EVERY nation of the world lives by rules and a code of conduct. The Pashtun living in Afghanistan, Pakistan and other parts of the world has a code of conduct called Pashtunwali which is strictly practised by every proud Pashtun.

Pashtunwali literally means ‘the way of the Pashtuns’, and is a tribal honour code that has governed the Pashtun way of life for centuries. It is an unwritten code of conduct like the UK constitution but every Pashtun practices it very proudly.

However, due to the emergence of Taliban, people throughout the world came to understand Pashtunwali in the negative sense. The reason was that the majority of Taliban are Pashtu-speaking.

This code of conduct dates back to the pre-Islamic era and that’s why nowadays every proud Pashtun in Pakistan says “I have beena Pashtun for 5,000 years, a Muslim for 1,400 years and a patriotic Pakistani since 1947.

The key components of Pashtunwali are: Melmastia (hospitality). It means the protection of the guest. The Pashtun will never allow anybody to harm or surrender his guest in the company of the host.

Badal (revenge) means to seek justice or take revenge against the wrongdoer. There is no time limit as to when the injustice can be avenged.

If badal is not exercised, the offended man or his family will be considered stripped of honour. However, this practice sometime leads to generations of blood feud.

Nanawatai (sanctuary) means a person who seeks refuge in the house of another. The host Pashtun is honour-bound to offer that protection, even at the cost of his own family.

Understanding Pashtunwali helps one to understand the Pashtun culture. The government should follow this framework to engage the tribals to restore peace to the tribal areas.

Rafiuddin Mehsud
South Waziristan Agency

Published in Dawn, December 6th, 2015