The Pakistan Army has yet again martyred an innocent Pashtun youth, this time in Bara, Khyber. Khan Wali Afridi, an active participant in the October 11 Jirga, has reported that soldiers entered the home of the victim and ruthlessly killed the young man in front of his grieving family, particularly the women of the household. This brutal act serves as a stark reminder of the Pak military’s ongoing disregard for basic human, Pashtun, and Islamic norms.
The victim, whose name remains withheld, becomes yet another casualty in the long list of Pashtun youth targeted by the Punjabi Pak Army. This incident follows closely on the heels of a similar tragedy in Bajaur, where another young Pashtun was murdered by Pak Army. Such acts of violence have become commonplace in Pashtun regions.
The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), a grassroots movement that fights for the rights of Pashtuns, has been at the forefront of calling out the Paki establishment’s systematic suppression of Pashtun demands. The PTM has consistently highlighted the ongoing human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and military crackdowns in the Pashtun areas. These actions, aimed at silencing voices of dissent, have left thousands of Pashtun families in mourning, with entire communities displaced, marginalized, and living in constant fear.
For years, the Pashtun people have borne the brunt of military operations, drone strikes, and terrorist activities, all of which have contributed to widespread displacement, poverty, and grief. Yet, despite the overwhelming evidence of injustice, the Punjabi Pak Army remains unaccountable, continuing its reign of terror against innocent Pashtun civilians.