Pictures from Swat Valley - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province - Pakistan

[Admin Khan]

I have been to Swat many times and still have many friends from there. I found the following some very interesting distinguishing features of Swat

1. Swat as far as I know was the only state/country in the world whose official language was exclusively Pashto. Thats why Pashtuns of Swat specially older generations generally can read and write Pashto while other Pashtuns in Pakistan have generally difficulty in reading and writing of Pashto.

You will find many Swatians lovers of Pashto language while the same zest and zeal you may not find in other Pashtuns from Pakistan. Books like Diwane Rahman Baba, Kamyaye saadat, fatwaye wadudia and Pashto folklore books like yousaf khan sherbano, mumtaz shehzada, Deo Turaban, Bahrame gor Shezada, Adam Khan Durkhanai, Sher Alam Mamonai etc are usually found with families in Swat.


2. Ruler of Swat before its merger with Pakistan Wali Swat was a highly educated modern man and reportedly British Queen had visited him. His yellow color buildings of schools , hospitals and post offices as well as roads, telephone lines can be still seen in Swat. Fundamentalists Jumate Islami opposed his rule and he had to leave his power peacefully.

Becaus eof this background people of Swat are generally civilized, innocent, educated and some times gullible thats why Sufi Muhammad of Dir could find swat a safe heaven for his extremist and terrorist agenda and made havoc of Swat while his own home town Dir comparatively remained peaceful . Swat was ruled by Taliban for more than two years under the command of Maulvi Fazlullah , son in law of Sufi Muhammad.

3. Swat is the center of timber mafia and Deforestation had destroyed the natural beauty of Swat and now one can find lush green valleys only beyond Kalam and Sakhra. River Swat is highly contaminated and polluted.

4. I have heard that the second prophet of Buddhism was born in Swat and still many Buddhist pilgrims visit Swat for many Buddhists historic places.

5. Many non Pashtun people like Gujars, Shpoons, Kohistanis, Chamyaran, Parachkan, Nayan, Jolagan and Mulan live together with Pashtuns peacefully .

6. Many Swatians do not know that they are Yousafzai Pashtuns. They usually identify themselves with khails like nekbi khel, khoydad khel, jura khel, Karmani khel etc.

Is it true that modern day Yusufzais of Swat(i.e the majority of Pashtuns in Swat, or just about all Pashtuns in Swat?) are actually immigrants from Kandahar? I've read it in a book.

[Kushan Prince]

Is it true that modern day Yusufzais of Swat(i.e the majority of Pashtuns in Swat, or just about all Pashtuns in Swat?) are actually immigrants from Kandahar? I've read it in a book.

Actually the afridis are the only pashtun tribe (I think) that are native to the swat valley and KPK in general.

[Manzareh]

Actually the afridis are the only pashtun tribe (I think) that are native to the swat valley and KPK in general.

Afridis are known to be very hot headed and tough people. They are very common in Peshawar also, many are in the army today just how their ancestors used to be warrior dominated tribes people in the past, they always gave invaders a headache.

[Manzareh]

This is also what you find in Swat, in the US/UK its called "Chitrali #1"

Purple_Haze_(marihuana-historia).jpg

[Friend]

Is it true that modern day Yusufzais of Swat(i.e the majority of Pashtuns in Swat, or just about all Pashtuns in Swat?) are actually immigrants from Kandahar? I've read it in a book.

I have also read somewhere but I dont think so. Our people are totally different from Qandaharis i mean have no similarity except the religion.

[Friend]

Manzareh, how aften do you visit swat or you have no family etc back home ?

[Khyber Pass]

Swat is yusufzai mostly, their note or currency said Yusufzai on it and was called the Yusufzai State of Swat.

[Admin Khan]

I have also read somewhere but I dont think so. Our people are totally different from Qandaharis i mean have no similarity except the religion.

Well, considering the fact that Yusufzais originated from Kandahar, and that there still are Yusufzais in Kandahar, and that just about every history book says Yusufzais immigrated from Kandahar(predominantly) and Kabul, because of the circumstances, I wouldn't go as far as saying 'no similarity', you don't think that's silly? Last time I checked, if I were to meet someone from Swat, I could communicate with him in a common language, known as Pashto.

[afghan]

[Manzareh]

Manzareh, how aften do you visit swat or you have no family etc back home ?

Iv been to Swat countless times we have a lot of family back home, I take it your also from the same place?

[Talal]

really something isnt it, really nice pictures bro.

[Manzareh]

Well, considering the fact that Yusufzais originated from Kandahar, and that there still are Yusufzais in Kandahar, and that just about every history book says Yusufzais immigrated from Kandahar(predominantly) and Kabul, because of the circumstances, I wouldn't go as far as saying 'no similarity', you don't think that's silly? Last time I checked, if I were to meet someone from Swat, I could communicate with him in a common language, known as Pashto.

Earli records suggest Swat was inhabited by Pashtuns before the term Yusufzai was named to a tribe (before Islam) I believe later some Kandaharis migrated there and ovcourse mixed into the population because of the huge similaritys both people had with each other.

[Friend]

Well, considering the fact that Yusufzais originated from Kandahar, and that there still are Yusufzais in Kandahar, and that just about every history book says Yusufzais immigrated from Kandahar(predominantly) and Kabul, because of the circumstances, I wouldn't go as far as saying 'no similarity', you don't think that's silly? Last time I checked, if I were to meet someone from Swat, I could communicate with him in a common language, known as Pashto.

Well Pashto is our common language but what about the accent. Accent makes difference. Kandaharis are tough people. Our people are very soft softness in terms of language, speaking, dealing etc and other social activties.

[Friend]

Iv been to Swat countless times we have a lot of family back home, I take it your also from the same place?

Ofcourse I belong to swat.

[Admin Khan]

Well Pashto is our common language but what about the accent. Accent makes difference. Kandaharis are tough people. Our people are very soft softness in terms of language, speaking, dealing etc and other social activties.

Accents change with regions, even in Kandahar, not every Kandahari speaks Pashto the same way. If you were to visit a village in Kandahar, even I wouldn't know what they are saying, because of the words they use. All Pashtuns are tough people, not just Kandaharis, so I disagree with that.