On July 7, Pashtuns across Pakistan and internationally will unite in a protest to address urgent issues affecting their community. Pashtuns protest the presence of Pak military and terrorism in their homeland. Pak Army has destabilized the Pashtun land, their security and way of life.
Another issue is amid sweltering heat, Pashtuns endure severe electricity shortages, exacerbating living conditions and endangering lives, particularly vulnerable populations such as the elderly and infants. More importantly, Pashtuns demand the removal of barriers at the Durand Line, which restrict free movement and trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan. They oppose mandatory passport visas that impede familial and economic ties across the border.
The Peshawar school bombing has sparked speculation that it was orchestrated by the Punjabi Pak Army rather than the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Both the TTP and the Pakistan Army have inflicted devastation upon Pashtun lands. In response to their oppression, Pashtuns began resisting, with the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) serving as a prominent example of this resistance.
Since Pakistan’s independence in 1947, the Punjabi-dominated Pakistan Army is exploiting Pashtun lands and people for their sinister interests. They use Pashtuns to carry out their agendas only to unjustly label them as terrorists or sympathizers of groups like the TTP.
PTM’s resistance
Pashtun lands, rich in mineral resources, have been exploited by the Army. To intensify this exploitation, the Army uses terrorism as a tactic to bolster its presence in Pashtun territories. This includes erecting security checkpoints, establishing camps, and forcibly evacuating local populations under the guise of safety and security. In many regions, trees have been cut down and sold, and the military conducts resource mining operations.
Military checkpoints are often set up in residential areas to monitor and profile potential dissenters. This militarization has resulted in the abduction and enforced disappearance of innocent youth, who are often not involved in any activist or dissenting activities. The Punjabi Pakistan Army resorts to violence against journalists and members of PTM, despite the organization being predominantly peaceful.
Furthermore, the military lays landmines in these regions to prevent locals from returning or residing there safely. While reports of infiltrators or terrorists being killed by landmines are rare, tragic incidents involving children being maimed or killed by these blasts are unfortunately frequent. Many children have lost limbs or even their lives due to landmine explosions.