Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has issued a detailed statement regarding the recently concluded sham elections in Pakistan. On February 8, the elections happened in Pakistan, TTP claimed that continuous deliberation in the Islamic Republic for past 77 years have not benefitted Islam and hence, the radicalised parties in Pakistan should join hands with TTP to instal a political system in Pakistan similar to Taliban regime in Afghanistan.  

According to TTP, the democratic process of elections adopted by Pakistan that have only divided the Ummah and the leaders have been imposed through media propaganda and what it called as the “secret satanic forces” whose loyalty is not to Islam. In its statement TTP defined it as a recipe to impose the Islam of West.

Raising question over the Pakistani establishment, TTP targeted Pakistan Army saying that they are put forward by the imperialist forces and when they retire, they return to their masters, where they have businesses and accumulated looted capital of poor people.

Highlighting the deep entrenched military establishment’s rule, the terrorist organisation stated that the military establishment imposes the influential slave political families on Pakistan through nominally democratic elections and further undermines the Islamic values.

TTP also claimed that Pakistan is not a free and independent country and that its foreign, internal, economic, educational, defence, military and social policies are the tenants of the military establishment.

TTP’s call for “Holy Jihad”

Furthermore, TTP said that the only option for Pakistan is the path of terrorism which is termed as “the Holy Jihad.” The Holy Jihad of Tehreek Taliban Pakistan, it said, “has entered a hopeful stage, the manpower of Mujahideen is increasing rapidly, the scope of the war is widening. In most areas, it is becoming difficult for the occupying forces to attack their forts.”  

In its pursuit of terrorism, it requested the bigoted Islamic political parties working in Pakistan (Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam, Jamaat-e-Islami, Tehreek-e-Labeek and Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadith, etc.) to join hands together as the electoral and democratic practices could neither achieve nothing nor it is good for Islam Ummah.

It appealed to these bigoted political parties to direct towards Jihadi politics, referring to it as a stronger hope from Allah to install a political system akin to the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

In a concerning development, Noorullah Tareen, the Provincial Coordinator of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) in Sindh, has been languishing in illegal imprisonment for more than four months. Tareen, an outspoken advocate for the Pashtun rights has been implicated in fake sedition charges, a move widely criticized as an attempt to suppress his proactive stance on behalf of the Afghan refugee community.

Noorullah was arrested last year from Karachi in October, and since then is incarcerated in Karachi jail. He was arrested following proactively putting up the fight of Afghan refugees and standing besides them. In September when Pak Army faced humiliating assault by TTP in Chitral, it took out its frustration on Afghani civilians. Pakistan launched a crackdown of Afghan migrants, for which Pakistan and PTM Sindh came facing each other. Since a significant number of Afghans were harassed by Pakistani establishment in Sindh, Noorullah Tareen took key measures to provide them protection, even legal aid.

Unhappy with this, Pakistani establishment implicated him in the fake cases. Over four months have past and on every court hearing the matter is staved off to a next hearing.

The abduction and arrest of Noorullah Tareen highlights that their is no law and order in Pakistan and those raising the voice of dissent are only punished with unlawful arrest, detention on fabricated sedition charges.

Rawalpindi, Pakistan: Chaudhry Muhammad Adnan, a former Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) for Punjab and ex-member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, was shot and killed by unknown assailants in Rawalpindi on Monday, February 12.

Adnan, who had contested the recent general elections as an independent candidate, was reportedly gunned down in the Civil Lines area, near the city police officer’s office. The motive behind the attack remains unclear, with initial investigations suggesting personal enmity as a possibility.

Police responded by cordoning off the crime scene and launching a manhunt for the perpetrators. Senior officers are actively involved in the investigation, collecting evidence and forming teams to apprehend the suspects.

Adnan, born in 1976, served as an MPA from 2018 to 2023, holding positions as parliamentary secretary for social welfare and revenue during his tenure.

This incident comes amidst heightened tensions in Pakistan following the recent general elections, which saw incidents of violence, manipulation, election rigging and protests. Notably, two PTI workers were killed and several injured in a separate incident last week during a demonstration against electoral fraud.

Imran Khan’s supporters and other parties blocked highways to protest the recent controversial election results. Thousands of supporters of Pakistan’s convicted former PM Imran Khan and members of other political parties blocked major highways in Pakistan’s volatile southwest on Monday to protest rigging of last week’s election.

The commencement of a nationwide strike follows Thursday’s parliamentary vote, marked by allegations of electoral malpractice, an unprecedented mobile phone shutdown, and the exclusion of Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Party (PTI). Despite the celebration of election winners, PTI and other parties remain adamant in their refusal to acknowledge defeat in numerous constituencies. Over the weekend, dozens of Khan’s supporters were briefly detained in Lahore during a protest against perceived vote-rigging.

Jan Achakzai, the occupying government spokesperson in Pakistan occupied Balochistan, urged Imran Khan’s supporters to “show grace” by accepting defeat and vacating the highways. Imran Khan, unable to contest the election due to criminal convictions he deems politically motivated, saw candidates backed by him winning more seats than the parties that ousted him nearly two years ago. Final figures published on Sunday reveal that no party secured a majority, necessitating negotiations to form a coalition government.

With 101 out of 266 seats in the National Assembly won by candidates allied with Khan, the Pakistan Muslim League (N) led by Nawaz Sharif secured 75 seats, while the Pakistan People’s Party under Bilawal Bhutto Zardari stood third with 54 seats. One result was withheld, and another vote was postponed due to the death of a candidate. Nawaz Sharif is currently engaged in negotiations with allies to form a coalition government, as the new parliament prepares to elect the country’s next prime minister. The campaign to oust Khan in 2022 was jointly led by the Muslim League-N and the PPP.

In a harrowing incident that has sent shockwaves through the community, a young Pashtun man named Ghani was found dead after having gone missing just days ago in Bara Akakhel, Khyber District. The circumstances surrounding his disappearance and subsequent demise have raised serious questions about the security of Pashtuns and the prevailing law and order in the region.

Initial reports indicate that Ghani’s disappearance may be linked to Pakistan Army for his vocal stance against Pakistani oppression, a sentiment echoed by many Pashtuns who have faced persecution. Disturbingly, the involvement of the Pakistan Army in the killing, citing a pattern of targeting Pashtuns who speak out against injustices.

Pashtuns, who have long endured mistreatment at the hands of both the Pakistan Army and the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), have increasingly voiced their concerns and frustrations. The community has time and again raised the issues of forced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and overall systemic discrimination.

The death of Ghani, seen as a tragic symbol of the challenges faced by Pashtuns, has reignited calls for justice and accountability. The incident is further fueling the ongoing debate over the need for improved security measures to safeguard the lives of Pashtun individuals and address the broader issues of human rights violations.