First, we should move beyond the colonial imagination of the tribal borderlands as a buffer between the savage and the civilized world. Before the advent of colonialism, these tribal regions were relatively open spaces serving as the main land routes for regional trade and mobility. The British colonialism reconstituted them as a buffer zone and closed geographies. Second, the mobilisation of religious identities as an instrument of state policy is a double edged sword. It not only has the potential to unleash violence but can also metamorphose into an archaic form of Pakhtun nationalism. Third and last, there should be the recognition of tribal sovereignty and internal autonomy. The liberal notion of the rule of (state) law that originated from Europe and then transported to colonies in the nineteenth century has long been resisted by Pakhtun tribesmen. The spectre of colonial history would continue to haunt the tribal borderlands unless the right to improve their judicial system according to their own indigenous formations is not recognised. Mushtaq Gaadi
Posted on: Sun, 10 Aug 2014 07:14:43 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015