Pakistan was created in 1947 and since then it is facing countless internal and external challenges. Despite being rich in natural resources we are unable to utilize them for the development of our country. Every state is facing some threat in its own way, but the mismanagement and weak political structure make the problems worse to be resolved. Due to the mishandling of the internal issues our country is losing its image in the international arena and as result foreign interventions are taking place in our domestic matters which is creating problems for the state leaders. The present era is about low-intensity conflict not related to conventional wars therefore a state must understand its internal dynamics, challenges, and threats. For example, the development of the Balochistan Separatist movement is due to the struggle for power between the other provinces and Balochistan.
Five times since the independence of Pakistan, Balochistan has undergone insurgency, “demanding greater autonomy or even an independent state, to reunite the Baloch population of Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan under one flag”. Violent protests in the form of bomb blasts, target killings, and acts of damage have become routine matters. The situation in the province has reached a level where now Pakistani flags are being taken down, schools are being threatened against singing the national anthem and non-Baloch residents are scared for their lives. Grievances related to “self-rule, ownership of resources, political participation, and control over the economy. A similar type of scenario is being observed among the people of FATA. They are now demanding their rights from the government as they are indulged in the war on terror and facing many difficulties. For that, they are establishing different movements like the Pashtun Tahafuz movement. If the issues are not addressed properly they can create many problems. At this point in time, Pakistan is facing many internal as well as external challenges and it will be very difficult for her to cater to such new problems. The aim of this research paper is to highlight the elements which have triggered the creation of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement, which seems to be actually behind this issue. Further, it will focus on the responses by the civil-military establishment and how to resolve this issue as it can create an ethnic difference in the country.
Overview of Pashtun movement:
In 2014 a movement started having a public initiative with a demand of removing the landmines in South Waziristan after the end of military operations against the Taliban as it was creating problems for the common people. This movement gained the spotlight in January 2018when the protest was started against discrimination and oppression by the state and a by a protest in Islamabad because of the killing of Naqeeb Ullah Mehsud who was a shopkeeper and an aspiring model in Waziristan by the SSP Rao Anwar. A twenty-six-year-old guy known as Manzoor Pashteen from the area of South Waziristan is leading this movement and from the 146,285 families of Waziristan who have been displaced many times due to the war on Terrorism. As the acts of Pashtun Tahafuz Movements are not allowed to be displayed on the media order from the authorities, the Manzoor Pashteen is therefore using social media like Twitter and Facebook to promote their agendas. Mostly the posts are in Urdu and Pashtu which are easily understood by the majority of people.
Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) aims at protecting the human rights of the ethnic Pashtun people living in the Pashtun Belt in Pakistan i.e., the area comprising KP province and the FATA region. The Pashtun for the first time wants to move away from the concept of “illaqa-e-ghair” and fully integrate into the Pakistani state and its legal system. As a matter of fact, during the last few months, the agenda and scope of PSM have expanded beyond demanding justice for Naqeeb Mehsud. PTM leaders demanded the formation of a ‘truth and reconciliation commission’ to thoroughly investigate the extra-judicial killings and missing persons. another demand is the clearance of landmines and the removal of security check posts in North Waziristan. Noticeably, there has been a significant shift in the organizational agenda of PTM over a short period of time. Instead of keenly protecting the Pashtun human rights, PTM leaders currently look more interested in maligning and discrediting the military. They are openly accusing the military of Pashtun persecution. Unfortunately, some PTM activists are also blaming the military for the 2014 APS Peshawar tragedy. In fact, PTM is holding the military responsible for the underlying Pashtun woes and deprivation in line with some other anti-military ethnic and regional parties. There is no denying the point that Pashtuns have suffered a lot because of the war on terror, displaced from their homes, and still have not been rehabilitated properly but at this point in time it’s very difficult to remove the check post because FATA is an area where the war can accelerate again. This movement aims to merge the FATA region with KP and annulment of FCR.
PTM as propaganda:
The Manzoor Pashteen is delivering confusing signals, he was found attending a meeting in Madrasah Haqani which is the hub of the Taliban. In the 8 April rally, he was found talking against Pakistan Army rather for their Pashtun rights. Afghan top leaders are also supporting the Pashtuns. Ashraf Ghani once tweeted: “After the tragedies of Kabul, I had remarked that Afghans and the people of this region should align against terrorism. I consider the #PashtunLongMarch a response to those remarks and a wake-up call against fundamentalism.”
The anti-Pakistan speeches are getting publicity by Radio Free Europe or Radio Free Liberty which is an American-funded organization. Whereas on 21 May 2018 the TTP in tweets had accepted that Manzoor Pashtun is funded and supported by us. Former DG ISPR, General Asif Ghafoor, highlighted in a press briefing that “PTM received funds from RAW in February 2018, and on 22nd March 2018 to stage countrywide protests to release PTM activists”. The arguments presented above highlight India’s complex and multidimensional method to wage wars against Pakistan. Alarmingly enough, numerous supplementary case studies further highlight India’s involvement in generating instability in the state of Pakistan.
Analysis:
The Pashtun Tahafuz movement was established so that Pashtuns can get equal rights and justice to be given to Naqeeb Ullah Mehsud who has been murdered by the SSP Rao Anwar. Apparently, this movement has not benefitted the Pashtuns but rather had badly affected the cause of Pashtuns. At the time of Naqeeb Ullah’s case, every Pakistani was with them but now it has ethnicized the conflict. Pashtuns are a brave nation that has always supported the state since independence. We have achieved success in War against terrorism only because of the efforts of the Pashtun people and the Armed forces. It is quite evident that Jirga’s of FATA are also not supporting this movement and also the Pashtun people it can be understood from the following points, rather it is getting support from the leaders like Ashraf Ghani, TTP, etc. Who only want to destabilize the nation as it is discussed above. The people of FATA are against the militancy and religious extremism which they have supported in the past. The demand for missing persons seems to be opaque because the person over there thinks that missing persons were from terrorist organizations.
Pakistan Army is an institution that is always supported by its nation and considered to be a savior in many situations directly attacking the force will greatly affect the national security strategy and can also psychologically impact the force who have been fighting against terrorism. In my opinion, military officials shall be given training on how to deal with people all over the region as they are in trauma so they should be treated in a good manner which a step is taken by military officials. The demand for removing the mines is not possible at this point in time as the issue can trigger again. The civil-military officials shall decide with them and publicize this issue so that the public can get an idea about the whole scenario because the leaders of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement are propagating this idea through the media.
Countering a popular movement with yet another countermovement is probably the worst way to handle this situation which is part of our overall confused national security dilemma. Doing so is a method that we cannot afford to enjoy. We simply cannot afford to complicate this equation anymore. So, engage the genuine PTM leadership and a solution will emerge through the dialogue, or else the PTM shall stand exposed and whoever prompts them to initiate ethnic clashes in the country will lose all their investment and interest in them. The only option for the state of Pakistan is to embrace these people and engage them through public dialogue both locally and on national media as well. Further, the Former Corps Commander Peshawar LT Gen Nazir Ahmed Butt said that the government is determined to address the genuine problems of tribesmen and ensure that they get livelihood sources at their doorsteps which is believed by a majority of the Pashtuns.
One thought on “Tracing the roots of Pashtun Tahafuz Movement”
The ideology of Mazoor Ahmad Pashteen is simple and is the protection of the rights of Pashtun, Pashtumn and Balochs both were deprived of their rights, the gas is discovered in Karak, Kohat, Sui and other areas of Balochistan but the people were deprived of their resources. The extrajudicial killings, missings of Pashtun make a man named Manzoor Ahmad Pashteen