As a Pashtoon born in Pakistan, I have always felt a deep connection with the Pashtoons across the border in Afghanistan. Our language, traditions, and shared history bind us together in ways that transcend political lines. We celebrate the same culture, carry the same pride in our ancestry, and cherish the same values of honour, courage, and hospitality. But while our roots may intertwine, our identities have grown in different soils, and both deserve respect.
I often hear people from Afghanistan saying that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa should merge with Afghanistan, as if the love we share for one another is incomplete without the blending of borders. To me, that idea feels misguided. Love and unity do not require the erasure of boundaries; they require understanding.
Let me put it simply; if you live in your parents’ house, and you feel a connection to someone in another home, it does not mean they should strive to include your room in their house, cutting it off from where it already belongs. The connection can exist beautifully across fences, so long as there is mutual respect.
The Pashtoons of Pakistan have immense love for their Afghan brothers and sisters. We celebrate their triumphs, feel their sorrows, and pray for their peace. But love should not come at the cost of identity. When some people insist that our land belongs to Afghanistan, they overlook the fact that we are part of Pakistan, proudly, peacefully, and by choice. We have built our lives here, contributed to this country, and hold our flag with dignity.
Those who continue to speak of merging lands are not speaking from love; they are speaking from a desire for control. They do not represent the genuine affection that exists between Pashtoons on both sides of the border. The real love between us is about blood, not borders, about shared values, not shared maps.
We must learn to honour each other’s existence, not as rivals, but as reflections of the same heritage shaped by different experiences. The land grabbers should look beyond the obvious and understand that unity cannot be forced through territory; it is nurtured through respect.
We, the Pashtoons of Pakistan, will always love our Afghan brothers and sisters. But we also ask that our identity as Pakistanis be respected, not diminished, not questioned, and not politicised. True love does not demand ownership; it seeks peace.
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