Bannu police have taken to the streets in protest against the Punjabi Pak Army’s facilitation of Taliban elements. The protest, held in front of the Bannu cantonment, has garnered significant attention, with PTM leader Hanif Pashteen joining the demonstration with slogans.

Pashteen’s modification of the protest chant—”Ye jo dehshatgardi hai uske pichhe vardi hai” (This terrorism is backed by the uniform)—has underscored the deep frustration with the Pak Army’s long-standing policies of violence, discrimination, and marginalization against the Pashtun people. Pashteen and other activists are openly criticizing the Punjabi-Pakistan Army for nurturing and sponsoring terrorist elements of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), only to become the targets of the very groups they once supported.

Since 1947, the Pashtuns have been used by the Army for strategic purposes, only to be labeled as terrorists and subjected to severe repression when their utility has waned. The current militarization of the region has resulted in a grim scenario: enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings of innocent Pashtun youths, and a proliferation of landmines that have tragically killed only children rather than the intended terrorists.

This rare public dissent from within law enforcement circles reflects a growing awareness and activism among Pashtuns regarding their harsh treatment.

The terrorists of Islamic State (IS) launched a brutal attack in central Afghanistan targeting Shi’ite pilgrims. The Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) released images on September 12 showing the aftermath of the massacre, which specifically targeted members of the Hazara minority, a group that has long been persecuted by the Sunni IS-K.

According to Hadi Rahimi Zada, a former council member in Daykundi Province where the attack occurred, 14 people were killed by unidentified gunmen. Reportedly, the assailants were armed men on motorcycles. The victims were part of a gathering organized to welcome pilgrims returning from Karbala, a Shi’ite holy site in Iraq. The pilgrims had recently returned to Firouzkoh from Karbala, and the attackers targeted the crowd of young men, resulting in 14 deaths and five injuries.

Abdul Matin Qani, a spokesperson for the Taliban’s Interior Ministry, confirmed the attack in Daykundi Province, stating that more details would be released later. The IS-K has been responsible for numerous attacks since the Taliban took power in August 2021, frequently targeting Taliban officials, foreign nationals, and the Shi’ite Hazara community.

Founded in Afghanistan in 2014 as a regional extension of the Islamic State, the ISKP seeks to expand its influence throughout South and Central Asia. The term “Khorasan” refers to a historical region encompassing parts of modern-day Afghanistan, Iran, and Central Asia.

Since the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021, ISKP has been actively orchestrating attacks across the country, denouncing the Taliban regime as “apostate” and exacerbating the violent conflict between the two groups.

In a tragic escalation of violence, Punjabi Pak Army shelling has killed two Pashtun laborers and injured seven others working in a pine nuts forest in the Birmal area of South Waziristan. It has been less than a week since a 15-year-old girl was killed by shelling from a Pak Army gunship helicopter in the Tirah Maidan region, near the Afghan border.

These incidents are a stark example of the heavy-handed tactics employed by the Pakistan Army in a region already besieged by military occupation.

South and North Waziristan, heavily militarized and dotted with military checkpoints, have become the epicenter of a brutal campaign aimed at controlling and de-populating this resource-rich area. The recent spike in military activity reflects worsening the condition of Pashtuns who bear the brunt of these frequent military actions.

The Punjabi Pakistan Army has intensified its scrutiny of Pashtuns under the guise of security operations. This strategy, however, only serves to justify aggressive and indiscriminate actions that have dire consequences for the Pashtuns. The Army’s heavy-handed approach, marred by ethnic biases and geopolitical maneuvering, has led to significant suffering and loss of life among innocent Pashtuns.

The plight of Pashtuns in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has long been exacerbated by the Punjabi military’s exploitation and marginalization. Since the military’s occupation of the Khyber region in 1947, Pashtuns have faced relentless violence, exploitation, and discrimination. The Army’s tactics, including indiscriminate shelling, abductions, extrajudicial killings, and staged encounters, have made the region unstable.