You know, a friend of mine knows this afghani divorce lawyer in california, there are people there who have nikkahs in pushto OR due to the war lost the document. After 20 years of marriage, they are divorcing and the husbands are saying...we were never married...can you believe it? The lawyer recomends that you have the marriage documented in your home country asap...just in case.
^^^ well most Afghans and Pathans dont go written nikkah namma anyway, they do it islamically and verbal nikkah. "khoucha hamara zuban hi kafi hey" they also believe they divorces are not common in their culture.
if these guys are not admiting now then western values may had toll on them. otherwise a true pathan's verbal nikkah is enough and they would stand by it.