Pashtun activists hold protest against Pak brutalities

The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) on Tuesday orgsed a massive protest against the Pakistan Army and its intelligence agencies, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Military Intelligence, in front of the United Nations office here.

Activists of the PTM from all parts of Europe gathered here to register their anger against human rights violations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

PTM activist Fazal ur Rehman Afridi told : "The entire world knows that Pashtuns are being persecuted by Pakistan. They are oppressed. They have been killed and forcibly disappeared by the Pakist army."

"The Pashtuns want to live with honour and dignity and Pakistan is not giving us that opportunity. Our people are missing. They are detained and tortured. A few of them who have been released suffer psychological problems. The state is not taking the responsibility for all this," he said.

"So we, Pashtuns, demand the international community to look into the matter and establish an international inquiry commission to look into what has happened," added Afridi.

"Pakistan always says that we have rendered sacrifices against terrorism but actually it's not a fact. Actually, Pakistan itself is sponsoring terrorism. They say that there is a curfew in Kashmir but FATA is under curfew since the past 15 years. We are in a legal and constitutional black hole," Afridi added.

During the protests, the activists also noted that hundreds of Pashtuns are still missing and many have been killed by the Pakistan Army since they have launched so-called military action against terrorists in the Pashtun dominated areas.

"We want justice," stressed another PTM activist Nawab Akbari.

The PTM also launched a poster campaign at Broken Chair in front of the UN office and launched #StopPashtunGenocide campaign on social media.

"The main concern for the Pashtuns in both Afghstan and Pakistan is that Pakistan is not giving them a right to live and utilise the resources in their own land. They try to call the tribal leaders of the area and harass them untill the entire community runs away from the area," PTM activist Zakir Sadat told .

"There are so many pieces of evidence out in the open against this. The entire world knows. This is why the world is supporting Prime Minister Modi despite Imran Khan's time and again fake reiteration over Kashmir," added Sadat.

The Pashtun activists from Pakistan and Afghstan also orgsed conferences and showed documentaries on Pashtun genocide at a special rant at Broken Chair.

"Pashtuns are always facing brutalities by the military of Pakistan. The tribal belt was a sleeping belt before but now they are awake to a large extent. It is political Islam. They damage our culture, language, religion. They are demanding their own freedom," another PTM activist Peer Riaz told .

( With inputs from ANI )