PASHTO POETRY AND MILITANCY IN KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA AFTER 9/11: THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF PASHTO POETRY IN RESISTING MILITANCY

Abstract

The present study sheds light on Pashto or Pakhto Poetry and Militancy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after 9/11. The fieldwork for this study was conducted in the Peshawar district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, from December 2020 to April 2021. Findings of this research are based on data collected in district Peshawar of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Data for this paper was collected through participant observations, in-depth interviews, Focused Group Discussions (FGDs), and informal discussions with poets, literary people, audience of poetry gatherings, and academicians. Furthermore, the collected data is analyzed through thematic analysis. The works on ‘culture alternatives’ of social movements of Guha and Laclau and ‘weapons of the weak’ by Scott have been consulted for the theoretical framework of the current research. Data collected from various sources reveals that Pashto poetry is influenced by different factors. These includes cross boarder interaction and interaction with neighboring languages, invasions by outsiders, resistances of Pakhtun/Pashtuns to invaders and socio-religious movements where different themes and genres were introduced to Pashto poetry. After 9/11, Pashto poetry played pivotal role in countering militancy, terrorism and so called ‘war on terrorism.’ Pashto poetry internalized themes of Peace, Condemnation of War, Nationalism, and Resilience along with others –in which few were borrowed from the 20^th century– into the social fabric of the Pakhtun society. These themes in Pashto poetry entail potentials to counter violence in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa caused by militancy, terrorism and ‘war on terrorism’.

Keywords: Pakhtuns, Pashto Poetry, Themes, Resistance, Militancy, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa