Authors :  Farooq Yousaf , Haroon Rasheed,  Imtiaz Gul Edited by: Zeeshan Salahuddin and Syeda Uruba Nisar   Executive Summary: This report - part of the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) special publications series - provides a brief introduction to the history, culture, traditions and demographics of the ethnic Pashtun tribes inhabiting the north-western border regions of Pakistan. The 27,220 square kilometre area inhabited by these tribes is historically known as the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), and, until May 2018, had been governed by the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR). Since then, Pakistan’s parliament has approved the merger of FATA into the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and they are no longer subject to governance informed by British colonial-era legacy.[1] The focus of this report is on the tribes, sub-tribes and notable families residing in the seven administrative units known as Agency (districts) that make up FATA. This report also looks at the traditions, cultural norms, and various traditional conflict mitigation and resolution mechanisms that these Pashtun tribes have practiced for centuries. An overview of economic, demographic, and geopolitical dimensions of FATA is also provided. Furthermore, this report explores the string of counter-terror campaigns launched by the Pakistani military in FATA soon after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States. It also highlights the many initiatives undertaken by the Pashtun tribes to counter the spiralling Al-Qaeda-inspired militancy. However, after the United States (US) led Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, these tribes were sandwiched between the military and the militants (both local Taliban and foreign - all likely inspired or affiliated with Al-Qaeda). These foreign militants turned out to be a boon for the local, cash-strapped economy; many tribesmen provided them refuge either out of ideological empathy, sympathy or for direct monetary gains. The most...

On June 24, 2018, the Beyond Boundaries delegations met with Mr. Khyber Farahi, Senior Advisor to President Ashraf Ghani on Migration and Social Development in Kabul. Mr. Farahi gave an in-depth and comprehensive presentation on the latest on ground situation of the refugees. While acknowledging that the refugees is an important factor as part of APAPPS, he said that the Afghan government is now prioritizing the return and reintegration of refugees. Referring to the huge surge in 2016, he said the government actually stepped up and said, "Yes we want them back. There is political will which has now been translated into policy and action. Now, the Afghan government policy is that these are our refugees and they will have to come back to the country at some time. For us it’s a matter of even stability." At the same time, he also thanked the Pakistan government, saying: “I think we have to, and we are, grateful to the government of Pakistan, to the nation of Pakistan for hosting Afghan refugees for such a long time. As compared to Iran, if you look at the number of Afghans who were living in Pakistan, and the access to opportunities they had, it has helped them get jobs when they came back." He further elaborated that the five key needs of the refuges are: land, health, education, jobs, and integration. Different interventions are required by the government on these key needs. The government has put together a management framework and an executive committee. There is a high migration council that is directly chaired by the President, with 17 different ministries and agencies. There is also a committee under the Chief Executive. He said that the agreement we have with Pakistan under the APAPPS framework is “we want the refugees back but it has to be manageable, and for that reason we need a time bound repatriation plan in place”. Then, we can on both sides agree when and how they will be returning - some voluntarily, and some involuntarily: as long as we stick to the...

Afghan peace process is the most frustrating the world has ever seen where fighting or harnessing peace both are equally challenging. Since long the Afghan quagmire has been a game play in the hands of several regional and international players. Of late, China has apparently got a driver’s seat in the Afghan peace process as it enjoys trust and good relations with most stakeholders. China’s role in Afghan peace process appears to be quite distinct in this regard as the country has reportedly not nurtured any proxy war nor any covert operations inside Afghanistan. This was stated by IR expert Salman Ali Bhittani from Quaid-i-Azam University who was speaking to Pak-Afghan youth on Wednesday, June 27, 2018, at the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) in Islamabad. Participants included several young Afghans and Pakistanis belonging to Islamabad, Peshawar, Bannu, Mardan, and tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Mr. Bhittani stated that China is situated at the edge of South Asia and is very much connected to the region politically, and the rise of China would be staging from this region; that is why Beijing is keenly interested in the unfolding regional crescendos. Beijing has taken up the same soft power modus operandi in Afghanistan which is determined by its domestic policy of acquiring economic progress and development and mainly includes economic ventures and regional connectivity abroad. He stated that as US intervention in Afghanistan appeared to have two aspects; mainly revolving around utilizing the mineral resources of Afghanistan and Central Asia and the containment of China, experts anticipated an alarm with respect to China as US presence grew in Afghanistan. However, China appeared to be only observing in silence. It adopted a proactive strategy in Afghanistan after United States’ pull-back from its 2014 withdrawal plan – implying no end to the conflict in the near future, he said. However, even then, as opposed to the US strategy, the...