On the second day of the Pashtun tribal assembly (Jirga), Manzoor Pashteen, the leader of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), said that over 76,000 Pashtun men and women have been killed in the last two decades.
Pashteen added that more than 7,500 people have been disabled due to landmines planted by the Pakistani army. He said: “76,584 Pashtuns have been killed by bullets, bombs, and explosions in a war that was not ours.”
Thousands of people from various parts of Pakistan gathered at this Jirga to discuss various issues, including disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and the instability in their regions.
The Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement, which hosted this large Pashtun Jirga in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, presented exhibitions documenting the damages suffered by Pashtuns.
Aimal Wali Khan, the leader of the Awami National Party, said at the Jirga: “We are calling out to the rulers of Pakistan. We accept Pakistan, but we are also raising our voice with this Jirga that Pakistan must acknowledge and accept their rights and recognize their foundations.”
Some participants of the Jirga also mentioned that they attended despite facing many challenges. One of the participants said: “We came from Choana and faced many difficulties. The police came there and blocked our way. We changed our route and retreated from the checkpoint, but they came again, blocked the road, and shot three of us.”
“Just like people in other parts of Pakistan, such as Punjab or Sindh, live, work, and study, I have neither education nor work. My children cannot go to school, and shopkeepers cannot work,” said another participant.
The day before, the leader of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement also said that whatever decisions the elders and leaders of the Pashtuns make at this Jirga, the Pashtun youth will support them.
