Mia Iftikhar Hussain, the provincial leader of the Awami National Party (ANP), has criticized the policies of the Pakistani government, stating that under the name of counterterrorism, a game is once again being played against the Pashtuns.
He added that the martyrs are also their own people and that all the oppression is borne by them, yet everything taking place amounts to nothing more than a drama. Mia Iftikhar accused former military leadership of resettling militants and questioned where the National Action Plan was when General Faiz was involved in these actions. He stressed that there are legal means to eliminate terrorism, but in practice, only Pashtuns are being targeted and harassed.
These remarks come at a time when public figures and political leaders have increasingly voiced criticism against Pakistan’s flawed security and political policies and its discriminatory practices. In particular, residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the former tribal areas say that under the banner of the so-called war on terror, Pashtuns have suffered the most damage, yet they remain excluded from decision-making processes.
Political parties and community leaders emphasize that transparent, legal, and inclusive strategies exist to combat terrorism. However, instead of adopting such approaches, the state continues to rely on force, military operations, and discriminatory treatment. According to them, these policies have not brought security but have instead deepened mistrust, instability, and public discontent.
