Pashtuns, Mulla and Naswar

By: Behroz Khan 

Perhaps, the simple and kind-hearted Pashtuns of  KPK and Balochistan did not know when they voted the clergy to power in the backdrop of US-led occupation of Afghanistan that their decision would backfire and earn them a bad name. As if the volatile situation in the tribal belt from South Waziristan to the north in Bajaur Agency was not enough to send ripples across, the re-production and passage of the 'next-to-nil' Hasba Bill by the provincial assembly has brought the Pashtuns to the limelight once again. They are answerable to the rest of the Muslim Ummah in gen­eral and the Muslims of Pakistan in particular for nourishing extrem­ism, terrorism and rigid approach because being Muslims and Pak­istanis the non-Pashtuns did not act the way the Pashtuns did in the yet another elections held under the shadow of the military rule in 2002. And true to their character, the Pashtuns were driven to the extent to vote against aggressors and stood by the weaker, which they believed were the Mullas. But similarly, rest of the Mus­lims and others should share re­sponsibility at least for the role they played by using the Pashtun land and their resources, training and equipping them with modern-day weapons and employing their manpower to settle scores with 'non-believers' in Afghanistan. The trend of Madaris was in­troduced at a very large scale with funds coming from Saudi Arabia and other countries instead of spending the money on construct­ing the much-needed schools, hos­pitals, roads, supply of drinking water, food sufficiency and other means of economic growth. But no, this was the agenda of the mil­itary ruler of the time obsessed with his own purified thoughts to inflict defeat on the former 'God­less' Soviet Union and would not care even if the weapons, chan­nelised by the US, were coming from Israel. The upcoming Holly­wood movie 'Charlie Wilson's War' will spill the beans. The topic is not going into the details of the repercussions of the Afghan war, but to bring some facts to the fore about the Mullas. This is clear to all that the clergy did not identify itself as a Pashtun entity, rather they used the religion as a tool to reach the corridors of power for the first time. The rights of Pashtuns was not part of their agenda and no slogan was raised during the entire election cam­paign to suggest that religious par­ties were fighting for the rights of Pashtuns. Yet, the Pashtun owned them and rallied behind the reli­gious alliance in revenge for the blood letting of innocent people and fellow Pashtuns. Pashtuns are touchy about their values and tra­ditions, but it seems they are a bit oversensitive about 'Naswar', as mentioned in. an editorial piece published by an English language newspaper. Now what is 'Naswar' and the taboo attached to it? The writer has, between the lines, said many things about 'Naswar' and its rela­tionship with Pashtuns. Interest­ingly, the write-up is about 'Naswar', supposedly a pure Pash­tun stuff, but the expertise ex­plained by the writer is to use it in the nose instead of mouth while in fact all the Pashtuns and non-Pash­tuns around the globe chew it and not put in the nose to link its meaning with the word 'nas'. True, 'Naswar' is dirty and uni clean, but its ill-smelling spit is not worse than the 'Gutka' and 'Paaaq many argue. Not a habitual 'Naswar' or 'Paan" eater myselfed have no experience to draw com­ parison between the two. Bannu is famous for 'Naswair’ and manly sports, but not sectarian violence at all. The associates from Bannu must have introduced 'Naswar' to the writer, but he has missed a point while mentioning about the 'green Naswar' from Quetta. This is little about Quetta and more about Kandahar. The people of Kandahar use the stuff with a difference. And hold on, though not a healthy or social habit, 'Naswar' is as popular in the US, Europe, sp& daily Scandinavia, India, Russia and China, as among the Pashtuns The Chinese have 'Naswar' packet in soft paper and can even be used in the nose, if that is the message. Don't push the Pashtuns on the 'Naswar' issue, otherwise the MMA or the forces behind the alliance might use the, slogan in the next general elections to play havoc with the lives of stubborn Pashtuns for an extended period of time once again.

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