Pashtunistan: Aconstruction Of An Imaginary Entity

This article examines the dynamics of successive Afghan regimes' subjective interpretation of "Pashtunistan" by depicting the socioeconomic conditions of Pakistan's Pashtuns, which portrays their relative discrimination and deprivation. The article asserts that ethnopolitical elites engage in political adventurism due to the availability of opportunity and willingness. This paper aims to represent marginal interpretations of social, political, and economic discrimination of Pakistani Pashtuns as subjectively presented by the Afghan ethnopolitical elites, using a historical perspective to examine the crystallization of Pashtunistan as an imaginary entity. This article concludes by situating the Pashtun identity discourse and shedding light on this crucial aspect of Pashtunistan by examining why and how the Afghan government decided to employ Pashtun nationalism to create a conflict with Pakistan.