Reading political contestation in Pakistan's Swat valley - From deliberation to 'the political' and beyond

► The state, development donors and Taliban attempted to effect social change in Pakistan's Swat valley. ► To understand these dynamics, I compare the explanatory power of deliberative and radical theorising. ► Both approaches fail to provide analytical, procedural or normative insights due to their eurocentric ontologies. ► I advocate for a change of focus from ontologised explanation to an analysis of the actual 'how' of politics. ► This focus on 'politics as practice' provides differentiated insights into Swat, being a postcolonial arena.