The sit-in protest for the recovery of Zaheer Ahmed, who has been missing since June 27, continues on Saryab Road. Prominent Pashtun Tahafuz Movement leader Agha Zubair Shah and his colleagues joined the protest, showing solidarity with Zaheer Baloch’s family.

Zaheer Baloch, employed by the Postal Services, was reportedly forcibly taken by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and has not been seen since.

Concerns have been raised about the handling of the situation by local authorities. Despite the administration’s responsibility to engage with the families, reports suggest that unidentified armed individuals have been threatening and harassing protesters, urging them to cease their demonstration. Alarmingly, no action has been taken against these threatening elements.

Enforced disappearance is not only a contentious issue in Pakistan-occupied Balochistan but also affects the Pashtun community. The latest incident involves Hameed-Ullah, a resident of North Waziristan, who was reportedly detained by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) in Lahore.

The Pakistan Army is not only harboring terrorists in the region but also engaging in the abduction, torture, and rape of innocent Pashtuns. Therefore, the participation of PTM leader Agha Zubair Shah in the protest is significant.

In a recent function of the Awami Action Committee, prominent leaders from Pak-occupied-Gilgit-Baltistan voiced their concerns over governance and called for accountability of Pak Army. They conducted the swearing-in ceremony for the new party members.

Member POGB Nawaz Khan Naji addressed the gathering, emphasizing the need for change. Ehsan Advocate, Chairman of the Awami Action Committee, declared that “the time for accountability of the rulers has come.”

Nawaz Khan Naji drew parallels between people’s power and natural forces. “Just like a river cuts through the hardest rock, the people of this country have the power to break any establishment and find their voice,” he said. Nawaz Khan also compared Pakistan’s situation with China, noting that a satisfied populace leads to national peace.

The speakers criticized the current political landscape, with one asserting that “in Pakistan, the political parties amount to nothing. It’s the public that always finds the way.”

Agha Ali Rizvi emphasized that they are not opponents of individuals but are “opposing the oppressor.” He added, “We are here to listen to you, to listen to them and their policies. We are here to fight your war.”

The leaders also raised concerns about the Pak Army’s role and called for public action. “The Army has been exposed, and it’s the people who have to do justice,” one speaker said. They urged citizens to raise their voices against perceived oppression and hold those in power accountable.

Wazir Hussain, Chairman of Tehreek Pasdaran, addressed environmental issues with criticism directed at the facade of green tourism that has led to ecological destruction for the benefit of the Army and its people.

The gathering highlighted the determination of Baltistan’s people, with one leader saying, “The people of Baltistan do not fear arrest and suppression; they stand for the land and people.”

A remote-controlled bomb attack in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has killed five individuals, including former Senator Hidayatullah Khan. The incident occurred in the Bajaur district of Malakand Division on Thursday.

Local authorities report that the explosion targeted a vehicle carrying the former senator and his companions. The other victims have been identified as Malik Irfan, Nazar ud Din, Yar Muhammad, and Sami ur Rehman. Their bodies have been transferred to the District Headquarters Hospital in Khar, Bajaur.

According to the bomb disposal squad, 5 to 7kg of explosives were used in the explosion.

Hidayatullah Khan, who served in the Senate from 2012 to 2024, was a prominent political figure in the region. He had been twice elected as an independent member from the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and had also chaired the Senate Standing Committee on Aviation.

The attack took place as the group was returning from an election campaign in Dama Dola. Najibullah Khan, an independent candidate for the upcoming by-election in constituency PK-22 of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on July 11, was also involved in the campaign.

Since Pakistan’s independence in 1947, the Punjabi-dominated Pakistan Army is exploiting Pashtun lands and people for their sinister interests. They use Pashtuns to carry out their agendas only to unjustly label them as terrorists or sympathizers of groups like the TTP.

The family of Khalil Jibran, a prominent Pakistani journalist who was recently murdered, has appealed to local authorities for relocation due to persistent death threats and a recent attack on their property. The family, residing in the Sultankhel area of Landi Kotal, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, is living in fear following an assault on their family-owned snooker club, their primary source of income since Jibran’s death.

Jibran’s 17-year-old son expressed growing insecurity, particularly after the attack on their business. The family has not filed an official police report, fearing potential reprisals. “We are living in fear after the incident on Sunday night”, the son said.

The journalist’s 15-year-old daughter voiced concerns about the safety of her siblings and their education, which her father had prioritized. She emphasized the mental stress caused by the recent attack and the fear of further violence.

The family has called upon both provincial and federal authorities to thoroughly investigate Jibran’s murder and the subsequent attack on their business. They are also seeking adequate security measures and compensation for the loss of their primary breadwinner.

While no formal report has been filed regarding the snooker club arson, police have collected evidence from the scene.

Khalil Jibran, a senior journalist and former president of the Landi Kotal Press Club, was fatally shot by unidentified gunmen near his residence. His death adds to a worrying trend of violence against journalists in Pakistan, with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reporting that Jibran is the seventh journalist killed in the country in 2024.

On July 7, Pashtuns across Pakistan and internationally will unite in a protest to address urgent issues affecting their community. Pashtuns protest the presence of Pak military and terrorism in their homeland. Pak Army has destabilized the Pashtun land, their security and way of life.

Another issue is amid sweltering heat, Pashtuns endure severe electricity shortages, exacerbating living conditions and endangering lives, particularly vulnerable populations such as the elderly and infants. More importantly, Pashtuns demand the removal of barriers at the Durand Line, which restrict free movement and trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan. They oppose mandatory passport visas that impede familial and economic ties across the border.

The Peshawar school bombing has sparked speculation that it was orchestrated by the Punjabi Pak Army rather than the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Both the TTP and the Pakistan Army have inflicted devastation upon Pashtun lands. In response to their oppression, Pashtuns began resisting, with the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) serving as a prominent example of this resistance.

Since Pakistan’s independence in 1947, the Punjabi-dominated Pakistan Army is exploiting Pashtun lands and people for their sinister interests. They use Pashtuns to carry out their agendas only to unjustly label them as terrorists or sympathizers of groups like the TTP.

PTM’s resistance

Pashtun lands, rich in mineral resources, have been exploited by the Army. To intensify this exploitation, the Army uses terrorism as a tactic to bolster its presence in Pashtun territories. This includes erecting security checkpoints, establishing camps, and forcibly evacuating local populations under the guise of safety and security. In many regions, trees have been cut down and sold, and the military conducts resource mining operations.

Military checkpoints are often set up in residential areas to monitor and profile potential dissenters. This militarization has resulted in the abduction and enforced disappearance of innocent youth, who are often not involved in any activist or dissenting activities. The Punjabi Pakistan Army resorts to violence against journalists and members of PTM, despite the organization being predominantly peaceful.

Furthermore, the military lays landmines in these regions to prevent locals from returning or residing there safely. While reports of infiltrators or terrorists being killed by landmines are rare, tragic incidents involving children being maimed or killed by these blasts are unfortunately frequent. Many children have lost limbs or even their lives due to landmine explosions.