Sajjad Shaukat
EXTERNAL powers are behind the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) as part of their
unfinished agenda against Pakistan. They left no stone unturned in misguiding the people of Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) by creating one after another issue. In this regard, emergence of the PTM at a crucial time, which is being paid by anti-Pakistan hostile elements and countries, aimed at accentuating the ethnic cleavages of the country, influence Pashtun population in pursuance of strategic objectives of the external powers. It is mentionable that three people were killed and five soldiers injured in a clash between security forces and Pashtun PTM protesters on 26 May this year in North Waziristan. In this respect, DG of Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major-General Asif Ghafoor said: “a group led by Mohsin Javed and Ali Wazir, assaulted Kharqamar check post, Boyya, North Waziristan tribal district…five soldiers were injured due to the firing of the group…three individuals who attacked the check post lost their lives during the exchange of firing. MNA Ali Wazir along with eight others had been arrested while Mohsin Javed is at large…Only few are inciting and using the people against state institutions for vested agenda. No one will be allowed to undo the gains of decades long national struggle and sacrifices especially of brave Pakistani tribals…Some of the people have become agents of the foreign forces. They are misguiding people by doing propaganda against the state.”
In this connection, police registered an FIR against the PTM workers for shouting slogans against the Army and Pakistan—the protesters hurled stones at the Army post and that armed supporters of Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar attacked the security post and opened fire. Having lost its credibility after arrest of Mohsin Dawar and Ali Wasir, Manzoor Pashteen’s PTM is like a dead donkey. Meanwhile, in the aftermath of the India’s false flag terror attack in the Pulwama district of the India-Occupied Kashmir (IoK) which occurred on 14 February 2019, tension escalated rapidly between India and Pakistan when on 27 February this year, in response to the Indian so-called pre-emptive air strike near the town of Balakot, close to the border with Pakistan’s sector of Kashmir, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) shot down two Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets and launched aerial strikes at six targets in the IoK.
However, in the post-Pulwama, thousands of tribal Pakistanis from FATA and KP offered their services for war against Indian aggression. Warlike situation accelerated between New Delhi and Islamabad since Indian extremist Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Administration revoked special status of the Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, this year after scrapping Articles 35A and 370 of the Constitution in a malevolent attempt to turn Muslim majority into minority in the occupied territory. Since then, India authorities have continued lockdown and curfew in the large parts of that region. Indian forces also martyred many people by intensifying firing at the stones-pelting Kashmiris who are protesting against Indian illegal actions. With the intensification of firing by the Indian Army across the Line of Control (LoC), which has been targeting the innocent civilians in Pakistani side of Kashmir, including Pakistan Army which has been compelled to give a matching response to Indian forces, tension has further increased between the two countries. Western media have, continuously, been focusing Kashmir, while condemning Modi’s illegal moves. So, in order to divert attention from the critical situation of the India-occupied Kashmir, Premier Modi can take the risk of war with Pakistan. At this critical hour, besides the people of other provinces, unity among the people of FATA and KP against Indian prospective aggression has thwarted the PTM’S anti-state narrative.
Our enemies in India and on the western borders know the glorious history of proud and ghairatmand tribal people of [erstwhile] FATA and KP, who liberated Azad Kashmir from jaws of India in 1948. In their hearts, they know that history may be repeated this time again. Same phenomenon with more vigour has been witnessed with people from across Pakistan volunteering to join Pak Army for liberation of the Occupied Kashmir. In fact, Manzoor Pashteen has come out with a pathetic narrative on behest of his pay masters in RAW and Afghan intelligence agency National Directorate of Security (NDS), not realising that this narrative has lost its relevance. Pashtuns from across Pakistan have been integral part of our defence forces and have rendered enormous sacrifices to defend the motherland. From a soldier to a General Pashtun officers and ranks have a glorious history. We just observed the Shahadat Anniversary of Captain Karnal Sher Khan, the Lion of Kargil. So, what is Manzoor Pashteen talking about? Is he on weeds? Notably, if he is champion of Pashtuns, he may tell occupation forces in Afghanistan to leave, as their presence has caused killing of almost half million Afghans and devastation of Pashtun homeland. Manzoor Pashteen is a traitor of Pashtun Qaum and he deserves a place with Mir Jaffars and Mir Saddiqs. In this context, videos of tribal elders who have offered to fight for liberation of the India-occupied Kashmir show counter-narrative of Manzoor Pashteen. Undoubtedly, unity among the people of FATA and KP against India has thwarted PTM’S anti-state narrative.
—The writer is freelance columnist based in Lahore.
