Escalatory Dynamics of Neo-Pashtun Nationalism in Pakistan: Applying Glasl’s Conflict Escalation Model to the Emergence of Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.68024/m8swp305Keywords:
Neo-Pashtun Nationalism, Glasl’s Conflict Escalation Model, Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM).Abstract
The emergence of neo-Pashtun nationalism under the umbrella of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) represents a reconfiguration of ethnic identity and shifting of center-periphery relations within the state. Existing literature on the PTM examines aspects such as identity formation, protest dynamics, and state-society relations; however, it neglects to focus on the conflict escalation stages. Furthermore, no study appears to map and analyze the PTM-state relationship through Glasl’s nine stages of escalation. Addressing this literature gap is pivotal for assessing whether the PTM-state contentious relationship is intensifying or stabilizing. Therefore, using a qualitative case study approach, this paper examines the escalatory dynamics of neo-Pashtun nationalism in Pakistan through the application of Glasl’s Conflict Escalation Model on the emergence of PTM. The paper argues that rather than conventional warfare, contemporary conflicts often manifest as protracted politico-socio-economic movements predicated on issues of identity, a sense of relative deprivation, and historical grievances. The argument is substantiated by the emergence of the PTM, whose demands for civil rights, justice, transparency, and accountability have resulted in an antagonistic relationship with the state. Using Glasl’s Conflict Escalation Model, the paper maps the relationship between the PTM and the state across the early stages of grievance-centric narratives to more advanced stages of extreme polarization, bitterness, and mistrust. The analysis establishes how reframing of the narrative from both sides transformed a local-level manageable dispute into a national-level cross-sectional confrontation focused on identity and ethnicity. Within the framework of Glasl’s Conflict Escalation Model, the paper concludes by suggesting stage-centric strategies for effective conflict resolution.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Osama Zafar (Corresponding Author), Dr. Lubna Sunawar (Author)
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