PTM holds a massive protest and long march to Wana, South Waziristan for the release of its leader Manzoor Pashteen and other activists.
Manzoor Pashteen’s arrest and continuous manipulation of legal procedures to keep him captivated has come under strong criticism form the Pashtuns. Wana protest was attended by a large number of people who raised their unified voice against the oppression of the Pakistan Army. Wana protest and march was pre-announced, however, after Manzoor Pashteen was rearrested following his release from the Adiala prison, the participation and agitation augmented to a new level. Furious protestors from across Waziristan and nearby regions reached the protest site and voiced their concerns. The site of protest saw such a huge influx that people stood at the top of the buildings to hear the leaders addressing the gathering.
Interestingly, with the arrest of Manzoor Pashteen, it has become clear to the masses that they can only survive in Pakistan if they follow the dictats of Pakistan Army. In the case of protesting or peacefully opposing the establishment, the citizens would be treated akin to the terrorists.
Notably, Manzoor Pashteen has been arrested for the third time in just one month. After he was arrested on December 3, while embarking to Turbat, he was granted bail and was rearrested by Islamabad police. And now when he got bail in those cases, he has again been arrested by the Punjab Police at the gates of Adiala prison. The absolute suspension of human rights and exploitation of legal machinery has infuriated the oppressed Pashtuns. Impunity in Pakistan Army’s action has made it evident that those who challenge their authoritarian regime are rendered helpless and are in fact tortured with the same instrument that would save them, the law.