Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa once again is in the eye of the storm. The province has a peculiar sociology, shaped primarily by tribal heritage, Islamism, Pashtun cultural structures and a predominantly rural population, mainly living under the tenants of social codes like the pervasive Pakhtunwali, or the lesser prevalent Islamzoona and Turizoona in the erstwhile tribal districts. K-P's rural population is roughly 81.20%, with only about 18.80% living in urban centres. Islam plays an all-encompassing role, and both Pakhtunwali (or Pashtunwali) and Islam complement each other; but when in conflict, Pakhtunwali wins. Islam as practised, remains defined mainly by its rural undertones, where besides melmastia (hospitality), shegara (doing good to other), wafa (fidelity to the word and cause), toora (bravery) and nang (honour); tarboorwali (agnatic rivalry), sway (jealousy), badal (revenge) also define the Pakhtun universe. Peghore (taunt), siali (getting even at all costs), and lop-sided concepts of ghairat (honour as pride) and namoos (honour as dignity) reinforce a constant state of conflict, and eternal jockeying for power. Hujra (the communal townhall so to speak), Jumaat (mosque) and Nanawate (asylum) play an outsized role under conflict resolution mechanism (CRM). CRM, however, has taken a good battering in upper Pakhtunkhwa (Afghanistan) and lower Pakhtunkhwa (K-P and Balochistan) during years of conflict. These values – as briefly and incompletely defined – collectively make the Pakhtun social organisation weak, amenable to machinations and susceptible to break down. Literature defines this intensely democratic tribal society as more or less 'acephalous' (leaderless), as Pakhtun resent central authority.

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