Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Aug. 9 -- The rise of the Tablighi Jamaat in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province is sparking fears of cultural erosion and the steady grooming of recruits for radical movements. As reported by Himal Southasian, many Pashtuns say the orthodox Deobandi missionary group is dismantling traditional practices while quietly laying the ideological groundwork for extremism.

In Bajaur district, a young resident told Himal Southasian that "men and women used to dress fashionably, enjoy music, watch television, visit shrines, and play sports without being judged." Today, he said, the Tablighi Jamaat's puritanical preaching has transformed local life. Activities once central to Pashtun culture are now branded as si...