In Kurram district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the imposition of Section 144 and curfew in specific locations is being seen as the latest in a series of desperate attempts by the Paki establishment to impose control over a region it has long failed to govern effectively. The measures, announced following a security meeting, have sparked widespread criticism, particularly regarding the decision to hold Pashtun elders responsible for the recent unrest— a diversion to obscure the ineffectiveness of the Punjabi-Pak Army in the region.

The Kurram district, plagued by sectarian violence and deep mistrust between communities, recently saw a breakthrough in peace efforts, not by the Army, but through the age-old Pashtun tradition of the jirga. When the Punjabi Pakistan Army repeatedly failed to establish order after clashes erupted, it was the Pashtun tribal elders who took the initiative. Their peace accord brought a semblance of stability to the area, showcasing the resilience and leadership of the local Pashtun community in contrast to the Army’s incompetence.

However, the situation took a darker turn after the January 4 attack on the Deputy Commissioner of Kurram. Instead of addressing its own failure to maintain security, the Pak Army has now shifted the blame onto the very elders who brokered peace. The Counter-Terrorism Department has named five individuals in connection with the attack and announced a series of draconian steps. These include threatening the elders with legal action, halting compensation in the area, and even forcibly relocating populations if cooperation is not forthcoming—moves that have been condemned as heavy-handed and unjust.

The narrative being pushed by the Paki establishment is an attempt to portray the local Pashtun leadership as complicit in the unrest, deflecting attention from the Army’s failure to prevent such incidents. This tactic is aimed at undermining the credibility of the Pashtun jirga system, a cornerstone of tribal governance that has succeeded where the Army and establishment’s apparatus have failed.

The measures outlined include a series of punitive actions:

• Elders who signed the peace accord are being held responsible for its implementation and threatened with legal consequences if they fail to deliver.
• Anti-terrorism cases are being registered against individuals allegedly involved in the January 4 attack, with threats of arrests and inclusion in Schedule-IV.
• Compensation and assistance in the affected areas have been suspended until the perpetrators are handed over.
• The imposition of curfews, confiscation of weapons, and even forced displacement of populations have been proposed as part of a “clearance operation.”

These steps reflect the Punjabi Pak Army’s heavy reliance on coercion. The deployment of additional police and paramilitary forces to secure key roads, such as the Thall-Parachinar Road, further underscores the Pak Army’s inability to maintain peace without resorting to militarization.

The growing discontent among the Pashtun population adds to the already volatile situation in Kurram and the broader Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region. For years, the Pashtun people have borne the brunt of Pakistan’s militarized approach to governance, with the Army prioritizing its own narrative of control over the well-being of local communities.

Tensions escalated in Hunza, Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB), as frustrated residents took to the streets in Gulmit on Thursday, decrying prolonged power outages and poor governance. Protesters blocked the strategic Karakoram Highway (KKH), a vital trade route linking Pakistan to China, to demand immediate action from authorities over the power crisis that has left the district in darkness for days.

The demonstration, which saw people from various backgrounds joining hands, highlighted widespread anger against the occupying administration. Protesters accused officials of deliberately depriving Hunza of its rightful share of electricity, exacerbating hardships for homes, businesses, and essential services. Speaking at the protest, Irfan Azad, President of the Balawaristan National Front for District Gilgit, urged unity between the people of POGB and POJK, calling for collective advocacy to amplify their voices against systemic neglect.

“This is not the first time we’ve protested against load shedding. Every time we take to the streets, we get temporary relief, but the problem always resurfaces,” said a protester. “It’s shameful that in the 21st century, we still fight for basic rights like electricity while facing exorbitant bills for a service we hardly receive.”

Despite Hunza’s significance as a major tourist destination and its strategic location, locals allege it has been routinely ignored in power distribution. The region’s infrastructure remains woefully inadequate to meet rising electricity demand, with little integration into the national grid. Protesters argue that this neglect reflects a broader pattern of marginalization by both federal and regional authorities.

The blockage of the Karakoram Highway disrupted traffic and trade, with vehicles stranded as demonstrators refused to clear the road. Some vehicles were permitted to pass through, but the disruption underscored the urgency of the crisis.

Dr. Mahrang Baloch, addressing the Pashtun National Jirga in Germany, delivered a scathing critique of Pakistan’s systematic oppression of Pashtuns and Balochs. Calling it an ongoing genocide, she called out the Paki establishment against waging a campaign of brutal suppression against ethnic communities, targeting their identity, culture, and existence.

While highlighting the dire state of affairs, Dr. Baloch expressed hope in the rise of grassroots movements like the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) and the Baloch Unity Council. She described these organizations as critical forces in resisting Pakistan’s oppressive tactics, ensuring the survival and dignity of marginalized communities. “These movements are beacons of hope that will save their people from the clutches of this fascist Army,” she said.

Dr. Baloch also drew attention to the unjust detention of Pashtun leader Ali Wazir, a former member of Pakistan’s National Assembly, who has been repeatedly targeted for his vocal criticism of the Pak military’s heavy-handed policies in Pashtun and Baloch territories. “Ali Wazir is not just a role model for Pashtuns; he is an inspiration for all oppressed communities,” she remarked, urging international attention to her plight and the broader systemic injustices in Pakistan.

Her remarks reflect growing unity among Pashtuns and Balochs, who have long faced enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and cultural erasure at the hands of the Paki establishment. The Pashtun National Jirga itself stands as a testament to this emerging solidarity, amplifying voices that challenge the Pak Army narrative and demand justice for decades of oppression.

A violent escalation between the Afghan Taliban and Pakistan Army has left dozens dead, with both sides trading accusations and civilian casualties mounting in the crossfire. The incident underscores the worsening instability along the volatile border, which has long been a flashpoint for violence fueled by Pakistan’s duplicitous policies toward terrorism.

The Taliban, now governing Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for striking “several points” within Pakistan in retaliation for Pak airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Paktika province earlier this week. According to the Taliban, these airstrikes targeted a refugee camp in the Barmal district, killing 46 people, including women and children. In contrast, Pak military reported “unprovoked heavy weapons fire” from the Taliban on its border outposts, which it claimed was part of an infiltration attempt.

Pak military asserted that counterfire killed over 15 militants and inflicted “significant losses” on Taliban forces. Yet the fallout from this skirmish raises serious questions about Pakistan’s conduct and credibility. Reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicate that key hospital departments in Paktika were severely damaged during this operation, adding a humanitarian dimension to an already dire situation.

The Pak Army, long nurturing extremist groups for strategic depth, now finds itself grappling with the very forces it helped empower. For decades, Paki establishment has been a key supporter of the Taliban, harboring its leaders and providing safe havens while simultaneously projecting itself as a victim of terrorism. This double game has not only destabilized Afghanistan but has now backfired spectacularly, with militant groups turning their guns on their former patrons.

Bannu police have arrested Haji Samad Khan, a prominent Pashtun activist and outspoken opponent of terrorism and violence in the region. The arrest has raised serious concerns about the Paki establishment’s treatment of voices advocating for peace in the troubled Pashtun belt.

Haji Samad Khan, a respected figure in the Pashtun community, has been a vocal critic of Army policies and militancy that have destabilized the region. His arrest is a part of a crackdown on Pashtun voices, particularly those who challenge the Punjabi Pak Army’s narrative on terrorism and its support for proxy wars.

Pashtun activists and rights groups have condemned the arrest, accusing the Pak authorities of escalating its hostility toward the Pashtun people.

The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), a grassroots movement advocating for the rights of Pashtuns, has repeatedly called out the Paki establishment of suppressing their demands for justice, accountability, and an end to Army-sponsored violence in the Pashtun regions. The PTM has also highlighted how the Pashtun community has borne the brunt of years of military operations, drone strikes, and terrorist activities, leaving thousands displaced and marginalized.

In a nation that claims to uphold secularism, the horrifying treatment of Hindus in Bangladesh paints a starkly different picture. A wave of anti-Hindu violence has yet again shattered any illusions of minority safety under Muhammad Yunus’s government. In three separate incidents of barbarism, Hindus have been murdered, raped, and forced into religious conversions, exposing the systemic failure—and complicity—of the Bangladeshi state.

The latest horror unfolded in Dubachail village, Brahmanbaria district, where Dipal Chakraborty, a Hindu man, was brutally murdered and his body hung from a tree in front of his home. Despite clear signs of foul play, the local police shamefully labeled the incident a suicide, further humiliating the victim’s family and shielding the perpetrators.

In yet another vile act, a young Hindu girl, Simu Mahanta, was abducted, raped, and forcibly converted to Islam. Such atrocities against Hindu women have become alarmingly common, with no visible efforts by the government to curb the menace. Instead, the administration’s silence has emboldened these predators, who operate with impunity.

Adding to this cascade of horrors, another Hindu man in Madaripur was found dead under suspicious circumstances, further stoking fears of targeted violence against the community. These incidents are not isolated—they are part of a well-established pattern of systematic persecution aimed at erasing Hindu identity in Bangladesh.

Muhammad Yunus’s government has not just failed to safeguard its minorities; it has actively enabled their suffering. The police and local administrations have become puppets in the hands of Islamist forces, whitewashing heinous crimes and suppressing evidence to shield the perpetrators. This criminal negligence is not just incompetence—it is a deliberate strategy to appease extremist factions and maintain political power at the expense of innocent lives.

The world must wake up to the horrors unfolding in Bangladesh and call for immediate action against a government that has long abandoned its duty to protect its most vulnerable citizens.