Naveed Shinwari talks about his new book 'Political and Social Change in Pakistan’s Tribal Areas: Understanding Pashtun Youth' (Routledge, 2025).

The Sussex Asia Centre in collaboration with the AHRC-funded Afterlives of Urban Muslim Asia project held a workshop in Global Studies, University of Sussex on May 20^th 2025. The workshop addressed intersecting political and social transformations across the boundaries of South, Central and West Asia and from diverse disciplinary perspectives. After a brief introduction by project PI, Magnus Marsden, papers explored issues ranging from development and health to minority rights and the politics of heritage in a diverse array of settings and communities in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Syria and Armenia. Papers were presented by Orzala Nemat, Diana Ibanez Tirado, Naimat Zafary, Paul Anderson, Sana Batool, Abdul Iloliev, Naveed Ahmad Shinwari, Saba Karim Khan, and Mejgan Massoumi. Geert de Neve, Elena Borisova and Filippo Osella acted as panel Chairs. Michael Thomas, Deputy Head of Research Analysts in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, also attended the workshop and provided an overview of issues relating to UK policy in Muslim Asia today. The workshop concluded with the launch Naveed Shinwari’s new book, Political and Social Change in Pakistan’s Tribal Areas: Understanding Pashtun Youth (Routledge, 2025).