Tensions erupted in South Waziristan when an SHO led an unauthorized raid on a local house without a legal warrant, sparking outrage among the residents. In a bold act of defiance, the local Pashtuns detained the SHO and accompanying officials, demonstrating their frustration with repeated violations perpetrated by the Paki regime .

In an attempt to diffuse the situation, police officials later arrived seeking the release of their detained colleague. Embracing Pashtun customs, they offered goats as a gesture of reconciliation.

However, such traditions of peace are repeatedly undermined by the Punjabi Pakistan Army’s oppressive actions in Pashtun areas. The same livestock presented as peace offerings today are often decimated by relentless airstrikes carried out by the Punjabi military, leaving Pashtun families impoverished and struggling for survival.

The Paki establishment is deliberately inflicting economic hardship on the Pashtun population through these attacks. The Army’s use of heavy-handed tactics, such as indiscriminate bombings, has only deepened resentment among Pashtuns, who are victims of systemic brutality. Despite these hardships, the community remains resilient, resisting the Army’s colonial-style repression and exploitation.

In a recent statement, the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) reiterated its stance regarding confrontations with parties or institutions other than the Pakistan Army, which they labeled a “slave army” and merely remnants of the Royal Indian Army. The TTP emphasized that any conflict involving their fighters outside this scope would only serve the interests of the military. They instructed their militants to maintain silence on matters related to the Pashtun National Court jirga and the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM).

The TTP claimed that if any relevant issues arise in the future, they would clarify their position at that time. Until then, they urged their fighters and social media activists to focus their efforts on the “oppressive” military, which are the true enemy.

Reiterating their previous declarations, the TTP asserted that their primary targets are the security forces and their affiliates. They conveyed a message to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police, stating that they are not the main target and should refrain from unnecessarily involving themselves in this conflict. The TTP insists that police personnel should only be engaged if they impede operations against the military.

The statement also addressed a recent incident in Laki Marwat, where a TTP fighter was brutally killed by a group known as the National Lashkar. The TTP warned this group to remain uninvolved in the ongoing conflict, asserting their intention to keep their struggle focused and undistracted. This shows the Pak military’s role in the proliferation of militancy in the region. These militants are a direct consequence of the military’s past actions, which have come back to haunt them in the form of an empowered insurgency.

Justice Yahya Afridi has been appointed as the 30th Chief Justice of Pakistan, following approval from President Asif Ali Zardari. Afridi, who has served as a Supreme Court Justice since 2018, will officially assume office on October 26, succeeding Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

The appointment was finalized after a 12-member special parliamentary committee nominated Afridi under the 26th Constitutional Amendment. The decision received the backing of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and the president signed off on the recommendation.

Justice Afridi brings decades of legal experience to the role. His legal career began in 1990 when he enrolled as an advocate of the high court, followed by his registration with the Supreme Court in 2004. He previously served as Assistant Advocate General for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and as a Federal Counsel for the Government of Pakistan.

Afridi’s judicial career advanced in 2010 when he was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Peshawar High Court. Two years later, he was confirmed as a permanent judge. Notably, Afridi made history by becoming the first judge from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) to serve as Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court in 2016. He held the position until his elevation to the Supreme Court on June 28, 2018.

New Era in Judiciary

The selection process for Afridi’s new role was not without political drama. The special parliamentary committee, formed on Monday by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, held an in-camera session at Parliament House late Tuesday. Comprising eight MNAs and four senators from various political parties, the committee worked to reach a consensus on Afridi’s nomination.

However, the session took place without the participation of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and its ally, the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), both of which boycotted the meeting. They objected to the recent constitutional amendments that led to the formation of the committee.

In their absence, nine members attended the session, with eight supporting Afridi’s nomination. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Kamran Murtaza cast the only dissenting vote, favoring senior puisne judge Mansoor Ali Shah.

The composition of the special committee included representatives from key political parties. PML-N members Khawaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, Shaista Pervaiz Malik, and Azam Nazeer Tarar, along with PPP leaders Raja Pervez Ashraf, Naveed Qamar, and Senator Farooq H. Naek, played significant roles in the deliberations. Rana Ansar of MQM-P and PTI-affiliated members Gohar Khan and Senator Ali Zafar were also part of the panel, though the latter abstained from the proceedings.

In a bold act of defiance, Pashtun Frontier Corps (FC) officials stationed in Bannu have resigned, rejecting their roles as enforcers of the Paki establishment’s oppressive policies. The resignations follow widespread protests across the Pashtun belt, where citizens have taken to the streets demanding peace, dignity, and justice. This rising wave of resistance reflects growing frustration with the Pak Army’s long-standing exploitation of the region for Punjabi Pakistan’s games.

The officials’ decision comes amidst a broader trend of resignations from police ranks, as security personnel refuse to partake in the “dollar wars” — proxy conflicts funded by foreign aid, which have turned the Pashtun homeland into a battlefield for Pakistan’s military ambitions. The Pashtun belt, long treated as a pawn by Islamabad, has faced years of military operations, arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and airstrikes, under the guise of counterterrorism.

These resignations as a significant turning point, with growing fears within Islamabad that more Pashtun occupied-government employees may abandon their posts and join the struggle for peace and self-determination. “The day is not far when Pashtuns will leave government jobs en masse and stand shoulder to shoulder with their people,” said PTM Chief Manzoor Pashteen, adding that this movement could further fracture Pakistan’s already unstable control over its restive regions.

The Pakistan Army, notorious for its colonial-style governance, has used brutal tactics to suppress Pashtuns in their homeland, including silencing peaceful activists from the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM). Yet, the resistance only grows stronger. The protesters have vowed to reject military oppression and continue their struggle for peace, dignity, and a future free from war.

Salutations are pouring in for the officials and protesters who have refused to enforce the occupied-state’s oppressive policies. Their courage underscores a deepening solidarity among Pashtuns.