Afghans in Quetta...

[Toramana]

Apart from Pashtuns, Afghans of other ethnic groups e.g. Uzbaks, Hazaras, Tajaks, Turkamen, and Baluchis are now settled in Quetta. What confuses me is that how did Uzbaks and Turkmen arrive in Quetta (because Uzbaks and Turkmem are in the extreme north of Afghanistan)...

"After Peshawar, the city of Quetta ranks second with the most number of Afghan refugees (11.1 %). Most Afghans in Quetta are engaged in lucrative business and trade activities; they have also bolstered inter-provincial trade and actively go on to work in large urban centres. Balochistan also shares similar demographics with Afghanistan and a large number of the refugees have hence migrated into the province based on ethnic links. A 2005 census of Afghans in Balochistan showed that the overwhelming majority were Pashtun, followed by Uzbeks, Tajiks, Baluchis, Hazaras and Turkmen. Quetta is notably known as having the largest concentration of Afghan Hazara immigrants, based in areas such as Hazara Town. Most Hazara residents arrived in the city after fleeing persecution under the Taliban regime back home; they developed close links with their native Pakistani Hazara patrons who had arrived in the last century and today exercise some political influence in the provincial Government of Balochistan. As opposed to settlement camps, a great number of the Hazaras are largely urbanised and have settled in city centres..."

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

[Toramana]

It is so bad/unfortunate that with the passage of time, these brethern would lose their magestical and highly refined (to be almost celestial/divinely) food habits/taste and pick the obnoxious "dhal" eating trait of the earthly locals. What a stigma and loss of character (and glitter) would that be...

Hay graveyard, sheenkey, comradepashtun, angar, Feroza, afghan, etc. something needs to be done on war-footing to avert the national tragedy...Hurry up guys...

[randolph85]

nothing wrong with bringing a little of afghanistan to quetta. i am interested about the demographics of afghan minorities in pakistan and where they have settled.

[Toramana]

nothing wrong with bringing a little of afghanistan to quetta. i am interested about the demographics of afghan minorities in pakistan and where they have settled.

I don't know the exact figure but it seems they would be in considerable number because demographies played into the provincial Baluch versus Pashtun politics in Baluchistan....Mahmoud Khan thought it to be to his (and Pashtuns') advantage to ardently defend the permanent settlement of Afghans in Baluchistan and Quetta whereas Baluchis resented it (because they thought it would disturb the demographic balance in favour of Pashtuns)...

[tor_khan]

There has, I believe been a long and historic presence of Hazaras in Quetta. They are pretty much sons of the soil now as they say and maybe even embedded in some key state institutions. Later arrivals naturally gravitated towards their ethnic kinsmen. I'm not sure how much of the language the older Pakistani Hazaras hung onto, and whether they are/are not Shia, but I'm almost certain they are there in Baluchistan. I'd source this for the readers here, but it's a bit tricky on my phone. Maybe someone can chime in.

[Toramana]

There has, I believe been a long and historic presence of Hazaras in Quetta. They are pretty much sons of the soil now as they say and maybe even embedded in some key state institutions. Later arrivals naturally gravitated towards their ethnic kinsmen. I'm not sure how much of the language the older Pakistani Hazaras hung onto, and whether they are/are not Shia, but I'm almost certain they are there in Baluchistan. I'd source this for the readers here, but it's a bit tricky on my phone. Maybe someone can chime in.

Hazaras are settled in Quetta (don't know about other parts of Baluchistan) since 19th Century (most likely). The immigration of more Hazaras during the Afghan war added to their demographies and influence in Quetta. They have good relation with Pashtuns the dominent community of Quetta thanks also to the political shrewdness of PMAP leadership.

General Musa Khan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musa_Khan ) and Air Marshal Sharbat Ali Changezi (http://ataullahnaseri.wordpress.com/...-ali-changazi/ )were two Hazaras that rose to power. Noticible also is the bitterness in his presentation of Afghanistan's political history and Hazara's status in that.

[Bengal_Tiger]

One of the first female pilots in Pakistan was a Hazara and another, Sabah Khan, was a Pukhtana from Quetta.

The Hazara of Afghanistan/Quetta are different to the Hazara of the Hazara division in the eastern part of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (Tormanna and others obviously know this, I am stating this for any random readers/guests) who are mainly Hindko-speakers of Pashtun origin such as Jadoons and Tareens or just Hindko-Punjabis.

[Toramana]

Hi tor_khan, here are possibly more authentic information about Hazara's numbers and places of settlement.

"There are about 300,000 Hazaras in Balochistan, based in Quetta, Khuzdar, Zhob, Loralia and Dera Murad Jamali. Before the HDP’s formation, these people did not have a formal political entity and didn’t have much share in provincial or national politics. But we are trying to orient the community into becoming aware of the region’s politics and to protect their interests. However, non-Hazaras are more than welcome to join the party. In fact, we already have several non-Hazara party members and the party is coming to play an important role in provincial politics. ..."

http://ataullahnaseri.wordpress.com/...tan-speaks-up/

[Toramana]

Quetta, Loralai, and Zhob are Pashtun localities...About Dera Murad Jamali and Khuzdar, I am not sure...

Anyhow, there are a number of Afghans now in the Hazara division of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa at Haripur, Abbotabad, and Masehra mostly from Kunduz and other parts of northern Afghanistan (including Dari speaking Uzbaks, etc.). I think some are now bilingual in Dari/Pashto (especially born there) mostly engaged in transport business (between Abbotabad and Peshawar and locally). I found some restraunts in Murree (Kandaharis) and also some shops.

Last year I talked to one of my acquaintances (who lived in a posh locality of Lahore) and he mentioned Afghans there. Being religious, he referred to their comparitively liberal life-style from which I guessed they were Dari speaker from Kabul because Dari speakers tend to be more urbanised.