What is behind 'Pashtun uprising' in northwestern Pakistan?

DW (English)

Pakistani authorities have long accused a Pashtun rights movement, which calls for an end to the conflict along the border with Afghanistan, of conspiring against the state. But the group says its demands are legitimate.

Transcript

00:00We are asking for peace from Islamabad. Islamabad is our caliphate. Pakistan belongs to us.

00:15We are the citizens of this country. The sacrifices we have made for Pakistan have been made by our Pashtuns.

00:24We told them not to interfere in our national and civil affairs.

00:32Our CTD and police should go to the police station and carry out all the operations.

00:37Long live freedom! Long live independence!

00:49We had a meeting with the elders of different areas.

00:54They all went to him and talked to him.

00:59He listened to us and we are hopeful.

01:06Long live freedom! Long live independence!

01:18When the peace march took place, there were some negative effects.

01:24About 1500-2000 of them crossed the road where the vehicle was blasted.

01:32They protested against the government and the army.

01:54More than two years since the U.S. left Afghanistan, there has been an increase in terrorist attacks in Pakistan.

02:09As far as those areas are concerned, there is some terrorist activity.

02:14The military has to come in support of the civil administration.

02:25The U.S. military has to come in support of the civil administration.

02:36People in Bannu or elsewhere in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province

02:41or in other border districts of Balochistan or elsewhere in Pakistan

02:46are actually tired of this perpetual conflict, this continued conflict in their regions.

02:54The death toll, the killings of innocent people and internal displacement

03:03that the wars in Afghanistan and the insurgency in Pakistan

03:08people have witnessed and people have suffered from that for a very long time.

03:17The U.S. military has to come in support of the civil administration.

03:28If the state of Pakistan holds up to and abides by the promises that they have made

03:37with the local businesses, with the local residents, with the population that has suffered over so many years

03:45then things can resolve.

03:47But if there is half-hearted implementation of the agreements that have been reached

03:55or are being negotiated at the moment, then the situation will worsen.

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