PTM: Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement or A Foreign Funded Pakistan Torn Movement?

It is a universal truth that enemies do less harm than the traitors because foreign elements cause direct but less damage than the ones who attack from inside. The castle doesn’t fall by the exterior forces mostly, but by the ones which conspire against their own home and break its walls of security and integrity from inside. That is the story of Pakistan. Pakistan is enduring grave consequences owing to her positive and victorious role in the war against terrorism, thus making it impossible for the foreign agents to harm her. However, since her inception, Pakistan has been subjected to proxy wars by her arch rivals. From sponsoring Mukti Bahini to supporting TTP and from nurturing BLA to fostering PTM, the foes of Pakistan have spared no chance of causing an irreparable damage to Pakistan. This time again, the ethnic fault line has been hit harder. The Pashtun subversion has seems to be funded by the anti-Pakistan elements in the name of Pashtun nationalism for the cause of Pashtunistan, which was the dream of Abdul Ghaffar Khan -often known as Sarhadi Gandhi (the Frontier Gandhi). But, the masterminds of this game have forgotten the fact, that the people of Pakistan maintain the Quaid’s stance of being one nation instead of being divided into different ethnicities. 

 

 

The PTM (Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement) originally named as Mehsud Tahaffuz Movement (MTM) appears to be a foreign funded and a foreign designed movement, which exploited and is still exploiting the ethnic fault line as a ground to wage a hybrid war against Pakistan. Initially they made some just demands to which the government assured its support towards resolving their long standing issues. The Senate and the military top leadership even held negotiations with Manzoor Pashteen –the PTM leader. The just and rightful demands of PTM have been heard with great prudence and rationality. The issues of land mines and missing persons have been catered with a grave concern. Even the unjust demand of decreasing the number of security check posts has also been fulfilled. Ironically, the removal of check posts in the war torn area is a prerequisite for establishing the security in that area. The check posts not only guarantee security but also check the militant activities and keep the affected area safe from any insurgency. Pakistan army has fought valiantly against the terror elements to establish peace in the erstwhile FATA; it has sacrificed its men for the peace cause. So, removal of the check posts not only affects the security status but also invites new wave of militancy and terrorism which may lead to the more bloodshed and chaos. Once the security is compromised every school would bleed like the way APS Peshawar bled and that’s what the anti-state forces wish for. Therefore, it becomes quite evident that this demand can’t be made by a patriotic Pakistani but only by the enemy of Pakistan.

 

 

Moreover, the top leadership of PTM has not only made the unjust demands which go against the national interest, but has also delivered the anti-state and anti-establishment hate speeches. There is a perception that Manzoor Pashteen has received and still receives the foreign support. It’s quite astonishing that a 24 year old boy with a Medical background, who has not achieved the practical maturity and political rationality yet, has gotten ingress in foreign media and foreign organizations. Furthermore, there are several questions which need to be answered by the PTM leadership. These questions are as follow;from where did he, Manzoor Pashteen, gets the financial and logistic support to arrange the protests and rallies? Why he doesn’t speak of the perks enjoyed by the Pashtun community in Pakistan? Why he doesn’t highlight the fact that from clearing land mines to building cadet colleges, state has gone an extra mile? Why he refrains from adopting a gentle style of approaching the national forums instead of international ones? Why Mohsin Dawar and Manzoor Pashteen wrote anti-state think pieces for New York Times and Washington Posts? Why most of his supporters hail from Afghanistan? Why The Afghan government behaved against the diplomatic norms and handed the dead body of martyr SP Tahir Khan Dawar to the PTM members instead of handing it to the government officials of Pakistan? Why TTP announced its support towards PTM? Why the the flag of Pakistan was burnt in the PTM rally and the man -Ali Toori- who was holding it was beaten?

 

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In addition to this, the dubious role of Gulalai Ismail -another member of PTM top leadership- and her suspicious record has further strengthened the perception that PTM is a foreign designed tool. Gulalai Ismail ran an NGO in erstwhile FATA which wasfunded by US. Moreover, she’s been ruining a US funded nonprofit soft power organization named NED -National Empowerment for Democracy. She’s also delivered hate speeches against the state and an FIR regarding treason and incitement of ethnic violence has been registered against her. She has been arrested under; section 500, section 153-A and section 124-A of Pakistan Penal Code; section 6/7 of Anti-Terrorism Act 1997; and article 6 of 1973 constitution. 

 

There is a strong perception about a strong nexus between PTM, RAW and NDS. On the same hand, by giving overt coverage to PTM rallies and by showing single-sided prejudicial image of PTM movement the international media has been playing a critically biased role. From the protest in US to the long march in Geneva, everything appears to be foreign sowed and foreign funded. Therefore, it appears that PTM is not a Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement but a Pakistan Torn Movement designed by the foreign elements to make Pakistan bleed in a hybrid way but the enemies of Pakistan seem to have forgotten that they cannot subvert Pashtuns for they were the ones to fight for the integrity of Pakistan right after the inception of Pakistan.