Why global aid keeps failing Pashtun community in Pak

Western taxpayers seldom know how their money is used. They are told it fights terrorism, but they are not told that it can also finance systems that disappear young men without trial and suffocate peaceful dissent.

- LEVSA BAYANKHAIL

Members of Pashtun community

Globalization promised cooperation and progress. But in Pakistan’s Pashtun belt, it has produced the opposite: a system where foreign aid strengthens state institutions accused of violating human rights, while marginalized communities pay the highest price.

For years, Pakistan has been one of the largest recipients of U.S. and Western assistance. A significant portion of this support has been directed toward security operations, counterterrorism, and military partnerships. Yet on the ground, Pashtuns—particularly those living near the Durand Line—continue to face enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, movement restrictions, and arbitrary detentions.

The irony is striking: aid meant to promote stability has instead deepened mistrust between citizens and the state.