PTM
[22.Jul.2020 - 14:58]The Pakistani authorities on Monday 27th January 2020 arrested Mr. Manzoor Pashteen, the leader of civil rights movement, the Pashtun Tahafuz (Protection) Movement, who for nearly two years has been demanding accountability for extrajudicial killings and kidnappings of Pashtuns by the State authorities in Pakistan.
Manzoor Pashteen has successfully mobilised hundreds of thousands of people, mainly Pashtuns, on basis of the non-violent political approach. Without hesitation, Manzoor Pashteen can be compared to great leaders of 20th century such as Mahatma Gandhi, Abdul Ghafar Khan, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King.
We demand immediate release of Mr. Manzoor Pashteen and hishfrieds. For that purpose, we request intervention of the international community, the United Nations, the Amnesty International and influential world leaders to pose pressure on Pakistan.
Background:
Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) is grass-root non-violent movement demanding basic human rights for Pashtuns in Pakistan.
Why and How did PTM came into existence and what are its objectives?
Soon after its creation, the state of Pakistan used coercion against Pashtuns, violating their constitutional rights. Peaceful protests for the rights of Pashtuns have been crushed brutally.
The first example of Pakistani oppression of Pashtuns was the Babrra massacre on 12 August 1948 where over 800 innocent peaceful Pashtun protestors were massacred. Examples of more recent massacres of innocent Pashtuns are the army public school massacre and the Kharr Qamar massacre. Furthermore, the Pakistani state and especially the army, have been using several other tactics to oppress Pashtuns. Our language and culture have been marginalised, our businesses destroyed, our schools and hospitals destroyed or occupied, our natural resources looted and millions of Pashtuns have been forced to flee their homes.
A fake war on terror has been imported to Pashtun areas just to serve the interests of the Pakistani army. This fake war is used as a double-edged sword: on the one side asking for billions in military help from the USA and others, on the other side occupying Pashtun lands, while the terrorists roam free and enjoy army’s support. More than 100 thousand Pashtuns lost their in atrocity crimes perpetuated and committed by Pakistani army and their proxies in Pakistan, while close to a million Afghans (majority of whom Pashtuns) were killed in the Afghan war which was a direct result of Pakistan army’s infamous “strategic depth” policy in Afghanistan.
Pashtun Tahafuz (Protection) Movement (PTM) with Manzoor Pashteen as its young leader stood up against this systematic oppression of Pashtuns. The movement gained massive support from Pashtuns in Pakistan and across the globe regardless of their political or tribal affiliation or creed.
Some of PTM demands?
PTM has the following demands from the state of Pakistan. All these demands are within the constitutional framework of Pakistan and are in line with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
1. Establish a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) under the supervision of impartial international agencies to reveal the true nature, scale, and scope of the extrajudicial deaths, enforced disappearances, destructions, and all forms of coercion and injustices committed against Pashtuns
2. Clear land mines from the entire tribal belt which has caused and is causing death and injuries to civilians;
3. Present missing persons before the regular courts of law, who are currently held in the internment centres
4. Put an end to the occupation of Pashtun lands, building military cantonments, and exploiting the natural resources by Pakistan army.
PTM’s appeal to the Nations of the World
It is unfortunate that the World at large does not know about a genocide taking place secretly in Pakistan. We, the Pashtuns, appeal to all the nations of the world to hear us and see what is going on against a peaceful and helpless minority. We are facing a genocide – yes our situation completely meets the UN definition of genocide. We demand right-to-life and peace on our motherland.
Therefore we demand immediate release of our leader Mr. Manzoor Pashteen and for that purpose we request intervention of the international community, the United Nations, the Amnesty International and influential word leaders.
Pashtun Tahafuz Movement PTM hat diese Petition an President of the United States und an 7 mehr gestartet.