PTM leaders say they were not against Pakistan but they will raise voice for their legal rights

By Ashrafuddin Pirzada    

LANDIKOTAL: Pashtoons Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) on Friday urged the Khyber Agency’s residents to participate in the PTM public gathering on April,1, in Landikotal bazaar as they would not withdraw from their struggle until their demands not accepted by the government.

Speaking to a news conference here in Landikotal press club outspoken PTM leader and Fata Lawyers’ forum president Rahim Shah Afridi and social activist Saeed Afzal Shinwari said that PTM was a non-political movement peacefully struggling for the rights of Paskhtoon people. They said they were not against Pakistan and did not want to sabotage peace in the country. The PTM leaders said that they have started a series of public gatherings and rallies across Pakistan. They said on April1,  a public gathering in Landikotal bazaar has planned to put pressure on the government to fulfill their demands.

Rahim Afridi said they would not further tolerate to deprive them live as human in the country. He added that they would continue struggle for their constitutional and legal rights. He said around thirty thousand tribal people were missing in the past few years. “If anyone is guilty should be presented in the courts and reward them punishment but keeping in isolation is against the human laws”, Rahim said.

“PTM is against the unnecessary security check points, safe and early recovery of all missing people and the security personnel behavior with the commuters while passing through the check posts in Fata”, said Rahim. He added that Fata people have not only rendered life sacrifices and their homes were also looted. He made it clear that PTM did not have political ambitions and would not support any political party in the elections. He said in the past few months import and export volume with Afghanistan dropped ninety percent due to strict and unfriendly policy at Torkham border.

Saeed Afzal Shinwari said they were not against anyone but reserved the right to raise their voice against cruelty and injustice with the Pashtoon population across Pakistan. He said it was their legal right to stop anyone humiliating Pakistani citizen on the name of national security.

Shinwari said PTM was becoming popular among the Pakhtuns people and soon it would be an organized peaceful movement to achieve their rights. He appealed from the government to take a serious action over the PTM demands as they would not withdraw from their struggle by releasing few hundreds missing people.

The PTM leaders said that on April 8 they were going to conduct huge public gathering in Peshawar and invited all political parties’ leaders for their participation. They said political parties were asked not to wave their party flags in the PTM gatherings as it would politicize their movement. PTM leaders urged people to join them and make their movement a successful one.