Pashtun memoirs of war from Af-Pak: Literary resistance and the struggle for peace in Ghulam Qadir Khan Daur’s Cheegha—The call and Qais Akbar Omar’s A fort of nine towers

Abstract

The Durand Line cuts through tribal lands of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pashtun tribes on both sides of this border have centuries-old mutual ties which go deeper than sect, religion, land or race. Despite partition in mid-twentieth century, both regions have retained a proximal relationship in global socio-politics. Ranging from Soviet invasion of Afghanistan to 9/11, one finds this relationship frequently being reiterated and reinforced. This paper attempts to highlight the firm bond the indigenous people of these regions, collectively seen as Af-Pak, hold along with the similar challenges they faced during the “war on terror”. It will also stress that the particular way of life of Pashtuns draws the two regions together, but the same way of life also leaves them vulnerable to foreign interventionism. Anglophone writers from both countries have drawn attention to this shared fate through their post-war narratives, including novels, memoirs, autobiographies, and journalistic writing. These writers include Khaled Hosseini, Nadeem Aslam, Ghulam Qadir Khan Daur, Qais Akbar Omar and M. Salahuddin Khan, to name just a few. This paper, however, specifically brings forth some of the intricacies of the American “war on terror” that Daur and Omar relate in their memoirs: Cheegha—The Call (2014) and A Fort of Nine Towers (2013) respectively. Most importantly, it will highlight the way these writers have written back to resist the notion of tribal terrorism (which got popular after 9/11) by bearing witness to the peaceful indigenous laws governing Pashtun tribal life.