NEW DELHI: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s ‘Naya Pakistan’ seems to be gradually disintegrating both as a concept and country.
Three different regions of Pakistan are up in arms against the army-supported Khan government in the last few days, The Times of India has reported.
According to the TOI report, Pashtuns are furious over the filing of terrorism charges against the parents of Gulalai Ismail, a human rights activist.
Likewise, people in Sindh are also protesting the Pakistan government’s presidential ordinance to take over their islands.
Similarly, Balochistan activists also converged in Canada to mark their protest against human rights violations against the Baloch people by the Khan-led government, the report said.
PM Khan coined the term ‘Naya Pakistan’ in 2017. It has then conjured among the people much optimism and a vision for Pakistan.
Pakistanis expected Khan to play a resounding knock in his political innings. Two years later, Khan has been seen as a jaded politician and his ‘Naya Pakistan’ (new Pakistan) a poor carbon copy of ‘purana’ (old) Pakistan with people’s dissatisfaction rife across the country.
The world looks at how Pakistan has framed terrorism charges against the parents of activist Ismail, who had fled to the US in September 2019 as Pakistan leveled treason charges against her.
A Pakistani anti-terrorism court has also charged her parents-retired university professor Mohammad Ismail and his wife-of involvement in terror attacks in 2013 and 2015, according to TOI report.
Gulalai is an activist of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement campaigning for Pashtun human rights.
Gulalai, also an award-winning activist, was on the right side of Pakistan’s establishment for her vocal criticism of the Taliban.
However, as she began to emphasize the Pakistani military and intelligence, she found herself into their crosshairs.
Pakistan is currently terrorizing her parents, according to the report.
A veteran US diplomat Alice Wells even shared her concerns about Gulalai’s family in a tweet saying: “We are concerned by reports of the continued harassment of Gulalai Ismail’s family, and her father’s detention today. We encourage Pakistan to uphold citizens’ rights to peaceful assembly, expression, and due process.”
Pashtun groups are currently running a pro-Gulalai campaign-#WeStandWithGulalaiFamily.
Meanwhile, young Pashtuns have been conducting a campaign against the Imran Khan government’s shenanigans-disappearances and abductions, internal displacement and military operations, according to the TOI report.
Unrest continues in the Pakistan’s north-western region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the south-western region of Balochistan.
Several popular names in the Balochistan movement converged in Canada’s Toronto on Sunday to protest against the human rights violations by the Khan-led government, according to the Times of India.
Baloch activist Karima Baloch, writer Tarek Fatah, Human Rights Council of Balochistan’s Lateef Johar and several leaders held a rally to remember the disappearance of Shabir Baloch, who was kidnapped by Pakistani authorities in October 2016.
They demanded the Pakistani government to provide liberties and restore human rights in the regions of Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunwa.
Likewise, the Baloch people allege economic exploitation at the hands of Pakistan which they comment is colluding with China to take away the mineral resources from Balochistan through the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), according to TOI.
The Baloch activists also raised concern over the activities of the secretive death squads, allegedly set up by the Pakistani government and the Army, in Balochistan to kidnap and murder people who seek better socio-economic conditions.
With several regions of Pakistan protesting against the Khan-led government for misrule and human rights violations, and poor governance, Khan’s dream of ‘Naya Pakistan’, remains just a dream as Khan has failed to deliver empty promises.
(With inputs from Times of India)
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