Recently, the body of Fazal Manan, who had been subjected to enforced disappearance, was discovered in South Waziristan. Manan, a businessman from the Mohmand District involved in the clothing trade, went missing several days ago in Makin, a heavily monitored area surrounded by military checkpoints.
This tragic incident is yet another example of the daily challenges faced by the people of Pakhtunistan. Recently, terrorists from groups such as Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Lashkar-i-Islam (LI) have begun patrolling areas near the Afghanistan border, further destabilizing the region. While ordinary citizens are subjected to constant body searches and questioning at security checkpoints, these militants move freely and without restraint.
A pamphlet circulating on social media, written in Pashto, also said that TTP militants have taken “complete control” of the Peer Tharee area in Shalobar and Bhutan. The pamphlet also said that these militants have begun patrolling Pir Mela Bazaar and surrounding areas, as Pak forces have abandoned their positions.
The situation paints a grim picture: if it’s not the Punjabi-dominated Pakistan Army causing havoc in the Pashtun community, then it’s the very militants they once supported who have now gone rogue, wreaking havoc on the region.