Unity among the People of FATA and KP against India Thwarted PTM’S Anti-State Narrative
By Sajjad Shaukat
External powers which have been supporting the Baloch Sub-Nationalists (BSNs) are also behind the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) as part of their unfinished agenda against Pakistan. They left no stone unturned in misguiding the people of the Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) by creating one after another issue.
In this regard, emergence of the PTM at a crucial time, which is being paid by anti-Pakistan hostile elements and countries, aimed at accentuating the ethnic cleavages of the country, influence Pashtun population in pursuance of strategic objectives of the external powers. So, it stands exposed that the PTM is heavily dependent on foreign support and financing.
Strangely, PTM leaders are pursuing the agenda through a web having signatures of Foreign HIAS. Case of the US Army veteran Colonel, Lawrence Sellin can be quoted as a new example. Colonel Sellin has started tweeting on anti-Pakistan themes about China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Pakistan’s role in Afghanistan, Balochistan, Sub-nationalism (Pashtun, Sindhi, Mohajir, Baloch). He has been following the narratives mostly of Afghanistan’s intelligence agency National Directorate of Security (NDS) and RAW. He also writes anti-Pakistan Blogs and articles. Baloch, PTM and sub-nationalists and Hussain Haqqani are his followers on twitter.
It is mentionable that three people were killed and five soldiers injured in a clash between security forces and Pashtun PTM protesters on May 26, this year in North Waziristan.
In this respect army’s media wing DG of Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major-General Asif Ghafoor said: “a group led by Mohsin Javed and Ali Wazir, assaulted Kharqamar check post, Boyya, North Waziristan tribal district…five soldiers were injured due to the firing of the group…three individuals who attacked the check post lost their lives during the exchange of firing. MNA Ali Wazir along with eight others has been arrested while Mohsin Javed is at large…Only few are inciting and using the people against state institutions for vested agenda. No one will be allowed to undo the gains of decades long national struggle and sacrifices especially of brave Pakistani tribals…Some of the people have become agents of the foreign forces. They are misguiding people by doing propaganda against the state.”
In this connection, police registered an FIR against the PTM workers for shouting slogans against the army and Pakistan—the protesters hurled stones at the army post and that armed supporters of Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar attacked the security post and opened fire.
In March, this year, Qila Saifullah police in Quetta booked PTM representatives Manzoor Pashteen, Moshin Dawar and Ali Wazir in a hate speech case. The FIR said Pashteen criticised the army and intelligence agencies.
Having lost it s credibility after arrest of Mohsin Dawar and Ali Wasir, Manzoor Pashteen’s PTM is like a dead donkey.
Meanwhile, in the aftermath of the India’s false flag terror attack in the Pulwama district of the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IoK) which occurred on February 14, 2019, tension escalated rapidly between India and Pakistan when on February 27, this year, in response to the Indian so-called pre-emptive air strike near the town of Balakot, close to the border with Pakistan’s sector of Kashmir, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) shot down two Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets and launched aerial strikes at six targets in the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IoK).
Regarding Indian surgical strike, Maj-Gen. Asif Ghafoor elaborated: “There are only mud-brick homes. There is no madrassas. There isn’t even a concrete house…Two of the dried mud structures were damaged in the explosions…No one has been killed, no one has been seriously hurt…Indian planes crossed into the Muzafarabad sector of Pakistani-side of Kashmir…Pakistan scrambled its warplanes and the Indian jets released their payload in haste near Balakot.”
However, in the post Pulwama and especially after PAF blunted Indian tree strike, thousands of tribal Pakistanis from FATA and KP had rallied for Pakistan and offered their services for war against Indian aggression.
Warlike situation accelerated between New Delhi and Islamabad since Indian extremist Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration revoked special status of the Jummu and Kashmir on August 5, this year after scrapping articles 35A and 370 of the Constitution in a malevolent attempt to turn Muslim majority into minority in the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK). Since then, India authorities have continued lockdown and curfew in the large parts of that region. Indian forces also martyred many people by intensifying firing at the stones-pelting Kashmiris who are protesting against Indian illegal actions.
With the intensification of firing by the Indian Army across the Line of Control (LoC), which has been targeting the innocent civilians in Pakistani side of Kashmir, including Pakistan Army which has been compelled to give a matching response to Indian forces, tension has further increased between the two countries.
Western media have, continuously, been focusing Kashmir, while condemning Modi’s illegal moves. So, in order to divert attention from the critical situation of the Indian Held Kashmir, Premier Modi can take the risk of war with Pakistan.
At this crucial time, besides the people of other provinces, unity among the people of FATA and KP against Indian prospective aggression has thwarted the PTM’S anti-state narrative.
Our enemies in India and on the western borders know the glorious history of proud and ghairatmand tribal people of erstwhile FATA and KP, who liberated Azad Kashmir from jaws of India in 1948. In their hearts, they know that history may be repeated this time again.
Same phenomenon with more vigour has been witnessed with people from across Pakistan volunteering to join Pak Army for liberation of the Occupied Kashmir.
In fact, Manzoor Pashteen has come out with a pathetic narrative on behest of his pay masters in RAW and NDS, not realising that this narrative has lost his relevance.
Pashtuns from across Pakistan have been integral part of our Defence Forces and have rendered enormous sacrifices to defend the motherland. From a soldier to a General Pashtun officers and ranks have a glorious history. We just observed the Shahadat Anniversary of Captain Karnal Sher Khan-the Lion of Kargil. So, what is Manzoor Pashteen talking about? Is he on weeds?
Notably, if he is champion of Pashtuns, he may tell occupation forces in Afghanistan to leave, as their presence has caused killing of almost half million Afghans and devastation of Pashtun homeland. Manzoor Pashteen is a traitor of Pashtun Qaum and he deserves a place with Mir Jaffars and Mir Saddiqs.
In this context, videos of tribal elders who have offered to fight for liberation of the Indian Controlled Kashmir show counter-narrative of Manzoor Pashteen
Undoubtedly, unity among the people of FATA and KP against India has thwarted PTM’S anti-state narrative.
Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations
Email: sajjad_logic@yahoo.com
