The love of my life

[Michin Khel]

Raasha che khpalo marwato sara dey milawo kam che haghvee da govt; pa dey step sa' tasuraat lareeeeee.....lol ....BTW have you ever been to Kabul??????? i would also add this that the only difference i see between the the citizens of the two historic cities is that kabulis Love pashto they can understand/read/write pashto script while most of peshawaris can only speak it.....that is why they are not happy with the decision of the govt; .....

Marwat pregda, aye khpalo yousafzayo gham kawa.............already they have lost traditional pashtun touch and now i am observing a liar yousafzai

[Yousafzai Pakhtun]

Marwat pregda, aye khpalo yousafzayo gham kawa.............already they have lost traditional pashtun touch and now i am observing a liar yousafzai

haha......old Qayun khani tactics......

Nwar pa gotha na' pategeeee gulapa..........the world have witnessed a Yousafzai who struggled for the pukhtun rights and the reformation of pukhtun society and later people like you called him a Traitor,Liar etc etc....i am not stunned with your response.....quite expected it from a Punjabistani like you....People like you can't digest truth.......best of luck ......bya ba khabarey kawoo.....

[Michin Khel]

haha......old Qayun khani tactics......

Nwar pa gotha na' pategeeee gulapa..........the world have witnessed a Yousafzai who struggled for the pukhtun rights and the reformation of pukhtun society and later people like you called him a Traitor,Liar etc etc....i am not stunned with your response.....quite expected it from a Punjabistani like you....People like you can't digest truth.......best of luck ......bya ba khabarey kawoo.....

Wrakega marha.............you are obsessed with tribalism......you and your fellows make fun of bannuchi and marwati dialect, and you are talking of pashtun unity

[Shehbaz Khan]

Yousufzai saib da khpal khpal experience khabara da !!

The compulsory subject is a different thing like they think that it's an extra burden on their kids !!

[khushal]

iv never come accross a pashtun that refuses to speak pashto (if he knows pashto) ever, iv lived in peshawar its a 100% pashtun city, no pashtun has lost his mother tounge there. Admin seems to have had a unique experience. however its not like Afghanistan were you get pashtuns that do not know pashto, there some people here in PF that are pashtun but only know Dari for example Lemar/Edris, Azmal etc

Manzarah,
Dont just attack one side of the durand line on this issue.
There are many pashtuns that have grown up in Kabul, never learned pashto or has little pashto understanding. The pashtuns that marry kabuli women usually, but not always, have children that speak farsi because their mother is with them mostly and the father is away at work and for some reason he is not teaching his kids pashto. Ive been in situations where there are 10 pashtuns and they are all speaking pashto and all of a sudden one farsiban enters and they all speak farsi with him, I ask them why are 10 pashtuns speaking farsi for the sake of one farsiban, why doesnt the farsiban speak pashto, why are the majority trying to abide to his language. But if you go to Jalalabad, Kandahar, Khost you will see that the all the farsibans all speak, read and write fluent pashto. Even in Pashawar, the Kabulis that have settled have learned pashto.

Peshawar is a pashto speaking city, but the vast majority dont know how to read or write pashto, they went to school learning how to read and write urdu and english. I know many pashtuns that have grown up in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi and they dont know one word of pashto, they speak panjabi or sindhi and urdu. The pashtun leaders in Pakistan dont know how to read and write pashto.
Criticize both sides because both sides need work, but know this the Pakistani military is working hard to destroy and eliminate pashto both in pakhtunkwa and in afghanistan.

[khushal]

^ This article is about Pekhawar and this city belongs to Pakistan

Shahbaza wrora,
kha kho ya, are you feeling well. Just because the british stole it doesnt mean its theirs. It belongs to the pashtuns(afghans). People like you used to say that bangladesh belongs to pakistan(british) too. Wake up my friend, free your mind. Tura wa ka.

[کیش]

Jinnah and his pals sure did a great job in making a "separate "Islamic nation. That had to be the smartest move in history.

[Shehbaz Khan]

Shahbaza wrora,
kha kho ya, are you feeling well. Just because the british stole it doesnt mean its theirs.

Rogh ramat yam ashna aao kha pa sur yam, Shna chay mi khwa ki prata da.. Ski kho na? :O With due respect Khushala, British didn't stole it. You (The people of Afghanistan or let me say the king) sold it to them. And yes it was theirs when they were here now they are history!!

It belongs to the pashtuns(afghans).

Yes, partially right in saying it belongs to Pakhtuns. I agree, it belongs to the Pakhtuns of KPK, doesn't mean that the Pakhtuns of Afghanistan should not come here. They should come and enjoy like home they are welcome anytime but officially this land now belongs to Pakistan and it's inhabitants not to any other country.

People like you used to say that bangladesh belongs to pakistan(british) too. Wake up my friend, free your mind. Tura wa ka.

Yes, and it did. That's why you and me both called it East-Pakistan. Now that East Pakistan is history. It's Bangladesh now and I'd accepted the reality this bitter truth same should you accept now that KPK is now a part of Pakistan not Afghanistan. I am awake with my eyes open you seems to be enjoying dreams with open eyes.

[Admin Khan]

Peshawar and Kabul both are alike both have same kind of people...Laka sayil saib che wayee:
يو شان پښتون دے، يو شان وجود دے
کۀ کابلے دے کۀ پېښورے دے
يو مې زړګے دے بل مې ځيګر دے هلته هم زۀ مرم دلته هم زۀ مرم

I am living in peshawar....and daily i met with people who are pukhtuns but would prefer to speak urdu rather than pashto.......When provincial cabinet accepted the proposal of pashto committee to teach pashto as a compulsory subject in govt; schools, i heard most of the peshawaris considering this step of the govt as a hindrance in the way of modernisation.....So i think admin is right there live such people amongst us who would prefer to speak in urdu than in their mother tongue pashto.......such people can be found both in Kabul and Peshawar.....

Thank you for your honest opinion. I have met many such people and I just didn't know if this was because they are residing in the west. It's not their fault though, when you have no Pashto schools, what do you honestly expect? There is only so little parents can do to teach their children Pashto. Educational institutions play a major role.

The same applies for the west as well, there are many Pashtuns who would rather speak in English.

[Toramana]

Admin Khan, I have been to Kabul and have lived in Peshawar as well. There is a fundamental difference between the two cities i.e., whereas Dari dominates Kabul at the sociocultural level and probably also at the formal level, Peshawar is a thoroughly Pashtunized city and although there is Urdu, its influence is confined to formal aspects of life only e.g. (predominently,) to schools and may be other educational institutions where teachers try to persuade students to speak English and Urdu in order to have access to economic opportunities. Some families or youngster may also speak it to appear sophisticated.

But at the social and cultural level and at the informal level, it is almost exclusively Pashto that is used e.g., in homes, in streets, in Bazars, and almost every where you hear Pashto. Even in govt offices, business organizations, shops, etc. Pashto is used as a meduim of communication.

There was a time when Pashtuns lived in rural areas and the dominent language of Peshawar was Hindko, but with the migration of Pashtuns from Afghnistan (1980s) and adjoining areas (throughout 20th century specially the second half), the demographic map of Peshawar has completely changed. Now, it is almost 90+% Pashtun. It is also located deeply in the Pashtun heartland.

Peshawar is really becoming a melting pot for Pashtuns. You will see Pashtuns from all corners/most of (northern)Pukhtunkhwa, FATA, Afghanistan, etc. freely mingling in Peshawar. Except for some localities in the interior city where historically Hindkowan lived, all the new localities and townships are Pashtuns-inhabited e.g. Hayatabad, University Town, Rahatabad, Canal Town, Afghan Colony, University Colony, etc. Even in the interior city e.g. Asia Gate, Hindko has been replaced by Pashto.

So yes, as a spoken language, it is Pashto that is everywhere (in Peshawar). But as a written language and language of media, education, etc., it is Urdu. Sign boards are also in Urdu. That is a sade aspect of the cultural life of Peshawar. But now I think there is some inclination towards English.

[Toramana]

To the north-east of Peshawar, there is another city i.e., Mardan (with almost half a million population) that is 99% Pashtun city. To farther north, in Swat, is another city, Mingora ( almost 0.3 million pop) that is 100% Pashtun. To the south east, Kohat is mostly Pashtun.

If you connect it to Jalalabad, then Peshawar Valley (i.e., Peshawar, Charssada, Sawabi, Swat, Dir, Bunir, Shangla, Kohat, Momand Agency, Malakand Agency, Khuber Agency, Kurram-Parachinar, Karak, Laki Marwat, Bannu, DI Khan, Waziristan, Kunar, Paktiya, Paktika, Khost, Nangarhar, Lamghan, etc.) emerges as the biggest population and Urban center of Pashtuns far outweighting the Kandahar-Queta tract.

It is also this region that has some basic sinews of Pashtun development ....

[Toramana]

Below is the Wikipedia article about Peshawar.

"Peshawar emerged as a centre of both Hindko and Pashtun intellectuals. Its dominant culture for much of British rule was that of the Hindko speakers, also referred to as "Khaarian" ('city dwellers' in Pashto).[14] Its unique culture, distinct from the surrounding Pashtun areas, led to the city being romanticised by Pashto singers, with songs like larsha Pekhwar tha (go to Peshawar) and more recently Pekhawar kho pekhawar dhay kana (Peshawar is Peshawar after all). This unique culture has gradually disappeared with the massive influx of Afghan refugees and the increasing migration of Pashtuns into the city. The demographics has changed quite dramatically and Pashto is now the dominant language of the city."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peshawar

[din]

Admin Khan, I have been to Kabul and have lived in Peshawar as well. There is a fundamental difference between the two cities i.e., whereas Dari dominates Kabul at the sociocultural level and probably also at the formal level, Peshawar is a thoroughly Pashtunized city and although there is Urdu, its influence is confined to formal aspects of life only e.g. (predominently,) to schools and may be other educational institutions where teachers try to persuade students to speak English and Urdu in order to have access to economic opportunities. Some families or youngster may also speak it to appear sophisticated.

But at the social and cultural level and at the informal level, it is almost exclusively Pashto that is used e.g., in homes, in streets, in Bazars, and almost every where you hear Pashto. Even in govt offices, business organizations, shops, etc. Pashto is used as a meduim of communication.

There was a time when Pashtuns lived in rural areas and the dominent language of Peshawar was Hindko, but with the migration of Pashtuns from Afghnistan (1980s) and adjoining areas (throughout 20th century specially the second half), the demographic map of Peshawar has completely changed. Now, it is almost 90+% Pashtun. It is also located deeply in the Pashtun heartland.

Peshawar is really becoming a melting pot for Pashtuns. You will see Pashtuns from all corners/most of (northern)Pukhtunkhwa, FATA, Afghanistan, etc. freely mingling in Peshawar. Except for some localities in the interior city where historically Hindkowan lived, all the new localities and townships are Pashtuns-inhabited e.g. Hayatabad, University Town, Rahatabad, Canal Town, Afghan Colony, University Colony, etc. Even in the interior city e.g. Asia Gate, Hindko has been replaced by Pashto.

So yes, as a spoken language, it is Pashto that is everywhere (in Peshawar). But as a written language and language of media, education, etc., it is Urdu. Sign boards are also in Urdu. That is a sade aspect of the cultural life of Peshawar. But now I think there is some inclination towards English.

salam.
sta khabra sahi da. peshawar ta ch da afghnstan sa pashtana raghla.dh pushto sam pora shoro kra dar hagha makhta hinko wayla.

mannana.

[Toramana]

salam.
sta khabra sahi da. peshawar ta ch da afghnstan sa pashtana raghla.dh pushto sam pora shoro kra dar hagha makhta hinko wayla.

mannana.

Actually, Pashtuns have been living in Peshawar but not in such an overwhelming number as now. During 19th Century, there were some Pashtuns living in Peshawar obviously because it is sorrounded by Pashtun villages in all directions. But the dominent population was Hindko-speaker. Even amongst Hindko speakers, there were some assimilated Pashtuns. I have met people who originally were from Afghanistan but settled in Peshawar and then became bilingual in Pashto and Hindko.

The first major wave of Pashtuns that changed the demography of Peshawar were Momands who migrated to Peshawar in the earlier decades of 20th Century and established themselves as petty businessmen gradually climbing up the ladder to control major businesses. As Peshawar became educational and business/economic center of KPK, Pashtuns throughout the 1950---1980 decades migrated to it.

But the watershed moment came in 1980s, when Pashthana and other Afghans settled in Peshawar in huge numbers radically changing its demographic map. But one must not forget that Pashtun migration from rural areas of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa also increased during this period (1980-2010) rising to very high-level in the 1990s and 2010 decades (growth rate of Peshawar during 2010 has been estimated to be 3.56% which is one of the highest in Pakistan ...this due to migration of people from interior Pakhtunkhwa...)...

Another factor that has contributed to this rise of Pashtun population is the law and order in FATA, Swat, and other areas that forced many people to migrate to Peshawar.

Last, many villages in the neighbourhood of Peshawar were Pashtun inhabited...So as Peshawar expanded, those villages became integrated into the urban life of Peshawar e.g., Takal, Nawai Kalai, Badar Kalai, etc.

[کیش]

What is Hindko? Is it like Urdu? Are Hindkowans, peshaweri"s who speak Urdu/Hindko as their first language?

Am asking cause my uncle is from Peshawer, but I don't know if he's Pashtun or not. His dad was a Pashtun, though he says his mom didn't know Pashto, was she a Hindkowan? My uncle was born and bred in Peshawer. So was his parents, and so forth.