Manzoor Pashteen, the head of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), has expressed deep concern and anger over recent military operations in various districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, alleging that several Pashtun civilians have been killed or injured as a result.
In a statement, Pashteen said that civilians in regions including Tirah in Khyber and Kurram District had been caught in the crossfire of ongoing operations. He noted that residents of Kurram are currently holding protests in Peshawar against the military action, but their voices are not being heard by government or state institutions.
According to the statement, protesters believe these operations are part of a broader and organised policy aimed at subduing Pashtun populations and taking control of their natural resources.
The statement further claimed that senior Pashtun officials serving within the state apparatus — despite presenting themselves as representatives of the people — remain subordinate to powerful decision-making centres and lack the authority to resolve even basic issues faced by the Pashtun population.
Pashteen added that residents of upper Pashtun areas are being forcibly displaced from their homes, while the closure of the Torkham border has compounded their suffering. Thousands of people, he said, are facing severe hardships under open skies, while state institutions remain silent on these humanitarian crises.
He said that volunteers from various welfare organisations had established medical and relief camps for the affected population, but these efforts were reportedly halted under state pressure. Despite restrictions, activists continued their work with public support, according to the PTM statement.
The movement alleged that reports from South Waziristan — including Sarmaki, Ladha, Azam Warsak — as well as North Waziristan, Bannu, Jani Khel, Baka Khel, Bajaur, Hassan Khel, Peshawar, and other Pashtun areas, indicate a rise in civilian casualties in recent months.
The statement accused state institutions of pursuing a systematic plan to maintain instability in the region. It further claimed that under the pretext of “defence” and “counterterrorism operations,” such institutions themselves fuel violence and later use these operations to assert control over local resources.
Pashteen’s statement also alleged that state-run media outlets and some Pashtun figures were being used to promote what he described as “Punjab-centred propaganda” intended to sow divisions among Pashtuns and weaken their unity.
In conclusion, the PTM called on activists and the wider public to raise their voices against alleged injustices and forced displacements, to take part in ongoing protests, and to support displaced families. The statement urged the movement’s supporters to strengthen discipline, unity, and their spirit of community service.