Iftikhar Firdous
Iftikhar Firdous is a senior correspondent for The Express Tribune from FATA, and is based in Peshawar. A linguist academically, he is currently researching the impact of terrorism on the Pashto language. He tweets @iftikharfirdous and can be reached on [email protected].

An August Audience

As the sun settles on the Pak-Afghan border in Mohmand Agency and tribesmen from the Khugalkhel tribe gather under the starry night in a compound that’s nothing more than a