95-587: The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement ( PTM ; Pashto : پښتون ژغورنې غورځنګ , Paṣtūn Zhghōrənē Ghōrźang ; Urdu : پشتون تحفظ تحریک , Pashtūn Tahaffuz Tehreek lit. ' Pashtun Protection Movement ' ) is a social movement for Pashtun human rights based in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces of Pakistan . It was founded in May 2014 by eight students in Dera Ismail Khan . On 1 February 2018,
190-594: A judicial inquiry for Naqeebullah Mehsud, as well as for all the other Pashtuns murdered extrajudicially in police encounters . The jirga demanded to stop racial profiling of the Pashtuns in Pakistan, and to bring the Pashtun missing persons before the court of law, so that those who are innocent but held could be freed. The jirga also demanded Pakistan Army to guarantee that they will not abduct or open fire on innocents in
285-453: A royal decree of Zahir Shah formally granted Pashto the status of an official language, with full rights to use in all aspects of government and education – despite the fact that the ethnically Pashtun royal family and bureaucrats mostly spoke Persian. Thus Pashto became a national language , a symbol for Pashtun nationalism . The constitutional assembly reaffirmed the status of Pashto as an official language in 1964 when Afghan Persian
380-627: A Pakistani one because the case involved two countries. PTM again gained international press coverage in February 2019 when the Balochistan Police allegedly extrajudicially murdered one of the leaders of PTM, Arman Loni , in Loralai . Protests followed which led to the detention of more than 20 PTM activists, including Gulalai Ismail and Abdullah Nangyal . In May 2020, after the assassination of PTM leader Arif Wazir , another wave of widespread protests
475-456: A UN commission had previously investigated the assassination of Benazir Bhutto but its performance was unsatisfactory. Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the murder and called it a shocking tragedy. He ordered its immediate inquiry and tasked Pakistan's State Minister of Interior Shehryar Afridi to oversee it. The Pakistan Army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor also condemned the murder saying we lost our brave officer and Hinting at
570-611: A broader involvement of foreign powers behind the case, Asif Ghafoor said: “[Tahir's] abduction, move to Afghanistan, murder and follow up behavior of Afghan authorities raises questions, which indicate involvement or resources more than a terrorist organization in Afghanistan.” Omar Zakhilwal , Afghanistan's ambassador in Islamabad, expressed grief over the case and asked the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan to sit together and talk about who would have murdered Tahir. He promised that
665-588: A device). Post-7th century borrowings came primarily from Persian and Hindi-Urdu , with Arabic words being borrowed through Persian, but sometimes directly. Modern speech borrows words from English, French , and German . However, a remarkably large number of words are unique to Pashto. Here is an exemplary list of Pure Pashto and borrowings: naṛә́i jahān dunyā tod/táwda garm aṛtyā́ ḍarurah híla umid də...pə aṛá bāra bolә́la qasidah Tahir Dawar Mohammad Tahir Khan Dawar ( Urdu : طاہر داوڑ ; Pashto : طاهر داوړ )
760-448: A famous Balochi slogan "ye jo dehshatgardi hai, iske peeche wardi hai" (Those in uniform are behind terrorism). PTM also demanded several times that Rao Anwar and other police officers involved must be punished for the alleged murder of Naqeebullah Mehsud . PTM also demands a truth and reconciliation commission must be established for all the people who are killed extrajudicially like Naqeebullah Mehsud in alleged fake encounters by
855-745: A gunshot wound to his right arm. He narrowly survived two suicide attacks by the Taliban in 2007 and 2009, in the latter of which he was wounded. Tahir received the Quaid-e-Azam Police Medal , the highest award for a police officer in Pakistan, for his gallantry and dedication with job. In March 2009, Tahir was transferred to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), a border control and counterintelligence security agency in Pakistan. He worked at FIA as an Assistant Director in Peshawar. He
950-561: A note from militants. We will not be deceived. How was he taken from Islamabad?” Calling for an international commission to investigate the murder case rather than investigating it internally, Mohsin Dawar said: "We reject an internal inquiry. We know that our investigation authorities can’t question certain powers." Tahir's brothers said that a few days before his disappearance, Tahir had arrested suspected militants in Peshawar with heavy weapons which were being transported to Afghanistan. Tahir took
1045-661: A package of Rs70 million for Tahir's family. He said prime minister Imran Khan had approved the package. However, in October 2019, Tahir's daughter Nadia disclosed that the federal government had not paid them the Rs70 million compensation despite announcing it, and that the Pakistan Army had paid them Rs25 million" Tahir wrote poetry in Pashto language . Some of his ghazals have been sung by local singers with music. The following Pashto poem
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#17328453145731140-511: A political manifesto, as of 2018. In November 2018, PTM launched a justice movement for Tahir Dawar , a police officer and Pashto poet who was abducted from the capital Islamabad and tortured to death, with his corpse found 18 days after disappearance in the Dur Baba District of Nangarhar Province , Afghanistan. PTM, as well as Tahir's family, demanded that Tahir's murder must be investigated through an international commission rather than
1235-406: A press conference at National Press Club (NPC) despite having prior bookings. Many prominent politicians including Pakistan Peoples Party 's Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari , Farhatullah Babar and Bushra Gohar condemned NPC for their move. The next day, NPC issued statement claiming that the lawmakers had not made any prior bookings. The Pakistan Army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor told
1330-546: A promoter of the wealth and antiquity of Afghanistan's Pashto culture." From the 16th century, Pashto poetry become very popular among the Pashtuns. Some of those who wrote in Pashto are Bayazid Pir Roshan (a major inventor of the Pashto alphabet ), Khushal Khan Khattak , Rahman Baba , Nazo Tokhi , and Ahmad Shah Durrani , founder of the modern state of Afghanistan or the Durrani Empire . The Pashtun literary tradition grew in
1425-566: A protest rally by Pashtun Tahafuz Movement in Karachi, Pakistan by holding photos of their relatives. PTM has held public demonstrations at various places, including Bajaur , Bannu , Chaman , Charsadda , Dera Ismail Khan , Islamabad , Kabul , Karachi , Khyber , Killa Saifullah , Lahore , Loralai , North Waziristan , Peshawar , Quetta , South Waziristan , Swabi , Swat , Battagram , Tank , Zhob , as well as in several Western countries including Belgium , Denmark , France , Germany ,
1520-515: A team of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and asked questions about the assets of Tahir Dawar. The investigators did not pose any questions about Tahir Dawar’s abduction and murder." Ahmaduddin claimed that prime minister Imran Khan had promised to probe the murder through a UN commission if the family was not satisfied with the joint investigation team report; however, when asked to do so, Imran Khan refused by arguing that
1615-522: A variety very similar to it, while others have attempted to place it closer to Bactrian . However, neither position is universally agreed upon. What scholars do agree on is the fact that Pashto is an Eastern Iranian language sharing characteristics with Eastern Middle Iranian languages such as Bactrian, Khwarezmian and Sogdian . Compare with other Eastern Iranian Languages and Old Avestan : Zə tā winə́m /ɐz dɐ wənən/ Az bū tū dzunim Strabo , who lived between 64 BC and 24 CE, explains that
1710-569: A vehicle's number plate or a person's face. The authorities in Islamabad initially said that the Pakistani Taliban abducted Tahir, but the Pakistani Taliban denied involvement. Some Pakistani officials, on condition of anonymity, claimed that the Afghan intelligence agency carried out Tahir's murder. In a Pashto note handwritten on a blank piece of paper, which was reportedly placed on
1805-421: Is "one of the primary markers of ethnic identity" amongst Pashtuns. A national language of Afghanistan , Pashto is primarily spoken in the east, south, and southwest, but also in some northern and western parts of the country. The exact number of speakers is unavailable, but different estimates show that Pashto is the mother tongue of 45–60% of the total population of Afghanistan . In Pakistan , Pashto
1900-428: Is a signal issue in the area; so do not panic if my mobile is found switched off.” The police officials investigating the kidnapping case informed that Tahir had dinner on 26 October at his residence in Islamabad, then he went out alone on foot at around 7pm, and his mobile phone was found to be switched off from around 8pm. Geo-fencing of his mobile phone and number revealed that his last location before being kidnapped
1995-513: Is an Eastern Iranian language in the Indo-European language family , natively spoken in northwestern Pakistan and southern and eastern Afghanistan . It has official status in Afghanistan and the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa . It is known in historical Persian literature as Afghani ( افغانی , Afghāni ). Spoken as a native language mostly by ethnic Pashtuns , it is one of
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#17328453145732090-456: Is an example of his poetry, in which he describes his war-torn homeland, Waziristan : ځان مې وران، جهان مې وران شو، لښکر وران شو My life is ruined, my world is ruined, my army is ruined کور مې وران شو، در مې وران شو، ګودر وران شو My home is ruined, my door is ruined, my riverbank is ruined د سهار بلبل رنګینې نغمې پرېښوې The morning's nightingale stopped chirping colorful songs ماښام وران شو، ګلورین مازدیګر وران شو The evening
2185-426: Is ruined, the afternoon full of flowers is ruined هرې خوا ته دي ویرونه ژړاګانې Everywhere people are mourning and crying په څپېړو مې د پېغلو ځیګر وران شو By slapping in grief, the bosom of our damsels is ruined زه طاهر داوړ ګناه نه خبر نشوم Even though I, Tahir Dawar , have not known my sin, سر مې وران شو، سر د پاسه مې سر وران شو My head is ruined, the head atop of my head [the elders of my tribe]
2280-541: Is spoken by 15% of its population, mainly in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and northern districts of Balochistan province. It is also spoken in parts of Mianwali and Attock districts of the Punjab province , areas of Gilgit-Baltistan and in Islamabad . Pashto speakers are found in other major cities of Pakistan, most notably Karachi , Sindh, which may have the largest Pashtun population of any city in
2375-504: Is taught poorly in schools in Pakistan. Moreover, in government schools material is not provided for in the Pashto dialect of that locality, Pashto being a dialectically rich language. Further, researchers have observed that Pashtun students are unable to fully comprehend educational material in Urdu. Professor Tariq Rahman states: "The government of Pakistan, faced with irredentist claims from Afghanistan on its territory, also discouraged
2470-515: The Constitution of Pakistan . PTM also says that Pakistan Army has sheltered militants, especially from Haqqani Network. Gulalai Ismail , a leading PTM member, received death threats by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for speaking enforced disappearancess allegedly carried out by the Pakistani military. Due to the allegations of treason against Gulalai Ismail by the Pakistan police, she went into hiding and eventually took refuge in
2565-704: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police as assistant sub-inspector in Bannu . He continued his studies while working in the police and completed his master's degree in Pashto in 1997. He was appointed as station house officer at a police station in Bannu in 1998. He was promoted as sub-inspector in 2002 and as inspector in 2007. He was posted to Morocco and Sudan as part of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in 2003 and 2005, respectively. While posted in Bannu, he
2660-526: The Mahsud tribe from Waziristan, was changed into "Pashtun" to refer to all Pashtuns. The movement, which has inspired global Pashtun solidarity, has been dominated by youth, and thrives on social media while lacking significant coverage in mainstream media. According to Saleem Shah, it has challenged military power where typical Pashtun nationalist parties have not dared. However, the PTM lacks organizational structure and
2755-664: The National Assembly of Pakistan , Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar , were arrested by the security forces after the incident and curfew was imposed in the area. A day after this incident, the opposition parties walked out of the National Assembly of Pakistan in protest, and asked Asad Qaiser , who was the Speaker of the National Assembly and a leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), to produce Wazir and Dawar before
2850-469: The Pakistan Army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor , expressed concerns for a possible involvement of foreign hands behind the murder. A joint investigation team was formed by the government to probe the murder, but Tahir's family criticized the government for the lack of progress in the investigation. Tahir's family, as well as several politicians and activists, demanded that the murder should be investigated through an international commission because
2945-586: The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM). When Mohsin Dawar , one of the founding leaders of PTM, won his seat in the 2018 general elections to represent North Waziristan in the National Assembly of Pakistan , Tahir said: “The people of Waziristan have hope that Mohsin Dawar will honor the right of representation and will take the voice of the oppressed to the assembly, whose fury the assembly’s mic will perhaps be unable to withstand.” In an old video which went viral on social media after his death, Tahir
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3040-742: The United Kingdom , and the United States . The powershows and rallys of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement are not shown by mainstream media channels as they are not allowed by the Establishment , leaving social media as the primary channel for communicating with the rest of Pakistan and strengthening the narrative that the PTM is being ignored by the system. In February 2019, Khyber TV , a Pakistani Pashto-language channel, chose not to air an interview with Manzoor Pashteen because of pressure from
3135-402: The law enforcement agencies of Pakistan The missing persons who are imprisoned at unknown places must be tried in a court of law, and forced disappearances must be stopped. PTM demands that torture and collective punishment against entire villages and tribes in the Pashtun tribal areas, especially after a violent incident, must be stopped The humiliation of locals at army checkpoints in
3230-593: The 1930s, a movement began to take hold to promote Pashto as a language of government, administration, and art with the establishment of a Pashto Society Pashto Anjuman in 1931 and the inauguration of the Kabul University in 1932 as well as the formation of the Pashto Academy (Pashto Tolana) in 1937. Muhammad Na'im Khan, the minister of education between 1938 and 1946, inaugurated the formal policy of promoting Pashto as Afghanistan's national language, leading to
3325-651: The 1980s, since the Cold War between the Soviet Union and United States and the following conflict between western and Islamist forces. The PTM therefore campaigns against war, blaming both the Taliban and the Pakistani military for the destruction. The movement was founded as Mahsud Tahafuz Movement in May 2014 by eight students in Dera Ismail Khan as an initiative for removing landmines from Waziristan and other parts of
3420-755: The 8th century, and they use the writings found in Pata Khazana . Pə́ṭa Xazāná ( پټه خزانه ) is a Pashto manuscript claimed to be written by Mohammad Hotak under the patronage of the Pashtun emperor Hussain Hotak in Kandahar ; containing an anthology of Pashto poets. However, its authenticity is disputed by scholars such as David Neil MacKenzie and Lucia Serena Loi. Nile Green comments in this regard: "In 1944, Habibi claimed to have discovered an eighteenth-century manuscript anthology containing much older biographies and verses of Pashto poets that stretched back as far as
3515-558: The Afghan government would investigate the case. Supporters of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) held protest rallies in several cities of Pakistan and demanded for an international commission to investigate the case. They chanted slogans against the Pakistan Army and intelligence agencies , whom they accused to be involved in the abduction and murder. Mohsin Dawar , who is one of the leaders of PTM and also represents North Waziristan in
3610-542: The Kharqamar check post in North Waziristan . To stop the demonstration, the security forces killed at least 13 PTM supporters and injured over 25 others. The military said PTM members attacked security forces before any shooting began and injured several soldiers, but the army showed no evidence to contradict the witness accounts and videos, that largely pointed to the contrary. Several PTM activists, including two members of
3705-565: The National Assembly of Pakistan, expressed shock over Tahir's murder and said: “Explaining this in the same old ‘good’ and ‘bad’ Taliban drama will not work anymore. The State of Pakistan is responsible for his martyrdom and we demand answers. His abductors have to be made answerable.” Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party 's leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai equated the murder of Tahir with Jamal Khashoggi , saying "both incidents required international probe." Awami National Party held protest rallies in several cities across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and backed
3800-583: The PTM drew immediate backlash from human rights organizations including Amnesty International . The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) condemned the ban, calling it an "extreme decision" and demanded its reversal. According to the HRCP, PTM has consistently advocated for its cause through non-violent and constitutional means. Despite the ban, PTM has enjoyed widespread support in Pakistan's Pashtun-majority regions and neighboring Afghanistan, where its demand for justice for Pashtuns resonates strongly. The timing of
3895-480: The Pakistani government banned the PTM on the grounds that its activities threatened the country's peace and security. The decision drew criticism from human rights organizations including Amnesty International and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan , which called for the ban's reversal, citing PTM’s history of peaceful advocacy within constitutional limits. Pashtun territory has been a war zone since
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3990-517: The Pashto Movement and eventually allowed its use in peripheral domains only after the Pakhtun elite had been co-opted by the ruling elite...Thus, even though there is still an active desire among some Pakhtun activists to use Pashto in the domains of power, it is more of a symbol of Pakhtun identity than one of nationalism." Robert Nicols states: "In the end, national language policy, especially in
4085-504: The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), citing security concerns. A government notification labeled the PTM as a "proscribed organization," accusing it of engaging in activities deemed prejudicial to the peace and stability of the country. The ban comes amid growing tensions and increased dissent, particularly regarding the PTM's vocal criticism of the military's role in alleged human rights violations, including enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Pashtun regions. The move to outlaw
4180-429: The Pashtun areas must be ended. On 26 January 2018, the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement organized a protest march starting from Dera Ismail Khan . The march had 22 participants initially, but many people joined it along the way, as it passed through Lakki Marwat , Bannu , Domel , Karak , Kohat , and Darra Adam Khel , reaching Peshawar on 28 January. Then after passing through Charsadda , Mardan , Swabi , and Tarnol ,
4275-529: The Pashtuns, but the Pakistan Army has claimed that PTM is backed by foreign powers and their gatherings are "engineered". PTM claims that as a result, news organizations in Pakistan have been pressured to ignore PTM, and university professors have been forced to identify the students attending PTM's protest gatherings. Some Pakistani politicians and journalists also view PTM as working on a foreign or Pashtun nationalist agenda. However, PTM's leadership has claimed that they are protesting through peaceful means within
4370-662: The Pathan community in the city of Kolkata , often nicknamed the Kabuliwala ("people of Kabul "). Pashtun diaspora communities in other countries around the world speak Pashto, especially the sizable communities in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia . Pashto is one of the two official languages of Afghanistan, along with Dari Persian . Since the early 18th century, the monarchs of Afghanistan have been ethnic Pashtuns (except for Habibullāh Kalakāni in 1929). Persian,
4465-653: The Society's annual meeting in 1927. In 1955, Pashtun intellectuals including Abdul Qadir formed the Pashto Academy Peshawar on the model of Pashto Tolana formed in Afghanistan. In 1974, the Department of Pashto was established in the University of Balochistan for the promotion of Pashto. In Pakistan, Pashto is the first language around of 15% of its population (per the 1998 census). However, Urdu and English are
4560-853: The Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) at Islamabad Shalimar Circle, the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) from the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), the investigating officer of the case, and one representative each from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the Military Intelligence (MI), and the Intelligence Bureau (IB), the three Pakistani intelligence agencies . Nadia Tahir, daughter of Tahir Dawar, said in October 2019 that
4655-648: The United States. PTM leader Ali Wazir is also known for his vocal criticism of Pakistan's military establishment . He blames the Pakistan Armed Forces for human rights violations during its large-scale military operations, including Operation Rah-e-Nijat in South Waziristan in 2009, during which time he was forced to stay in Dera Ismail Khan due to the insecurity in Waziristan. On 16 December 2020, Wazir
4750-501: The backdrop to weakening Pashtun power following Mughal rule: Khushal Khan Khattak used Pashto poetry to rally for Pashtun unity and Pir Bayazid as an expedient means to spread his message to the Pashtun masses. For instance Khushal Khattak laments in : "The Afghans (Pashtuns) are far superior to the Mughals at the sword, Were but the Afghans, in intellect, a little discreet. If
4845-592: The ban also coincided with the scheduled Khyber Jirga , a traditional Pashtun council, further intensifying tensions between the movement's supporters and the state. The main demands of PTM presented during the Pashtun Long March's gatherings in 2018 included, among others: The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement has highly demanded that landmines must be removed from the Pashtun tribal areas . The PTM leaders have criticized Pakistan's military establishment for terrorizing lands of Pashtun people several times. They adopted
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#17328453145734940-570: The body was received at the Torkham . Pakistan's State Minister of Interior Shehryar Afridi and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Information Minister Shaukat Yousafzai were also present at the jirga in Torkham. The same day, separate Islamic funeral prayers were reperformed for Tahir at Police lines. Shehryar Afridi, Pakistan's State Minister of Interior, stated during his speech at the Senate of Pakistan that Tahir
5035-482: The body, arguing that ISIL makes its official claims through Amaq Agency, not in this manner. Mohsin Dawar , who represents North Waziristan in the National Assembly of Pakistan and is one of the leaders of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement , was also unconvinced. Mohsin Dawar accused the Pakistani military of being an accomplice in the murder, and said: “For more than 15 years, we have seen this deceptive drama that people are murdered and then their corpses are left with
5130-789: The case involved two countries. The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) held countrywide protests against the murder. His family also complained that the Pakistani government made no serious efforts to recover Tahir while he was missing for more than two weeks. Tahir completed his secondary education in 1982 in Eidak , a village west of Mirali on the periphery of Miramshah , the capital city of North Waziristan . He did his higher secondary education (FA) in 1984. He completed his bachelor's degree in 1989 in Miramshah, and started his career in nursing and teaching in North Waziristan. In 1995, he joined
5225-523: The chest of the dead body of Tahir, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province (ISIL-KP) claimed responsibility of the murder. However, there was no official claim of responsibility from Amaq Agency , the news outlet linked to Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Some political analysts, journalists, and activists have questioned the authenticity of the handwritten note found besides
5320-585: The clearing of Mines in South Waziristan , an intermediate college establishment in name of Naqeebullah Mehsud, and promised to addressed "genuine gravencies" raised by Jirga members. Muqam also told the protestors, "the way you held the peaceful protest is really commendable and others should learn a lesson to record their protests this way. I’ll stand by you in trying times and you can come to discuss with me all of your legitimate issues anytime." On 13 May 2018, family members of missing Pakistanis participated in
5415-646: The commission and publication of Pashto textbooks. The Pashto Tolana was later incorporated into the Academy of Sciences Afghanistan in line with Soviet model following the Saur Revolution in 1978. Although officially supporting the use of Pashto, the Afghan elite regarded Persian as a "sophisticated language and a symbol of cultured upbringing". King Zahir Shah (reigning 1933–1973) thus followed suit after his father Nadir Khan had decreed in 1933 that officials were to study and utilize both Persian and Pashto. In 1936
5510-561: The country, presenting missing persons before courts, and removal of landmines from the Pashtun tribal areas. The movement is led by Manzoor Pashteen , a human rights activist from South Waziristan . Other prominent activists in it include Ali Wazir , Mohsin Dawar , Mir Kalam , Alamzaib Mahsud , Abdullah Nangyal , Fazal Khan , Gulalai Ismail , Sanna Ejaz , Wranga Loni , and the late Arman Loni , Arif Wazir , Usman Kakar , Noor Islam Dawar , and Gilaman Wazir . PTM claims to be an unarmed and peaceful resistance movement working within
5605-459: The demand of PTM to call for an international inquiry. Qaumi Watan Party also protested against the murder and demanded for an early arrest of the killers. Pakistan Muslim League (N) and Pakistan Peoples Party criticized the government of Pakistan for failing to provide security to Tahir in the capital Islamabad. On 4 Dec 2018, Shehryar Afridi, the State Minister of Interior, announced
5700-410: The different tribes would but support each other, Kings would have to bow down in prostration before them" Pashto is a subject–object–verb (SOV) language with split ergativity . In Pashto, this means that the verb agrees with the subject in transitive and intransitive sentences in non-past, non-completed clauses, but when a completed action is reported in any of the past tenses, the verb agrees with
5795-443: The eighth century. It was an extraordinary claim, implying as it did that the history of Pashto literature reached back further in time than Persian, thus supplanting the hold of Persian over the medieval Afghan past. Although it was later convincingly discredited through formal linguistic analysis, Habibi's publication of the text under the title Pata Khazana ('Hidden Treasure') would (in Afghanistan at least) establish his reputation as
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#17328453145735890-447: The field of education in the NWFP, had constructed a type of three tiered language hierarchy. Pashto lagged far behind Urdu and English in prestige or development in almost every domain of political or economic power..." Although Pashto used as a medium of instruction in schools for Pashtun students results in better understanding and comprehension for students when compared to using Urdu, still
5985-597: The former Federally Administered Tribal Areas , affected by the war in North-West Pakistan . The movement rose to prominence in January 2018 when it began a justice movement for Naqeebullah Mehsud , who was extrajudicially killed in a fake encounter staged by the police officer Rao Anwar in Karachi . When the movement gained popularity among the Pashtuns in February 2018, the word "Mahsud" in its name, which referred to
6080-399: The government of Pakistan has only introduced Pashto at the primary levels in state-run schools. Taimur Khan remarks: "the dominant Urdu language squeezes and denies any space for Pashto language in the official and formal capacity. In this contact zone, Pashto language exists but in a subordinate and unofficial capacity". Some linguists have argued that Pashto is descended from Avestan or
6175-410: The journalist Hamid Mir not to invite PTM members on media in response to a question by the journalist as to whether the media houses should invite PTM leaders on TV channels. On 29 April 2019, Asif Ghafoor said PTM would no longer be tolerated. "Their time is up," he said of PTM at the press conference. PTM is critical of the Pakistan Army and accuses the state of violating the basic human rights of
6270-441: The lawful boundaries of the Constitution of Pakistan . The Pakistan Army and several journalists have claimed that the movement is trying to create discord in the country along ethnic lines, as well as following a foreign agenda. The movement has seen strong support from neighboring Afghanistan , which traditionally has an uneasy relationship with the government of Pakistan. Ahead of the PTM-planned Khyber Jirga in October 2024,
6365-426: The literary language of the royal court, was more widely used in government institutions, while the Pashtun tribes spoke Pashto as their native tongue . King Amanullah Khan began promoting Pashto during his reign (1926–1929) as a marker of ethnic identity and as a symbol of "official nationalism" leading Afghanistan to independence after the defeat of the British Empire in the Third Anglo-Afghan War in 1919. In
6460-412: The march reached Islamabad , where a sit-in called "All Pashtun National Jirga " was organized from 1 February outside the National Press Club . The jirga condemned the murder of the Pashtun labourer and aspiring model, Naqeebullah Mehsud , who was shot dead by police force in Karachi during an alleged encounter, and the alleged state oppression against the Pashtuns. It asked the government to set up
6555-404: The military. On 23 March 2018, the PTM meeting was scheduled to be held in Peshawar University , but Deputy Commissioner Peshawar Islam Zeb, issued an order under section 144 CrPC, imposing ban on political meetings in University and stated any violation against the order shall be preceded against u/s 188 PPC and order will be exercised "for 30 days unless modified or withdrawn." Later the meeting
6650-411: The name of the movement was changed from "Mahsud Tahafuz Movement" (' Mahsud Protection Movement') to "Pashtun Tahafuz Movement." During PTM's public demonstrations and sit-ins since February 2018, several demands were presented to the Pakistani government and military, including punishment to the retired police officer Rao Anwar , a truth and reconciliation commission on extrajudicial killings in
6745-420: The native elements of the lexicon are related to other Eastern Iranian languages . As noted by Josef Elfenbein, "Loanwords have been traced in Pashto as far back as the third century B.C., and include words from Greek and probably Old Persian". For instance, Georg Morgenstierne notes the Pashto word مېچن mečә́n i.e. a hand-mill as being derived from the Ancient Greek word μηχανή ( mēkhanḗ , i.e.
6840-482: The organizers of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement announced that they would reconvene the protest if their demands were not fulfilled by the government. Advisor to Prime Minister on political affairs, Engr. Amir Muqam appeared in front of the protesters with the hand-written agreement from the Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi that included three clauses, agreeing to apprehend Rao Anwar , speed-up
6935-416: The parliament so that they could explain their viewpoint about the incident at the parliament sessions, but the speaker refused. After almost four months in jail, Wazir and Dawar were released on bail on 21 September 2019. On 14 October 2020, the government withdrew the Kharqamar case against PTM, and Wazir and Dawar were acquitted of the charges against them. In October 2024, the Pakistani government banned
7030-465: The possessed in the genitive construction, and adjectives come before the nouns they modify. Unlike most other Indo-Iranian languages, Pashto uses all three types of adpositions —prepositions, postpositions, and circumpositions. *The retroflex rhotic or lateral, tends to be a lateral flap [ 𝼈 ] at the beginning of a syllable or other prosodic unit, and a regular flap [ ɽ ] or approximant [ ɻ ] elsewhere. In Pashto, most of
7125-444: The subject if it is intransitive, but with the object if it is transitive. Verbs are inflected for present, simple past, past progressive, present perfect, and past perfect tenses. There is also an inflection for the subjunctive mood . Nouns and adjectives are inflected for two genders (masculine and feminine), two numbers (singular and plural), and four cases (direct, oblique, ablative, and vocative). The possessor precedes
7220-457: The suspects into custody, but on the intervention of the senior superintendent of police (SSP), they were soon released. Tahir's family claimed that these suspects could be behind the murder. On 16 November 2018, a seven-member joint investigation team was formed to probe the murder. The team was headed by the Superintendent of Police Investigation in Islamabad, while the other members were
7315-483: The team made no tangible progress in investigating the murder. Ahmaduddin, brother of Tahir Dawar, said "the joint investigation team called several friends of Tahir Dawar, including former member of the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Adnan Wazir, Brigadier Naeem Bhatti, and Additional Accountant General Islamabad Sharifullah Khan. The friends told us that the joint investigation team questioned them like
7410-515: The tribal areas, or use violence or collective punishment against entire villages and tribes, and that they will not impose the frequent curfews on the movement of locals even after minor incidents. Another demand was to remove all landminess planted in the tribal areas, which have resulted in many civilian casualties. The protesters said that since 2009, more than 35 people including children had been killed due to landmines in South Waziristan alone. The sit-in in Islamabad ended on 10 February, but
7505-534: The tribes inhabiting the lands west of the Indus River were part of Ariana . This was around the time when the area inhabited by the Pashtuns was governed by the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom . From the 3rd century CE onward, they are mostly referred to by the name Afghan ( Abgan ). Abdul Hai Habibi believed that the earliest modern Pashto work dates back to Amir Kror Suri of the early Ghurid period in
7600-467: The two official languages of Afghanistan alongside Dari , and it is the second-largest provincial language of Pakistan , spoken mainly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the northern districts of Balochistan . Likewise, it is the primary language of the Pashtun diaspora around the world. The total number of Pashto-speakers is at least 40 million, although some estimates place it as high as 60 million. Pashto
7695-411: The two official languages of Pakistan. Pashto has no official status at the federal level. On a provincial level, Pashto is the regional language of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and north Balochistan . Yet, the primary medium of education in government schools in Pakistan is Urdu. The lack of importance given to Pashto and its neglect has caused growing resentment amongst Pashtuns. It is noted that Pashto
7790-633: The world. Other communities of Pashto speakers are found in India , Tajikistan , and northeastern Iran (primarily in South Khorasan Province to the east of Qaen , near the Afghan border). In India most ethnic Pashtun (Pathan) peoples speak the geographically native Hindi-Urdu language rather than Pashto, but there are small numbers of Pashto speakers, such as the Sheen Khalai in Rajasthan , and
7885-403: Was a Pakistani police officer who was abducted from Islamabad on 26 October 2018 and then tortured and killed. His body was found on 13 November 2018 by the locals in the Dur Baba District of Nangarhar Province , Afghanistan , close to the Torkham border crossing . His postmortem report revealed he had no marks of bullet injury, but was rather killed by excessive torture during captivity. He
7980-519: Was abducted from Islamabad , Pakistan, where he had arrived the same day from Peshawar to attend a meeting. “At 6:30pm [26 October], Tahir talked to his wife in Peshawar and told her that he was in Islamabad and may return if the meeting is over soon, otherwise he would be coming back on Saturday [27 October]. However, at 7:15pm [27 October], his wife received a text message that Tahir was in Sarai Alamgir near Jhelum .” Another message said: “There
8075-596: Was also sent to Australia and Romania as part of his duty. However, after his stint with FIA at Bacha Khan International Airport , Peshawar, he left it in July 2013. Tahir rejoined the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police in July 2013 and served as deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Crime Circle Peshawar, DSP Capital City Police Office, and DSP Faqeerabad Peshawar . He was promoted as superintendent of police (SP) Rural Circle Peshawar in 2018. Tahir had sympathy for
8170-930: Was arrested on allegations of treason by the Sindh Police in Peshawar , where he was present to commemorate the 2014 Peshawar school massacre . Qamar Javed Bajwa , the Pakistan Army Chief , stated on 1 July 2021 that Wazir would have to apologize for criticizing the Pakistan Army and then he could be released, but Wazir refused to apologize. On 14 March 2022, the Pashtun National Jirga in Bannu demanded that Wazir be immediately released along with all other political prisoners . Pashto language Pashto ( / ˈ p ʌ ʃ t oʊ / PUH -shto , / ˈ p æ ʃ t oʊ / PASH -toe ; پښتو , Pəx̌tó , [pəʂˈto, pʊxˈto, pəʃˈto, pəçˈto] )
8265-529: Was at G-10/4 area of Islamabad. On 27 October, his mobile phone was switched on at a location in Sarai Alamgir, then switched off again, after which there was no trace of his mobile phone or SIM card . On 13 November, i.e. 18 days after Tahir's disappearance, his tortured dead body was found about 100 meters away from the Durand Line , in the Dur Baba District of the province of Nangarhar , Afghanistan. He
8360-642: Was buried the same day at a cemetery in the Momand Dara area in Nangarhar, after the washing and shrouding of his body and performing the Islamic funeral prayer for him. On 14 November, Tahir's body was exhumed from the cemetery in Momand Dara, and carried to Jalalabad on the order of Hayatullah Hayat, Governor of Nangarhar . The body would subsequently be carried from Jalalabad to Peshawar, Pakistan. On 15 November,
8455-460: Was held during which several PTM activists, including Gilaman Wazir and Nadeem Askar, were arrested by Pakistani authorities. The Pashteen hat (also known as the Mazari hat) has become the most iconic symbol of PTM, as Manzoor Pashteen regularly wears it at public rallies and events. On 26 May 2019, there was a clash between the Pakistan Army and PTM activists who were holding a protest gathering near
8550-524: Was held in Baghi-e-Naran, Hayatabad with 200 person attending the gathering. The movement's anthem is "Da Sanga Azadi Da?", which means "What kind of freedom is this?". Many Pashtun's have discovered their voice with this anthem and it encloses the various grievances they have from being caught between the militants and the military. On 26 April 2019, Mohsin Dawar tweeted that he and his fellow National Assembly member Ali Wazir were barred from holding
8645-432: Was kept hungry and thirsty for several days, and his legs and arms were broken. He had died a few days before his body was found. Iftikhar Durrani , the spokesperson of prime minister Imran Khan , laughed away Tahir's kidnapping report in a Voice of America interview on 28 October, alleging that Tahir was not abducted but was safe in Peshawar. After the discovery of his dead body, some Pakistani officials, including
8740-615: Was officially renamed to Dari . The lyrics of the national anthem of Afghanistan are in Pashto. In British India , prior to the creation of Pakistan by the British government, the 1920s saw the blossoming of Pashto language in the then NWFP : Abdul Ghafar Khan in 1921 established the Anjuman-e- Islah al-Afaghina (Society for the Reformation of Afghans) to promote Pashto as an extension of Pashtun culture; around 80,000 people attended
8835-593: Was seen addressing a group protesters, and arguing that India , the United States, and Afghanistan were behind many conspiracies against Pakistan in general and Peshawar in particular. He said that the Indian intelligence agency RAW , the US CIA , and Afghanistan posed threats to Pakistan, and that the focus of their activities was to target the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor . On 26 October 2018, Tahir
8930-574: Was shifted from Islamabad to Nangarhar through northern Punjab , Mianwali , and Bannu . He said: "SP Tahir was transported from Islamabad to Punjab, where he was kept for a couple of days. Then he stayed in Mianwali for three to four days, and then he was taken to Bannu." Shehryar Afridi also complained that at least 600 of the 1800 surveillance cameras installed under the Safe City Project in Islamabad were not working and that not one camera could read
9025-460: Was wounded 3 times during a clash with militants in 2005. Subsequently, the militants did suicide attack his home in Bannu in 2008, killing his guard. Dawar once volunteered to supply arms and ammunition to the Hawed police station in Bannu. However, the control room made an error, and the information was not passed on to the police station. The police opened fire on him due to the confusion, and he received
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