Bannu has become the epicenter of yet another wave of resistance against Punjabi Pakistan Army’s brutal suppression of Pashtun voices. A massive protest is underway as thousands have taken to the streets, demanding the immediate release of Samad Lala, who has been arbitrarily detained by the Punjabi military establishment. The protesters, refusing to be silenced, have announced an indefinite sit-in outside Bannu Central Jail until their demands are met.
The growing unrest is not just about one man—it is about the systematic persecution of the Pashtun people. The recent arrest of Malik Naseer is yet another example of the Army’s ruthless policy to crush any Pashtun who dares to speak up. The Paki establishment, notorious for enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, continues to treat the Pashtun people as enemies within their own land.
Whenever a Pashtun demands his rights, he is either imprisoned or disappears without a trace. The question resonates across the Pashtun belt: Is being a Pashtun a crime? Is raising one’s voice for dignity and justice an act of terrorism? The Paki establishment, which harbors terrorists and sponsors extremist groups, has no answer—except to unleash its security apparatus against its ethnic communities.