Reema Shaukat
PASHTUN Tahafuz Movement or PTM is
again on the agenda to contradict with state.
Recently the Party conducted its jalsa or political procession in Bannu after a gap of seven months. The pause in their activities came when the leaders of this Movement were arrested for creating violence against public and attacking check points of armed forces. According to media reports this recent public gathering included Party supporters from North and South Waziristan and other parts of the KP. Previously PTM came up as a Party which called itself advocate of human rights and later on their activities proved they are not an agenda of such human rights but rather creator of rifts among people working on foreign agenda. It appears that traitors always find foreign land an easy escape for themselves. By seeking an asylum on far-off territory and later continuing their nefarious designs from there, they find it most convenient to manipulate the agenda. Pakistan, unfortunately, continues to suffer from such turncoats and defectors who are always conspiring against Pakistan from outside.
Finding foreign land an easy way to carry out propaganda, foreign media is also often found raising the voice of such traitors of Pakistan. Its leaders are mostly asylum seekers, running propaganda campaigns and often come up with new names just to confuse public and gain sympathy for their objectives. Previously, it was reported by western media that Pashtuns from Pakistan and Afghanistan held protest against Pakistan in front of the United Nations’ building during the 38th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. Those activists raised anti-Pakistan slogans and alleged Pakistan Army for carrying out atrocities on Pashtun people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and parts of neighbouring Afghanistan. Words of western media are that this PTM, in recent times, has emerged as a grass-roots Movement in Pakistan. According to them, Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) has emerged in Pakistan to voice for various human rights issues, including the alleged disappearances of over 32,000 people in Pashtun and majority of them belong to those areas which border Afghanistan. However, reality is that this PTM and name of its leader Manzoor Pashteen appeared in the year 2018 during a demonstration in Islamabad against extra-judicial killing of Naqeeb ullah Mehsud and he alleged Armed Forces for falsely making tall claims of progress in South Waziristan. He tried to gain popularity among youth by social media and created different accounts on Facebook, Twitter and other websites to get sympathies and particularly encourage Pashtun and tribal youths against armed forces and Pakistan. Manzoor Pashteen launched false allegations through social media and tried to create uncertainty in the minds of average Pakistani against the role of armed forces through demonstrations. Reports have already disclosed earlier that these websites and social media pages are fake and the IP address of sites show Indian hand to pollute the young minds.
In 2019, PTM leaders and MNAs Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar were arrested for almost a month and later released from jail. Both Mohsin Dawar and Ali Wazir were initially charged in an FIR registered at the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) police station, Bannu, on 26 May 2019 after a clash between PTM members and army personnel near the Kharqamar checkpost in North Waziristan which had resulted in the death of 13 people and injuries to several others. Tactlessly, Pakistan continues to suffer from such traitors who appear sincere to State but the matter of the fact is entirely different if investigated. PTM or Pashtun Tahafuz Movement was made by hostile agencies in the name of giving rights to Pashtuns. Its main three leaders Mohsin Dawar, Ali Wazir and Manzoor Pashteen were created after the break away of faction of ANP and FATA activists. Despite foreign funding and international support PTM was not able to bluff people of FATA or Pashtuns living in KP and Balochistan. In the recent gathering at Mundan Park, Bannu, PTM leaders announced the formation of a Jirga to convince Pashtun leaders to join the PTM to strengthen its cause and jointly fight for Pashtuns’ rights. Manzoor Pashteen while addressing the gathering said, “We want the unity of Pashtuns as they have suffered for long and are still suffering. We want peace and justice, but unfortunately, new waves of targeted killings have been seen in former tribal belt and justice is not being served. PTM is a civil movement, not a political party, and will continue to struggle for the rights of Pashtuns”. MNA Mohsin Dawar in his address to jalsa said that today’s big gathering proves that PTM is alive and has strong roots among Pashtuns.
He further added that the Movement “will never stop”. The gathering was also addressed by Arman Loni’s sister. Loni was a prominent PTM leader who died during a police crackdown on a sit-in on 2nd of February 2019 in Loralai, Baluchistan. PTM has announced that it will hold a public gathering in Balochistan next month on Loni’s death anniversary. If one reviews the activities of PTM in the past years, one can easily judge how they are using social media and other platforms to pollute young minds by chanting their so-called slogans “Da Sanga Azadi da” (what kind of freedom is this?) and very openly spitting venom by saying “yeh jo dehshatgardi hai, iskay peechay wardi hai” (the ones responsible for terrorism are the ones in uniform). Such a sad state of affairs that those who restored peace in their violent hit areas are considered for violence. Armed forces ensured that our terror hit regions of FATA, KP and all over Pakistan be made safe and free of hostile agents. While armed forces of Pakistan particularly Pak Army not only eradicated terrorism from the soil of FATA but they are playing major role in bringing back peace and development in the area. It is high time that all political leadership must come up on one page with Pak Army regarding anti-state narratives by PTM as not only their agenda is conflicting but extensive along with external challenges to the country.
— The writer works for Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, a think-tank based in Islamabad.
