It is not that only people do suffer in wars and conflicts; culture, history and art also get their share in the destruction wreaked by the parties involved in wars. Afghanistan can be the worst case of this in modern history: from burning books by the Communists to murdering singers by the Mujahedeen and destroying every piece of art by the Taliban, from several kinds of cruelty none is left untested in this land. Music has remained a special target throughout the war years. Fortunately, when the hardliners started suffocating it in one place, it found another place for flourishing. And that is the reason the Pashto music still survives and keeps our hearts lively and warm.

In Afghanistan, when Dr. Najibullah collapsed and the Mujahedeen forces established several small kingdoms in the country, and a civil war erupted, music continued to be targeted along with the Afghans being killed in hundreds every day (the singers were targeted by the Mujahedeen from the early days of their activities). As most of them were trained as hardcore extremists by the CIA and Pakistani ISI, they attacked singers and music shops whenever and wherever they could, the Taliban would do the same with much more force many years later.

Consequently, like other people, the singers started fleeing to Pakistan, Iran and few to Europe and the United States. Pashto-speaking Afghan singers like Naghma and her husband Mangal, Zar Sanga, Kandi Kochi, Qamar Gula, and others were welcomed by the millions of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, they reached their peak of popularity during their stay in that country. Farsi-speaking singers enjoyed the same position in Iran, Pakistan and other countries. Together with their Pakistani counterparts, the Afghan Pashto singers kept Pashto music alive and it flourished during the years when the Afghan refugees were not considered a burden by the Pakistani government because of the dollars flowed from the United States and world for Afghan refugees a big share of which went to Pakistani pockets.

Conditions for Pashto music worsened when the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan and banned all kinds of entertainment; even sporting a particular hairstyle or keeping a photo was an offence. Thus, the Pashto music continued to flourish in Pakistan, particularly in the Pashtunkhwa province, which is officially called the N.W.F.P., a name given by the British Indian government. Afghan Pashto singers were popular not only among the Afghan refugees there but the Pakistani music-lovers also formed a big audience for them. The singers got the biggest audiences of young music lovers from both the countries and enjoyed a unique popularity.

Then arrived 9/11, which changed the situation altogether. Afghanistan was attacked by the American forces and the Taliban were wiped out. Now it was their turn to flee to Pakistan. A U.N.-backed government was established in Afghanistan and people started returning their homes. Among them were singers, not the senior ones, but a young generation of new voices equipped with new techniques and technologies. Yet the senior singers, both Pakistani and Afghan, continued as the most loved entertainers though they preferred to live in Europe.

As conditions started getting better for Pashto music in Afghanistan, they deteriorated in Pakistan as Taliban influence grew there rapidly. In 2002, the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), a religious alliance, came into power in Pashtunkhwa and adopted the Taliban-like attitude toward music and singers. Pashto singers were beaten (popular singer Gul Zar Alam left singing because of continued threats) and music centers were being blown up. As extremism expanded its cloak from Waziristan to Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Dir, Swat, and from then to Bunir, Mardan, and even to Peshawar, attacking singers and blowing music shops became a routine. In the whole Pashtun land, the scenic valley of Swat was the biggest entertainment center. Eventually the Valley was captured by the militants and war broke which forced millions of people to flee to safer areas. The whole province and the tribal areas met the same fate.

As a result, entertainment providing companies closed down and the people related the entertainment activities – singers, actors, actresses, etc. – fled the country (as did Haroon Bacha) or simply left the field (as did many others). Two very popular comedians, Mirawas and Alamzeb Mujahid, were abducted and forced into becoming religious preachers. Many others were killed. A young singer, Sardar Yousafzai, was attacked in Malakand but escaped unhurt, though two of his companions wounded.

These bad conditions for Pashto music still prevail in the extremism-hit areas of Pakistan. But, a number of Pakistani singers have still managed to continue their career in singing. Gul Zar Alam announced a comeback after Awami National Party (ANP) won the election in Pashtunkhwa. Nazia Iqbal, the queen of Pashto music, still rules the hearts of music lovers. Sardar Yousafzai and Naeem Tori are becoming more popular. There are new Pashto singers from Pakistani side of the Durand Line, like Zick Afridi, Bakhtiar Khattak, and others. This is because their voices are liked and loved in Afghanistan. Though many of these Pakistani singers do not reside in Afghanistan, the technology has made easy for music lovers to have access to their talent. Their concerts and songs are being played on television and radio channels across Afghanistan and their new video and audio CDs are sold like hot cakes. It does not matter where they reside and do record their songs; the market in Afghanistan pays well and encourages them to continue singing. Pakistani voices now flourish in Afghanistan, as is said that history repeats itself.

‘Afghanistan is the sacred home for all Pashtuns; when we are here, we feel at home. We are respected and our talent is appreciated here, we love this and we love Afghanistan. And most importantly, we pray for peace here,’ said Sardar Yousafzai and Naeem Tori during a recent visit to Kabul, after a concert in a local hotel.

By Abdulhadi Hairan

As Pashtuns form majority of the Afghans, candidates in the upcoming presidential election have been trying to attract as much Pashtun votes as possible because only these votes can help them to ascend the throne of Kabul as did Hamid Karzai, a Pashtun from Kandahar, in 2004.

 Tribal and ethnic relationships have always played a vital role in Afghan politics. A joke circulated here when Barack Obama visited Afghanistan during his election campaign that Gul Agha Sherzai, the governor of eastern Nangrahar province, told people that he (Barack Obama) was a Barakzai (member of the Barakzai Pashtun tribe). This was apparently an attempt to establish some relationship between the Pashtuns and the would-be American president to lessen the tension some people felt during his visit.

 Establishing ethnic and religious relationships of this kind sometimes really work. An example could be former Pakistani dictator Ziaulhaq who was fond of proving everything he did through verses from the Quran. According to insiders, once when he was going to address his nation on an Independence Day, he asked his mullah to find a verse in the Quran through which he could legitimize his dictatorship in Pakistan. By exploiting religion in this way, he ruled the country for 11 years.

 The Afghan presidential candidates are no exception. President Hamid Karzai has acquired the support of Sebghatullah Mujaddedi, a religious and jihadi leader and influential figure. His statement that God has ordered him to vote for Karzai indicates the same ‘relationship.’ Elsewhere, Dr. Abdullah’s campaigners have been trying to prove that he was born a Pashtun. The same goes with other candidates.

 However, these ‘relationships’ have attracted much criticism from Pashto websites, an independent source that give voice to individuals in a society still ruled by ruthless militants, merciless warlords, arrogant murderers, and shameless abusers of human rights.

 Many of the writers of these websites are anonymous, but they write well and hit the point. One such article on www.taand.com points out that the people who campaign for President Hamid Karzai and Dr. Abdullah in the eastern Nangrahar province are known criminals and people feel being harassed as they roam the streets.

 Another article on www.benawa.com advises President Hamid Karzai to be aware of his sycophant campaigners who are ruining his campaign and defaming his character, yet another article on the same website severely criticizes Dr. Abdullah’s campaigners for their attempts of proving him a Pashtun in bid to gain Pashtun votes.

 At the same time, www.tolafghan.com, a well-read Pashto website, has posted a news item saying that, for the first time in Afghan politics, the three hopeful candidates President Hamid Karzai, Dr. Ashraf Ghani, and Dr. Abdullah will have a debate on Thursday which will be aired live on TV and radio channels of the country. The website has invited its readers to watch the ‘interesting debate.’ People are waiting impatiently to watch the three ‘fighting.’