#PashtunLongMarch news, updates and analysis

[maneatinglizard]

That will be nice but we have to figure out where to get the clips from.

Search Twitter for the hashtag PashtunLongMarch. You can find a bunch of clips that way. I'll find some if I have time.

[maneatinglizard]

Listen to Pakistan’s Marginalized Pashtuns | Human Rights Watch

This week, police in Pakistan’s province of Balochistan registered a criminal case against Pashtun activist Manzoor Pashteen for criticizing the government and state security agencies. Pashteen’s alleged crime is to demand equal citizenship for Pashtuns, the second largest ethnic group in Pakistan, who have been protesting for the past two months, calling for an end to discrimination and ethnic stereotyping.
The protests were sparked by the alleged extrajudicial killing by police of Naqeebullah Mehsud, 27, in Karachi in early January. The peaceful demonstrations have now spread across the country. For instance, last week, a group of Pashtun students held a sit-in outside the office of the vice-chancellor of the Punjab University Lahore, protesting discrimination by the university administration.

Many Pakistani Pashtuns live in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), the embattled area bordering Afghanistan that in recent years has endured attacks by the Taliban armed group, government military offensives, and US drone strikes. FATA is still governed by colonial era regulations that allow “collective punishment” for entire communities, including property destruction, and largely denies people access to courts to enforce their rights. In 2016, when about a million displaced residents returned home following 2014 military operations against the Taliban, they had to produce special identification cards not required of other Pakistanis.

Provincial governments have added to the tensions. In February, the Punjab government issued a notification “asking the population to keep an eye on suspicious individuals who look like Pashtuns or are from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, and to report any suspicious activity by them.”

Pakistani officials should recognize the country’s diversity as a strength and not a weakness. All persons are equal before the law. Critically, the government needs to end its longstanding discriminatory laws and practices against Pashtuns and act to end hostile attitudes toward them. This process could start by dropping the criminal cases against Manzoor Pashteen and other protest leaders wrongfully charged, fully investigating and fairly prosecuting those responsible for Naqeebullah Mehsud’s death, and letting Pashtun voices be heard.

[Elias]

Meanwhile Pakistanis label all of the protesters as afghan refugees instead of accepting the truth and approaching to the protesters. But hey, it’s their funeral.

[maneatinglizard]

They plan on holding a protest in Peshawar on March 25, but apparently the KP government is attempting to block it.

Meanwhile Pakistanis label all of the protesters as afghan refugees instead of accepting the truth and approaching to the protesters. But hey, it’s their funeral.

Someone found a pic that looks like Manzoor Pashteen holding a Pashtunistan flag, so now they're accusing him of being a separatist/foreign agent. The saddest part about the accusations against them is not that Punjabis/establishment Pakis are making them, it's the Gul Khan Pashtuns. Regardless of whether or not Pashteen is a separatist, the movement and protests themselves have never been about separatism. The entire time they've been about the mistreatment of Pashtuns in Pakistan. You'd think any Pashtun could get behind that, but I guess Gul Khans are too loyal to their Punjabi masters to have any empathy for other Pashtuns.

[Elias]

They plan on holding a protest in Peshawar on March 25, but apparently the KP government is attempting to block it.



Someone found a pic that looks like Manzoor Pashteen holding a Pashtunistan flag, so now they're accusing him of being a separatist/foreign agent. The saddest part about the accusations against them is not that Punjabis/establishment Pakis are making them, it's the Gul Khan Pashtuns. Regardless of whether or not Pashteen is a separatist, the movement and protests themselves have never been about separatism. The entire time they've been about the mistreatment of Pashtuns in Pakistan. You'd think any Pashtun could get behind that, but I guess Gul Khans are too loyal to their Punjabi masters to have any empathy for other Pashtuns.

Pakistanis accuse all protestors being afghan.
Paki nationalists are so dumb they even label the protest against the mistreatment of Pashtuns as foreign lead. Now let alone the 'lar aw bar' chant.

Off topic but I've always wondered how Pashtuns in Pakistan can call themselves Pakistani. In my surroundings calling someone Pakistani is a big insult. Pakistani is an universal insult like the middle finger .. from Australia to Iran to England everyone associates bad things with that word.

[Traveller]

Pakhtoon March: A movement that was hijacked

This is sad/funny. Pakistani nationalists are trying to portray the Pashtun Tahaffuz movement as an "Afghan movement" that has no connection to Pakistani Pashtuns. The author of this piece even concocted a narrative where the terrorism and military operations that happened in KPK/FATA in the past 15 years are the fault of Afghanistan and Afghan refugees.
The funnniest part was when they used Hindkowan generals as examples of Pashtuns who held high positions in the Pakistani army and state

The justice for Naqeeb was turned into Pakhtoon rights movement, the rights that the Pakhtoons of Pakistan have never been deprived of, there have NEVER been any discrimination aimed at this ethnicity and they enjoy and equal benefits in the country. There are schools, colleges and universities in KPK (predominantly Pakhtoon province), they are afforded an equal share (population wise) on all quota recruitment seats, the army have always been open and blessed with some of the finest , pathan men. Gen. Ayub Khan was the FIRST native Pakistani general to become COAS on January 17, 1951, he was a native Pakhtoon! General Mohammad Musa who held office of Commander in Chief of Pakistan Armed Forces from April 1, 1957 to 17 September 1966 was Hazara Shia born in Hazara tribe in Balochistan. Gen. Agha Muhammad Yahya was from Qizilbash family of Persian descent but culturally a Pakhtoon. He was appointed COAS from 18 September 1966 to 20December 1971! Then there was Gen Gul Hasan, C-in-C, a Pakhtoon from Quetta. Gen Abdul Wahid Kakar another Pashtun from Balochistan and remained COAS from 12 January 1996 till 12 January 1996. The list of Pathans who have served the country and risen to the highest echelons of Pakistan army is long indeed. Same goes for other walks of life that I do not need to be discussed in details here since the recent movement Is particularly being directed at Pakistan Army since it was hijacked. Calling it a Punjab army where as in reality, the Pakhtoons make up for 15% of the armed forces, remember that Pakhtoon percentage in population of Pakistan is around 14% ONLY Punjab makes up for 60% of our total population but if we talk about ethnic composition of army then it around 55% Punjabis and that is rapidly on decline as Army tries to bring all ethnicities on par and have introduced district wise recruitment policy so every citizen gets a chance to enlist.

The only actual Pashtuns in the personalities listed in the quote I posted above are Gul Hasan and Abdul Wahid Kakar. The rest were Hindkowan,Qizilbash, or Hazara.

[Elias]

Pakhtoon March: A movement that was hijacked

This is sad/funny. Pakistani nationalists are trying to portray the Pashtun Tahaffuz movement as an "Afghan movement" that has no connection to Pakistani Pashtuns. The author of this piece even concocted a narrative where the terrorism and military operations are the fault of Afghanistan and Afghan refugees.
The funnniest part was when they used Punjabis and Hindkowan generals as examples of Pashtuns who held high positions in the Pakistani army and state

The only actual Pashtuns in the personalities listed in the quote I posted above are Gul Hasan and Abdul Wahid Kakar. The rest were Hindkowan,Qizilbash, or Hazara.

Ive read the thread too and I had to make a facepalm. The only sane of them is the lahoriguy.

[Traveller]

Off topic but I've always wondered how Pashtuns in Pakistan can call themselves Pakistani. In my surroundings calling someone Pakistani is a big insult. Pakistani is an universal insult like the middle finger .. from Australia to Iran to England everyone associates bad things with that word.

It's because we actually are from Pakistan; even the most nationalistic Pakistani Pashtuns I know still ackonowledge that the place where they are from comes within the borders of the lands known today as Pakistan. As for Pakistani being an insult, I can see that being the case in Europe where most Pakistanis are uneducated village Punjabis who are known for being disproportionately involved with various crimes but here in the North America most immigrants from Pakistan are highly educated and mix well with the rest of society.

Also even if you assume that Pakistanis are universally hated you have to remember that Pashtuns living in Pakistan are insulated from outside perceptions of Pakistanis. Actually the education and media they are constantly exposed to on a daily basis pushes the Pakistani nationalist agenda and mentally conditions them to worship the Pakistani army and state. I always thank God when I interact with my cousins in Pakistan because I realize how much they are deprived of learning about their own heritage. Even my own parents were ignorant about a lot of famous Pashtun figures and events in Pashtun history until I taught them about it. Being educated in America at least I'm encouraged to explore and critically think instead of being fed state propaganda clothed in the garb of education. I feel like a lot of Afghans criticize us all the time without trying to understand our environment or why we believe what we believe or feel the way we we feel. If you guys care about us and our destiny you should work on finding ways to create common cultural institutions with KPK and support the revitilization of Pashtun/Afghan culture in our region.

[Azmal]

They plan on holding a protest in Peshawar on March 25, but apparently the KP government is attempting to block it.



Someone found a pic that looks like Manzoor Pashteen holding a Pashtunistan flag, so now they're accusing him of being a separatist/foreign agent. The saddest part about the accusations against them is not that Punjabis/establishment Pakis are making them, it's the Gul Khan Pashtuns. Regardless of whether or not Pashteen is a separatist, the movement and protests themselves have never been about separatism. The entire time they've been about the mistreatment of Pashtuns in Pakistan. You'd think any Pashtun could get behind that, but I guess Gul Khans are too loyal to their Punjabi masters to have any empathy for other Pashtuns.

Lol you don't get it...it is not Gul Khan or their royalty...the contradiction is with Pakistan state which was created for Muslim of Hindustan cultural/racial background with problems/issues of Hindustan...thus in order to be Pakistani one need to be disloyal to Pashtuns. You have to disassociated yourself from your culture, language, history and even identity in order to be a Pakistani--where the Indic people owned the states.

[Azmal]

Pakhtoon March: A movement that was hijacked

This is sad/funny. Pakistani nationalists are trying to portray the Pashtun Tahaffuz movement as an "Afghan movement" that has no connection to Pakistani Pashtuns. The author of this piece even concocted a narrative where the terrorism and military operations that happened in KPK/FATA in the past 15 years are the fault of Afghanistan and Afghan refugees.
The funnniest part was when they used Hindkowan generals as examples of Pashtuns who held high positions in the Pakistani army and state

The only actual Pashtuns in the personalities listed in the quote I posted above are Gul Hasan and Abdul Wahid Kakar. The rest were Hindkowan,Qizilbash, or Hazara.

The guy said it all that need to be said "We need to separate Afghans from our Pathan." In order to be Pakistani you need to let go off your Afghan identity and history. This is what artificial states does...nothing new.

[Elias]

It's because we actually are from Pakistan; even the most nationalistic Pakistani Pashtuns I know still ackonowledge that the place where they are from comes within the borders of the lands known today as Pakistan. As for Pakistani being an insult, I can see that being the case in Europe where most Pakistanis are uneducated village Punjabis who are known for being disproportionately involved with various crimes but here in the North America most immigrants from Pakistan are highly educated and mix well with the rest of society.

Also even if you assume that Pakistanis are universally hated you have to remember that Pashtuns living in Pakistan are insulated from outside perceptions of Pakistanis. Actually the education and media they are constantly exposed to on a daily basis pushes the Pakistani nationalist agenda and mentally conditions them to worship the Pakistani army and state. I always thank God when I interact with my cousins in Pakistan because I realize how much they are deprived of learning about their own heritage. Even my own parents were ignorant about a lot of famous Pashtun figures and events in Pashtun history until I taught them about it. Being educated in America at least I'm encouraged to explore and critically think instead of being fed state propaganda clothed in the garb of education. I feel like a lot of Afghans criticize us all the time without trying to understand our environment or why we believe what we believe or feel the way we we feel. If you guys care about us and our destiny you should work on finding ways to create common cultural institutions with KPK and support the revitilization of Pashtun/Afghan culture in our region.

I agree to each of your point. It was quiet ignorant from me. Don’t know why I couldn’t put myself in somone else’s situation when I wrote the comment.

[khushal]

It's because we actually are from Pakistan; even the most nationalistic Pakistani Pashtuns I know still ackonowledge that the place where they are from comes within the borders of the lands known today as Pakistan. As for Pakistani being an insult, I can see that being the case in Europe where most Pakistanis are uneducated village Punjabis who are known for being disproportionately involved with various crimes but here in the North America most immigrants from Pakistan are highly educated and mix well with the rest of society.

Also even if you assume that Pakistanis are universally hated you have to remember that Pashtuns living in Pakistan are insulated from outside perceptions of Pakistanis. Actually the education and media they are constantly exposed to on a daily basis pushes the Pakistani nationalist agenda and mentally conditions them to worship the Pakistani army and state. I always thank God when I interact with my cousins in Pakistan because I realize how much they are deprived of learning about their own heritage. Even my own parents were ignorant about a lot of famous Pashtun figures and events in Pashtun history until I taught them about it. Being educated in America at least I'm encouraged to explore and critically think instead of being fed state propaganda clothed in the garb of education. I feel like a lot of Afghans criticize us all the time without trying to understand our environment or why we believe what we believe or feel the way we we feel. If you guys care about us and our destiny you should work on finding ways to create common cultural institutions with KPK and support the revitilization of Pashtun/Afghan culture in our region.

Nice post. The Afghan gov is trying to do the same thing.

Paki Equation:
Hate the Hindu = Love your Army and State
Anyone speaking or acting against the Army and State is a RAW Hindu agent
We are not bombing our citizens but bombing RAW Hindu agents

Afghan Gov Equation:
Hate the Paki = Love your Army and Gov
Anyone speaking or acting against the Army and State is an ISI paki agent
We are not bombing our citizens but bombing ISI paki agents

same coin, different face

[maneatinglizard]

I’m hearing that the ANP is distancing itself away from the movement. Anyone know why? Seems like suicide for them to abandon a much more popular Pashtun movement than their own.

There’s stuff on the internet about it but it’s all in Urdu.

[Niazi]

You can follow live coverage here Azad Pakhtoon Qabayel 3 آزاد پختون قبائل - Home | Facebook
Pakis disconnected the net, their so-called media is **** anyway

It's not about Lar aw bar its local poor pk Pashtuns demanding their rights and to be treated like a human being,

[Peacelove]

They should demand Independence from Pakistan ...This moment has momentum and can bring Pakhtuns under one agenda