US should force Pak to end Pashtun 'genocide', support to global terrorism: PTM

Washington [US], December 20 : Pashtun Tahfuz Movement USA (PTM USA) has urged the United States and world organisations to force Pakistan to end its harassment and extrajudicial killings of Pashtuns as well as its support to global terrorism.
PTM USA, a worldwide civil rights movement for the protection of Pashtuns' rights, on Friday held a virtual protest against the arrest of Pashtun leader and member of Pakistani parliament from Waziristan, Ali Wazir in Peshawar.
In a statement, the PTM USA strongly condemned the act of illegal arrest and harassment of the Pashtun leader and called on the Pakistani authorities to release Ali Wazir immediately and withdraw the fake charges against him.
"The way Ali Wazir, a representative of hundreds of thousands of Pashtuns was arrested and paraded handcuffed in front of the media by the Pakistani police is not only an insult to the parliament but to the Pashtun nation itself," the statement read.
"PTM USA urged the US govt and world organizations to force Pakistan to end its harassment and extrajudicial killings of Pashtuns and its support to global terrorism," the statement added.
In the meeting, members of PTM USA from all over the US took stock of the situation arising out in the aftermath of Ali Wazir's arrest and discussed ways to respond to the challenges facing Pashtuns in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
PTM USA central leader in Virginia, Akhtar Yousafi termed the arrest as a blatant violation of Pakistani laws and constitution. "The manner in which Ali Wazir was treated and the cases registered against him, can be dangerous not for Pashtuns but for
Pakistan's own survival too," Yousafi said.
Ali Wazir was arrested on December 16 when he along with millions of Pashtuns were remembering the sixth anniversary of the Army Public School attack in which more than 150 children and teachers were killed.
The PTM USA said that Pakistan has not only failed to bring the killers to justice but has tried to silence those who would ask for answers and accountability.
Pashtuns are now increasingly being convinced that the Pakistani army might be complicit in the attack and there are increasing evidence pointing to its complicity, said the PTM USA.
"The arrest of Ali Wazir on December 16, on the anniversary of the liberation of East Bengal shows that Pakistan has not learnt any lesson from history. Pakistan should have learnt from the creation of Bangladesh or the Pashtuns will condemn it to repeat history," Hewad Himmat, a PTM USA leader in Connecticut, USA said.
Shahi Sadat, a Pashtun leader said that it's time for Pakistan to end its policy of harassing and intimidating Pashtun leaders and population and called on the international community to support Pashtuns in their struggle for human and civil rights.
"The treatment meted out to Ali Wazir is unacceptable to Pashtuns. Pashtuns must unite against the fascist Pakistani state and its policies," Sadat said.
PTM USA also called for the release of the other PTM leaders currently in Pakistani prisons and asked Pakistan to stop filing fake charges against PTM leadership and members.
"Punjab enmity towards the Pashtun has reached new heights. Its time to put an end to the Pashtun genocide in Pakistan and the American Pashtuns should play a more effective role to liberate Pashtuns from Punjab's brutal subjugation," Aziz Jabarkhel, a PTM member in Seattle, Washington said.