Manzoor Pashteen: “The Army Turns People into Extremists”

Manzoor Pashteen has become a symbol of democratic resistance in Pakistan: “It’s the military that creates hardliners.” The young Pashteen and his supporters have challenged Pakistan’s powerful army through peaceful protests. But how far can they go? The military is intensifying operations in North Waziristan to suppress PTM activists. Pashteen believes “soft power” will prevail.

“The Pakistani Army is clever.”
They always pretend to fight terrorism fiercely—just to keep Western funding flowing. That’s why they paint us as extremists or terrorists. But they won’t succeed.

From Peshawar, the 24-year-old human rights activist spoke to me via Skype, his voice brimming with defiance. He had just returned from a protest in North Waziristan against the army’s killing of 14 activists and the arrest of two lawmakers. The demonstration was violently dispersed by evening.

The Rise of PTM

Pashteen leads the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), a nonviolent civil rights group formed in early 2018. Representing Pakistan’s second-largest ethnic group, the Pashtuns—who live mainly near the Afghan border and in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa—PTM protests military abuses in tribal areas, where the army battles hardliners (including the Pakistani Taliban).

“Our core demand is simple: Don’t punish entire communities for individual acts,” Pashteen says. “We operate within the law.”

The Bloody Crackdown

Last week’s clash in North Waziristan (200 km southwest of Peshawar) was the deadliest in 18 months. The army claims militants attacked a checkpoint, killing three. PTM says soldiers opened fire on unarmed protesters, killing 14. Videos show civilians pleading with troops before chaos erupted. Two PTM-affiliated lawmakers were arrested; one later surrendered. The area remains locked down, with internet and phone lines cut.

“Only God knows their strategy now,” Pashteen sighs. The incident sparked national outrage, forcing Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government to offer €15,000 compensation to each victim’s family—a move PTM rejected.

“We don’t want money. We want justice: an independent inquiry, prisoners released, and military authority transferred to civilian rule in tribal areas.”

Army Propaganda & Resistance

The government labels PTM “anti-state spies.” Pashteen counters:
*”They call us traitors, CIA agents, anti-Islam—just because we let women protest. But people don’t believe them. Why? Because in 1.5 years, PTM hasn’t broken a single window. We’re peaceful. The real extremists? The army. I’ve seen them train Taliban to kill Afghans and Western troops.”*

He adds: “The army claims it kills terrorists. But 87 of 88 Taliban commanders died by U.S. drones; one blew himself up. The army kills civilians—Bengalis, Baloch, Sindhis, Pashtuns. Over 1.3 million dead. And the world stays silent.”

Imran Khan’s “Betrayal”

“Khan promised a ‘New Pakistan.’ Lies. He vowed no IMF deals, but crawled to them. Said he’d fight extremism—yet his army tortures our lawmakers. People thought he was their last hope. Look what’s happening.”

Do you still hope from this government?
“I hope from the oppressed. But Khan’s actions mock his election promises. We’ll keep working legally—and never let the army provoke us into violence. That’s what they want.”

Aren’t you afraid they’ll crush PTM—or you?
“This isn’t their first attempt to jail or kill us. Death comes for everyone. Why shouldn’t I fight for truth? We’ll change this country—if not us, the next generation. They can arrest me, but I’ll stand firm.”

—June 7, 2019 | The Hague, Netherlands

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