How is the relationship between Pakistani and Afghan Pashtuns in the west?

[Traveller]

Do Pakistani and Afghan Pashtuns in the west in the west relate and identify with one another? All of the pashtuns where I live are from Pakistan so don't have any knowledge of this.

[Samandri]

My guess is, they will get along well with each other. And i bet Pakistani Pashtuns are not close to Punjabis and Indian-Mohajirs in western countries.....

[Pakistan]

My guess is, they will get along well with each other. And i bet Pakistani Pashtuns are not close to Punjabis and Indian-Mohajirs in western countries.....

Where have you been abroad ? I am guessing nowhere because your statement of Pashtuns not going along with Punjabi's abroad is idiotic .

[Traveller]

My guess is, they will get along well with each other. And i bet Pakistani Pashtuns are not close to Punjabis and Indian-Mohajirs in western countries.....

Where I live we do keep relations with them but we're not very close to them. In fact the Pashtun community here is as close or closer to Arabs here than we are to Desi Pakistanis.

One thing I've noticed is that once a Pakistani Pashtun moves away from Pakistan, the Pakistaniyat in him starts to slowly die. In fact, those Pashtuns of Pakistani origin who were raised outside Pakistan have little to no Pakistaniyat. Interesting story is that there is a Pashtun from Swabi here who mostly grew up in Qatar. He doesn't identify as a Pakistani at all, in fact he vehemently denies it. He tells all the Arabs(whom he is very close to as he grew up in Qatar) that he is from Afghanistan. Actually non-Pakistanis here get very surprised when we tell them we are from Pakistan. They tell us that we don't look or act "Pakistani" and that our language sounds different. In fact, even many Desis here mistake us to be Arab or Afghan before finding out that we are actually from Pakistan.

This shows that any connection, outside of Islam, between Pashtuns and Desis is artificial and is exposed to be as such once when these people interact outside of Pakistan. This is especially true for those of us who are raised here as we can't even speak Urdu and therefore view other Pakistanis as somewhat foreign.

[toughpashtun]

The people I know who live in the West say than even Pakistanis and Indians get along well together despite the enmity back home.So I think we can safely say that Pashtuns from either side of the border must be enjoying good relations abroad,and not indulging in the fights and arguements they have in their own countries.

[Charsi Malang]

Where I live we do keep relations with them but we're not very close to them. In fact the Pashtun community here is as close or closer to Arabs here than we are to Desi Pakistanis.

One thing I've noticed is that once a Pakistani Pashtun moves away from Pakistan, the Pakistaniyat in him starts to slowly die. In fact, those Pashtuns of Pakistani origin who were raised outside Pakistan have little to no Pakistaniyat. Interesting story is that there is a Pashtun from Swabi here who mostly grew up in Qatar. He doesn't identify as a Pakistani at all, in fact he vehemently denies it. He tells all the Arabs(whom he is very close to as he grew up in the Qatar) that he is from Afghanistan. Actually non-Pakistanis here get very surprised when we tell them we are from Pakistan. They tell us that we don't look or act "Pakistani" and that our language sounds different. In fact, even many Desis here mistake us to be Arab or Afghan before finding out that we are actually from Pakistan.

This shows that any connection, outside of Islam, between Pashtuns and Desis is artificial and is exposed to be as such once when these people interact outside of Pakistan. This is especially true for those of us who are raised here as we can't even speak Urdu and therefore view other Pakistanis as completely foreign and strange.

Every single Pashtun of my generation here in the UK always referred to themselves as Afghan. Not sure of the generation of today.

I've seen a lot of younger Pashtuns walk around like proud Pakistanis but totally awkward and out of place amongst other Desi Pakistanis (Punjabis/Muhajirs), when they can't speak a word of Urdu/Hindi/Punjabi.

[Charsi Malang]

Here in the UK 90% of Pashtun whether they are lar or bar Pashtuns respect each other simply as they are Pashtuns. I have come across a few who retain certain prejudices, but those are very few in number.

A lot of my generation all respect Pashto a lot and always show respect when they come across anyone speaking it whether they are from Pakistan or Afghanistan. I have always been treated with a hell of a lot respect whenever a Pashto speaker (Afghan or Pakistani) has realised that I am a Pashtun. I can say this is especially true in the case of Afghans, with whom I have spent a lot of time. Even Afghan Sikhs refuse to take money from me when they realise I am Pashtun. LOL.

[Adam]

Relations are good for the most part, except in places like Birmingham but that's mostly gang related. Alot of KPK youth who were born in the UK (and never went through Pakistan studies) do call themselves Afghan as mentioned above.

[Traveller]

Every single Pashtun of my generation here in the UK always referred to themselves as Afghan. Not sure of the generation of today.

I've seen a lot of younger Pashtuns walk around like proud Pakistanis but totally awkward and out of place amongst other Desi Pakistanis (Punjabis/Muhajirs), when they can't speak a word of Urdu/Hindi/Punjabi.

I am of the "generation of today" and I can tell you that all of my peers associate themselves with Afghanistan. A lot of it has to with the fact that identifying with a certain country in the west makes you associated with a culture that is associated with that country. "Pakistani" culture is part of Desi culture which is not Pashtun culture. That's why I explain myself to people as "ethnically Afghan" but from Pakistan.

[Charsi Malang]

I am of the "generation of today" and I can tell you that all of my peers associate themselves with Afghanistan. A lot of it has to with the fact that identifying with a certain country in the west makes you associated with a culture that is associated with that country. "Pakistani" culture is part of Desi culture which is not Pashtun culture. That's why I explain myself to people as "ethnically Afghan" but from Pakistan.

HUA

Totally and thoroughly understand where you are coming from.

In the U.K. if you say you are Pakistani then you are automatically associated with India. You can go blue in the face trying to explain to people that Pakistan is a seperate country with a few different languages- but your ethnicity will be classed as Indian by normal everyday people. If you say you are Afghan, then there is no confusion at all. Especially with the increased familiarity people have through the media with the "Pashtun" ethnicity (good or bad), there is now no confusion at all.

My friends all say that they are Afghan but their families live in Pakistan.

[Iblis_Efreetzai]

Actually you're right Samandri, all of my Pakistani Pashtun friends go to Afghan events and the Afghans go to Pakistani Pashtun events. Check out the DC

Only people like Peshawar_222/Pakistan guy probably end up groveling to Bhangra because they have no identity. They're marginalized by Pashtuns and have lot of resentment so they get hyper Pakistani-nationalist to compensate.

[Kakar-Wardak]

HUA

Totally and thoroughly understand where you are coming from.

In the U.K. if you say you are Pakistani then you are automatically associated with India. You can go blue in the face trying to explain to people that Pakistan is a seperate country with a few different languages- but your ethnicity will be classed as Indian by normal everyday people. If you say you are Afghan, then there is no confusion at all. Especially with the increased familiarity people have through the media with the "Pashtun" ethnicity (good or bad), there is now no confusion at all.

My friends all say that they are Afghan but their families live in Pakistan.

I can get along with everyone as long as there is mutual respect, but I will be honest We pashtuns have a lot of stereotypes of punjabies that will never allow us to trust them fully.

[Traveller]

Actually you're right Samandri, all of my Pakistani Pashtun friends go to Afghan events and the Afghans go to Pakistani Pashtun events. Check out the DC

Only people like Peshawar_222/Pakistan guy probably end up groveling to Bhangra because they have no identity. They're marginalized by Pashtuns and have lot of resentment so they get hyper Pakistani-nationalist to compensate.

What is D.C.?

[Iblis_Efreetzai]

What is D.C.?

Washington D.C. in the United States. the NoVa Pashtuns from Afghanistan and Pakistan are very integrated. Same in London and Toronto.

California I'm not so sure about.

[Traveller]

Washington D.C. in the United States. the NoVa Pashtuns from Afghanistan and Pakistan are very integrated. Same in London and Toronto.

California I'm not so sure about.

That's so great to hear. I've heard about the Pashtun communities in North Virginia and California and have always been curious about them as we have very few here. How many Pashtuns do you have there exactly.

The California Pashtuns are also pretty united it seems. In fact they even got into a fight with Desis over control of a masjid(the fight is stupid and I don't support such behaviour. I'm just using it to illustrate how Pashtuns are their own integrated "faction.")
Bitter internal dispute roils San Fernando Valley mosque - latimes