Reconstruction of the Pakhtun Code of Life in a Changing Pakistan

Since the 1970s, the transformation of Pakhtun areas has brought far-reaching changes to all aspects of society. This book investigates evolving patterns of social relations among Pakhtuns, focusing on the practice of gham khadee (participation in sorrows and joys) as a key mode of social and political engagement. Given that political standing among Pakhtuns is tied to honour, the book also explores how gham khadee and the doing of favours enable leaders to build profiles and political followings. Offering a faithful account of Pakhtun reality, this study contests the stereotypical representation of Pakhtunwali and considers gham khadee to be a manifestation of the code of life.

Adnan Khan teaches anthropology as an Assistant Professor at the University of Malakand in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. His research interests focus on contesting the stereotypical images of the Pakhtuns from an ethnographic perspective by analysing the ways in which the Pakhtun code of life has changed due to the broader socio-economic and religio-political changes in the region.