Daily Times

Sir: Being myself a proud Pakhtun, I feel no hesitation in saying that Pakhtun Tahaffuz Movement is not a ‘Pakhtun Spring’ but a sponsored movement, exploiting the anger and disillusionment felt by young Pakhtuns to malign the Pakistan Army.

Pakhtuns are indebted because of the sacrifices of the Pakistan Army. Before their operations, our mosques, universities, schools and other public spaces were on the terrorists’ hit list. The relative peace we have today has been secured after many sacrifices. We had to endure the massacre of 150 innocent children in the Army Public School Peshawar and numerous other tragedies.

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) has also correctly stated that there was no such movement when the Pakistan Army was engaged in heavy fighting in KP and FATA. It was only when some modicum of peace had returned that the movement sprung up.

It also needs to be said that despite making up 15 percent of Pakistan’s total population, Pakhtuns are employed in nearly all state departments without any discrimination. Hence people should be a bit skeptical when they hear the PTM’s slogans.

SM ABDULLAH

Via E-mail

Published in Daily Times, May 14^th 2018.