Pakistani Pashtuns

[Shapur]

Let us be realistic. Writing and reading of Pashto is almost dead in Pakistan but not speaking. Except Niazis, Jadoons, Swatis and Lodhis(some), all other Pashtun tribes are proud Pashto speakers in Pakistan.

Yes Pashto is not official language and medium of instruction like Afghanistan nowhere in Pakistan even in Pashtun dominated regions.

You will not see a single Pashto written word anywhere in Pashto speaking regions in Pakistan. This is not the fault of the government but the Pashtuns themselves. No body can stop a Pashtun shopkeeper to put a sign board on his shop in Pashto.

All Pashtun politicians in Pakistan must legislate to make Pashto as an official language as in Afghanistan in pashtun regions and make it as a medium of instruction.

Ofcourse no one is forcing Pashtuns to put up the signs in Urdu etc but this is what happens when you are surrounded by Indic culture from all around. It is normal to succumb to the dominant culture of the state, like the Scots who speak English and no longer Gaelic. No one forced them but its just natural. Same thing is likely to happen in Afghanistan in the future, wether we like it or not Dari is the lingua franca of Afghanistan and all ethnicities communicate in this language with each other. As the Afghan state becomes stronger and more centralized, the influence of Dari will increase further as more people will have access to Media etc. The Pashtuns of Afghanistan can't do this alone, they need the support of 60% pashtuns who live in Pakistan to preserve our language.