhajirs too need to give up calling themselves as such, everyone should.

[girls-are-bad]

Also, i believe that its the pashtuns that need to work more towards developing a common national feeling because they always trust pashtuns more than non-pashtuns which isnt healthy because we are all supposed to be citizens oif the same country. pasthuns look different too, for other races its hard to tell a muhajir from a punjabi or a sindhi, they all look the same, and almost 99% of them have urdu spoken in their homes all the time so its pretty hard to tell them apart and no one really asks these questions anymore or wants to know. thats why "in my opinion" more than anyone else its the pashtuns who are required to make an effort towards integrating with the others.

[Michin Khel]

Yes we are different and some how we are stuck with indics. We dont need any integration or assimilation into indic people. We are pashtuns and we will always remain pashtuns.

[girls-are-bad]

Yes, this is what i don't quite understand. if they are unwilling to integrate with "indic" people, then why migrate in millions to indic dominated cities. before you throw at me that therw ere already pashtuns living in the city, let me tell you, it was nowhere near the number that they are now. heck, around 1 million was the number of refugees from the soviet war that came from afghanistan and eventually setlled in karachi. so from what you are implying neither will they integrate and on the other hand keep migrating towards other regions karachi for jobs etc, because as i said before its not easy for the govt to have economic activites if the people wont accept its rule and where everyone is equipped with an Ak-47 no matter where they go. so whats the way ahead?

[BLS_1919v2.0]

Yes, this is what i don't quite understand. if they are unwilling to integrate with "indic" people, then why migrate in millions to indic dominated cities. before you throw at me that therw ere already pashtuns living in the city, let me tell you, it was nowhere near the number that they are now. heck, around 1 million was the number of refugees from the soviet war that came from afghanistan and eventually setlled in karachi. so from what you are implying neither will they integrate and on the other hand keep migrating towards other regions karachi for jobs etc, because as i said before its not easy for the govt to have economic activites if the people wont accept its rule and where everyone is equipped with an Ak-47 no matter where they go. so whats the way ahead?

Why should either give up their culture? We shouldn't have to give up anything? The most we can do is live in harmony with others. What national feeling? I thought Pakistan was created because of the two nation theory?

[girls-are-bad]

it might be easy for you to write this issue off just like that but if you lived here, only then you would understand the gravity of the situation. people are being gunned down almost on daily basis due to ethnic differences, it really pains my heart to see this happening. I am even considering leaving the country lol because no one seems to be interested in resolving these issues through discussion and dialogue and its getting worse day by day.

[girls-are-bad]

Why should either give up their culture? We shouldn't have to give up anything? The most we can do is live in harmony with others. What national feeling? I thought Pakistan was created because of the two nation theory?

No. everyone needs to give their culture up and have a common national feeling because for as long as there are separate cultures, favoritism and discrimination on ethnic grounds will continue. people of one ethnic group will always trust and side with members of their community more than others and this isn't suitable.

[BLS_1919v2.0]

it might be easy for you to write this issue off just like that but if you lived here, only then you would understand the gravity of the situation. people are being gunned down almost on daily basis due to ethnic differences, it really pains my heart to see this happening. I am even considering leaving the country lol because no one seems to be interested in resolving these issues through discussion and dialogue and its getting worse day by day.

Many communities can live in peace without giving up their culture. What you are suggesting will turn Karachi upside down and cause more bloodshed. Why are antagonizing when the issue has nothing to do with culture? It is a political power struggle. A fair solution has to be reached. No amount of pushing pashtuns to integrate will change the fact that this is primarily a power struggle.

[girls-are-bad]

Well to be clear I am only talking about pashtuns of karachi, if they prefer to live here rather than KP, then I don't see why they should not be willing to integrate with other communities. I mean I agree that they are peaceful but a pashtun will always prefer a pashtun over a non-pashtun and this is a bit hard to stomach because they are living alongside a large number of non-pashtuns.

Discrimination exists in other communities as well, no doubt, but not as much because its hard to tell who is who if they all speak urdu and look alike.

[girls-are-bad]

and its the non-pashtuns that the pashtuns in karachi should be actually graetful for because they are the ones paying for resources in the form of taxes that benefit pashtuns and karachi provides them with means of living and jobs. moreover kareachi provided shelter to 1 million refugees from afghan war. so i dont understand why they are unwilling to integrate and continue to prefer delaings with and be friendlier with pashtuns more than non pashtuns.

[Levanaye Zalmaye]

it might be easy for you to write this issue off just like that but if you lived here, only then you would understand the gravity of the situation. people are being gunned down almost on daily basis due to ethnic differences, it really pains my heart to see this happening. I am even considering leaving the country lol because no one seems to be interested in resolving these issues through discussion and dialogue and its getting worse day by day.

What you've said in essence is that you don't like Pashtuns because they're different. According to the Two-Nation theory, which was created and nurtured by your own people by the way, Muslims are one unified nation and their culture, race and language are of no importance. So by emphasizing on the unique cultural, racial and ethnic characteristics of Pashtuns, you're effectively negating the ideas Iqbal, Jinnah, Syed Ahmed, Maulana Jauhar and the rest of the world-cup jitiyangay brigade*.

Secondly, I live in Karachi. In fact, I was born here and I've spent my entire life here, save for 3-4 years. The number one cause of target-killing here is the MQM (Altaf Group). And why do you lament these assassinations anyway? They're carried out by people who hold the same beliefs as you, who speak the same language as you and who are motivated by the same purpose that you want fulfilled - that more Pashtuns should stop coming to Karachi. Nothing sends a better message to a Pashtun than to see his son's bullet-riddled and butchered body in a gunny bag, courtesy of the MQM.

Pashtuns live with the Hazaragaan people in Ghazni, they live with Uzbeks in Mazarisharif, they live with Tajiks in Kabul, they live with Gilgitis and Baltistanis in Chitral, they live with the Baloch in Quetta, Hazarawaals in Hazara Division, Punjabis in Attock, Seraikis in D.I. Khan and with Sindhis in interior Sindh, Indians in Mumbai yet we don't hear any of ethnic violence visavis Pashtuns in those areas. It can easily be concluded that the unique factor in Karachi's case, the MQM or Urdu-nationalism (whatever the heck that is), is the primary cause of the violence that so criminally pains your little heart.

Furthermore, in our Bannu, hundreds of Indian families were settled on cultivable land in 1947. Their children and grandchildren today refer to themselves as Pashtuns and to this day, none of them have been harmed on the basis of their ethnicity or rather their racial identity.

However, I'm glad to see that that someone has finally pointed out the obvious thing that Bachaa Khan tried to tell this flock in 1947. Pashtuns are indeed Afghan people and their unique Afghan cultural and racial characteristics make their forced coexistence in this state that is based on a faulty and immoral ideology difficult at best. Therefore, the re-merger of Pashtunkhwa/Pashtunistan with Kabul is the only real solution of this problem. Perhaps your aid can be counted on in this regard.

and its the non-pashtuns that the pashtuns in karachi should be actually graetful for because they are the ones paying for resources in the form of taxes that benefit pashtuns and karachi provides them with means of living and jobs. so i dont understand why they are unwilling to integrate.

Many Pashtuns own legitimate businesses here and they pay their taxes in full.

Define integration.

Well to be clear I am only talking about pashtuns of karachi, if they prefer to live here rather than KP, then I don't see why they should not be willing to integrate with other communities. I mean I agree that they are peaceful but a pashtun will always prefer a pashtun over a non-pashtun and this is a bit hard to stomach because they are living alongside a large number of non-pashtuns.

Discrimination exists in other communities as well, no doubt, but not as much because its hard to tell who is who if they all speak urdu and look alike.

This emboldened bit seems to bother you a lot for some reason. And I will be the first one to clearly state that a Pashtun from far-away Herat is closer to my heart than my non-Pashtuns neighbors who breathe the same air as me. That doesn't mean I won't help my neighbor if his house is on fire. A Pashtun will die for his friend regardless of his race or ethnicity. Most of my own closest companions are non-Pashtun. Instead, what it means is that all Pashtuns are one unique nation who share a bond that transcends boundaries, provinces and states. We are not the same nation as Bengalis and Urdus but we respect their culture and way of life. We do not wish that they abandon their culture for ours.


Kind Regards

[Toramana]

I must add, no amount of pressure can force Pashtuns of Karachi to give up their culture. And why should they do so...just to adopt a culture that is neither native to Sindh nor to Pakistan and that has been imported from Dehli, Lakhnawo, Agra, etc.

At most what Pashtuns can do is to adopt some ways of Urdu-speaking and Sindhi speaking people amidst whom they are living just to contribute towards the creation of an environment of harmony and co-existance. Urdu-speaking immigrants must also receprocate. Also remember that there will always be constant supply of Pashtuns to Karachi as a replinishment process to bolster the indegenous culture of Pashtuns there. So don't think Pashtuns will ever give up their culture altogethor.


The immgrants from UP and the broader Gangetic plain ought adopt the culture of the native people instead of chauvinistically imposing their imported culture on others. It would be a more logical and natural thing to happen.


But the actual thing is politics and economics. As Pashtuns in Karachi have demographically become stronger and also turned to enter-prenureship, establishing small businesses and ( even ) cottage type industries and have inclined towards education, Urdu-speakers have felt the threat of competition from Pashtuns and so the outcry.

[fzpz]

From my personal interactions, the mohajirs in Karachi are mainly jahils. Mohajirs also moved to Lahore, Peshawar (2nd largest mohajir city), Pindi, Hyderabad, Multan, Faisalabad... and you don't hear of the need of MQM wallas. They integrated well into the native societies. Similarly, there are Pashtuns in Lahore and other cities of Pakistan yet you don't hear of ethnic violence in those places. The logical conclusion is that the mqmwalla cult are to blame, for not coming to terms as just another part of society at large. There is no need for anyone to integrate into anything. In the case of Karachi i think the two largest groups (mohajirs and pashtuns) are having an economic tussle.

[Toramana]

It makes me laugh when girls-are-bad insists Pashtuns should integrate. Rather the Urdu-speaking immigrants need to integrate because they are neither native Sindhis not natives of any other part of Pakistan. This is what most of the immigrant people have been doing throughout history i.e. adopt the cultures of the native/host societies into which they immigrate.