(MENAFN- Khaama Press)
PTM marches across Miran Shah in protest 'against State brutalities with Pashtuns', Nov. 15, 2020. [Photo: Afrasiab Khattak/Twitter]
The Pashtun tribal council of Pakistan has formally called on the Pakistani military and militias to withdraw from the tribal Pashtun areas within the next two months. At the end of their three-day sessions, the council announced its demands in a statement.
Manzoor Pashteen, leader of the Pashtun Protection Movement (PTM), read the final statement of the“National Justice Jirga” on Sunday evening in front of thousands of participants.
The resolution stated that if the military and militias do not leave the Pashtun areas, the council will decide how to force these forces out of their land.
Manzoor Pashteen also called on the Pashtun tribal council to officially declare Pakistan's military intelligence, ISI, and the Pakistani Taliban as“terrorists.”
The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) supported the council's demand for the military to withdraw from the tribal areas. TTP declared a five-day ceasefire to ensure the safe conduct of the council meetings.
Pashteen declared that the Pashtuns do not recognize the border between the two countries, known in Afghanistan as the Durand Line, and will not accept the requirement of a visa for traveling to Afghanistan.
Pakistan has stated that to combat terrorism and manage border affairs, people on both sides must have valid visas and passports, like everyone else.
Additionally, the Pashtun tribal council's statement called for a fixed rate for electricity consumption, declaring that people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa should only pay five Pakistani rupees per kilowatt-hour.
The resolution reflects that the council members supported most of Manzoor Pashteen's demands. However, two other demands raised during the council meetings-reopening schools for girls and forming an inclusive government in Afghanistan-were not included in the final statement.
Observers note that the council was primarily convened to address the issues faced by Pakistan's Pashtun population. The members largely expressed concerns about discrimination, killings, and the disappearances of Pashtuns by security forces in tribal areas, as well as the excessive exploitation of natural resources in Pashtun regions of Pakistan.
The Pashtun tribal council's demands signal a growing dissatisfaction with the current situation in Pashtun-dominated regions. Their calls for military withdrawal, relaxed border controls, and economic reforms highlight the deep-rooted grievances within these communities, potentially shaping future political and social dynamics in the region.
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