PTM’s militancy

PushtunTahafuz Movement (PTM) leaders MohsinJaved and Ali Wazir led a group armed men and attacked security forces checkpost of Kharqamar in the tribal district of North Waziristan, injuring five Jawan. The forces returned the fire that killed 3 attackers. The PTM leaders wanted to exert pressure to get an arrested terrorist released from custody. Ali Wazir has been arrested whereas MosinJavedDawar ran away from the spot of the attack and is at large. Curfew has been imposed in the area.

Articulating the government’s response, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting, Dr. FirduosAsiqAwan describe the incident highly deplorable and said the PTM leadership is playing in the hands of world powers and the people dislike their style of politics.

Responding to a question during press conference in Larkana, Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari gave a clean chit to PTM leader MohsinJaved and said that he does not understand that how can a member of parliament can lead the attack on a checkpost of security forces. He argued that branding the politicians who uphold democracy and rule of law paves the way for negative tendencies.

The PTM was a less known group till few months before the previous general elections. Before their first show of political power in Peshawar, President PukhtunkhwaMilliawami Party Mahmood Khan Ackzai had made an extensive tour of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa who is the strong proponent of “Lar au bar YauPukhtun.”This negative tendency was articulated by MohinJaved in tweeter message a few days ago. The message said that “geographies change but ethnic identity remains intact. I am Afghan and will remain Afghan.” He has deliberately used the word Afghan instead of Pukhtun. In the present day Afghanistan the people call their nationality as Afghan whether they are Pushtuns or Uzbecs or others people of other ethnic identity. All the refugees who have been living in Pakistan for the past 40 years show their nationality as Afghans.

It is very unfortunate that the leadership of a mainstream political party is lending its political and moral support to centrifugal forces and justifying it with the contention of upholding democracy and rule of law. In the past this sort of logic had given great damage to national cohesion. Justifying the acts of taking law of the land in one’s own hands in the garb of democracy will encouraged militant groups operating from the soil of Afghanistan. In another incident of violence a Pakistan Army soldier was martyred when a group of terrorists raided the Maki Garhcheckpost in the Shawal area of North Waziristan on Monday. Moreover, five bullets riddled bodies were recovered from a nullah near Kharqamarchechpost where in exchange of fire between the security forces and armed PTM supporters’ three people were killed.

Without waiting for investigation by the concerned civil agencies the Human rights Commission of Pakistan has demanded the release of MNA Ali Wazir and called for setting up parliamentary commission to conduct a probe into the matter  what they described the establishment of truth. Is their stance not recalcitrant to the rule of law? After entering the mainstream political activity, the PTM leadership is intelligently and discretely using their propaganda techniques to gain sympathy and political support which not only influence the ordinary people but academia and young lawyers of legal fraternity as well. The venom they are spreading needs to be countered by exposing their hidden agenda and educating people about their nefarious designs in the tribal districts of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa.