A book to read "Sir Olaf Caroe’s the Pathans"

The title is reminiscent of Sir Olaf Caroe’s the Pathans. The content suggests it is a sequel of Ahmed Rashid’s Descent into Chaos. Yet the book, The Pashtuns by Abubakar Siddique (2014), is far from being a replica of either: nevertheless, in style and academic value, it stands at par with both the both works. It is a kaleidoscopic snapshot of a nation’s turbulent history, their character, their cultural nuances, and their land. It offers new insights into the Afghan conundrum that has baffled many outside observers.

For from being perpetrators, as is often wrongly projected, Pakhtuns have been the victims of terrorism for decades. Their geo-strategic location has got them in a spiral of conflicts causing great misery and destruction to them, a phenomenon that continues to afflict Pakhtuns on both sides of the Durand Line.

Lucid, picturesque and richly documented, the book offers a storehouse of revealing information. Written essentially from a nationalist perspective, one can discern the author’s agony and empathy for the Pakhtuns caught in the storm of decades of deadly armed conflict. The narrative betrays the author’s nationalist leanings.

He spares neither the communists nor the Islamists for orchestrating the bloody ideological conflict that soon engulfed the whole Afghanistan with devastating ramifications for the Pakhtun society and state. Flashing back and forth into the corridors of Afghan history, both in temporal and spatial terms, like a Hollywood movie, the author conjures up rich historical facts to develop his narrative. Who have been the actors, who are the parties, what is the power alignment, who are the financiers and strategic planners, and what are the dynamics of the conflict have been highlighted. His account traverses not only the entire Afghanistan and FATA but also Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan.

Abubakar Siddique has voiced the dreams, aspirations, concerns and hopes of the Pakhtuns at large. One may disagree with some of his observations and propositions but his work is a must read for those interested in developing a clearer understanding of how and why Afghan soil has simultaneously been reduced to the epicenter of terrorism and misery for its inhabitants. The solutions and suggestions that he floats are compelling enough to make many reflect, especially those in the power corridors, particularly in Kabul, Islamabad, New Delhi and Washington, to name but a few.

Well done Abubakar!
(Karam Elahi, Peshawar-Oct 12, 2014)