Pashtun Tahafuz Movement
پښتون ژغورنې غورځنګ ( rights of Pashtuns
| |
Chairman | Facebook |
---|---|
Formerly called | Mahsud Tahafuz Movement (From May 2014 until January 2018)[1] |
The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM;
During
History
Background
Pashtun territory has been a war zone since the 1980s, since the Cold War between the Soviet Union and United States and the following conflict between western and Islamist forces. The PTM therefore campaigns against war, blaming both the Taliban and the Pakistani military for the destruction.[12]
Early history
The movement was founded as Mahsud Tahafuz Movement in May 2014 by eight students in Dera Ismail Khan as an initiative for removing
The movement rose to prominence in January 2018 when it began a justice movement for
The movement, which has inspired global Pashtun solidarity, has been dominated by youth, and thrives on social media while lacking significant coverage in mainstream media. According to Saleem Shah, it has challenged military power where typical Pashtun nationalist parties have not dared. However, the PTM lacks organizational structure and a political manifesto, as of 2018.[12]
In November 2018, PTM launched a justice movement for Tahir Dawar, a police officer and Pashto poet who was abducted from the capital Islamabad and tortured to death, with his corpse found 18 days after disappearance in the Dur Baba District of Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan.[15] PTM, as well as Tahir's family, demanded that Tahir's murder must be investigated through an international commission rather than a Pakistani one because the case involved two countries.[16][17] PTM again gained international press coverage in February 2019 when the Balochistan Police allegedly extrajudicially murdered one of the leaders of PTM, Arman Loni, in Loralai. Protests followed which led to the detention of more than 20 PTM activists, including Gulalai Ismail and Abdullah Nangyal.[18][19][20][21] In May 2020, after the assassination of PTM leader Arif Wazir, another wave of widespread protests was held during which several PTM activists, including Gilaman and Nadeem Askar, were arrested by Pakistani authorities.[22] The Pashteen hat (also known as the Mazari hat) has become the most iconic symbol of PTM, as Manzoor Pashteen regularly wears it at public rallies and events.[23]
Kharqamar incident
On 26 May 2019, there was a clash between the Pakistan Army and PTM activists who were holding a protest gathering near the Kharqamar check post in
After almost four months in jail, Wazir and Dawar were released on bail on 21 September 2019.[29] On 14 October 2020, the government withdrew the Kharqamar case against PTM, and Wazir and Dawar were acquitted of the charges against them.[30][31]
Objectives
The main demands of PTM presented during the Pashtun Long March's gatherings in 2018 included, among others:
State Terrorism
The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement has highly demanded that
Torture of Pashtuns
PTM demands that torture and collective punishment against entire villages and tribes in the Pashtun tribal areas, especially after a violent incident, must be stopped[33] The humiliation of locals at army checkpoints in the Pashtun areas must be ended.[4]
Pashtun marches
Islamabad sit-in
On 26 January 2018, the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement organized a protest march starting from
The sit-in in Islamabad ended on 10 February, but the organizers of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement announced that they would reconvene the protest if their demands were not fulfilled by the government.
On 13 May 2018, family members of missing Pakistanis participated in a protest rally by Pashtun Tahafuz Movement in Karachi, Pakistan by holding photos of their relatives.[43]
Public gatherings
PTM has held public demonstrations at various places, including
Media blackouts
The powershows and rallys of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement are not shown by mainstream media channels as they are not allowed by the
On 23 March 2018, the PTM meeting was scheduled to be held in
The movement's anthem is "Da Sanga Azadi Da?", which means "What kind of freedom is this?". Many Pashtun's have discovered their voice with this anthem and it encloses the various grievances they have from being caught between the militants and the military.[50][51]
On 26 April 2019,
Criticism of the Pakistan Army
PTM is critical of the Pakistan Army and accuses the state of violating the basic human rights of the Pashtuns,[59] but the Pakistan Army has claimed that PTM is backed by foreign powers and their gatherings are "engineered".[60][61] PTM claims that as a result, news organizations in Pakistan have been pressured to ignore PTM, and university professors have been forced to identify the students attending PTM's protest gatherings.[60] Some Pakistani politicians and journalists also view PTM as working on a foreign or Pashtun nationalist agenda.[62] However, PTM's leadership has claimed that they are protesting through peaceful means within the Constitution of Pakistan.[9]
PTM leader
See also
- Waziristan
- Killing of Naqeebullah Mehsud
- Manzoor Pashteen
- Ali Wazir
- Mohsin Dawar
- Forced disappearances in Pakistan
- Pakistan and state-sponsored terrorism
- Targeted killings in Pakistan
- People's Peace Movement (Afghanistan)
References
- ^ a b c "Anatomy of a political moment". Himal Southasian. 15 June 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
- ^ a b c PTM seeks formation of commission on extrajudicial killings. Dawn. 23 April 2018.
- ^ a b c Produce missing persons in courts, says PTM. Dawn. 30 April 2018.
- ^ a b c Pakistan's Manzoor Pashteen: 'Pashtuns are fed up with war', dw.com, 2018-04-11.
- ^ "Manzoor Pashteen: The voice of Pashtuns for many in Pakistan". www.aljazeera.com. 17 March 2018. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
- ^ "د پښتنو د پاڅون مشر منظور پښتون څوک دی؟". VOA Deewa (in Pashto). 13 February 2018. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
- ^ "Two PTM leaders make it to NA". The News International. 29 July 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
- ^ "Why female Pashtun activists matter for PTM". Asia Times. 24 January 2019. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- ^ a b "Pakistan's Counterproductive Dismissal of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement".
- ^ "Angry, Bitter, and Ignored in Afghanistan". Daily Pakistan. 8 February 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
- ^ "Afghan Leader Roils Pakistan With Pashtun Comments". Voice of America. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
- ^ a b Shams, Shamil (9 April 2018). "Pashtuns rise up against war, Taliban and Pakistani military". Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
- ^ "د پښتنو منظور پښتون له کومه راغی؟". BBC Pashto (in Pashto). 11 March 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
- ^ "Young Pashtuns have shown the mirror to 'mainstream' Pakistan". Daily Times. 11 February 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
- ^ Sama, Digital (15 November 2018). "A cross-border mystery: Timeline of SP Tahir Khan Dawar's murder". SAMAA TV. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
- ^ "SP Tahir Dawar's brother rejects JIT, calls for investigation at 'international level'". Dawn. 17 November 2018. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
- ^ "Tahir Dawar's kidnapping, murder probe: Family reiterates demand for international commission". The News International. 11 February 2019. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
- ^ "Activist Gulalai Ismail thanks PM Khan for 'ensuring her release' after 30-hour detention". Dawn. 7 February 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
- ^ Niazi, Abdullah. "Abdullah Nangyal, Gulalai Ismail among dozens of PTM workers held in capital". Pakistan Today. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
- ^ "Rights activist Gulalai Ismail arrested from Islamabad". Dawn. 6 February 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
- ^ "Over 20 PTM activists arrested in Islamabad". Dawn. 6 February 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
- ^ "Amid complete media blackout, PTM stages worldwide protests against killing of Arif Wazir". Sayhoon News. 6 May 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
- ^ Alikozai, Hasib Danish (6 April 2018). "Hats Proliferate as Symbol of Pashtun Protest Movement". Voice of America. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
A military spokesman said that its members attacked and wounded security forces before any shooting started — though the army has shown no evidence to counter witness accounts and videos largely pointing to the contrary.
- ^ "Ruckus in NA after govt blames PTM leaders for 'discord in House'". Pakistan Today. 1 June 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
- ^ "3 killed, 15 injured in 'PTM-Army clash' in North Waziristan". Pakistan Today. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
- ^ "Soldier Injured In Attack On North Waziristan Checkpost Passes Away". UrduPoint. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
- ^ "Opposition questions PM's silence on N. Waziristan incident". Dawn. 28 May 2019. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
- ^ "MNAs Ali Wazir, Mohsin Dawar released from jail as bail goes into effect". Dawn. 21 September 2019.
- ^ "KP government withdraws Kharqamar case against PTM leaders, others". Dawn. 14 October 2020. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
- ^ "Kharqamar cases withdrawn by KP govt". www.pakistantoday.com.pk. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
- ^ "Redefining citizenship in Pakistan". sayhoon.com. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
- ^ "Manzoor Pashteen: Our protest is non-violent and constitutional". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
- ^ "Long march against Naqeeb killing reaches Peshawar". Daily Times. 29 January 2018. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
- ^ Manzoor Ahmad Pashteen (11 February 2019). "The Military Says Pashtuns Are Traitors. We Just Want Our Rights". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ "A 'Pashtun spring' bloom?". The Express Tribune. 17 March 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
- ^ "Pashtun Tribes Stage Unprecedented Protest in Pakistan". The Diplomat. 8 February 2018. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
- ^ "Decades of suffering leave the Pashtun youth angry". The Week. 6 February 2018. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
- ^ "3rd day of Pashtun sit-in: Protesters refuse to budge till acceptance of demands". Pakistan Today. 3 February 2018. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
- ^ "In Pakistan, Long-Suffering Pashtuns Find Their Voice". The New York Times. 6 February 2018. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
- ^ "Pashtuns End Protest in Islamabad, Vow to Reconvene if Demands Not Met". Voice of America. 10 February 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
- ^ a b "Pashtun Dharna conditionally ends after PM's assurances - Daily Times". Daily Times. 10 February 2018. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
- ^ "Protest and Purdah in Pakistan".
- ^ "Young Pashteen and his political naivety". 15 April 2018.
- ^ "PTM organizes anti-Pakistan protests throughout Europe".
- ^ Censorship, Index on (22 August 2019). "Pakistan's media forced into self-censorship". Index on Censorship. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
- ^ "Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement". The Nation (Pakistan). Nawaiwaqt Group. 28 March 2018. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
Mainstream television channels and media outlets are not reporting and covering the activities of the group. Their only medium to interact with the rest of Pakistan and to keep them updated is through social media. This further strengthens their narrative of being sidelined and ignored by the system.
- ^ "A movement of millennials in Pakistan is dubbed the Pashtun Spring". Deutsche Welle. 9 April 2019. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
- ^ a b "Section 144: Pashtun Tahafuz Movement barred from campuses - The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 29 March 2018. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
- ^ Khan, Ghulam Qadir (3 April 2018). "Pakhtun renaissance". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
- ^ Khan, M. Ilyas (23 April 2018). "The young tribesman rattling Pakistan's army". BBC News. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
- ^ Dawar, Mohsin (26 April 2019). "Today, me & @Aliwazirna50, elected representatives of Waziristan were not allowed to hold a press conference at the Islamabad Press Club despite having a booking. We know who is behind this, but we also wonder whether they know what they are doing to the unity of this federation?". @mjdawar. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
- ^ Gohar, Bushra (26 April 2019). "What a shame? Darta hain bandonkon walla purAman #PTM #Pashtun naujowano sa! #PakMediaUnderSiege". @BushraGohar (in Hindi). Retrieved 8 July 2019.
- ^ Sanaullah, Khan (27 April 2019). "National Press Club says no prior booking made for axed PTM press conference". Dawn. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
- ^ "Pashtun Activists Denied Media Time After Military Claims". Gandara. 30 April 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
- ^ "'Time is up': DG ISPR warns PTM leadership in press conference". Dawn. Pakistan. 29 April 2019. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
- ^ Taha Siddiqui (13 January 2018). "The PTM in Pakistan: Another Bangladesh in the making?". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ a b Kathy Gannon. "Pashtun rights group accuses Pakistan army of abuses". Associated Press News.
- ^ "'Engineered protests' won't be allowed, says army chief". Dawn.
- ^ "Manzoor Pashteen's PTM: A 'Rights Movement' or a new 'Regional Agenda'?".
- ^ a b McDonnell, Tim (2 October 2019). "Escape To New York: Afraid For Her Life, A Pakistani Activist Seeks Asylum". NPR. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
- ^ "From Gutters and War Zones". Newsweek Pakistan. 23 July 2018. Archived from the original on 25 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
- ^ "The Pashtuns' Year of Living Dangerously". The American Interest. 8 March 2019. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
- ^ "PTM MNA Ali Wazir arrested from Peshawar". Archived from the original on 1 September 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
- ^ "Here's what Pakistan Army chief commented about Nawaz Sharif, Ali Wazir in closed-door meeting". Daily Pakistan Global. 2 July 2021.
- ^ "Those maligning country, institutions cannot be easily forgiven: military leadership". Dunya News.
- ^ "Pashtuns organise rally against Pakistan in New York". Asian News International.
- ^ "Parties convene Jirga to defend rights of Pashtuns in Pakistan". Asian News International. 12 March 2022.