A nomadic woman and her daughters blocked a road in North Waziristan to protest the arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance of three male members of her family. The protest highlights the growing frustration and despair among the Pashtun community in Pakistan’s former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), where such incidents have become a daily reality.
The Pashtun regions, particularly North and South Waziristan, have long been subjected to the oppressive policies of the Punjabi-Pakistan Army, which continues to wield unchecked power in these areas. Enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and brutal crackdowns on civilians have become a routine practice, leaving the local population in a state of perpetual fear.
This latest incident serves as a grim reminder of the plight of the Pashtun people, whose voices are continuously silenced under the oppressive policies of Pakistan’s military establishment. The region has witnessed decades of violence, exploitation, and suppression, with little to no accountability for the actions of the military.