To reach the Khyber Pass, travelers must travel from Peshawar or Jalalabad. The town of Landi Kotal is located over the pass. The pass is heavily militarized. The Pashtuns dominate business and government in Pakistan, and the Pashtuns supplied most of the Taliban.
Pashtuns dominate government
The Pashtuns are fierce, Pashto-speaking hill tribes whose territory stretches along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Their culture is one of kinship and tribal genealogies have traditionally established the rights of succession and inheritance. Lands are considered tribal property, and disputes over land and inheritance often lead to blood feuds between families.
The Pashtuns have fought against many of the great armies of their time. Alexander the Great had to bribe Pashtuns to fight on his behalf. Britain later claimed the region for itself and fought several wars in the region, but never completely subdued it. In the 1839-1842 First Afghan War, a British force of 16,000 soldiers was thrown into the Pashtun-dominated region. Despite the violence, only one British soldier emerged alive.
The Pashtuns are the second largest ethnic group in Pakistan after Punjabis. In 1847, Pashtun kings ruled over an area that encompassed about 40,000 square miles. The British then pushed up to the Khyber Pass, imposing the disputed Durand Line. Since then, Pakistan has been home to over one million Pashtun refugees.
Pashtuns are one-fifth of the Pakistani army. Islamabad supports the Pashtun islamist parties Hezb-e Islami and the Taliban, as they are seen as counterbalances to the Tajik groups.
Pashtuns are primarily found in northern Afghanistan, but are also found in Baluchistan, Sindh, and the capital city of Islamabad. Although Pashtuns on both sides of the border share the same language, they have undergone divergent national trajectorism and political conditions.
Despite this, the Pashtuns still occupy important positions in Pakistan. Imran Khan, the current Prime Minister, leads the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), a Pashtun political party. Moreover, the Pashtun media and cinema are based in the Pakistani city of Peshawar. While a majority of Pashtuns live in Peshawar, the largest concentration of Pashtuns lives in Karachi.
Pashtuns dominate business
The Khyber Pass is one of Pakistan’s most militarized areas, with numerous observation posts and forts. The region is also considered to be overly dependent on the Punjab province, and has become vulnerable to the exploitation of big business interests based in Karachi. The area was once an autonomous region where the Pakistani government left the locals to their own devices. However, in recent years, the government has sought to exert greater control, particularly in areas with militant influence.
Pashtuns on both sides of the Durand Line share a common social identity dating back to the Pakti kingdom mentioned by Herodotus. When asked what he was, Wali Khan replied that he was a six-thousand-year-old Pashtun, a thousand-year-old Muslim, and a 27-year-old Pakistani. Inscriptions have been found written in a language that was a precursor to Pashtun.
The Pashtuns’ influence in the region dates back to pre-Indus Valley. In the 17th century, they were allied with the Afghan empire, which stretched east to the Indus River. However, British colonialism divided the Pashtun population and imposed the Durand Line, handing it over to a Punjabi-dominated Pakistan. This irredentist issue has plagued relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
In the past decade, Pakistan’s military has struggled to restore trust and confidence in the Pashtun community. This is partly a result of the Pakistani army’s failure to respect the Pashtun culture. The lack of trust in the government and army has left many Pashtuns feeling unsafe and insecure.
The Pashtuns are a fierce, Pashto-speaking hill tribe. Their territory encompasses a large part of Afghanistan and Pakistan’s border. They have traditionally dominated business and government in these areas.
Pashtuns supplied majority of Taliban supporters
The Taliban Insurgency in Pakistan is an example of how ethnic nationalism and radical Islam combine to create a dangerous mix. After nearly 20 years of inactivity, the Pashtun-led Taliban has resurrected, surging with confidence after the humbling of the superpower. It is a well-trained group with a strong sense of history, looking back at their founder, the expansionist Ahmed Shah Durrani, as the inspiration for their armed struggle.
The Pashtuns have long dominated Afghan politics. Since the state was formed, they have been pitted against their Tajik neighbors to the south. This has led to a complex and prolonged civil war in the region. The Pashtuns feel enslaved by their ancestral enemies, and a significant proportion of Taliban supporters are Pashtuns.
In the past, the Pashtuns ruled over 103,600 square kilometers of land in northwestern Pakistan before the British encroached on the territory and split it between the two countries. Today, the Pashtuns in Pakistan live in a region defined by the Durand Line that follows the physical features of Afghanistan. The Pashtuns in Pakistan are divided between two countries and they are angry over the British rule of the area.
In addition to the Pashtuns’ terrorism, the Taliban’s influence in Afghanistan has been increasing. As foreign forces withdraw, they are using Pakistan as a base of operations. The Taliban’s goal is to establish an Islamic government in Afghanistan. This group follows a strict brand of Islam and adheres to Deobandism, a school of thought founded in Deoband, India in 1867. Most Pashtun-based militant groups are motivated by a combination of greed and illegal activities.
The Taliban’s expansion in Pakistan is partly due to collaboration with Pakistan’s military intelligence agency. While the Pakistani government denies any involvement in the insurgency, informed US officials have maintained that Pakistani intelligence service continues to cooperate with the Taliban and other insurgent groups.
Khyber Pass is heavily militarized
The Khyber Pass is heavily militarized, with observation posts and forts maintained by the Pakistani Army. The pass is a region that has seen many conflicts over the centuries, and is also home to ruins of Buddhist stupas and an old British railway. While the government of Pakistan has left tribal chiefs in charge of security in the region, the army has sought to establish control in areas where there is a heightened threat of militant attacks.
The Khyber Pass lies within Pakistan and Afghanistan, and the nearest major cities are Jalalabad in Afghanistan and Peshawar in Pakistan. The pass passes through Shinwari territory, and eventually enters Afghanistan at the town of Torkham. Visiting this region is extremely dangerous, as it has a history of violence and may be the hiding place of Osama bin Laden.
After the Taliban regime fell in late 2001, the Khyber Pass became even more vital to the United States-led coalition forces in Afghanistan. These forces must ship supplies to the Afghan-based forces through the pass, rather than relying on other routes. Flying in supplies can be expensive, and it’s difficult to transport large amounts of equipment at once. The main alternative land route also passes through the Taliban stronghold, so it’s vital to maintain security in this pass.
After the First World War, the British armed forces began building rail tracks through the Khyber Pass. The Khyber Pass Railway stretched from Jamrud, near Peshawar, all the way to the Afghan border near Landi Kotal. However, after the Anglo-Russian Entente was signed, construction of the railway was halted. However, it reopened in 1925 with a single broad-gauge track, connecting Peshawar to Lowyah Dakkah.
Khyber Pass is only way to get to Peshawar
The Khyber Pass has long been an important part of the history of Afghanistan. Alexander the Great used it to cross into India in the 4th century BC. It was also used by various other tribes and civilizations, including the Persians, Mongols, and British Empire. It has also been used by NATO forces in Afghanistan. In 1879, the British built a road and railway through the pass.
There are many ways to get to Peshawar, but the Khyber Pass is the most difficult. It is a narrow road with only two lanes. The road winds upwards and downwards through the Khyber Hills. It is very difficult to pass through this pass without an experienced driver.
The Khyber Pass is located in the Khyber Mountains and lies on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The road carries you over the mountain range, passing through the Spin Ghar mountains and into the valley of Peshawar. It takes about ten hours to drive the entire route, so be sure to plan your trip accordingly.
Before traveling through the Khyber Pass, travelers must understand the dangers associated with traveling in a place with a volatile political situation. They must ask themselves why they want to go there when there is no guarantee of safety. For some, a bit of a challenge is just what they need. The Khyber Pass is a great place to enjoy an adventure with a twist.
The Khyber Pass is the only way to reach Peshawar, Pakistan. It is approximately forty kilometers long and winds down through a gorge. At the end, it ends at the Fort Ali Masjid, a mosque associated with the Prophet Muhammad. This area is believed to have been a strategic point for the Afridis. The tribes controlled the surrounding mountaintops, and their army practiced shooting on archaic ‘Gazails’ in the mountains. It was also a target for the British and Sikh armies during the wars.
