The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement You’ve Never Heard Of

Words by Natasha Alam Mahsud

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This is a rare vintage poster for the National Dance Ensemble from Pakistan when they made their grand debut performance in New York City in 1973 at the Hulu Theatre in Madison Square Garden. The show featured celebrated Kathak dancer Nahid Siddiqui who rose to fame in the 70s but in the late 70s, martial law was declared in Pakistan and dancing was banned. She left Pakistan and relocated to London but was told she couldn't dance anywhere in the world without the permission from the government of Pakistan. Siddiqui defied these rules though and continued to dance. "How can you ban beauty?" asked Siddiqui. (Available now as print)

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Recommended Reads/Listens:

Pakistani Cinema’s Love Letter to the Palestinian Cause

EP 66: Pakistani Hindus

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The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement You’ve Never Heard Of

A grassroots call for the rights of Pashtuns who have long been subjected to harassments and violence.

Demonstrators hold pictures of missing family members during a rally in Peshawar. ABDUL MAJEED/AFP/AFP/Getty Images

On January 13th, 2018, Naqeebullah Mahsud, a 27-year-old aspiring male model, was tragically killed in Shah Latif Town near Karachi, Pakistan, by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rao Anwar and his fellow Police Officers. Mahsud, along with three other Pashtuns residing in Karachi, had been captured and taken to an abandoned poultry farm. Anwar and the Station House Officer (SHO) of Shah Latif Town, Amanullah Marwat, claimed they were ambushed by Mahsud and his accomplices, labeling them as terrorists. However, Mahsud’s family, devastated by the loss, took to social media to protest, asserting that he was innocent and had been framed by the police. This tragic incident, a stark example of injustice, sparked outrage and disbelief among many, especially the State, which was quick to label Mahsud as a terrorist without due process.