Few identities carry as much pride as that of the Pashtun. We speak of honour, courage, hospitality and dignity not as abstract ideals but as lived values and daily experiences - passed down through generations, embedded in our poetry, and reflected in our social codes. To be Pashtun is, for many of us, not just an identity but a moral claim. And yet, it is precisely because this identity matters so much that it must be questioned - honestly and without defensiveness.

If we truly believe in the strength of our tradition, then we must ask: why has it not produced, in recent decades, more individuals of the intellectual and moral stature of Bacha Khan, Khushal Khan Khattak and Ghani Khan? These were not merely proud Pashtuns; they were reflective ones. Bacha Khan challenged violence within his own society and made education the centre of reform. Khushal Khan Khattak linked freedom with dignity and self-awareness. Ghani Khan questioned rigid thinking and invited his people toward introspection and humanism.

They did not weaken Pashtun identity by........

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