Why Pashtun Nationalism Is Considered A Major Fault Line in Pakistan? Glimpses Of
History (Part IV)
February 14, 2023
By Sher Khan Bazai
In the line of Pashtoon nonviolent uprisings in the 20th century by
Bacha Khan and Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai already discussed in
the previous articles against the atrocities and suppressive policies
inflected upon Pashtoon population by colonial power and particularly Pakistani
establishment after creation of Pakistan, the emergence of
Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement is a new phenomenon of 21st century in that
continuity.
Though
the movement is nonviolent inspired by the past none violent struggles
but initially it sparked by the extrajudicial killing of Naqeeb
Ullah Mehsud, since it began its long march to Islamabad in the beginning,
calling for the demining of the former tribal areas and greater freedom of
movement in the latter, the rights-based alliance has insisted on an end to the
practices of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and unlawful
detentions, and for its practitioners to be held to account within a truth and
reconciliation commission.
The
‘Pashtun Renaissance’ started under the very young, enthusiastic and
charismatic leadership of Manzoor Ahmed Pashteen and its co-founders,
Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar who hails from the so-called tribal area
of Waziristan.
The
history of the area goes farther back than 9/11 and that is why it was created
as a ‘safe haven’ for global terrorists by the ‘deep state’. Despite, being
ignored by the mainstream media, PTM is drawing huge crowds of young and
old Pashtoon population throughout the country particularly in both Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa, tribal areas (former FATA) Baluchistan province and Karachi city.
The
movement is positioning itself as a platform to protect the rights and lives of
the Pashtoon from what it considers are elements from within and outside the
state bent on demonizing and excluding the Pashtun population in Pakistan.
For the first time in the history of this state, the PTM challenged the
steel frame of militarized status quo not for seeking power or share in power
bounty, contrary to traditional political parties but for just rights of
Pashtoon with in the constitutional boundaries and enforcing the social
contract in letter and spirit.
The problem with the state within a state is how to cope with this new
extra ordinary political phenomenon that, so far, has no Achilles heel. The
leadership of the movement carries no bag of the past except the heart
wrenching narratives of widespread destruction and humiliation they faced in
their home towns erstwhile tribal areas due to terrorism and counter terrorism
military operations particularly, “Radd-ul Fasaad” and Zarb-e-Azb”.
The establishment could not intimidate them with the usual carrot and stick
policy. Their high moral ground flowing from their legitimate cause has across
the board acceptability in the oppressed Pashtoon population. Even all political
parties and installed civilian government is carefully choosing its words while
speaking about the PTM. It is regrettable that, barring some initial steps
to address their concerns, the response to the PTM by the state apparatus and
mainstream political classes at both federal and provincial levels has largely
been paranoid and counterproductive. Despite taking remedial measures to
address the demands of PTM, the Pashtoon anywhere are seen as a threat and need
to be monitored as terror suspects. Both, Punjab and Sindh started profiling
Pukhtoons. Students were refused hostels in universities. Pukhtoons staying in
hotels or private accommodations had to report to the nearest police station.
Police circulated instructions for keeping an eye on them and any new Pashtun
face was to be reported. Thousands of Pashtun were – and are still – under
surveillance and, whenever required, eliminated in extrajudicial encounters,
branding them as terrorists.
Are the demands of PTM in line with constitution?
The demands of the PTM are very few and simple.
1) They
ask for their area to be cleared of landmines; planted by Pakistani security
forces during a military operation against the Taliban across FATA, which
claimed the lives of a number of civilians.
2)
to produce in courts of law persons made forcibly missing;
3) for
a life of dignity; they ask not to be collectively punished for crimes not
committed by them, abandoning ‘collective punishment’ of tribes in FATA
when terrorist activity is detected. When incidents occurred in FATA, security
forces surrounded that area and punished the entire locality where the incident
happened.
4) Creating
a judicial commission to investigate extra-judicial killings and examine the
thousands of Pashtun disappearances
5) the
killers of Naqeebullah Mehsud particularly Rao Anwar former
police officer, to be brought to justice.
6)
Abolition of the Watan Card, a special identity card (not a national
identity card) issued by the military personnel deployed in the locality. It is
required for locals to move freely to and from their areas and homes.
7)
Putting a stop to security forces humiliating Pashtun tribesmen at check posts.
8) withdrawal
of all cases against Ali wazir MNA from FATA and his release from jail in
connection with an FIR registered against him under Sections 120 (concealing
design to commit offence punishable with imprisonment), 153-A (promoting enmity
between different groups, etc.), 121 (waging or attempting to wage war or
abetting waging of war against Pakistan), 121-A (conspiracy to commit offences
punishable by Section 121) and 124-A (sedition) of the Pakistan Penal Code read
with Section 5 of the Loud Speaker Act on behalf of the state.
9)
establishment of truth and reconciliation commission to probe into exta
judicial killings, missing persons, terrorist activities in the area and fix
responsibilities etc.
10.
Reconstruction, rehabilitation and compensation of houses and shops damaged or
destroyed during operations in the area
11)
withdrawal of security forces from mines and mineral in the tribal areas and
allow people free access to their forests and mining
The
PTM’s first demand is according to article 10, security of person:
‘No person shall be deprived of life or
liberty, save in accordance with law’.
The second and fourth demands are according to article 10 and 10 A, safeguard to arrest
and detention and right to fair trial:
‘No person who is arrested shall be detained
in custody without being informed of the grounds for such arrest’.
“Every
person who is arrested and detained in custody shall be produced before a
magistrate within twenty-four hours of such arrest, and no such person shall be
detained in custody beyond the said period without the authority of a
magistrate”.
“For
the determination of his civil rights and obligations or in any criminal charge
against him a person shall be entitled to a fair trial and due process”.
Third
demand is according to article 14; Inviolability of dignity of men. ‘The
dignity of man and, subject to law, the privacy of the home, shall be
inviolable’.
The demands of the PTM are very much constitutional; there is nothing
negative about it. Then why are its protests dubbed as ‘engineered’ and its
leader, Manzoor Pashteen, as ‘agent of RAW and NDS’, and Ali Wazir setting MNA
has been kept in jail for last two years, even his production orders are denied
by the speakers of both National Assemblies of Imran Khan’s and the present PDM
government. Everyone is tempted to ask?
When Pakistan’s Pakhtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) highlighted
the plight of their people living in the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas
(FATA) and in the other parts of country and gained momentum in the youth
chanting following famous slogans against the security forces:
· “ye jo dehshatgardi hai, iske peechewardi hai”
(Those in uniform are behind terrorism).
· “Ye jo namaloom hey,
ye hamen maloom hey” (We know all the unknown
persons) (We know your unknown). “Lar aw
bar yo Afghan” (Afghan both in Pakistan and Afghanistan are
one).
· “Ye
jo talib-gardi hey, esky peechy wardi he” (The
uniform [military] is behind this Talibanization).
The slogans rhyme give expression to their miseries:
destroyed
houses, dead, disappeared and frustrated loved ones, uprooted communities, and
unwelcomed neighborhoods.
Demanding
the state’s attention, Manzoor Ahmed Pashteen, the young leader of PTM,
wants the ruling elite to pay heed to the suffering of the Federally
Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and enlarged Pashtoon population in the other
parts of the country. His impassioned stories of lives being lost to landmines
and families of missing persons languishing in pain have brought out one clear
message:
militants
and the military are alike in destroying terrorism affected Pashtun
communities.
Actually,
former FATA Society was well on its way to progress when it saw its ‘natural’
course of change and development rudely interrupted with the coming of
thousands of foreign Mujahideen, establishing Jihadi Seminaries and recruitment
of students of those religious institutions including locals by the US and Pakistan
in the 1980s to fight a jihad against what was then the Soviet Union. The story
of how the world abandoned the Mujahideen and Afghanistan, following the end of
the Cold War is well known. But what is, perhaps, not known is that FATA too
was abandoned, leaving it with a jihadi mindset, an abundance of cheap modern
weapons and easy entry and exit of foreign Mujahideen. The weaponization of
society and the presence of foreign extremist elements has dealt a serious blow
to the tribal system. This in large part is responsible for the current
imbroglio.
On the other hand, no serious efforts were ever made by the government
to change the FCR, reduce poverty and give effective political representation,
basic human rights and a mechanism to redress grievances to this marginalized
region of Pakistan. By failing to fulfil its obligations, the state appears to
have abandoned FATA to its fate. People in tribal agencies have suffered
heavily for being consigned to the backwaters, ignored and exploited for jihadi
activities. The resulting militancy has considerably weakened the tribal
structure as well as the old system of governance that cannot be revived.
These slogans raised by PTM, gained the military’s top brass attention
and considered it anti state movement supported by Indian RAW and NDS of
Afghanistan. In this connection few instances are quoted as:
1) Lt General
Nazir Ahmad Butt, the then corps commander Peshawar in a statement said that
PTM’s “demands
are genuine and we are ready to address all demands within the purview of the
Constitution.”
The military’s decision
to hold a dialogue with the PTM, which was previously termed an “engineered
movement” supported by Pakistan’s foes, is certainly surprising. While the choice
of a dialogue is a prudent approach, considering
the movement’s demands fall in the ambit of the country’s’
constitution, it remains unclear why Pakistan’s powerful military has decided
to enter a dialogue with the group at this point.
2) Speaking
at an investiture ceremony in Rawalpindi on April 12, General
Qamar Javed Bajwa, in an obvious reference to the
Pakhtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), warned that ‘engineered protests’
will not be allowed to reverse the gains of counter-terrorism operations. The army chief may
have had his reasons for labelling the PTM protests as ‘engineered’ and there
may very well be evidence of the el
3) On
3rd May 2019, at press conference by former Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, the
Inter-Services Public Relations director general, now corps commander
12 corps Quetta, covered a lot of ground and addressed many
questions. It also left behind some fresh questions. The most important
concerns, according to the military spokesman was foreign funding for the
Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement and the idiom and style of the PTM at its
protest demonstrations. The
then ISPR chief mentioned several instances of PTM leaders receiving funds from
hostile neighbors. He also said they had had several meetings with the enemy.
He announced that law would take its course against PTM leaders who had been
flouting it. He added that the law-abiding citizens of what had been the Federally
Administered Tribal Areas would not be harmed. It appeared that the military or
the government will approach a court of law to seek action against the PTM
leaders and produce tangible evidence of their guilt. There was no ambiguity
about the message as the general (twice) told the PTM, “Your time is up.” But
that never happened due to reasons best known to military establishment.
(To be continued)
Sher Khan Bazai, the writer is retired
from civil service as Secretary Education
https://www.eurasiareview.com/14022023-why-pashtun-nationalism-is-considered-a-major-fault-line-in-pakistan-glimpses-of-history-part-iv-oped/
