PTM UK Chapter highlights agony of grieving mother, alleges state role in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa floods

London [UK], August 20 (ANI): The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) UK Chapter has raised serious concerns over what it describes as systematic oppression of Pashtuns and a "man-made catastrophe" in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, highlighting both human rights abuses and devastation caused by recent floods in the region.

In a post shared on X, PTM UK Chapter narrated the ordeal of a grieving mother from Swat who once had seven sons but has been left shattered by state actions. According to the post, the Pakistani army took away all seven of her sons, with two later released, one after three months and the other after seven and a half years. However, five of her sons remained in secret detention. The situation worsened when one was reportedly shot dead by the army in District Kohat, two were jailed (whom the mother is occasionally allowed to meet), and two remain in undisclosed detention centres.

Now elderly and ailing, the woman herself is battling severe health issues, including a serious back problem and three blocked veins in her foot requiring surgery. PTM said she has no one left to care for her or to help her seek medical treatment, leaving her in constant pain and despair.

In another post on X, PTM UK Chapter pointed to widespread devastation across the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, including Buner, Swat, Shangla, Bajaur, Battagram, and Lower Dir, where children were buried under rubble, fields swept away, and settlements destroyed by the recent floods. The movement argued that the crisis was not a natural calamity but a "man-made and planned catastrophe."

"The state and its institutions are directly involved in it. This calamity has been unleashed to make the lives of Pashtuns miserable, to devastate their lands, and to cripple their economy forever," the PTM UK Chapter alleged. Drawing parallels with the past, the group claimed that just as terrorism was imposed on the Pashtun belt, the floods were being used as another tool of oppression.

"The nation must understand this truth: this flood is not just water; it is another name for a conspiracy. It is an artificial affliction, aimed at erasing Pashtuns from the face of existence, crushing their dreams, and pushing their generations into despair and poverty," the statement further read.

Calling for unity, the PTM UK Chapter urged the Pashtun nation, particularly its supporters, to step up through self-help initiatives. "To heal these wounds, we must all become each other's support," it said. (ANI)

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