Mohammad Ishaq Paiman on Leadership and Belonging

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Mohammad Ishaq Paiman was born in 1957 in Punjab District, Bamiyan Province, Afghanistan. A graduate of Kabul University’s Faculty of Journalism, he worked in media, public service, military communications, and government administration before immigrating to Canada following the collapse of the Afghan Republic in 2021.

In this oral history interview, Paiman reflects on his childhood in a rural Hazara community, the early loss of his parents, and his upbringing under the care of his grandfather, a respected religious leader and community elder. He discusses family life, agriculture, education, local customs, religious celebrations, and the social structures that shaped everyday life in central Afghanistan during the mid-twentieth century. Through these recollections, he provides valuable insight into the cultural traditions, values, and community networks that influenced generations of Hazaras in central Afghanistan.

Paiman also discusses his educational journey from rural Bamiyan to Kabul University, where he studied journalism and became involved in student activities during a period of significant political and social change in Afghanistan. He reflects on his experiences working in journalism, public service, and later within government institutions, offering insight into the opportunities and challenges faced by Hazaras in professional and public life.

The interview further documents Paiman’s experiences navigating ethnic discrimination, political transformation, conflict, and migration throughout several decades of Afghan history. He shares memories of student activism, military and government service, Hazara–Kuchi relations, and the changing political landscape of Afghanistan. He also recounts the events surrounding the fall of the Afghan Republic in 2021 and his family's subsequent relocation to Canada.

Throughout the interview, Paiman reflects on Hazara identity, cultural preservation, community values, intergenerational knowledge, and the importance of maintaining language, traditions, and collective memory for future generations. His testimony offers both a personal life history and a broader account of social, cultural, and political change affecting the Hazara community in Afghanistan and the diaspora.

• Kabul University
• Ministry of Defence of Afghanistan
• Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
• Canadian Afghan Relocation Program

• Hazara identity
• Family and community life
• Education in Afghanistan
• Rural life in Bamiyan
• Cultural and religious traditions
• Hazara-Kuchi relations
• Ethnic discrimination
• Student activism
• Journalism and public service
• Military and government service
• Migration and displacement
• Fall of the Afghan Republic
• Resettlement in Canada
• Cultural preservation and memory

Hazara Heritage. Hazara Heritage Oral History Project. Oral history interview with Mohammad Ishaq Paiman conducted by Fatima Framarz. 2026. HH-OH-001.