Pashtuns hold anti-Pakistan protest in Islamabad; demand Azadi

Islamabad: Thousands of Pashtuns gathered outside the press club in Islamabad and chanted Azadi (Freedom) slogans by highlighting human rights violations against the community.

They undertook a Long March demanding justice for Naqeeb Mahsood, a Pashtun killed in a fake police encounter on January 13 in Karachi.

Police had also put forged charges against Naqeeb with having links with terrorist groups like Jashkar-e-Jhangvi and Islamic State of Syria and Iraq.

The false claim was challenged by the family and relatives of Naqeeb Mahsood and subsequently an inquiry commission was established by the government of Sindh province to investigate the police encounter.

The investigation team has announced Naqeeb innocent and killed in fake police encounter.

Youth from Waziristan started a long march from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on January 26 against the ongoing slow motion Pashtun genocide in Pakistan, human rights violations in FATA and State imposed terrorism and militarism.

Protesters loudly chanted slogans criticizing Pakistan's security agencies for harbouring, sheltering and conducting terrorism in FATA and Afghanistan, aimed at de-Pashtunisation and undermining US led war on terror.

The Long March was joined by more than 10,000 Pashtuns from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces.

A protester said, this is a beginning of the movement against the barbarism which this government is committing for the past 15 years in FATA, Waziristan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Today, we have announced that we will not going to face this barbarism anymore".

Another protester said while addressing a gathering, "the people of this region are not the terrorists, but this government is a terrorist, which represents the elite class of Punjab".

Several tribal elders from Waziristan also addressed the procession and said Pakistan's security forces have been planting landmines and bombs in the area, taking lives of children and animals.

They called on the United Nations and US led international community to take immediate notice of Pakistan sponsored terrorism, human rights violations and slow motion Pashtun genocide in FATA.