News DesK |
In an interesting development, a video message of Naqeebullah Mehsud’s father Muhammad Khan Mehsud ruled out all anti-army agenda being driven by state enemies.
Naqeebullah Mehsood, a youth belonging from Abdullai Mahsud tribe of the Pashtuns was killed on January 13, 2018, in Karachi during a fake encounter, staged by the senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rao Anwar Ahmed Khan.
PTM’s Evolvement
Naqeebullah, an inspiring model, had moved to Karachi from Waziristan in 2009 and after working as a laborer, had just started his garment business in Karachi when he got kidnapped and later killed in a police encounter.
Pakistan when won the war on terror by launching operations like Zarb-i-Azab, Raddul Fasaad and Rah-e-Nijaat, exploiting the ethnic groups became a new proxy for the enemy of the state; Afghanistan and India.
SSP Anwar led the operation and claimed that Naqeebullah had links with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and the Islamic State terrorists. However, police claims turned out to be false as a committee formed to probe into the killing found out Naqeebullah to be innocent and declared the alleged police encounter to be staged and false.
Interestingly, the murder of Naqeebullah gave a four years old social movement called Mahsud Tahafuz Movement a new life. The name of the movement got changed into Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) and along with the name changed the narrative. The movement aimed to get Pashtuns’ their rights, took up the anti-army stance. Naqeebullah’s death was cashed well to get the hype and media attention.
Read more: Rao Anwar tired of playing ‘cat & mouse’: Appears before the…
The army had nothing to do with the Naqeebullah’s murder, yet PTM chanted slogan against the institute at every available platform.
Naqeebullah’s Father calls PTM Enemy
The message of Naqeebullah’s father put all allegations of PTM to rest as he said in the video, “Those who are criticizing Pakistan Army by taking advantage of my son’s killing are ‘real enemies’ of Pakistan. Whoever is trying to get benefit from the situation is not from our ranks.”
Addressing the PTM leadership, Mr. Mehsud said, “No one can be allowed to raise slogans against the Army by using my son’s name. Pashtuns are part of Pakistan, and the army is our custodian also.”
PTM Exposed
Using the social media platform other than rallies, PTM built rhetoric against the state, from demanding and protecting the rights of Pashtuns within the constitutional limits, the PTM leadership openly criticized state institutions, especially arm forces. It does not take much effort to understand the hidden agenda here. Arm forces liberated their area from terrorists, safeguarded them against the enemy and the same institute was blamed time and time again. In the given scenario, only terrorists and enemy of the state would abhor the army.
Since the fifth generation warfare is fought on every front, all institutes including the justice system need to be strengthened. There is a reason it is said that “Not only must Justice be done; it must also be seen to be done.”
The new era wars are way more dangerous than the wars in battlefields; information is the new tool and social media the frontline. Pakistan when won the war on terror by launching operations like Zarb-i-Azab, Raddul Fasaad and Rah-e-Nijaat, exploiting the ethnic groups became a new proxy for the enemy of the state; Afghanistan and India. kulbhushan Yadav’s [Indian spy in Pakistan’s custody] confession proved the involvement of RAW in inciting the insurgents.
SP Dawar’s murder in Afghanistan ascertained the heinous agenda of Afghanistan as the government there denied to hand over the dead body of SP Dawar–kidnapped from Islamabad and murdered in Afghanistan in October last year–to Pakistan’s government officials and insisted that Mr.Mohsin Dawar, Member of National Assembly and a prominent leader of PTM should receive the deceased body.
Read more: SP Tahir Dawar murder case: Has PTM been exposed?
Prominent news anchorperson Dr. Moeed Pirzada had said in his social media post, “Afghan Govt’s refusal to hand over coffin of a Pakistani Officer to Pakistan Govt & insistence to hand over to Mohsin Dawar raises questions about the role of Afghan Govt in the whole tragic killing of Pakistani Police Officer & Kabul’s overt backing of PTM.”
Afghan Govt's refusal to hand over coffin of a Pakistani Officer to Pakistan Govt & insistence to hand over to Mohsin Dawar raises questions about the role of Afghan Govt in the whole tragic killing of Pakistani Police Officer & Kabul's overt backing of PTM
— Moeed Pirzada (@MoeedNj) November 15, 2018
The sole purpose of PTM has become to malign the Institute of state under the disguise of a movement demanding rights for Pashtun.
State’s Stance
While respecting the constitutional demands of PTM, DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor in Dec 2018 said that army had shown politeness while dealing with PTM keeping in view that the war was fought in their areas and they were hurt. “But if PTM crosses the line, the state will use its authority,” warned DG ISPR.
Analysts say that the whole incident of Naqeebullah’s murder– other than exposing the anti-state agendas and propaganda– indicates how important the justice system is.
However, given the video message of Naqeebullah’s father the use of authority would not really be required as Mr. Mehsud has said that anti-state people [referring to PTM] should stop using his son’s name for their personal vested interests. Not just in his video message, Mr. Mehsud recently appeared on a program at private news channel and categorically stated that he trusted the state institutes and appreciated the Chief of Army staff Qamar Bajwa, who he said visited him and assured him of justice.
Analysts say that the whole incident of Naqeebullah’s murder– other than exposing the anti-state agendas and propaganda– indicates how important the justice system is. Since the murderer SP Rao Anwar has been roaming free after getting the pre-arrest bail, the PTM got exactly the point it needed to fuel its rhetoric and tap the war-torn areas’ common men’s vulnerability.
Read more: PTM: A Pashtun Spring..?
Since the fifth generation warfare is fought on every front, all institutes including the justice system need to be strengthened. There is a reason it is said that “Not only must Justice be done; it must also be seen to be done.”