PESHAWAR, Oct 20: Pakhtuns are faced with growing extremism, political manipulation, economic deprivation and insecurity in the NWFP, Fata and northern Balochistan and they need to articulate their issues based on research at a forum.

Theses views were expressed by participants at a consultation meeting held here on Saturday. A group of people belonging to different walks of life from various districts gathered to discuss and set up a forum for holding debates on issues affecting the Pakhtuns.

The participants, including university teachers, lawyers, journalists and other civil society members, stressed the need for research in order to develop a consensus on issues in the Pakhtun-dominated region.

“Pakhtuns are victims of extremism. They are worried about their future and sense of insecurity among them is very high,” said Kafayat Khan, a lawyer.

He said that every village was undergoing ‘Talibanisation’ and in some areas it was visible. The moderate Pakhtuns felt threatened and they were afraid of expressing their views openly, he added.

The participants said that Pakhtuns’ problems had increased manifold and they lacked capacity to table their issues in different forums.

The consultation, organised by a group of people belonging to different walks of life, including Ijaz Khattak, Tariq Khan, Jamal Khan, Kifayat Khan and Asad Afridi, discussed proposals to set up a forum for research on issues affecting the Pakhtuns, create awareness and provide them a platform to share there thoughts.

Jamal Khan, a researcher, said the name of the forum was yet to be finalised. The forum, meant for peace and development, would be a research organisation, he added.

The participants said that research was important, but in the present scenario peace in the Pakhtun-dominated region was of vital importance. “It should work on democratic pattern accommodating views from all walks of life.”

Aimal Khattak, member of a research institute in Islamabad, was of the view that the forum should focus on issues like extremism and terrorism which were affecting the life Pakhtuns living in Balochistan, the NWFP and Fata.

The forum is expected to be launched formally soon after organisational structure and procedures are finalised.