KARACHI: Khyber Pak­h­tunkhwa Chief Min­ister Ali Amin Gandapur has sent a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, “expressing deep concern over the racial discrimination and unjustified arrests of innocent Pakhtuns in Islamabad”, according to a Dawn.com report.

“I wish to bring to your attention a matter of concern regarding the treatment of Pakhtun labourers in Islamabad, particularly in relation to the arbitrary rounding up and the filing of unfounded ATA (Anti-Terrorism Act) FIRs aga­inst them. These individuals, who are primarily inv­olved in low-paying jobs, have been unfairly targeted in the aftermath of the recent incidents involving peaceful political protests organised by PTI,” the letter reads, according to a post on the KP government’s X account.

Slams arrest of Pakhtun labourers and filing of terror cases against them after PTI protest

The chief minister said Islamabad’s Pakhtun community had long faced significant challenges with most of them engaged in ‘modest employment’. “These individuals have not chosen to live in the capital but have been displaced due to the prolonged effects of the War on Terror and various military operations over the past two decades,” he said.

Mr Gandapur pointed to October’s Pashtoon Qaumi Jirga and how that situation was resolved, after the federal government initially banned it, through “a collective effort, transcending political lines”.

He rued that “regrettably, actions like these-driven by a mix of misunderstanding and misjudgment seem to be part of a recurring pattern.”

Pointing towards past actions and measures of PML-N governments that allegedly discriminated against Pakhtuns, the KP CM said: “Such actions, risk fostering a sense of ali­e­nation and exclusion among communities, whi­ch can ultimately lead to greater divisions and undermine the unity of the federation.

“Pakistan, as a federation, is built on the principles of equal rights for all citizens, irrespective of their ethnicity or province of origin. It is crucial that no group be made to feel inferior or alienated based on these arbitrary policies. The perceived superiority of one community over another can sow the seeds of conflict and division, which can have long-term consequences.”

He said “divisive and inhumane nature” policies were universally conde­m­ned, adding that societies had moved beyond such policies towards inclusivity, progress, and civility. “It is essential that we, too, do the same,” he said.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2024