Bilawal Dawar was born in 2008 in Miranshah, North Waziristan and had to move to Peshawar due to the law and order situation in the area. He is currently studying in seventh grade at Army Public School, Kohat on scholarship. His father works at a flourmill in Punjab.
Talking to Naya Daur, the boy said that some utterly false narratives have been associated with Pashtuns who were stereotyped as illiterates or terrorists. He added that the elders of the community have written many books on the subject. "I read the book The Pathan and I've been reading other books since I was in the third grade. I thought that I should also write something on this." He said he had been researching on the subject with the help of his teachers and finally completed the book.
Dawar said he had spotlighted many heroes in his piece, including Ahmed Shah Abdali, Sher Shah Soori, Ibrahim Lodhi, Nazu Tooqi, Noor Muhammad Tarkai, Mirwis Hotek, Jamal-ud-Din Afghani and Mehmood Ghauri. "These were the noble people in history who campaigned against the British using a non-violent strategy," he said. "And, due to their efforts, the region was freed from the slavery of the British."
Dawar said that he was impressed by how these Pashtun heroes resisted the tyranny of their time and worked for the welfare of the masses. "These men were writers, poets and researchers as well as exemplary rulers. They conveyed the message of peace and united the people to bring them closer." This is the reason, he maintained, that they are remembered even today and are kept in high regards.