Pashtuns take immense pride in their independence and have traditionally been fiercely resistant to central rule. Pashtun culture is governed by the ‘Pashtunwali’ which, literally translated as the ‘the way of the Pashtun’, is an unwritten code of honour which is integral to Pashtun identity.
Pashtun society faces various challenges today, including the recent influx into Pashtun areas of foreign fighters, funds and political Islam. Social and economic challenges include high illiteracy, poor access to basic services, corruption, and the smuggling of drugs, arms and other goods. In addition, these areas are governed through the draconian Frontier Crimes Regulations, which allow government representatives to impose collective punishment without due process of law.
Numerous commentators have argued that the conflict dynamics in Pashtun-dominated areas are due to incompatibility of Pashtun culture with the processes of modernity and globalisation. Others attribute the troubles to the deliberate policies of the Pakistani government which have left the region under-developed and marginalised from mainstream society.
