Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) leader Manzoor Ahmad Pashteen has accused the Pakistani army of taking out its failures on innocent people, saying it has caused “hardships” for Pashtuns on both sides of the Durand Line.
Pashteen made these remarks on his Facebook page, criticising the Pakistani government’s efforts to forcibly deport Afghan refugees and block roads, further exacerbating their plight.
Pashteen said, “On one hand, they are evicting Afghans from their homes, and on the other hand, they are closing the Torkham border gate on them.
Manzoor Ahmad Pashteen also added that as a result, “people are spending their days and nights on the roads in misery, but the Pakistani authorities have no shame in taking revenge on innocent children for their own failures.”
Pashteen has urged members of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement to aid and support the returning Afghans.
There has been no reaction from the Pakistani military or government officials to Manzoor Ahmad Pashteen’s statements. However, he is calling for support for the returning refugees at a time when some Pakistani officials have advised locals not to engage with “illegal Afghan refugees.
” Following the latest tensions along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and the closure of roads, the deportation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan has accelerated.
Some Pakistani officials have asked locals not to rent houses or shops to “illegal Afghan refugees” or engage in any business with them, warning that they will face “legal action” otherwise.
The Attock police authorities have also stated that over 350 Afghan refugees are currently stranded at holding centers along the Durand Line due to the road blockade, where they are being held after being apprehended.
They say that 27,000 Afghan refugees have been sent back to their country from holding centers in Attock, and 17,000 others have voluntarily returned to Afghanistan. Some Afghan refugees who are stranded on the Afghan side of the Torkham border due to the closure, told that their trucks, loaded with goods, have been stuck for about 10 days and are not being allowed to cross the border.
The Punjab government in Pakistan has stated that it has launched a crackdown on all “illegal foreign residents,” including Afghans. Local police have reported arresting 74 Afghan refugees, who have been transferred to holding centers.
“Pakistan itself creates an atmosphere of insecurity.”
The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement leader has accused the Pakistani army of killing “innocent” people in Pashtun areas, particularly in Tirah, alongside the issue of Afghan refugees. He claimed that the Pakistani army has martyred and injured innocent Pashtuns in “occupied Pashtunkhwa” in Tirah, Khyber. Reports suggest that people had gathered to protest and the police opened fire on them.
Videos circulating on social media appear to show sounds of gunfire and people running in panic. Manzoor Pashteen said, “The people of Kurram are protesting against military operations in Peshawar, but no one pays attention to them.
He added, “They [the Pakistani army] create an atmosphere of insecurity with great cunningness, then wage wars in the name of defense and anti-terrorism, carrying out terrorism themselves, killing innocent Pashtuns, seizing and looting their mineral resources.”
The Pakistani military or government has not yet responded to these statements by the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement leader. However, in the past, various officials have claimed that Pakistan itself is a victim of terrorism and that military operations are conducted to combat it.
Pakistan has repeatedly blamed the Taliban government in Afghanistan for the ongoing insecurity and attacks, accusing it of supporting certain armed groups, including the TTP. However, the Taliban government in Afghanistan has consistently denied these allegations and pointed fingers at Pakistan, accusing it of trying to shift the blame for its own failures.
These tensions and mutual accusations have led to bloody clashes between the two countries, but a ceasefire was reached after talks in Doha, Qatar.
Now, the second round of negotiations between the Taliban government in Afghanistan and Pakistani representatives is underway in Istanbul, Turkey.
It was expected that both sides would conclude within three days, but the talks have been extended, and it seems that the parties involved have not yet reached a decisive outcome.
