Foreign Powers Behind the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement By Sajjad Shaukat (JR 184 SS 55)

Foreign Powers Behind the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement By Sajjad Shaukat (JR 184 SS 55)

Three people were killed and five soldiers injured in a clash between security forces and Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) protesters on May 26, this year in North Waziristan.

In this regard army’s media wing DG of Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major-General Asif Ghafoor said: “a group led by Mohsin Javed and Ali Wazir, assaulted Kharqamar check post, Boyya, North Waziristan tribal district…five soldiers were injured due to the firing of the group…three individuals who attacked the check post lost their lives during the exchange of firing. MNA Ali Wazir along with eight others have been arrested while Mohsin Javed is at large…Only few are inciting and using the people against state institutions for vested agenda. No one will be allowed to undo the gains of decades long national struggle and sacrifices especially of brave Pakistani tribals…Some of the people have become agents of the foreign forces. They are misguiding people by doing propaganda against the state.”

In this respect, police registered an FIR against the PTM workers for shouting slogans against the army and Pakistan—the protesters hurled stones at the army post and that armed supporters of Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar attacked the security post and opened fire.

In March, Qila Saifullah police in Quetta booked PTM representatives Manzoor Pashteen, Moshin Dawar and Ali Wazir in a hate speech case. The FIR said Pashteen criticised the army and intelligence agencies.

Earlier, PTM leader and Member of National Assembly from North Waziristan Mohsin Javed Dawar surrendered himself to the law on May 30, 209 and was subsequently produced before an anti-terrorism court in Bannu for physical remand.

In fact, foreign powers which have been supporting the Baloch Sub-Nationalists (BSNs) are also behind the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) as part of their unfinished agenda against Pakistan.  They leave no stone unturned in misguiding the people of the Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) by creating one after another issue. But, it is regrettable that some internal entities of Pakistan, which are also assisting some foreign powers, are manipulating various issues so as to fulfill the external agenda of the enemies of Pakistan.

In this connection, emergence of the PTM at a crucial time, which is being paid by anti-Pakistan hostile elements and countries, aims at accentuating the ethnic cleavages of the country, influence Pashtun population in pursuance of strategic objectives of the external powers. So, it stands exposed that the PTM is heavily dependent on foreign support and financing.

PTM is also reaching out to the people through the forums of social media and foreign sponsored network of Mashaal, Deeva, VOA, Indian media and Afghan radio and television services. Blogs and web pages like “Tribal News” and “Khabaryal” are heavily financed by Indian Intelligence agency RAW through Nangarhar (Afghanistan) based Hawala/Hundi business.

Strangely, PTM leaders are pursuing the agenda through a web having signatures of Foreign HIAS. Case of the US Army veteran Colonel, Lawrence Sellin can be quoted as a new example. Colonel Sellin has started tweeting on anti-Pakistan themes about China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Pakistan’s role in Afghanistan, Balochistan, Sub-nationalism (Pashtun, Sindhi, Mohajir, Baloch). He has been following the narratives mostly of Afghanistan’s intelligence agency National Directorate of Security (NDS) and RAW. He also writes anti-Pakistan Blogs and articles. Baloch, PTM and sub-nationalists and Hussain Haqqani are his followers on twitter.

It is mentionable that a PTM social media activist Arman Luni died in Lorali, Baloschistan due to an apparent cardiac arrest. PTM alleged that Luni was killed by police on behest of the state. Luni is presented as Pashtun national hero by likes of the PTM and their Afghan backers.

It is notable that Pakistan being the front state in war on terror has rendered sacrifices in general, while the sufferings of Pashtun segment are undoubtedly colossal. They have faced tortures at the hands of terrorists such as displacements, life and economic losses, causing psychological pains. Ironically, when they needed “POST TRAUMA STRESS DISORDER treatment” in the wake of Pakistan’s successful military operations in flushing out terrorists, the hostile foreign elements have attempted to prolong their pain by launching the PTM.

As Pakistan Armed Forces have flushed out terrorists from Tribal/border areas and are currently engaged in consolidating the international Pak-Afghan border through fencing to completely neutralized the infiltrations from Afghanistan, an orchestrated campaign through sponsored media and activation of the PTM to incite the Pashtoon population, has been launched. However, the PTM seems to have failed in instigating the public and creating a commotion leading to “yellow revolution” like sit-in protest and demonstrations.

As regards the internal elements, the PTM and other anti-Pakistan slogans are being supported by the “leftist leaders” and social media activists like Afrasiab Khattak, Bushra Gohar, Gulalai Ismail, Hussain Haqqani etc. All the PTM activities are getting extraordinary coverage from the media—VOA, Deeva Radio, Mashaal Radio and BBC. Understandingly, these activities are more pronounced in the Pashto language transmissions of these broadcasting stations.

Although the PTM elements are using the old slogan of “Pashtunistan” (Bar and Lar Afghan) to provocate the innocent and insensitive populace, yet with negligible effects, the handlers of the PTM are now acknowledged the failure of their campaign in creating a stir in Pashtun politics. But, to give a flip to their diminishing politics, recent incident of death of a local Aman Loni in Baluchistan is being exploited to resurrect the party activities to some extent.

While, question arises that if the PTM is sincere to the Pushtun people, as to why it has not raised the human rights issues, being faced by Pashtun population in Afghanistan.

It is time to take the debate of PTM to Afghanistan as Bar Afghan debate. Afghan Pashtuns are also real Pashtuns as the Pashtuns elsewhere in the world. While, one is stunned to see that there is no voice for the Afghan Pashtuns on social media, whereas the so-called cause of the Pakistani Pashtuns is actively propagated by the external powers.

Real cause of worry for backers of the PTM is the victory of real Afghan Pashtuns against the backers of the PTM. Their frustration is high because the PTM is left with very little time before the real Pashtuns, as the Taliban will be in power in Afghanistan and the assistance for the PTM from NDS and RAW backed the regime-National Unity Government (NUG) will die.

The way the Afghan Pashtuns have been treated and plundered in Afghanistan, is not hidden from anyone. Afghan Pashtuns have been made to sacrifice their generations, migrate from their lands, losing their livelihood. Why the VOA, Radio Mashaal, Radio Deewa and social media propagandists like Afrasiab Khattak and Bushra Gohar never speak for their plight. Why not to speak for Pashtuns on that side in Afghanistan?

In fact, PTM is actually a veritable political entity of the Afghanistan-based Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). It wants to accomplish its nefarious designs through so-called nonviolent means as to what TTP could not achieve through violence.

As the number of the PTM followers is negligibly-few thousands, there is a need of strict legal and administrative measures to be taken against the group.

It is noteworthy that as a token of commitment to rebuild Afghanistan, on March 25, 2018 Pakistan handed over state of the art medical equipment for Nishter Kidney Centre Jalalabad to Governor of Jalalabad, Afghanistan.

In this context, Islamabad provided complete medical equipment, worth US $ 5 million to the hospital. In addition, around 75 doctors and technicians were trained in PIMS Hospital Islamabad, last year and it will be a great help for Afghanistan in running some hospitals.

Pakistan also extended assistance to provide specialized training to another 42 Afghan doctors and technicians at the Institute of Kidney Diseases in Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar.

Nevertheless, one wonders as to what the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) is aiming at? Actually, the PTM is acting against the Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) to undermine the successes, achieved by Pakistan during the war on terror. By raising malicious slogans, PTM and their backers fail to understand that Pakistani nation is well aware of their new tactics of using soft power. Their anti-state and state institutions’ agenda is already exposed and real Pashtuns do not trust them anymore, as foreign powers are behind the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement.

Dissident Pakistanis Gather in the US By Sajjad Shaukat (JR113SS12)

 

Dissident Pakistanis Gather in the US By Sajjad Shaukat (JR113SS12)

While quoting the Press Trust of India, under the caption, “Dissident Pakistanis gather in US to chalk future course of action,” as part of the continued propaganda campaign against Pakistan, BusinessStandard.Com indicated on December 15, 2018 that a two day conference was arranged by Hussain Haqqani-Pakistan’s former ambassador to the US and Dr. Muhammad Taqi in the US on December 15, 2018, which culminated on December 18. The conference was the third to be organized by the notorious anti-Pak forum “South Asians against Terrorism and for Human Rights (SAATH)”. The title of the event was “Pak after the Elections”. The event was reportedly attended and addressed by US Congressman Bard Sherman, who is well known for his anti-Pak rhetoric and also by journalists, bloggers and social media activists who keep writing negatively about Pakistan. Few discussed items were as under:-

Terrorism and international isolation are the real threats to Pakistan, but unfortunately Pakistan’s establishment refuses to recognize that reality.Liberals and Baloch, Sindhi, Pashtun, Saraiki and Muhajir nationalists see the appointment of Imran Khan as Prime Minister as a virtual military takeover, with a very poor civilians facade. The Pakistanis press remains in chains.

It is notable that because of the ideal strategic location of its province Baluchistan and being the lonely nuclear country in the Islamic World; Pakistan has become special target of the foreign entities like US, India, Israel and some western countries whose secret agencies have been destabilizing it through various kinds of terror attacks, as witnessed in the recent years and during the election-campaign of 2018. These hostile elements are also using propaganda in maligning Pakistan.

In this regard, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has become special target of these external entities, as India and America have already opposed this project.

For the purpose of propaganda campaign against Pakistan, these external elements have also hired the services of those Pakistanis who are vulnerable and can work against the national interest of their own country. 

According to online sources, on 28-30 October 2016, these traitors got together and a conference titled “Future of Pakistan” was organized in London under aegis of SAATH. The moot was termed by segment of social media as “Pakistani Left Gathers in London to Set Things Right”. However, the website of SAATH leaves no stone unturned in spreading disinformation about Pakistan, it security agencies and the government.

In the recent past, SAATH raised forum and the conference which was co-hosted by a US-based activist Dr. Mohammad Taqi and Hussain Haqqani was participated by the anti-Pakistan entities.

It is mentionable that on January 13, 2016, Farahnaz Ispahani, the wife of Husain Haqqani was invited by Observer Research Foundation (ORF), RAW affiliated think tank in New Delhi to launch her newly written book titled ‘Purifying the Land of the Pure–Pakistan’s Religious Minorities’. A good number of Indian foreign analysts, diplomats, retired defence and intelligence officers attended the launch ceremony. Highlighting the plight of minorities in Pakistan, Indian participants mainly focused on Pakistan’s identity and argued that national identity for Pakistan was not Islam, but their being part of Indian civilization was more realistic.

During her presentation, while exaggerating the plight of minorities in Pakistan and targeting the ideology of Pakistan, Farahnaz said that religious minorities are not safe in Pakistan. Following the foreign agenda against Islamabad, Farahnaz Ispahani totally ignored the plight of religious minorities in India. She did not take cognizance of the facts that since the leader of the ruling party BJP Narendra Modi became Prime Minister of India, various developments like unprecedented rise of Hindu extremism, persecution of minorities, forced conversions of other religious minorities into Hindus, ban on beef and cow slaughter, inclusion of Hindu religious books in curriculum etc. clearly show that encouraged by the fundamentalist rulers, Hindu extremist outfits such as BJP, RSS VHP, Bajrang Dal and Shiv Sena including other similar parties have been promoting religious and ethnic chauvinism in India by propagating ideology of Hindutva (Hindu nationalism).

It is noteworthy that Husain Haqqani also leaves no stone unturned in distorting the image of Pakistan and its armed forces, while showing Pakistan a fundamentalist state in order to please his external masters. As regards Husain Haqqani, while serving as Pakistani ambassador, he was protecting American interests. He had issued visas to many CIA agents like Ramond Davis to weaken Pakistan. Besides, working at various American institutes, Husain Haqqani developed secret liaisons with Indo-Israeli lobbies and became covert element of anti-Pakistan campaign. Particularly, this could be judged from his book, titled, ‘Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military.’ In this book, Husain Haqqani targeted both military and Islamic ideology. While pointing out relationship of the Pak Army and its primary intelligence agency, ISI with the Islamic militants, Haqqani allegedly wrote, “since September 11, 2001, the selective cooperation of Pakistan’s military ruler, General Pervez Musharraf—sharing intelligence with the United States and apprehending Al Qaeda members—have led to the assumption that Pakistan might be ready to give up its long-standing ties with radical Islam.” He advised America, “Washington should no longer condone the Pakistani military’s support for Islamic militants.”

American famous writers and authors exaggeratedly praised the book of Husain Haqqani, as it was in accordance with the hidden agenda and blame game of the US and Indian high officials and their media and which still continue against Islamabad and its security agencies. Especially, Stephen P. Cohen, author of the book, ‘The Idea of Pakistan and The Pakistan Army’ allegedly wrote, “We are in Husain Haqqani’s debt for providing the authoritative account of the linkages between Pakistan’s powerful Islamists and its professional army.”

While, Husain Haqqani also escaped to America to avoid judicial inquiry of the famous memogate issue, which proved his disloyalty to Pakistan. He was declared absconder by the court.

It is of particular attention that during his briefing to the National Assembly, on January 19, 2016, while confirming anti-Pakistan lobbies in the US, Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif had revealed, “Pakistan is trying to acquire eight F-16 fighter jets from the US on lease, but Husain Haqqani, the former ambassador to the US was campaigning along with India to implicate Pakistan and to block delivery of F-16 fighter jets.”

Nevertheless, SAATH forum has been able to get maximum attention in Indian press and electronic media which published many articles and blogs to malign Pakistan, its security forces—ISI and criticism of military operation Zarb-e-Azb.

Nonetheless, the timing of holding this forum in the US is interesting, as Pakistani Line of Control (LoC) is under direct assault from the Indian Prime Minister Modi’s terrorists—stepping up in Balochistan and Karachi in wake of determination of Islamabad and Beijing to complete the CPEC project.

In fact, this “so called” forum meant for spreading disinformation about Pakistan, its government and the armed forces. The forum is being sponsored by the anti-state actor Hussain Haqqani. Many Pakistani personalities like Dr. Muhammad Taqi etc. are on the list of SAATH forum, which are known for anti-state and anti-army elements and are continuously engaged in activities to defame Pak at international level.

Notably, the US congressmen such as Brad Sherman, Dana Rohrabacher etc. are purposely invited as guest speakers to augment their spiteful designs and to reinforce their narratives that harm Pak.