RESILIENCE, flexibility and tolerance used to be the hallmarks of Pakhtun culture before the 1990s. However, two significant factors had a detrimental impact on these characteristics: Islamisation duringthe Zia era,and rapid technological advancement.

The infusion of religious elements into the culture made it more rigid and less adaptable, resulting in the erosion of its positive characteristics. For instance, the traditional hujra (guesthouse) has shifted towards mosques, authority has shifted from makalan (tribal chieftains) to amir sahabans (Islamic preachers), and the banning of dance at weddings and public gatherings hasled to theforced disappearance of cultural expressions.

Technological advancements over the last couple of decades have also caused abruptchangesthathave disrupted societal norms. While material aspects of culture, like tools and physical items, have rapidly evolved, non-material elements, like values, norms and ideas, have lagged behind. The phenomenon is called the cultur al lag.

This imbalance has led many societies to resist changes in material culture due to a lack of corresponding ideas and norms, causing perceived changes to be viewed as threats to traditions. Consequently, this has resulted in a significant gap between material and non-material culture, leading to cultural deterioration.

Shamsudin Arabzai Zhob