Rabiya_Khan
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Who is funding PTM and why?
In Pashto, the slogans thundering the grounds in which Manzoor Pashteen sits sounds something like “Fojian ba wajnu. Kalia foj ba watan na basu. Khana jangi pkar da. Lar aw bar yao Afg”. (We will kill soldiers & Remove Kalia army. Civil war is needed. Both sides are Afghanistan’s).
Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), Manzoor Pashteen’s brain child, a movement supposedly fighting for the rights of Pashtun people of Pakistan but so cleverly masked in ethnic woes that it becomes hard to see the reality behind its propaganda. It is easy to contend that PTM demands have legitimacy because of its following, however, the MQM regime under Altaf Hussain had such a following albeit greater in number. However, beyond the superficial number of followers and the smokescreen of “constitutional” demands lie important questions about the real agenda of PTM and the money it has.
The agenda put up by Manzoor Pashteen includes demands that can clearly be seen for their anti-state spirit. Within the course of his sit-ins and protests, certain anti-army slogans were raised, the idea of an independent Pakhtunistan was circulated in hushed tones and the Pakistani flag was barred from being raised.
Those who were capable of making an opinion free from ethnic motivations and bias were quick to point out the treasonous behavior of PTM and its followers and felt agitated at how it was still being allowed to function freely in the country. This gave rise to the Pakistan Zindabad Movement which followed the PTM everywhere it went and called it out over its anti-state agenda. Even the tribal leadership that had previously contacted the government over its grievances resolutely opposed Manzoor Pashteen and his agenda.
Many dubious media and political stalwarts such as Mehmood Achakzai, Hussain Haqqani, Marvi Sarmad and Asfandyar Ali etc, flocked to the support of PTM and basked in the anti-Pakistan glory of its propaganda. Afghanistan’s Senate and President separately lauded Manzoor Pashteen’s efforts, and many international publications such as Voice of America and Al-Jazeera endorsed the movement. It was interesting to see that those who would not raise their voices and exercise their influence over the real issue of Rohingya and Kashmir crisis had all the time for PTM’s malicious propaganda.
Manzoor Pashteen has played his cards diplomatically, refusing to give any clarity on the matter of his movement’s bonhomie with foreign politicians, exiled and disgraced dissents and terrorist sympathizing figures while constantly holding the Army responsible for the Pashtun plight, raising many eyebrows in the course of his PTM activism. Not only is he uncomfortable in stating his views on the FATA-KPK merger, the major hurdle in FATA mainstreaming, he has always evaded anyone attempting to uncover his ambitions.
The learned and informed have rightfully pointed out that PTM has chosen a convenient time to come to the surface and demand whatever rights they feel are not being catered for. For one, the menace of terrorism was the greatest threat to the sovereignty of the Pashtun and their rights in FATA and North Waziristan, a menace bravely eradicated by none other than the Pakistan Armed Forces. If Manzoor Pashteen is the human rights champion as he claims, why was he missing when members of the Pashtun community were being massacred by Taliban? Why surface when peace is finally being restored to the afflicted areas and the Pashtun people are being rehabilitated and their lives normalized?
Pashtun plight and sensational allegations against the state and army may have been enough to attract attention from ethnically biased people, but sentimentalism is not enough to deter people from inquiring about the source of PTM funding that has catalyzed its self-serving parade throughout the country.
It is not unnatural to wonder that how Manzoor Pashteen manages to gather enough money to march throughout the country and bring his followers along. After all, the only other time people see such sit-ins and protests are when political parties mobilize to gain public favor. Parties like PTI, PMLN, PPP etc. have a strong hold in the form of loyalists, both citizens and ex-pats, who can donate generously to their cause without exhausting themselves. Since PTM is neither a political entity nor claims to have any political links, it is absurd to assume that such a movement was able to gather huge sums of money from thin air.
Manzoor Pashteen stated during an interview that he was raising money by gathering “Chanda” (Donations) from the tribal area residents he claims to represent. Even if one is to believe that this is the case, how can it be justified that a territory which barely recovered from the period of war and terrorism it underwent has enough to unselfishly give away?
FATA and North Waziristan are no metropolitans, they are poverty ridden war affected areas that are only just being rehabilitated by the humanitarian and developmental efforts of the army. Pakistan’s official report on multidimensional poverty launched by the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform documented that about 73% of FATA’s population suffers from multi-dimensional poverty, making it one of the poorest regions in the country. During the Taliban regime, money was extorted from residents, land unrightfully snatched and for those who were able to flee, the uncertainty of the years of war drained their financial resources. During the course of TTP rule, 4.5 million people were displaced and lived in refugee camps becoming subsequently penniless and dependent on government support for the very basic of needs.
Plainly stating, facts do not corroborate the heartfelt story of sacrifice by the Pashtun tribesmen that Manzoor Pashteen narrates to his audience. The same facts indicate that people of FATA and North Waziristan simply do not have the sort of money to throw at the feet of a young man who has risen out of the blue to demand “constitutional rights” on their behalf, regardless of how appealing it sounds. They do not have the financial ability or stability to continuously sustain PTM long marches, rallies and sit-ins that PTM social media accounts relate are attended by thousands. Even if one refrains from out rightly alleging that PTM is indeed being sponsored by foreign entities, interested in achieving their anti-Pakistan agendas through spreading discord and employing proxy war tactics, PTM has failed to provide sustainable argument and evidence that could strengthen its case, leaving behind a sense of doubt, inhibitions and suspicions.
SO WHO IS FUNDING PTM, AND WHY?
source: http://biafakhar.blogspot.com/2018/05/who-is-funding-ptm-and-why.html
In Pashto, the slogans thundering the grounds in which Manzoor Pashteen sits sounds something like “Fojian ba wajnu. Kalia foj ba watan na basu. Khana jangi pkar da. Lar aw bar yao Afg”. (We will kill soldiers & Remove Kalia army. Civil war is needed. Both sides are Afghanistan’s).
Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), Manzoor Pashteen’s brain child, a movement supposedly fighting for the rights of Pashtun people of Pakistan but so cleverly masked in ethnic woes that it becomes hard to see the reality behind its propaganda. It is easy to contend that PTM demands have legitimacy because of its following, however, the MQM regime under Altaf Hussain had such a following albeit greater in number. However, beyond the superficial number of followers and the smokescreen of “constitutional” demands lie important questions about the real agenda of PTM and the money it has.
The agenda put up by Manzoor Pashteen includes demands that can clearly be seen for their anti-state spirit. Within the course of his sit-ins and protests, certain anti-army slogans were raised, the idea of an independent Pakhtunistan was circulated in hushed tones and the Pakistani flag was barred from being raised.
Those who were capable of making an opinion free from ethnic motivations and bias were quick to point out the treasonous behavior of PTM and its followers and felt agitated at how it was still being allowed to function freely in the country. This gave rise to the Pakistan Zindabad Movement which followed the PTM everywhere it went and called it out over its anti-state agenda. Even the tribal leadership that had previously contacted the government over its grievances resolutely opposed Manzoor Pashteen and his agenda.
Many dubious media and political stalwarts such as Mehmood Achakzai, Hussain Haqqani, Marvi Sarmad and Asfandyar Ali etc, flocked to the support of PTM and basked in the anti-Pakistan glory of its propaganda. Afghanistan’s Senate and President separately lauded Manzoor Pashteen’s efforts, and many international publications such as Voice of America and Al-Jazeera endorsed the movement. It was interesting to see that those who would not raise their voices and exercise their influence over the real issue of Rohingya and Kashmir crisis had all the time for PTM’s malicious propaganda.
Manzoor Pashteen has played his cards diplomatically, refusing to give any clarity on the matter of his movement’s bonhomie with foreign politicians, exiled and disgraced dissents and terrorist sympathizing figures while constantly holding the Army responsible for the Pashtun plight, raising many eyebrows in the course of his PTM activism. Not only is he uncomfortable in stating his views on the FATA-KPK merger, the major hurdle in FATA mainstreaming, he has always evaded anyone attempting to uncover his ambitions.
The learned and informed have rightfully pointed out that PTM has chosen a convenient time to come to the surface and demand whatever rights they feel are not being catered for. For one, the menace of terrorism was the greatest threat to the sovereignty of the Pashtun and their rights in FATA and North Waziristan, a menace bravely eradicated by none other than the Pakistan Armed Forces. If Manzoor Pashteen is the human rights champion as he claims, why was he missing when members of the Pashtun community were being massacred by Taliban? Why surface when peace is finally being restored to the afflicted areas and the Pashtun people are being rehabilitated and their lives normalized?
Pashtun plight and sensational allegations against the state and army may have been enough to attract attention from ethnically biased people, but sentimentalism is not enough to deter people from inquiring about the source of PTM funding that has catalyzed its self-serving parade throughout the country.
It is not unnatural to wonder that how Manzoor Pashteen manages to gather enough money to march throughout the country and bring his followers along. After all, the only other time people see such sit-ins and protests are when political parties mobilize to gain public favor. Parties like PTI, PMLN, PPP etc. have a strong hold in the form of loyalists, both citizens and ex-pats, who can donate generously to their cause without exhausting themselves. Since PTM is neither a political entity nor claims to have any political links, it is absurd to assume that such a movement was able to gather huge sums of money from thin air.
Manzoor Pashteen stated during an interview that he was raising money by gathering “Chanda” (Donations) from the tribal area residents he claims to represent. Even if one is to believe that this is the case, how can it be justified that a territory which barely recovered from the period of war and terrorism it underwent has enough to unselfishly give away?
FATA and North Waziristan are no metropolitans, they are poverty ridden war affected areas that are only just being rehabilitated by the humanitarian and developmental efforts of the army. Pakistan’s official report on multidimensional poverty launched by the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform documented that about 73% of FATA’s population suffers from multi-dimensional poverty, making it one of the poorest regions in the country. During the Taliban regime, money was extorted from residents, land unrightfully snatched and for those who were able to flee, the uncertainty of the years of war drained their financial resources. During the course of TTP rule, 4.5 million people were displaced and lived in refugee camps becoming subsequently penniless and dependent on government support for the very basic of needs.
Plainly stating, facts do not corroborate the heartfelt story of sacrifice by the Pashtun tribesmen that Manzoor Pashteen narrates to his audience. The same facts indicate that people of FATA and North Waziristan simply do not have the sort of money to throw at the feet of a young man who has risen out of the blue to demand “constitutional rights” on their behalf, regardless of how appealing it sounds. They do not have the financial ability or stability to continuously sustain PTM long marches, rallies and sit-ins that PTM social media accounts relate are attended by thousands. Even if one refrains from out rightly alleging that PTM is indeed being sponsored by foreign entities, interested in achieving their anti-Pakistan agendas through spreading discord and employing proxy war tactics, PTM has failed to provide sustainable argument and evidence that could strengthen its case, leaving behind a sense of doubt, inhibitions and suspicions.
SO WHO IS FUNDING PTM, AND WHY?
source: http://biafakhar.blogspot.com/2018/05/who-is-funding-ptm-and-why.html
