Social Organisation Ziarat
Introduction
Pathans are the major ethnic group in the district, accounting for about 90 percent of total population. The remaining ten percent is comprised of mainly Bruhis and Syeds. Since this is a mainly Pashtoon populated district, the study in this chapter focuses on this group's characteristics.
Mode of Living: The mode of living varies with the topographic characteristics of the different parts of the district. In the upper mountainous parts, the settlements are small and scattered. The houses are built near the farmland and are wide apart from each other. In the valleys, there are small and big conglomerates of houses depending on the size of the plain tract. Big villages are mostly located at lower attitude along the Quetta-Ziarat road in the union councils of Kach, Kawas, and Zindra.
The joint family system is heavily dominant in the district and is a major determinant of the housing pattern. A joint family consists of husband and wife, sons, unmarried daughters, families of married sons, parents of husband, unmarried (or widowed/ divorced) brothers and sisters of the husband. Among the Pathans the joint family may extend even to greatgrandchildren. They live within four walls in Haveli type houses comprising a large number of rooms. In numerous cases as many as sixty to seventy persons can be found living in a single house. The house of course sprawls over a large area. It is also common that several houses are built within a single enclosure with a common gate. A village is normally inhabited by a single tribe. Villages with population representing several tribes are rare.
Major Sources of Income: Agriculture and livestock are the major sources of income and employment. Wage employment is the second major source. The commercial activity in the district is steadily increasing and is emerging as an important source of income and employment.
Food Habits of the people in this district are more or less the same as in the adjoining districts, Sibi, Quetta etc. The food is simple, but people eat well. The breakfast consists of tea (black with milk) and simple roti (bread). The standard composition of lunch is vegetable with roti. Evening tea is not common, though some have it. The dinner comprises meat and roti. Rice is not a normal, or even a frequent, item in their diet. All meals are freshly made, like in other districts of Balochistan. The family normally eats together, sitting on a mat or blanket spread on the floor.
Each community has its own headman, called the Killi Malik (village headman). Similarly each tribe (comprising several clans/communities) has a Malik. In the selection of a Malik the main determinant is heredity. This tradition is, however, not as rigidly followed by the Pathans of Ziarat, as is followed Baloch. The individual characteristics - the man's influence, qualities, wealth, etc. carry far greater importance in the selection of a headman or Malik among Pathans than among Baloch and others. The retention of influence acquired by the Malik, however, depends on external support such as that of the government rather than of the tribesmen themselves. The institution of the tribal Malik is weakening with time. Individuals and small groups prefer to have direct contacts with the government rather than approach their Malik in every matter.
Pathans are by nature individualistic. The Malik system continues to exist, like many other traditions, but is weakening gradually, as observed above, in terms of its effectiveness.