Of PTM and unheard demands of Pashtuns

PESHAWAR: This is high time for Pakistani authorities in general and Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa in particular to engage the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) leadership in dialogue for resolution of genuine issues being faced by the people in Fata and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Since most of PTM demands are related to the law-enforcement agencies, they should take it positively before some vested interests use this platform for their own agenda by creating an impression that voice of smaller communities like Pashtuns isn’t heard in the country, which obviously is not true.

Gen Bajwa’s recent meeting with Naqeebullah Mahsud’s father and his children has conveyed a very positive message, which though should have been done earlier.

Some of the issues being raised by Manzoor Pashteen and his colleagues seem genuine and are needed to be addressed on merit.

It was in fact inability of the Pakistani institutions that created a space for people like Manzoor Pashteen to launch PTM and demand their rights.

The movement gathered pace following Naqeebullah Mahsud’s murder in Karachi when the law-enforcement agencies failed to arrest his alleged killer, SSP Malir Rao Anwar.

It created an impression that the law-enforcement agencies and particularly the Sindh police were protecting Rao Anwar.

The good thing is that Manzoor Pashteen and his aides have chosen a peaceful and constitutional way to achieve their goals.

It would have been better had Pakistani authorities learnt a lesson from the first protest sit-in initiated by PTM in Islamabad.

The authorities played their usual lethargic role and didn’t address concerns of the participants of PTM and this gave more time and space to Manzoor Pashteen to attract more sympathisers.

It has become a strong voice for those whose voices were never heard before.

One doesn’t know what type of picture is being presented to Gen Bajwa and his men about PTM. Perhaps they might be aware that people in KP and Fata would abandon Manzoor Pashteen the day they felt he was working on someone’s agenda.

So far, nothing has been proved against PTM leadership and that is the reason people are looking to Manzoor Pashteen as their messiah as they are fed up with the religious and political forces in KP and Fata.

Manzoor Pashteen and his colleagues should be engaged in negotiations and an amicable solution must be found to address the demands he has been making publicly.

Also, one would like to suggest that Gen Bajwa should immediately order stopping the recent campaigns in support of the military in Fata and KP.

The entire nation owns Pakistan Army and gives it the same respect that they give to other state institutions.

The state and particularly the army doesn’t need a few individuals, some of them discarded elements who are not even respected within their own limited circles, to organise processions in their support.

A limited number of people attended the processions organised in support of the military but it doesn’t mean that it has lost its backing among the people.

Being a national institutional, Pakistan Army would continue to enjoy its popularity among the people of Pakistan.

The military authorities might have realised the blunders made by some of the people in the past and there is no harm in learning from mistakes. It is not too late to take note of the situation.

Manzoor Pashteen should be treated as a true and loyal Pakistani and efforts made that he and his movement aren’t misused by others.

He isn’t making any demand that cannot be addressed. The authorities instead of wasting precious resources on discarded elements to garner public support for them should take PTM and its demands seriously before it becomes a potential threat.