The Pakhtuns have always been known as powerful, unruly marshal nation. But on the other hand they are also a highly poeticized nation with a rich store of literature. Applying the Reflection theory we can say that the Pakhtun literature, especially poetry, is a reflection of their collective unconsciousness with the predominant theme of the assertion of their strong nationalistic identity. From Khushal Khan Khattak, to Khudai Khidmatgar, to the contemporary poets, all have used poetry as a means of establishing their identity. But this identity has been jeopardized by the’ War on Terror’ ensuing the 9/11 U.S attacks and the Afghan invasion by U.S. The subject matter of the Pakhtun poetic works post 9/11 has greatly changed. They deal mostly with the lamentation and dejection in the aftermath of the war. The theme of identity is lost in the shock of the terrorism and bellowing of the drone attacks. Moreover Pakhtun nation as a whole are being labelled in the wake of current terrorism as terrorists and extremists due to the rise of Taliban. Labelling theory states that the self-identity of individuals may be determined by the terms we use to classify them. In such social chaos the Pakhtuns stand at the peril of losing their true nationalistic identity and the contemporary poets now need more than ever to reassert that identity and show themselves as a brave nation that is standing resolute against the antagonistic waves.