The reported bombing of a mosque in Zalae Banoon village, located in Tehsil Domel Sparkah of North Waziristan, has sparked sharp reaction among Pashtun communities and rights groups.

According to a statement by the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) Holland, the incident occurred during Asr prayers when the Pakistani army allegedly targeted the religious site, injuring two civilians. 

The group condemned the attack as a grave violation of religious and human values, calling it part of a broader pattern of systemic military aggression in Pashtun-majority areas.

Local sources described an atmosphere of fear in the aftermath of the bombing, as communication lines in the area were disrupted. This isolation, according to PTM activists, has often been used to restrict media access and prevent documentation of human rights abuses.

The group accused the Pakistani state of turning Pashtun tribal lands into conflict laboratories, where civilians endure decades of militarisation, forced displacement, and restricted civil liberties.

PTM Holland’s statement questioned the legal and moral justification of striking a place of worship, demanding accountability and transparency from the state. It emphasised that mosques, homes, and schools have been repeatedly targeted under the pretext of counter-insurgency, creating a climate of trauma and perpetual insecurity among residents.

The organisation linked this incident to ongoing policies of collective punishment used historically in Waziristan under military operations, warning that such actions deepen alienation and resentment among the local population.

In parallel, the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement - United States (PTM-US) declared what it described as a significant diplomatic move to internationalise the issue. The group announced the San Antonio, Texas Jirga Declaration, intended for submission to the US Congress, the United Nations, and leading human rights organisations.

This initiative aims to draw global attention to what PTM calls long-standing abuses—including extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, and arbitrary arrests—against Pashtuns in Pakistan’s north-western regions.

PTM-US described the campaign as the collective voice of marginalised communities seeking justice beyond national boundaries. The group stated that sustained international engagement is necessary to halt continued persecution and to ensure the protection of basic human rights.

They also framed the bombing in Zalae Banoon as a direct reflection of broader state policies that prioritise militarisation over reconciliation, further destabilising the already fragile social fabric of the region.

Human rights observers have noted that North Waziristan remains one of Pakistan’s most sensitive and heavily militarised zones after successive counter-terrorism operations.

Despite claims of normalisation, sporadic violence, curfews, and restrictions on civic activity persist. Civil society activists argue that the continuing military presence hinders development, displaces populations, and perpetuates cycles of insecurity.

The growing activism of PTM chapters abroad underscores a widening international dimension to the Pashtun rights movement. With global platforms now being approached directly, the narrative of state oppression in Pakistan’s tribal belt is gaining renewed diplomatic visibility.

The recent mosque bombing, if verified, risks further discrediting Pakistan’s internal security policies and could invite scrutiny from international watchdogs monitoring religious freedoms and minority rights.

For many Pashtuns, the latest incident has revived painful memories of previous military operations such as Zarb-e-Azb and Rah-e-Nijat, which displaced thousands and inflicted heavy civilian losses. 

PTM’s evolving campaign seeks to ensure that such violence does not go unnoticed by the global community and that accountability mechanisms are put in place to end what they describe as decades of marginalisation under the banner of national security.

Based On ANI Report