This primary research uses in-depth interviews to investigate the experiences and perceptions of the ethnic Pashtuns of Pakistan’s former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) regarding terrorism, ethnicity and the Pakistani military, especially after the emergence of the Pashtun Tahafuz (Protection) Movement (PTM). Since there is a dearth of literature on the perspectives of the terrorism-affected Pashtuns, this original research focusses on their direct experiences.