I finished work early, & took the bus from Hyderabad to Karachi; to attend a cousin's wedding. From Sohrab Got in Karachi, I took a rickshaw all the way to Defence. People familiar with Karachi would know that it takes about an hour, as the distance between the two places is a lot. I sat in a rickshaw, and the boy driving it seemed to be about 17 or 18. And just by looking at him, I could tell he was either from FATA or Afghanistan. And I asked him is he was from FATA, he replied 'Yes. Mohmand Agency'. I was correct. We started talking, and he told me he just came to Karachi 4 months ago. He also told me he visited Mohmand Agency a couple of weeks ago, & things were normal there. He was from Ghalanai. I was surprised that he spoke very good Urdu for someone from the FATA. He said he studied Urdu till grade 8 in Mohmand Agency. He also worked at a small pharmacy in Peshawar for 1.5 years. Working at the pharmacy, he was also fluent in reading & writing English. His uncle called him & his family to live in Karachi with them, & he & his family obliged. He told me that while he enjoyed Karachi & its fast pace life, he also missed the simple life of Mohmand Agency. But he was happy with the money he made in Karachi, & appreciated that aspect of Karachi.
I told him I had been to Kohat, Peshawar, Mardan, Swat in KPK & Dara Adam Khel in Orakzai Agency. I also told him I had friends in Orakzai & Kurram Agencies, & also spoke to him in a few Pakhto sentences. He was very pleased hearing all this. I also told him that all ethnicities in Pakistan meant equally to me, & it was unfortunate how political parties made us fight one another. He agreed. I also told him there were more Pakhtuns in Karachi than anywhere else in the world, & that Karachi was as much a Pakhtun city as it was an Urdu speaking city.
I also asked him about the situation of Afghan refugees in FATA & KPK. He said that there were a lot of Afghans in Peshawar & elsewhere, & even though he was a proud Pakhtun & showed hospitality like anything, their large influx & indefinite stay was greatly straining the tribal people & their resources. He also said that many of the Afghan people that came across the border were not ethnic Pashtuns, but Dari speakers; but they were still treated respectfully inside Pakistan.
When I got to my destination, I paid him my fare, & shook his hand firmly. He smiled at me, & I told him I'd pray for him & his family, that they'd stay safe where ever they lived. Most urban Pakistanis are so absorbed in their own little worlds, we don't understand what the common Pakistani man goes through, & I cherish these experiences.
I told him I had been to Kohat, Peshawar, Mardan, Swat in KPK & Dara Adam Khel in Orakzai Agency. I also told him I had friends in Orakzai & Kurram Agencies, & also spoke to him in a few Pakhto sentences. He was very pleased hearing all this. I also told him that all ethnicities in Pakistan meant equally to me, & it was unfortunate how political parties made us fight one another. He agreed. I also told him there were more Pakhtuns in Karachi than anywhere else in the world, & that Karachi was as much a Pakhtun city as it was an Urdu speaking city.
I also asked him about the situation of Afghan refugees in FATA & KPK. He said that there were a lot of Afghans in Peshawar & elsewhere, & even though he was a proud Pakhtun & showed hospitality like anything, their large influx & indefinite stay was greatly straining the tribal people & their resources. He also said that many of the Afghan people that came across the border were not ethnic Pashtuns, but Dari speakers; but they were still treated respectfully inside Pakistan.
When I got to my destination, I paid him my fare, & shook his hand firmly. He smiled at me, & I told him I'd pray for him & his family, that they'd stay safe where ever they lived. Most urban Pakistanis are so absorbed in their own little worlds, we don't understand what the common Pakistani man goes through, & I cherish these experiences.
.
