Fawad Chaudhry Says Tribal System, Not Religion, Is the Core Issue Facing Pashtuns
ISLAMABAD:Pakistani politician Fawad Chaudhry has sparked debate after stating that the primary challenge facing the Pashtun community is its tribal system rather than religion.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Chaudhry argued that Pashtuns view and interpret religion through the lens of tribal customs and traditions. He claimed that unless the community moves away from what he described as an outdated tribal structure and embraces modernity, violence and bloodshed would continue.
He further asserted that many of the conflicts along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border are essentially tribal disputes. Chaudhry also questioned why countries such as Türkiye and several Russian states, where Islam is also the dominant religion, do not face the same issues, suggesting that religion itself is not the root cause.
His comments came in response to an earlier social media post by Professor M. Ismail, who claimed that the Pakistani state had promoted religion so extensively that religious extremism had become closely associated with Pakistan, particularly among Pashtuns.
پختونوں کا مسئلہ مذھب نہیں پختونوں کا مسئلہ جاھلانہ قبائلی نظام ہے، وہ مذھب کو بھی قبائلی رسوم ورواج کی نظر سے دیکھتے اور سمجھتے ہیں، جب تک قبائلی نظام سے چھٹکارا پا کر وہ جدیدیت کو نہیں اپناتے پختونوں میں خون خرابہ جاری رہے گا افغانستان اور پاکستانی بارڈر پر لڑائیاں دراصل قبائلی… https://t.co/SgTluQFJwD
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) July 3, 2026
Professor Ismail alleged that many people view every issue through a religious lens and believe religion offers solutions to all problems, despite what he described as growing social and economic challenges.
The remarks by both individuals reflect their personal opinions and have generated discussion on social media. No official response from the government or relevant authorities was immediately available.
