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 elusive ‘foreign hand’ trying to co-opt the social movement.
I
obviously do not have access to intelligence reports nor am I acquainted with
the PTM leadership. What has urged me to write this piece is my personal
experience some years ago, much before the brutal murder of Naqeebullah Mehsud
and the emergence of the PTM.
Back
in 2014 I was working on a US drones related project in the UK as part of my
post-doctoral research assignment. I was responsible for Pakistan’s case study
and conducted extensive field-work in Pakistan. In the process I interacted
with not only the civilian and military elite but, more importantly, with a
number of ordinary, displaced people from North and South Waziristan.
As
my research work progressed, a realisation began to dawn on me. tribal elder, a shopkeeper or a student, a
supporter of US drone attacks or someone affected by a drone strike, devoted to
the Taliban ideology or a sworn enemy of TTP militants, a deep distrust of
state institutions came through loud and clear at every level.
During my fieldwork, I was struck by the
Pakhtuns’ clarity of thought. Even when they appreciated US drones for taking
out terrorists they had no doubts that the US was an external aggressor and
intruder. Even as they complained about the harsh treatment at military check
posts, they appreciated the launch of Zarb-e-Azb to rid them of the militants
in their midst
During
my interaction with the tribesmen, I encountered certain recurring themes — their
grievance of being mistreated at check posts manned by army personnel as if ‘we
are terrorists’; the inconvenience faced by the sick due to long curfews; the
observation that collateral damage and infrastructural devastation were caused
not only by US drone strikes but also by the Pakistan military’s selective
operations; that since the creation of Pakistan, the tribal region have been
used by the state for its strategic purposes, leading to unintended
consequences that cause the local people untold sorrow.
No
matter which strata of the tribal society they belonged to, they saw the
Pakistani state’s short-sighted security policies as the primary cause of
FATA’s perennial problems.
At
the same time, their love and loyalty for Pakistan was deeply poignant. All
they were asking for was a redress of their grievances related to development,
civic amenities, human rights and legal reform. PTM is echoing the same
sentiments that the ordinary tribal people shared with me four years ago. It is
therefore difficult to believe that PTM demands are ‘engineered’ and not
home-grown. In fact, what appears to be ‘engineered’ is the smear campaign
being orchestrated by a section of our electronic media.
During
my fieldwork, I was struck by the Pakhtun’s clarity of thought. Even when they
appreciated US drones for taking out terrorists they had no doubts that the US
was an external aggressor and intruder. Even as they complained about the harsh
treatment at military check posts, they appreciated the launch of Zarb-e-Azb to
rid them of the militants in their midst. Sure, some were sceptical of the
military operation’s success at that point in time, but they were never
dismissive of the sacrifices of our brave soldiers.
Not
once did they use derogatory language when sharing their view of the Pakistani
state and its institutions — not even when talking about the dead; the injured
or the missing; long-drawn curfews; shattered households; destroyed businesses
or being second-class citizens in their own land. Anybody else who had suffered
as these people had would probably want to see the country set aflame.
As
a scholar the experience was enlightening; as a Pakistani it was heart-rending.
One could almost touch the palpable pain of these marginalised people sharing
the same territory as the rest of us. Their resilience in the face of untold
suffering and adversity, their feelings of abandonment by the state and the
rest of the society and above all their humility that invariably found
expression in the words, “Madam, thank you for reaching out to us”, never
failed to evoke a deep sense of shame in me. How can we, the more fortunate
ones, remain unconcerned, even misinformed, about the extent of deprivation and
humiliation, experienced by these people on a daily basis?
The
point is, whatever General Bajwa’s reservations about the PTM, the state must
engage their leadership, especially if their protest movement is believed to be
‘engineered’. There is no alternative to engagement to expose the insincerity
of fake claims now is there? Remember the Government-TTP dialogue in
2014? Or could it be that by engaging them, the state will have to face
its own omissions and be forced to take remedial measures. It is therefore more
convenient to not only to suspect PTM leadership but also dismiss the genuine
grievances of ordinary people.
A
FATA-KP merger may turn out to be a step in the right direction, but it will
not automatically ameliorate the lives of the affected people unless they are
taken on board. It is true that social realities are multifaceted; that the fog
of war gives birth to conspiracy theories and exaggerated claims but in any
civilised society, ordinary voices must be heard, no matter how jarring or
unsolicited.
Please
do not dismiss Pakhtun grievances. Being wary of the messenger must not be
allowed to dilute the authenticity of the message.
The
writer is an academic. She is Hon. Research Fellow, Birmingham University, UK
and the author of Pakistan’s Strategic Choices in the 1990s (Routledge, UK:
2016)
Published
in Daily Times, April 27th 2018.
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