Miranshah/Islamabad: A petition has been filed in the Islamabad court to ban the organisation, Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), fighting for the rights of the Pashtun people. The Pakistan media has begun to question the entities behind the Pashtun movement while allegations are rife of India and the United States supporting the PTM. However, opposition leader Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has warned against the creation of another Bangladesh if the legitimate demands of the Pashtun people are ignored.
The Pakistani military spokesperson announced that the military would be taking forceful measures against the PTM. Also, the Pakistani media is siding with the army, terming the movement as anti-national. During a press conference, DG ISPR, Major General Asif Ghafoor, the Pakistani military spokesman announced that the days of the PTM were numbered. Within a short while after the announcement, the Pakistan military and security agencies initiated oppressive action against the Pashtun people. A minor Pashtun girl was assaulted and killed in capital Islamabad. The Pashtun people took to the streets in protest. In the Pakistani military action that followed, 40 people were reported critically injured.
Nevertheless, ten people have now been confirmed to have died in action. It has received severe reactions from the Pashtun people. The Pakistani military outposts in some regions of northern Waziristan were attacked. In the ensuing conflict, 20 people were killed. The Pakistan military has alleged that the Pashtu assailants were armed. On the contrary, the injured stated, the said attackers were members of the PTM and unarmed. After that, the military withdrew the allegations although they have arrested two of the PTM leaders and have prepared to charge them for the incident.
The two leaders were members of the Pakistan parliament but had decided to resign, accusing the Imran Khan government of betraying the Pashtun people. Given the circumstances, the arrests are speculated to be a part of political vindictiveness. At the same time, the Pashtun population, frustrated with the atrocities of the Pakistan government, has directly begun demanding independence from Pakistan. What’s more is that Manzoor Pashteen, a young PTM leader, is receiving an overwhelming response for making the demand for separation. The Pakistani government is, therefore, panic-stricken and issuing threats of aggressive action against the PTM.
Albeit, the opposition appears to be against the Pakistani military action taken on the Pashtun people. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said that the Pashtun people had the right to carry out peaceful demonstrations. Bhutto sternly warned the Pakistani government and military that if the government does not pay attention to the legitimate demands of the Pashtun people, it will push Pakistan towards another secession like Bangladesh. On the other hand, Maryam Nawaz, the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) demanded that the truth of the military action be disclosed and put in the public domain while Maulana Fazlur Rehman accused the Pakistani government and the army actions of violating the rights of the Pashtun people.
It has led to mounting pressure on the Imran Khan government and the Pakistani military. Nonetheless, the military seems to be buying time by suppressing all the reports on the incidents. Consequently, the Pashtun people are being pushed away from the people of mainstream Pakistan.
