Daily Times

The peaceful protests held by young Pashtuns are being heard loud and clear by the powers that be. Sadly, instead of taking this as a starting point for redressing concerns, the state has responded in the worst possible way.

Registering cases against those demonstrating under the social justice banner of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM, or the Pashtun Protection Movement) on alleged charges of criticising the security establishment with the intention to provoke rioting has, at best, proved an own goal. Meaning, all this has done is underscore the legitimate grievances of this ethnic group that has long been on the receiving end of state brutality. PTM leader Manzoor Pashteen and others face up to five years’ imprisonment if found guilty.

Pakistan’s security establishment knows a thing or two about what comprises proportionate response and what does not. This does not. Especially considering that the religious right was allowed to hold the federal capital hostage at the end of last year in their efforts to bring religious bigotry centre stage — as if the latter had ever gone anywhere — without consequence. Not when the new and ‘mainstreamed’ political outfit of Mr Hafiz Saeed was able to contest two by-polls last year with one eye firmly on this summer’s general elections. Not when Pakistani soil has been used by certain militants.

The state should know better. It has genuine reason to resent the way in which the US asks it do more, more, more in the fight against terrorism when it is one of the biggest victims of this menace. Yet it fails to see that it is adopting the tactics of the oppressor when it accuses Pashtuns of being members of the Taliban or other associated outfits when they, in fact, bear the double burden of violence; first from the militants and then from the security apparatus. Indeed, the false encounter that killed Naqeebullah Mehsud and that spearheaded the Pashtun Long March back in January is a case in point.

This extrajudicial murder becomes even harder to swallow given that former SSP Anwar Rao, who is wanted by the highest court in the land over his reported involvement, is still on the run. Not only that, the Supreme Court confirmed yesterday that it had received a second letter from the fugitive policeman requesting the latter to reverse its previous decision and unfreeze his bank accounts. Rao had sent an earlier correspondence to the SC in which he is said to have protested both his innocence as well as that of Naqeebullah.

All of which begs the question as to whether Rao is being protected by powerful forces or if he is now an ‘unreformed’ asset of sorts. Or put another way, who exactly is he hiding from? Indeed, the Chief Justice has already raised the issue of the state’s authority in light of the police’s failure to present one of their own before the Court; despite the cooperation of the intelligence agencies.

Thus apprehending Anwar Rao ought to be the state apparatus’ first and foremost priority. Not booking peaceful demonstrators exercising their constitutional right to protest, among other things, the disappearance of some thousands of Pashtuns from FATA over the last two decades.  *

Published in Daily Times, March 15^th 2018.