Mohammad Jamil
On Monday, Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) staged a protest rally against Pakistan in Geneva (Switzerland) in front of the United Nations’ building during the ongoing 38th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. Baloch subnationalists and Pashtuns from Pakistan and Afghanistan carried flags, raised anti-Pakistan slogans, and accused Pakistan Army of carrying out atrocities on Pashtun people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and parts of neighbouring Afghanistan. It strengthens Pakistan army’s narrative that external forces like Afghanistan and India are supporting PTM to hold protest rallies abroad to advance their agenda of stirring anti-Pakistan sentiments. How one can be a Pakistani if he chants slogan such as Pakistan murdabad? PTM does not mind if Afghanistan’s flags are brought in the gatherings, but they did not allow Pakistani flags in Swat protest, which showed evil intentions of the PTM leaders.
On 29th April 2018, Pashteen’s supporters had traveled to Swat in at least 270 vehicles, mostly coasters that were counted at Dargai check post located near the Dargai fort. Local politicians claimed that they had told the administration to not let outsiders enter Swat (enjoying peace and tourism) in such large numbers from outside, but the administration turned a deaf ear to their protests. Manzoor Pashteen and others including Mohsin Dawar spoke about extrajudicial killings, missing persons and mistreatment of Pashtoons in Pakistan. Strong words were uttered against army, which itself has a huge component of Pashtoons. Rally was mostly a function of the support it had from Mehmood Khan Achakzai’s Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party” (PkMAP) whose local leader, Khurshid Kakajee, Senator Usman Kakar and KP President, Mukhtar Yousafzai had also addressed the gathering.
PTM is being supported by Afghan intelligence agency NDS and Indian RAW, otherwise this nascent organization does not have enough funds to organize demonstrations and rallies in Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore. In his write-ups, Harsha Kakar, Major General (retd) from Indian army has been highlighting the protest demonstrations by Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM). In Washington, there was a protest demonstration in April 2018, which showed that alien agencies are supportive of the PTM narrative. Manzoor Pashteen’s name had popped-up during demonstration against extra-Judicial killing of Naqeebullah Mehsud, but later he started opposing Pakistan’s military check posts and harassment of the ordinary Pashtuns during operations. The fact of the matter is that Army destroyed the infrastructure and network of the terrorists and made it possible for IDPs to go back to their abodes. The question is where was Manzoor Pashteen when terrorists were on killing spree in the area?
PTM is also talking about UN guarantees, but analysts say talking of UN guarantees amounts to asking for intervention. They reckon that PTM either doesn’t understand or is part of drive to involve international community in Pakistan’s domestic affairs. Pashtun nationalist party, Awami National Party, and independent analysts say PTM is unlikely to become a political force, as it has some alien agenda. Declaring the calls from members of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) for the presence of the United Nations in its talks with the government is a tantamount to “calls for intervention,” independent analysts have urged leaders of the Pashtun rights movement to stick to their original genuine demands while avoiding slogans against state institutions. The PTM, which shot to fame after Mehsud Jirga in Karachi for Naqeeb Mehsud, has held several public gatherings in Peshawar, Lahore and Swat.
The Islamabad-based analyst believes that “Manzoor Pashteen’s rhetoric against the military reflects that he is being used by foreign hands, and/or internal anti-state elements. Why PTM does not Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam and Mehmood Khan Achakzai for opposing FATA reforms -– one of the PTM’s demands.” Among those who addressed the rally were Tahera Jalib, the daughter of revolutionary poet Habib Jalib, and Amina Masood Janjua of the Defence of Human Rights Pakistan, whose husband has reportedly been missing since 2005. It shows that alien hands are behind PTM, as it has joined hands with those who have been trying to bring Pakistan military into disrepute. After the assassination of Naqeebullah Mehsud, Pakistan’s detractors tried to use the situation to bring Pakistan in disrepute.
Afghanistan’s Mashaal Radio and Deewa Radio had started a tirade and exploited Pashtun community by stirring anti-Pakistan sentiments. Killing of Naqeebullah Mehsud was condemned in Pakistan by all and sundry, and SSP Rao Anwar and others involved in extra-judicial killings are in the dock. The court had appointed Joint Investigation Team comprising officials of the Sindh police to grill the officer. His name was placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) as per the order of the Supreme Court on 23rd January when he had made botched attempt to flee the country. The JIT came to the conclusion that SSP Rao Anwar and others conducted the fake encounter. Anyhow, the matter is in the court, and it is hoped that justice would be done.
