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By Atta Rasool Malik
Pashtuns are suffering in the South Asian region. In Afghanistan, they are kept out of power and facing the wrath of NATO-led ISAF. In FATA Pakistan, they are troubled by drone attacks, and Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR), an outdated and cruel system of collective punishment. Newly formed, The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) is also proving yet another jumping out of the frying pan into the fire.
Historically, the word Pashtun has been interchangeably used for Afghan. The people who initially inhibited in the south-east of the Amu Darya in Afghanistan, to the west of the Indus River in Pakistan are Pushtun. The Pashtun, or Afghan primarily speak Pashto language and follow Pashtunwali code of conduct. They are primarily found in Afghanistan and Pakistan and form the world's largest tribal society, today.
Today, the Pashtun tribe with over 65 million people live in Pakistan, while approximately over 28 Million people in Afghanistan and another 1.5 million or more live in Iran. There are 1.8 million registered and unregistered Afghan refugees are in Pakistan, a majority of which are Pashtuns.
Pakistani Pashtun, over 26 million live in KPK, 9 million in FATA, and around 7 million in Karachi alone. 9 million in Punjab, 3 million in Sindh and 6.5 million in Baluchistan. The figure does not include the Niazi tribe of Mianwali who are also Pathans but fewer speak the Pashto language. Pashtuns are very well knit in Pakistani society and enjoy power positions in government, civil and military bureaucracy. They also enjoy vast connectivity due to inter-marriages with other ethnic groups.
General Bajwa Meeting with Pashtun elders
The Pashtun for the first time want to move away from the concept of “illaqa-e-ghair” and fully integrate into Pakistani state and its legal system. The most surprisingly current Pakistan government is also found apathetic and sluggish to its new development and not meeting the demand of Pashtun.
Anti-Pakistan forces’ are using few politicians, political activists, and social workers to slow down integration of FATA into mainstream Pakistan. The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), a noble student initiative launched in 2013 for the purpose of clearing landmines in Waziristan has been high jacked. The movement rightfully protested the extra-judicial killing of Naqeebullah Mehsud by the police force in Karachi. A long march followed by a sit-in in Islamabad was organized by the movement and the same was supported by many patriotic citizens of Pakistan. However, later, key personnel of PTM have started making radical speeches against Pak Army and its security agencies in Baluchistan forgetting the human right of Pashtun.
Afghan top political leadership, few crooks of Awami National Party (ANP) and ultra-liberals are provoking the Pashtun. Anti- Pakistan speeches of PTM workers are also attracting wide publicity by Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), a United States funded organization. Another website Gandhara, and Mashaal Radio is found cultivating suspicion between Pakistan military and Pashtun.
Saira Bano Orakzai, a proud Pashtun at Research Fellow at Harvard University in her recent article says the time is ripe for the people of the tribal areas to make a clear choice; to struggle to restore rights and peace or to struggle against this country’s institutions and ideology, only to get entangled in a perpetual conflict. Thus, derailing an already fragile reforms process for FATA’s future.
The government of Pakistan without further loss of time should immediately merge FATA with KPK and implement FATA reforms. The alleged killing of Naqeebullah Mehsud by Rao Anwar be immediately resolved because inquisitive forces are exploiting the situation. The PEMRA must monitor and check the hostile propaganda against the unity and interests of Pashtun people on national and International media.
It is high time Pashtun should identify their enemies and friends.
* The author hails from semi-tribal areas of Pakistan. Holds an M Phil Degree from National Defence University Islamabad. He can be reached at attarasul@hotmail.com
Pashtuns are suffering in the South Asian region. In Afghanistan, they are kept out of power and facing the wrath of NATO-led ISAF. In FATA Pakistan, they are troubled by drone attacks, and Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR), an outdated and cruel system of collective punishment. Newly formed, The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) is also proving yet another jumping out of the frying pan into the fire.
Historically, the word Pashtun has been interchangeably used for Afghan. The people who initially inhibited in the south-east of the Amu Darya in Afghanistan, to the west of the Indus River in Pakistan are Pushtun. The Pashtun, or Afghan primarily speak Pashto language and follow Pashtunwali code of conduct. They are primarily found in Afghanistan and Pakistan and form the world's largest tribal society, today.
Today, the Pashtun tribe with over 65 million people live in Pakistan, while approximately over 28 Million people in Afghanistan and another 1.5 million or more live in Iran. There are 1.8 million registered and unregistered Afghan refugees are in Pakistan, a majority of which are Pashtuns.
Pakistani Pashtun, over 26 million live in KPK, 9 million in FATA, and around 7 million in Karachi alone. 9 million in Punjab, 3 million in Sindh and 6.5 million in Baluchistan. The figure does not include the Niazi tribe of Mianwali who are also Pathans but fewer speak the Pashto language. Pashtuns are very well knit in Pakistani society and enjoy power positions in government, civil and military bureaucracy. They also enjoy vast connectivity due to inter-marriages with other ethnic groups.
General Bajwa Meeting with Pashtun elders
The Pashtun for the first time want to move away from the concept of “illaqa-e-ghair” and fully integrate into Pakistani state and its legal system. The most surprisingly current Pakistan government is also found apathetic and sluggish to its new development and not meeting the demand of Pashtun.
Anti-Pakistan forces’ are using few politicians, political activists, and social workers to slow down integration of FATA into mainstream Pakistan. The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), a noble student initiative launched in 2013 for the purpose of clearing landmines in Waziristan has been high jacked. The movement rightfully protested the extra-judicial killing of Naqeebullah Mehsud by the police force in Karachi. A long march followed by a sit-in in Islamabad was organized by the movement and the same was supported by many patriotic citizens of Pakistan. However, later, key personnel of PTM have started making radical speeches against Pak Army and its security agencies in Baluchistan forgetting the human right of Pashtun.
Afghan top political leadership, few crooks of Awami National Party (ANP) and ultra-liberals are provoking the Pashtun. Anti- Pakistan speeches of PTM workers are also attracting wide publicity by Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), a United States funded organization. Another website Gandhara, and Mashaal Radio is found cultivating suspicion between Pakistan military and Pashtun.
Saira Bano Orakzai, a proud Pashtun at Research Fellow at Harvard University in her recent article says the time is ripe for the people of the tribal areas to make a clear choice; to struggle to restore rights and peace or to struggle against this country’s institutions and ideology, only to get entangled in a perpetual conflict. Thus, derailing an already fragile reforms process for FATA’s future.
The government of Pakistan without further loss of time should immediately merge FATA with KPK and implement FATA reforms. The alleged killing of Naqeebullah Mehsud by Rao Anwar be immediately resolved because inquisitive forces are exploiting the situation. The PEMRA must monitor and check the hostile propaganda against the unity and interests of Pashtun people on national and International media.
It is high time Pashtun should identify their enemies and friends.
* The author hails from semi-tribal areas of Pakistan. Holds an M Phil Degree from National Defence University Islamabad. He can be reached at attarasul@hotmail.com
