The Punjabi Pak Army and Frontier Corps (FC) forces have fired upon peaceful protestors in North Waziristan, a region known for its rich deposits of metals and minerals. The incident left several people injured, including two members of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM).
In the Dossali area of North Waziristan, the military and Frontier Corps (FC) detained several locals during the previous night. When residents united in protest on Saturday, demanding the release of those detained, the Punjabi Pak Army reportedly opened fire on the crowd, resulting in numerous injuries.
The incident follows the arrest and subsequent release of many locals, which occurred after intense resistance from the community. North Waziristan has been under increased scrutiny as Marri Petroleum and the Frontier Works Organization (FWO) continue extensive extraction activities. Furthermore, the internet network in the area has also been shut down to facilitate these extraction operations.
The Punjabi Pak Army treats north Waziristan as its private domain due to the region’s abundant natural resources. The Pakistan Army is exploiting the resources of the Pashtun community, using tactics such as shelling and the placement of landmines to instil fear and silence any dissent. Rather than providing security, these actions are an effort to conceal the military’s exploitation of the area.
The Army is fostering terrorist entities within Pakistan and scapegoating the Pashtun community to divert attention from their own actions. The ongoing exploitation of resources in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa highlands is depriving local inhabitants of their rightful ownership.