It is lucid that Pashtuns constitute majority, about 70%, of Afghanistan s current population,

however they are sidelined and subdued by relatively small factions of Afghanistan in various
aspects: taking from governmental key posts, foreign bursaries, controlling Afghanistan s
diplomatic missions and vanquishing Pashto language on national and international level to
seizing major US and NATO contracts and banking systems.

This doesn t elucidate that the majority (Pashtuns) are not able governing this mountainous
country or do not have the capacity, where they inhabited for millenniums, they know every
valley, mountain and alley of this country; they have began the political history of modern
Afghanistan, dated back with Hotaki dynasty coming into power in 1706, and more vividly when
great Ahmad Shah Durrani created modern Afghanistan in 1747.

Pashtuns are largely confounded for current instability in the region and even in the world,
scores are killed every day, their houses are razed and bombarded for the crime they never
committed or known.

They are alienated from international community to a great extent by Pashtun antagonist evils,
and deprived of various rights in a country they predominate for centuries, in a country they
safeguarded during various periods of history, defeating every invader of the time thus
proclaiming a heroic name for this land: Graveyard of Empires; a land invaded, yet never
conquered.

Pashtuns are sidelined by international community and relatively small factions, recently a
secret investigation conducted by a UN agency in capital city, Kabul, where all administrative
organs are located, the survey found that 720 out of 900 key administrative posts are held by
ethnic minorities compared to 180 posts held by ethnic majority (Pashtuns), disclosed by an
official of the UN agency talking on condition of anonymity because of the seriousness of
revelation. Tajiks and Hazaras have clinched important army, judicial, police, prosecution and
detention posts. According to New York Times report, Tajiks have occupied 70% top Afghan
army commanding posts contributing to the difficulty recruiting fellow Pashtuns thus making
ethnic balance an unseen goal in near future which will eventually help prolong current political
brouhaha.

With emergence of current government and democratic process in the country where everyone
must has equal right and obligations to abide by the rule of law, however, Pashtuns very initial
rights have been crippled more or less by international community and vastly by domestic
antagonists. For instance, annually large numbers of bursaries are awarded by foreign countries
for Afghan students, ethnic minorities are awarded more than 80% of these bursaries, while
handful Pashtun student are selected for such scholarships, nonetheless, they are more
qualified and are intellectually prone. I don t say that Pashtuns should be selected on the basis
of their ethnicity percentage, there should be academic criteria selecting for such scholarships
based on intellect of candidate, which will have a significant role in modern Afghanistan
rehabilitation and shouldn t be compromised for ethnicity and kinsmanship. If the trend
continues with such pace there will be significant repercussions and setbacks in educational
field because of the atrocities committed bye perpetrators affiliated with ethnic and linguistic
violence, Pashtuns students are not allowed to write applications in their indigenous language,
in fact their applications are simply rejected because they are not written in Dari, this shows a
disparity in the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE).

International community has played its role in depriving Pashtuns from acquiring economically
and politically viable lives, USA led NATO force are encircled by former ferocious warlords and
rogue mass murders, largely composed of ethnic Tajiks, whose atrocities saga is still heard in
the streets of Kabul, they are resented by Afghans who have seen very rueful days of their live
because of these ruthless vicious criminals whose only legacy is war and destruction.
International forces have signed huge contracts worth of billions of dollars with these warlords,
for safeguarding NATO supply routes and oil tankers caravans, they have been used as
predators, preying innocent Pashtuns, largely undermining collective efforts and operational
ability of Afghan national security forces and considerably deepened current chaotic situation.

Lack of proper contact management and incongruous inter agencies coordination has led to
misunderstanding and deteriorating situation in the country.

A report published by Moshe Schwartz about background and analysis of defense contractors in
Afghanistan and Iraq, as of March 2010, there were 112,092 US defense contractors in
Afghanistan compared to approximately 79,100 uniformed personnel, contractors represent
59% of US department of defense workforce in Afghanistan, this figure of contractors
comprised of various nationalities, there were 16,081 US citizens, 17,512 third-country citizens
and 78,499 local(Afghan) citizens, making 14%, 16% and 70% respectively. These contractors
are overwhelmingly rogue criminals in their respective countries; they know little about warfare
engagement rules, civilian protection and casualties, they committed such crimes they should
be punished for in international criminal court; recent WikiLeaks, 90,000 secret Afghan war files
solidifies fears that contractors are third factor of anarchy in Afghanistan and Iraq.

International security forces have waged war on Pashtuns indiscriminately, insecurity,

deprivation, killing and targeting innocent farmers and commons people has piled resentment
and anger of brave Pashtuns toward international forces. The atrocities committed by US forces
are comparable to their contractors, recently I came upon a movie called TAXI TO THE DARK
SIDE a documentary about a taxi driver (DILAWAR) killed by US forces during interrogation in
Bagram air base, without any judicial rights against Geneva convention; such inhuman acts
perpetrated by US forces have contributed to anger and resentment of Pashtun population.

President Karzai a former UNOCAL adviser, installed by US in 2001 is an ethnic Pashtun; favorite
of former US president George Bush administration, maybe sentimental from his nature or
because he thinks so called national reconciliation has been achieved by appointing civil war
rogue veterans as key cabinet members, whose allegiance is with strangers rather than their
war-torn country.

Inconsistent nature as described by recent WikiLeaks trove of US embassy cables easily

swayed in his decisions has brought this emerging democracy on the brink of collapse, instead
of establishing strong central government he let these abhorrent criminals emerge as
impregnable economic and military force, people of Afghanistan should be most important
factor of concern for Mr. Karzai, they elected him twice hoping that his government will bring
peace, prosperity and justice, though they saw war and injustice. The people of Afghanistan no
longer can tolerate these miseries, yet there are still lights of hope shining and blinking on the
gloomy horizon of Afghanistan, Mr. Karzai should reverse his current policy before it s too late
to act.

Leadership it maybe said, what makes the world go round, Arthur M. Schlesinger, wrote in his
book, Ancient Worlds Leaders, The idea of leadership affirms the capacity of individuals to
move, inspire and mobilize masses of people so that they act together in pursuit of a goal .

The above notion implies that an individual can make a difference, transform a war riddled
country to an advanced, peaceful and prosperous country, all it takes is determination of
leadership, we should learn of history, Europe recovered of world war two destruction, Berlin
wall collapsed, China and India are emerging as economical powers, if all these astonishing
marvel are possible then Afghanistan can be transformed to a modern stabilized economical
hub of central Asia. This country needs firm commitment and determination of leadership, as
future generations will measure leaders by results and their political charisma.

Obaid Hashmi
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