The Pakhtuns are one of the most enterprising race in the world. If one looks inwards, only at Pakistan, one will notice that the Pakhtuns always venture out of their native places to earn bread through extremely hard labour with meagre monetary returns. You will also find them working in white collar and all sorts of other laborious jobs in remote Punjab, inner Sindh, Balochistan, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. If in the same manner the Punjabis, the Sindhis, the Kashmiris and the Balochis had also ventured out of their native provinces and settled in different parts of Pakistan the country would not have been as disjointed as it is today – it would have been deeply integrated and would also have been extremely harmonious.
If one spreads the canvas one will find the Pakhtuns working conscientiously and diligently all over the world as they are by nature very enterprising and have that explorer instinct. Being a proud people the Pakhtuns work rather than beg.
With the Pakhtun belt in Pakistan and Afghanistan engulfed in violence for the past forty plus years it is time for the world and Pakistan to find a way out of the ongoing violence so that special attention can be given towards bringing about fast paced development to the war torn land of the Pakhtuns.
The Pakhtuns desire peace and tranquility and it is long overdue that they have it so that their next generations live a better life. If the Pakhtuns had not been left under developed purposely by the British when they ruled India and later, over the last sixty years, by Pakistan itself they would today not have to dig earth and do other labour jobs in far off lands to feed their children in some remote and forsaken place somewhere in the NWFP and the Pakhtun belt of Afghanistan.
The Pakhtuns now deserve to be treated with the respect that they truly deserve as amongst the Pakhtuns today are doctors, engineers, many enlightened people holding Ph.Ds and masters in all disciplines and amongst them are also bureaucrats, generals, air marshals, and admirals besides professors, teachers, nurses, social workers and so much more.
Let us all now stand for peace, prosperity, progress, education, health services, closer to home employment and lots more for the Pakhtuns. Let us not have any more potentially very productive generations of the Pakhtuns go waste.
The Pakhtuns will also have to rise to the occasion and will have to choose for themselves political leaders who do not become their exploiters. The Pakhtuns will have to sway well away from the traditional politician and let their educated and progressive people come forth to represent them in the national and provincial fora. If they do not do that then living in the dark will always be their ill-fated destiny.
Pukhtoons have a bright history. As a nation, they can also have a bright future if it is focused to integrate and utilize their potential. They are hard worker, honest with their work and do have potential to strive for positive change.
What they only require is a true and visionary leadership. Leader is the one who knows difference between right and wrong, who believes in self sacrificing, rather then demanding it from followers. In fact leader doesn’t create followers but leaders, as destination might be long and he may not be there to stand till end.
Steps taken without planning may ruin the whole business, thus committed team of volunteers may be required to take initiative. Gathering masses and giving them assignments in different directions according to their skills can be helpful to promote enthusiasm.
Lets wait that who, how and when become the leader by taking initiative……………