In a powerful show of resistance, the people of Mohmand district held a peaceful protest at Mia Mandi Bazaar in Halimzai Tehsil, reaffirming their unwavering solidarity with the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) and the Khyber National Jirga.
The protest, part of a growing wave of resistance across Pashtun regions, called attention to the systematic oppression faced by Pashtuns under the Punjabi Pakistani regime . Participants reminded the world of the gruesome toll on the community: 1,700 Pashtun religious scholars have been killed, and 200 mosques bombed. “No Pashtun has been spared from oppression”, declared protestors.
The Paki establishment’s crackdown against PTM has intensified in recent months. Thousands of activists have been blacklisted under Schedule IV, and hundreds remain behind bars. The protestors decried these harsh measures but vowed to continue their struggle for justice. “Despite the occupied-state’s heavy-handed oppression, our movement will not falter. We will achieve our rightful demands through justice and perseverance,” they said.
Similar protests have surged across South Waziristan and other districts, where calls for peace and unity have echoed louder than ever. The growing confidence in the Pashtun Jirga reflects a shift in public sentiment, signaling that the end of Pakistan’s military-driven dollar war in the region may be near.
This movement, born out of decades of suffering, reflects the Pashtun community’s deep-rooted anger against Punjabi Pakistani regime. For years, the Army has pursued a policy of divide and rule, crushing Pashtuns, and waging wars that enrich powerful Punjabi institutions at the expense of local populations. Yet, the protests today show that the Pashtun spirit remains unbroken.