‘How much did you sell
4,000 Pakistanis for?’
*
Manzoor Pashteen seeks truth and reconciliation commission on the country's war
against terrorism and its fall out in tribal regions
APRIL 23, 2018
LAHORE: “Tell us how much money did you get in
return for the Pakistani citizens you sold to Americans. We will raise funds on
our own and pay you so that our loved ones can be brought back. We don’t even
demand that you release them. Present them before courts and punish them under
the law if they are found involved in any crime,” 25-year-old Manzoor Pashteen,
the founding leader of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement, said on Sunday.
He was addressing a public gathering at Lahore’s Mochi Bagh that
was packed to capacity. The gathering went ahead as planned despite attempts
like detention of PTM leaders arrested on Saturday and harassment of workers
convoys on their way to Lahore from other cities.
Earlier in his speech, Pashteen said that a high official had
come to him and other PTM leaders for negotiations three weeks ago and asked
them to withdraw the demand for recovery of those forcibly disappeared. “When
we asked him why can’t the missing people be released, he dodged the question.
A judge later told the nation that most of them had been sold to Americans.”
Pashteen began his speech by stating that because of the
mainstream media’s blackout of the movement, it was the Pashtun community’s
desire [to hold the jalsa] to tell their stories of injustices to the residents
of Lahore.
“Our movement started with Rao Anwar’s arrest in the wake of
Naqeebullah Mehsud’s killing. Anwar and his accomplices wanted the nation to
believe that Naqeebullah was a terrorist and he was a hero. But the people’s
power proved that it is the other way around,” he said, adding that the entire
country saw the result of the PTM’s protest against Anwar.
Speaking about extrajudicial killing, he said under the
Constitution of Pakistan, it was mandatory for security officials to produce a
detainee before the courts within 24 hours detention, adding that the
Constitution was clear that whoever abroagated it was guilty of treason. “You
are traitors since you have violated the Constitution,” he said, addressing the
authorities concerned.
Further, He told stories of Pashtuns from tribal areas who he
said had been victims of atrocities meted out by security personnel. He
narrated the story of two children from North Waziristan whose father had
wanted them to become doctors. He identified the children as Wajah and Wajeeha
and said that their house came under attack by military’s shelling. The two
children died as a result. The next day, he said, the newspapers reported that
terorrists were killed in military’s bombardment. The crowd chanted slogans of
‘shame’ in response.
“Anyone who wants to verify our claims about violence against
the innocent Pashtun citizens can go to the villages and ask if it is a
lie.”You are welcome to investigate our claims. We wil tell you names of the
villages and the dates when these atrocities took place.”
He also told stories of youngsters from FATA who were allegedly
arrested by security forces despite having no links with militants. “Should we
side with the oppressor or with the oppressed”, he asked, adding that it was
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) who taught us to side with the oppressed.
“When the Pashtun citizens speak of peace, they are shot,” he
said, adding that traditional jirga were disbanded and their elders were
killed. He said ‘fake’ mashairs were installed in their place.
Referring to the flooding of the jalsa venue earlier in the day
with sewage water, Pashteen said, “The dirt you spread was cleaned by our youngsters.
This is the difference between you and us. We have been cleaning the filth you
have been spreading.”
Explaining the movement’s criticism of the military, he said,
“we are only against those higher-ups in the military whose flawed decisions
have brought us where we are today. The military dictators who violated the
constitution are real traitors and they should be tried for their criminal
acts.”
Pashteen announced that the PTM would hold a public meeting in
Karachi on May 12. Before that, it would hold a gathering in Swat on April 29.
Before concluding his speech, he extended solidarity with
students and an academic of Punjab Univeristy who had been threatened with dire
consequences for their support for the movement. He thanked the leadership of
the Awami Workers Party, Pashtun community and the residnets of Lahore for
attending the rally.
After his speech, Pashteen was surrounded by young activists and
supporters who wanted selfies with him. Once done with the selfies, he went to
a side and offered Maghrib prayers on the stage. Earlier, he stopped in the
middle of his speech in respect for the azaan.
Another PTM leader Ali Wazir, who lost several of his family
members in military operations and could not attend their funerals because he
was incarcerated under colonial-era FCR, said the youngsters born and raised in
the shadows of war were leading the movement. He said the PTM stood with the
peasant households in Okara who were being victimised by the authorities for
demanding rights to the land their families had been tilling for generations.
Lawyer Hina Jillani also spoke at the jalsa. She said that safe
return of those forcibly disapeared would not be enough. “We want to know who
picks up our sons and daughters and makes them disappeared.”
Advocate Fazal, whose son died in the Army Public School (APS)
attack in December 2014, lamented that no judicial commission had been formed
to investigate the massacre. He said the APS was a consequence of flawed
polcies of seucrity establishment. “I was in touch with my son during the
attack. He was alive 20 minutes into the attack and could have been saved if
there had been timely action.”
Published in Daily Times, April 23rd 2018.
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