Bannu police have taken to the streets in protest against the Punjabi Pak Army’s facilitation of Taliban elements. The protest, held in front of the Bannu cantonment, has garnered significant attention, with PTM leader Hanif Pashteen joining the demonstration with slogans.
Pashteen’s modification of the protest chant—”Ye jo dehshatgardi hai uske pichhe vardi hai” (This terrorism is backed by the uniform)—has underscored the deep frustration with the Pak Army’s long-standing policies of violence, discrimination, and marginalization against the Pashtun people. Pashteen and other activists are openly criticizing the Punjabi-Pakistan Army for nurturing and sponsoring terrorist elements of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), only to become the targets of the very groups they once supported.
Since 1947, the Pashtuns have been used by the Army for strategic purposes, only to be labeled as terrorists and subjected to severe repression when their utility has waned. The current militarization of the region has resulted in a grim scenario: enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings of innocent Pashtun youths, and a proliferation of landmines that have tragically killed only children rather than the intended terrorists.
This rare public dissent from within law enforcement circles reflects a growing awareness and activism among Pashtuns regarding their harsh treatment.