Thought Paper: Klashinkov Culture and Peace

Submitted to Sir Jamil Raza

Submitted by Jawad Ali Khan, DSS III Sem
When we talk about Klashinkov culture, we are actually talking about
the attitudes and behaviour in a social group that resolves political
disputes by force of arms. I will be discussing the Kalashinkov culture
in Pakistan, particularly Khyber Pakhtoon Khwa and the tribal belt.
Kalashinkov is an assault rifle which is also known as AK-47, and is
the most popular automatic weapon, designed by Mikhail
Kalashinkov of Russia. It has recently became the name of this
culture- Kalashinkov culture.
If we trace back its emergence, it started as a result of the Soviet
occupation of Afghanistan. Soviet Union was provoking havoc on
Afghan land as it was trying to expand its territory and reach to the
warm waters of Arabian sea. Pakistan was America`s ally and apart
from that she needed to limit the influence of Soviets in the
Afghanistan so as to repell the invading USSR and the eminent
danger that was hanging above the head. America also wanted to
contain the spread of Communism since the US and USSR were the
super powers with opposing ideologies of capitalism and
communism. Hence Pakistan was brought into action by Uncle Sam
who was supplying weapons for this war. Jamat-e-Islami vowed to
help Zia-Ul-Haq in gathering suppor for the so called Jihad on Afghan
land. Afghan refugee camps were setup to arm people and send
them across the border. Armaments and training was imparted to
fighters in those camps and the large number of Madrassas that
were created in the name of Islamization. The arms that were

supplied by USA to Afghanistan, ended up in the black markets

wherefrom anybody could buy with ease.
As I see it, we paid a very heavy cost for our involvement in
Afghanistan. The Mujahideens that were created by Zia-Ul-Haq were
heroes during the days of war but now they are labelled as Taliban,
barbarious people who were later left alone and now they are being
used by other states against Pakistan.
There were Afghan refugees who were war-struck. They crossed the
border into Pakistan, came like floods and were difficult to be
handled. They spread all over, acquired properties, markets and now
they are immune to any form of law. In short, they are well
organized, armed and violent. With the refugees came black
marketers, drug dealers, smugglers who smuggled captured Ak-47s
and heroin. This is where a bad addition has came to our society and
the seeds of Kalashinkov were sown.
Kalashinkovs were very scarce in Pakistan till 1977. The first time, Ak47 was publiclly showcased was in mid 1979, by the bodyguards of
the leader of the Karachi chapter of the Islami Jamiat Taliba and the
president of the student union at the University of Karachi, Hussain
Haqqani. Later in mid 1981, a PIA flight was hijacked and forced
landed at Kabul by a group of three to four militants who were
against the policies of Zia.
By 1985, the Kalashinkovs had spread from the colleges and
University of Karachi into the hands of criminals and terrorists. Thus,
it was easily available and one did not need to go to the tribal belt or
to Khyber Pakhtoon Khwa to get the killer machine. It was all due to
the influx of Afghan refugees to the city of Karachi, who brought with
them the different curses, of which Ak-47 was one.

In 1986 riots in Karachi between the Pathans and the Muhajirs,

Pathans had used Ak-47s against the Muhajirs who had in turn used
the local weapons that were prepared by the Biharis of Karachi`s
poverty struck Orangi locality.
In 1987, All Pakistan Muhajir Student Organization, APMSO, got
equipped with numerous Kalashnis. This is the organization that
supplied Mutahida Qaumi Movement, MQM, with street fighters.
Those were the days when newspapers started using the phrase
Kalashinkov Culture.
The constitution of Pakistan gives the right to an individual to keep
and bear arms. In tribal areas of our western border, one can keep
heavy weaponry such as RPGs, Rocket propelled grenade launchers,
rockets, AA, anti-aircraft guns and mortars. The reason I think of in
allowing such heavy weaponry is because Quaid-e-Azam had once
said, we do not need to defend our western border, not because
there are no threats but the tribals themselves will make up for the
defence of Pakistan.
Speaking of people, bearing and the use of arms is considered
different in different provinces of the Pakistan. In Khyber Pakhtoon
Khwa, Pathans are seen in resolving their issues through their old
ancestral ways in which the gun speaks more than a human does.
Rounds are unloaded and pumped into the bodies of quarrelsome
parties and that is how decades old family feuds are solved. Michael
Palin puts it perfectly, For Pakistanis, a gun is a social necessity.
Pathans carry guns the way Londoners carry umbrellas. Besides it,
Pathans think of it as a part of their culture and honour. Same is the
case in Balochistan. It is considered part of their culture, whereas in
Punjab and Sindh it is considered a constitutional right to keep arms.
At this point, my memory recalls what Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had

proposed in his days- every citizen should be armed. Had he been

alive, he would have been very happy to see the present alarming
situation where there is no guarantee who is using the licensed and
unlicensed guns and for what purpose. There is no criterion between
right and wrong. We see religious extremists who kill for sectarian
issues, ethnic issues, who murders others for personal grudges,
plunders homes at the gun point and displays fanaticism by aerial
firing on occasions like Eid, wedding or elections.
Talking about the homegrown industry of Pakistan, Dara Adam Khel
is usually considered as the town which manufactures guns of all
types and every type. A lot of weaponry originates here. They use
primitive tools and can copy any weapon in the world, from pen
pistols to assault rifles. But that is a different story, they use inferior
metal which increases the weight of the weapon and reduces the
accuracy of the round fired.
As I was reading material for my thought paper, I read something
that was pretty hilarious. In Skha kot, there is an old gun market in
the north east of Peshawar. There was this young, eighteen years old
Imran Khan, a gun dealer, saying, Business is good, thanks to Allah!
He sells thirty pistols and a half dozen assault rifles per month. And
when asked about the people who die as a result of those guns,
Imran said his responsibility is over once the customer hands over his
cash. But there was something sad as well. He blamed Police for not
performing their duties and said,Here if you bribe the police, you
are free to go." This is how well our executive is executing law.

To reduce the death toll and crimes, for restoring peace and
prosperity, government needs to firstly run a check on its officers
who are meant to fight criminals and the violators of law. Secondly

to focus on deweaponizing the masses who are hostile to law

enforcing agencies. Thirdly, by banning the display and carrying of
guns in public places such as markets, mosques, Jirgas and on
occasions like weddings. Fourthly, there should be a strict ban on
weapons inside educational institutions.
It is going to be a challenge for the government of Pakistan to uproot
the Kalashinkov culture which is so embedded in our society.
Nevertheless, one can never compromise on state sovereignity
whether the threat is internal or external.