The Bannu peace march descended into violence, raising questions. Was it a genuine expression of Pashtun grievances or a sinister ploy?
PTM: Protection of Pashtuns or Sub-Nationalist Motives?
The ethno-national fault line of Pakistan’s North-West has tactfully been weaponized by PTM to further sub-nationalist desires.
Friendship Gate and Fiery Exchanges: Of Pak-Afghan Border
The attack from Afghanistan on Pakistani soldiers at the Spin Boldak-Chaman border and the confession video of the assailant doing rounds on social media raises questions about the Taliban\’s role— or lack thereof.
![Political activism of PTM was directed towards the issues faced by the people of Erstwhile FATA now KPK, due to the military checkpoints [Image Credits: Naseer Ahmed/Reuters].](https://southasiatimes.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/5acc715046085-320x179.webp)
Secessionist Agenda of Pakistan’s PTM: An Analysis
The use of Pashtun ethnicity as a basis for separatist agenda demands a normative understanding of ‘ethnic-nationalism’. The issues faced by Pashtuns in erstwhile FATA cannot be considered persecution or subjugation of an ethnicity.
The Resurgence of Sectarianism in Pakistan: A Threat Matrix?
Sectarianism is so deep-rooted in our society that even the state deems it ‘normal’ and does not react unless extremist manifestations of the phenomenon start turning ugly. The state’s typical response entails the ‘concealment and appeasement’ approach, which was evident from its dealing with the recent upsurge in sectarian tensions in the country.
Implications of Probable Pak-Afghan Security Agreement
Setting up a seminal ‘security agreement’ between Pakistan and Afghanistan will be beneficial to both neighborly nations.
CPEC Threat Matrix
The threats to CPEC emanate from internal issues such as the Baloch insurgency to administrative lapses and political upheavals in the region.
