Time to Reflect: Whither Pakhtun National Movement?
Prof. Ijaz Khan
Dept of International Relations
University of Peshawar
Awami National Party (ANP) has been electorally wiped out.
Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PMAP) has shown good results in Pashtun
Balochistan only. Qawmi Watan Party (QWP) claiming to be an alternative to ANP
as a Pashtun representative, has more numbers to show but whether that is a
better result and is that due to its Politics or the electoral strategy of its
leader, Aftab Sherpao, needs to be understood.Though it has some good sincere
nationalists in its fold, whether it qualifies to be a nationalist party is
also a question. Broadly speaking, Pashtuns nationalists have lost elections in
KP as well as FATA. Their better showing in Balochistan needs to be interpreted
and studied carefully but has not been done here as this study focuses on
Pashtuns of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa only. It is admitted that a comprehensive study
of Pakhtun national movement must take into account all Pakhtuns.
