Pashtun Leaders Condemn State Brutality During Peaceful Protest in Bannu

Quetta:Leaders of progressive and democratic parties, representing Pashtun communities, have strongly condemned the brutal firing by state institutions during a peaceful protest march in Bannu. They asserted that the recent incidents of violence, including killings and injuries, perpetrated by state authorities are part of a systematic campaign against the Pashtun Afghan nation. This sequence of events aims to suppress the national, political, economic, and cultural aspirations of the Pashtun Afghan nation, undermining their peaceful protests and democratic struggle. The leaders expressed concern that by portraying Pashtun Afghan communities as terrorists to the world, the state seeks financial benefits from global countries under the guise of combating nameless terrorism and war. Speaking at press clubs in Quetta, Peshawar, Zhob, Loralai, and Muslim Bagh, the leaders including Nasrullah Khan of Pakhtunkhwa Provincial President, Amal Khan of National Democratic Movement, Sanaullah Kakar of ANP, and others highlighted the plight of the Pashtun communities. They criticized the current state’s actions, accusing them of conducting operations that resulted in the unlawful killings of five civilians in Bannu yesterday. They emphasized that various armed groups and offices of armed organizations exist in different regions, engaging in extortion and anti-people activities, which are not addressed. The leaders urged the provincial assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to withdraw its approval of the operation and rejected the decisions of federal government, its institutions, and security forces. They called for a joint effort by all political democratic parties, civil society organizations, and human rights groups to form a national alliance to protect their people and preserve control over their mineral resources.