- Mohsin Dawar alleges PTM workers being harassed to keep them from attending rally
PESHAWAR: Amid resistance and opposition from certain groups, the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) is going for its big rally in violence and terror struck Swat valley on Sunday.
Prior to PTM’s rally at Kabal Ground in Swat, the Pakistan Zindabad Movement (PZM) held a rally in Grassy Ground in Mingora, Swat on Saturday accusing PTM leader Manzoor Ahmad Pashteen and his aides Ali Wazir, Mohsin Dawar and others as Indian RAW’s and Afghanistan’s NDS’ agents.
PTM leader Mohsin Dawar, while talking to VOA, alleged that personnel of intelligence and law enforcement agencies were harassing and terrorising the local people to keep them from attending PTM’s Sunday rally. He, however, claimed that it was a chance for the people of Swat people to come out and call out for their just rights.
Dawar further said that all arrangements for Sunday’s rally were in the final stages and he was hopeful of maximum attendance.
Dawar expressed amazement that Swat deputy commissioner turned down the PTM’s request for staging April 29 rally at Mingora’s Grassy Ground whereas the PZM was allowed the rally there on Saturday.
The attendance at the PZM rally was, however, was very low. Besides others, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) MPA from Mingora, Fazal Hakim, and Swat Trader’s Federation President Abdul Rahim Khan were the main speakers.
Before the start of the rally, frequent announcements were made from the stage, requesting people to come out of homes to attend the rally. Time and again, slogans against PTM and its leaders Manzoor Pashteen, Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar were chanted from the stage by the organisers.
Traders from Mingora, Saidu Sharif and other parts of Swat, activists of PTI and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) were also visible in the rally. Besides that, a few flags of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) were also seen hoisted on stage but there was no any popular leader or office holder of either of the parties present there.
When contacted, MPA Fazal Hakim said, “I am here for peace of Swat. We believe that state organs are fulfilling their responsibilities within constitutional limits and we are determined to support them.”
“We are not against anyone,” he replied when questioned why they were opposing PTM.
A journalist from Swat attending the rally said, “So far 20 per cent of 2,500 chairs are unoccupied.” He added that majority of the participants were government employees, including security personnel.