{"id":2274,"date":"2025-07-14T08:23:13","date_gmt":"2025-07-14T08:23:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/morningpostnews.pk\/eng\/?p=2274"},"modified":"2025-07-14T08:23:13","modified_gmt":"2025-07-14T08:23:13","slug":"peace-marches-in-kp-pti-marches-to-lahore-a-tale-of-misplaced-priorities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/morningpostnews.pk\/eng\/peace-marches-in-kp-pti-marches-to-lahore-a-tale-of-misplaced-priorities\/","title":{"rendered":"Peace Marches in KP, PTI Marches to Lahore: A Tale of Misplaced Priorities"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Fazal Khaliq
\nKhyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), a province long plagued by violence and instability, stood at a poignant crossroads, grappling with a profound sense of abandonment and unrest. The assassination of Maulana Khanzeb, a respected leader of the Awami National Party (ANP) and a fervent advocate for peace, sparked widespread outrage and grief. Thousands of Pashtuns gathered in Bajaur for a peace march, demanding an end to terrorism, militarization, and state inaction in the face of targeted killings. On the same day, however, the elected representatives of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the ruling party in KP, were conspicuously absent, having traveled to Lahore to strategize a protest campaign for the release of their imprisoned leader, Imran Khan. This convergence of events highlights a troubling disconnect between the province\u2019s leadership and its people, leaving the residents of KP feeling vulnerable to the mercy of terrorists while their elected officials prioritized a national political agenda.<\/span><\/span><\/span>Maulana Khanzeb\u2019s assassination on July 10, 2025, was a devastating blow to KP\u2019s fragile hopes for peace. Known for his outspoken advocacy for Pashtun rights and his opposition to exploitative policies, such as the minerals bill that critics argued favored foreign interests over local welfare, Khanzeb was a symbol of resistance against systemic marginalization. His death, attributed to \u201cunknown\u201d gunmen, fueled suspicions of state complicity or negligence, as voiced in posts on X, where users lamented the silencing of a leader who dared to challenge the status quo. The peace march in Bajaur, attended by thousands, was not just a mourning of Khanzeb\u2019s death but a collective cry against decades of violence, from the fallout of the U.S.-led war on terror to ongoing militant attacks in regions like Bajaur, Tirah, Khyber, Orakzai, and Waziristan. Protesters demanded accountability, chanting \u201cNo to terrorism\u201d and \u201cNo to militarization,\u201d yet their pleas were met with a deafening silence from mainstream media and, more critically, from their elected representatives.<\/span><\/span><\/span>While the people of KP rallied for peace, the PTI leadership, led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, convened in Lahore to launch an anti-government protest movement aimed at securing the release of Imran Khan, who has been incarcerated since August 2023. This high-profile meeting, held at a farmhouse in Raiwind, included PTI\u2019s parliamentary committees from Punjab and KP, as well as senior leaders like Barrister Gohar Ali Khan. The campaign, described as a \u201cdo-or-die\u201d effort set to peak by August 5, 2025\u2014marking two years of Khan\u2019s imprisonment\u2014was framed as a response to perceived political oppression and electoral manipulation. Gandapur\u2019s fiery rhetoric, accusing the military establishment of imposing an \u201cundeclared martial law\u201d and vowing a 90-day ultimatum for Khan\u2019s release, underscored the intensity of PTI\u2019s national agenda. However, this focus came at a critical cost: the absence of KP\u2019s elected officials during a moment of acute crisis in their province.
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span>The juxtaposition of these events paints a stark picture of neglect. While KP\u2019s citizens faced the immediate threat of terrorism\u2014exacerbated by Khanzeb\u2019s killing and ongoing attacks in tribal areas\u2014their representatives were physically and politically distant, prioritizing a Lahore-based movement over local governance. This absence was particularly glaring given PTI\u2019s strong mandate in KP, where the party has governed since 2013, promising to address the province\u2019s security and developmental challenges. Instead, the leadership\u2019s decision to mobilize in Lahore, coupled with reports of police crackdowns on PTI workers in Punjab, suggests a strategic focus on national power dynamics rather than the urgent needs of their constituents. The people of KP, already radicalized by years of violence and perceived state betrayal, were left to confront their grief and fear alone, as posts on X noted the lack of response from both state media and PTI leaders.<\/span><\/span><\/span>The situation is further complicated by the broader political and security context in KP. The province has endured decades of turmoil, from the fallout of the Soviet-Afghan War to the U.S.-led war on terror, which dragged the tribal belt into a vortex of militancy. The 2018 merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) into KP promised integration and development, but many residents feel it has instead intensified state control and resource exploitation without addressing security concerns. Khanzeb\u2019s criticism of policies like the minerals bill resonated with those who see KP\u2019s resources being siphoned off while its people face daily threats. The opposition alliance in KP, now just 20 members short of a simple majority following the Supreme Court\u2019s ruling against PTI\u2019s reserved seats, adds to the political instability, raising fears of further governance disruptions.
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span>The PTI\u2019s focus on Imran Khan\u2019s release, while significant for the party\u2019s national strategy, risks alienating its KP base. The province\u2019s residents, already disillusioned by years of unfulfilled promises, perceive a leadership vacuum at a time when unity and action are most needed. Gandapur\u2019s absence during the Bajaur peace march, coupled with his provocative statements about self-defense and potential retaliation, further inflames tensions without offering concrete solutions to KP\u2019s security crisis. Posts on X reflect this sentiment, with users expressing frustration that PTI\u2019s agenda seems fixated on Khan\u2019s release while \u201cthings are getting worse every day\u201d in KP.<\/span><\/span><\/span>The tragedy of July 13, 2025, underscores a deeper malaise in KP: a province caught between the aspirations of its people for peace and the political ambitions of its leaders. The assassination of Maulana Khanzeb was a call to action for a weary population, yet the absence of PTI\u2019s elected representatives in Lahore signaled a prioritization of national politics over local suffering. To rebuild trust, PTI must balance its fight for Khan\u2019s release with tangible efforts to address KP\u2019s security and governance challenges. This includes engaging with peace marchers, investigating Khanzeb\u2019s killing transparently, and prioritizing local security over provocative rhetoric. Without such steps, KP risks further radicalization, as warned by voices on X, and the chasm between the people and their leaders will only widen. The people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa deserve more than to be left at the mercy of terrorists\u2014they deserve leadership that stands with them in their darkest hours.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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On July 13, 2025, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) faced a stark divide. Thousands in Bajaur marched for peace after the assassination of Maulana Khanzeb, a revered advocate, demanding an end to terrorism. Yet, PTI leaders, including CM Ali Amin Gandapur, were in Lahore, rallying for Imran Khan\u2019s release. This disconnect left KP\u2019s people feeling abandoned to terrorists, highlighting a leadership prioritizing national politics over local cries for security and justice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2275,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[1017,1027,1020,1015,1025,1026,1018,1028,1023,1019,1016,1022,1024,1029,1021],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/morningpostnews.pk\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2274"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/morningpostnews.pk\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/morningpostnews.pk\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/morningpostnews.pk\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/morningpostnews.pk\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2274"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/morningpostnews.pk\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2274\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2276,"href":"https:\/\/morningpostnews.pk\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2274\/revisions\/2276"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/morningpostnews.pk\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2275"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/morningpostnews.pk\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2274"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/morningpostnews.pk\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2274"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/morningpostnews.pk\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2274"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}