संवाद # 70: Is Pastunistan biggest security threat for Pakistan? Top expert Tilak Devasher explains

Tilak Devasher retired as Special Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat Government of India in 2014. He is currently a member of the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) and also a Consultant with the Vivekananda International Foundation.

During his professional career Tilak served in J&K, Delhi and abroad. He specialized in security issues, especially pertaining to India’s neighbourhood. Post retirement, he has continued to take a keen interest in such issues with special focus on Pakistan.

He is the author of four widely acclaimed books on Pakistan. His book ‘Pakistan: Courting the Abyss’ (December 2016) was termed ‘easily the best book on Pakistan’ by a noted Pakistani commentator – Khaled Ahmed.

His latest book is titled 'The Pashtuns: A Contested History'. You can order your copy here: https://www.amazon.in/Pashtuns-Contes...

0:00 Intro
1.11 Analysing what went wrong with Pashtuns
3:55 Maharaja Ranjit Singh & how Pashtuns got divided into two areas
5:24 Why Pashtunistan is a graveyard of empires
7:55 Religion of Pashtuns before Islam
11:47 Pashtuns follow tribal Islam with many polytheistic characteristics
14:38 Pashtunwali - living unwritten code of Pashtuns
18:57 Contradictions in Pashtunwali - trading women in exchange for peace
20:45 Durranis Vs Gilzais - Tribal divisions in Pashtuns
25:00 Ahmed Shah Durrani & Indian Afghans
27:01 Why Pashtuns didn’t like Indian Muslims
29:30 How US-Saudi money strengthened Salafism & weakened Pashtunwali
36:24 How Zia-up-Haq & Pak radicalised Pashtuns to weaken their nationalism
40:51 Pashtunistan: Biggest fault line of Pakistan
43:58 Relationship between Afghan Taliban & Pak Taliban & how it will impact Pakistan
52:01 Pashtun nationalists Vs Pashtun Islamists in Pakistan
53:04 Prithviraj Chauhan Vs Mohammad Ghori
54:56 How Taliban took Deobandi ideology to extremes
57:26 When Osama Bin Laden accused Talibanis of shirk
58:19 Attitudes of Afghan Pashtuns Vs Pak Pashtuns towards India
59:25 Punjabi Pakistanis are most rabid anti-India and anti-Hindu