Human rights activists, students and politicians staged a protest demonstration in front of the National Press Club against the killing of innocent tribesmen in Khyber Agency and violent police action against peaceful protesters in Peshawar.
The protesters -- mostly students from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), Fata and Balochistan -- were holding banners inscribed with slogans such as “Are Pakhtuns not human”’, “Are they not Pakistanis” and “where is the media”.
They resorted to full-throated sloganeering against the government for its inability to provide protection to the people.
They criticised the government for the treatment meted out to peaceful protesters who had brought the bodies of loved ones brutally murdered by “the so-called protectors of the country”.
“Bullets are being fired at us, what kind of freedom is this,” the protesters shouted.
Speaking to the protesters, Awami National Party’s MNA Bushra Gohar condemned the killings.
“Unless and until the difference between Islamabad and Rawalpindi are sorted out peace in Fata is impossible,” she said.
Defending provincial government’s position, she said order to baton-charge the protesters had been issued from Governor House.
“K-P Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain was heading a jirga negotiating with the protesters to go back, but as soon as the jirga members went inside the Governor House to inform the governor about the protesters’ demands, the police outside started baton-charging the protesters,” she maintained.
To bring the tribal areas into mainstream politics, the government must abolish the draconian laws being enforced in the region for the last one century.
“We will no longer tolerate the use of Pakhtun regions for so-called strategic policies,” she said, added that they are being killed by those whose duty is to provide protection to the people. “People of the tribal areas have been dealt a double whammy. On one hand, terrorists are targeting them, while on the other, the state declared them as terrorists,” she said.
She said Fata falls under the president and the K-P governor, directly but if anything happens there, the provincial government is held responsible.
“The president should devolve his powers to the provincial government and immediately abolish articles 246 and 247 of the Constitution,” she demanded.
Jan Achakzai, a social activist, said the government is pursuing anti-people policies.
“Unless the government is clear in its policies and targets in Afghanistan, thinking of peace is akin to daydreaming,” Achakzai said.
He said tribesmen were receiving dead bodies for the last 40 years, but now a “well-planned genocide of Pakhtuns has been started”.
Sarwar Bari, a social activist, appreciated the change in the establishment’s policies, but noted that, “Only changes in policies won’t help improve the situation. Practical steps must be taken.”
He said everyone know who are the mentors of terrorists groups which roam the streets of Pakistan with impunity, openly claiming responsibility for killing Hazaras and Pakhtuns.
“Pakhtuns are not weapon-loving people, rather they are a peace-loving people. They just want jobs, education and security,” he said.
Later, a candlelight vigil was also held for the victims in Khyber Agency.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 20th, 2013.
COMMENTS (7)
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It is critical that the root problems be addressed if we are to turn the Pashtuns from the direction in which it is headed today.
As management guru Peter Drucker stated of compromises: “Half a loaf is better than having no bread, but half a baby is worse than no baby.”
Who is saving whom? If anything, it is the Pashtuns who need to be saved from those who are supposed to be their saviours like Karzai, Wali Khan, Bacha Khan and his followers.
@Faqir Ipi: To the extent where u show concern for the killing of Pakhtuns I agree with u. But i fail to understand when you say "Mr Hoti is actually happy to promote militancy". This is sheer misleading and I am sure no one will agree with you. ANP is the prime target of militants as evidenced in the killing of hundreds of its workers, killing of its parliamentarians (recently Bashir Bilour), and scores of suicide bomb attempts, including its president. While militants are blowing up the schools, ANP is building them. You are trying to achieve two things at the same time: raising voice against the use of FATA and Pakhtuns for strategic goals by army/ ISI, and maligning ANP with false information. You are failing & undermining your first goal (which i agree is good) with second (which is based on prejudice). So please dont waste your time.
OBL death and his life, daily bomb blasts, 9/11 are all mysteries and unanswered questions ?
So called experts on tribal affairs manipulate opinions according to their financiers’ agendas more efficiently/effectively than Nazi Germany in order to make the pot boiling. Masses assume that they are getting all the needed information. Myths are created by so called tribal/WOT/Waziristan experts and misconception fed by media prevents masses from even looking at the truth.
Punching Note :-
Earlier Bilal Musharf (ex-Commando Son) and now Gen Kayani Brother and Peshawar based influential business family (most probably Bilour) have made billions from NATO supply.
Daily 200-300 NATO containers cross thorkhum and each save more than 4000 US $ from Karachi till Torkhum.
E2E Supply Chain Management, # 1 among Pakistan 100, with revenues expanding 1918% during 4 years to reach Rs 6.5 billion. http://www.e2escm.com/news.php
E2E is part of representative of GEODIS WILSON in Pakistan and Afghanistan. http://www.e2escm.com/internationalnetwork.php The News 12 Dec 2011
Abid Butt CEO E2E meeting in US State Deptt Tribune July 14, 2012
http://tribune.com.pk/story/408102/pakistan100-entrepreneurs-brief-google-us-state-department/
The government (whether that of General Musharraf or Mr Zardari or Mr Hoti) is happy to actually promote militancy in Pashtuns from tribal area rather than to check it because they have realized that it is the best way to milk the west.
The ruling elite including military, whose higher ranks get to enjoy of this aid while the lower ranks lose their lives in tribal belt and Waziristan, is also quite happy with the arrangement. So are the top bosses in the ISI. Thus, the more aid the US and its allies give in the name of terrorism the more terrorism we will see in Pakistan.
"Why of course the people don't want war. Why should some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece? Naturally the common people don't want war neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country."
Gen Hermann Goering - Nuremberg Diary (Farrar, Straus & Co 1947), by Gustave Gilbert (an Allied appointed psychologist)
I request all to kindly read and spread my following notes on Waziristan/Tribal Area Genocide to everyone you can. So we may open hearts and minds, peace needs to be spread to everyone, everywhere.
Waziristan Genocide http://www.facebook.com/notes/faqiripi-marvat/waziristan-genocide/116100728563533
Waziristan Genocide II http://www.facebook.com/notes/faqiripi-marvat/waziristan-genocide-ii/116564188517187
Waziristan Genocide : War creating poverty and not the other way around. http://www.facebook.com/notes/faqiripi-marvat/waziristan-genocide-war-creating-poverty-and-not-the-other-way-around/118642274976045
I also request to kindly add me and suggest me to your friends, who matter in stopping this genocide. I want your help to spread my message regrading Wazirs, Burki, Dawar, Mehsuds.
"Remember this: We be many and they be few. They need us more than we need them. Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.”
Arundhati Roy, War TalkThat is excellent---How come the governor gives order to batten charge the protesters and how come the federal govt approves such step. A protest against the governor should also be launched.
Better late than never...protest is more than justified and should pick up momemtum. Support fully in letter and spirit, and would in person too if present in KPK. Don't flag!