As ‘anti-Pakistan agenda’ of Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) stands exposed, the group formed in the name of Pashtun rights is facing hatred and revolt from within the Pashtun community.
Angry Pashtuns can be heard hurling abuses at PTM lawmakers Mohsin Dawar and Ali Wazir in multiple video clips doing rounds on social media over what they called the latter’s ‘anti-state activities’ and ‘using’ Pashtun people for their vested interests. “We thought you [PTM] have come out for rights of Pashtun people … but you are in fact an agent of NDS (National Directorate of Security, the primary intelligence agency of Afghanistan). You have sold your own Pashtuns at the hands of Afghans,” an angry protester is heard saying in one of the video clips.
In the clip, Pashtun people in North Waziristan can be seen chanting slogans against both PTM parliamentarians. While burning PTM caps, they can also be heard demanding that the government register treason cases against them and put them behind bars.
Anger had been brewing among the Pashtun people over PTM’s support to recent Aurat March, while Dawar and Wazir’s recent trip to Afghanistan to attend oath-taking ceremony of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has added fuel to the fire.
In merits mentioning here that, in a surprising move, PTM leaders Mohsin Dawar and Ali Wazir had been taken by an Afghan National Army helicopter from Pak-Afgan border crossing to Kabul to attend the oath-taking ceremony of President Ashraf Ghani, giving credence to the reports of a ‘nexus’ between the group and elements in the Afghan government. “Finally Reached Kabul! Wanted to express my gratitude to President @ashrafghani for delaying his oath taking for the arrival of @Aliwazirna50 and myself. Overwhelmed by the welcome we have received here. Wishing a peaceful future for Afghanistan and the region,” Dawar had posted on his Twitter handle shortly after reaching Kabul via Afghan army helicopter from Torkham gate.
In his tweet, Dawar had admitted that Ghani’s oath-taking ceremony was held up due to a delay in their arrival to the presidential palace. Before reaching Kabul, they had also briefly visited ‘officials’ in eastern Nangarhar province, according to Afghan media. They had also held a meeting with former chief of NDS Amrullah Saleh, who is famous for his anti-Pakistan stance, according to media reports.
In the video clips, the angry protesters claimed that during recent visit to Kabul, both PTM leaders declared Waziristan a part of Afghanistan and allegedly requested the Kabul government to issue Afghan passports to people of the tribal region.
With each passing day, the narrative is getting stronger in Waziristan that the PTM has ‘used’ the Pashtun people for their personal agenda and that the group never intended to fight for the rights of the Pashtuns. “They have been exposed now … and their days are over,” an angry protester asserted.
