KABUL (Pajhwok): Meshrano Jirga or Senate members on Sunday voiced their support for an ongoing social movement of the Pashtuns living across the Durand Line .

The movement formerly called Mehsud protection movement has been launched by tribal people in Pakistan ’s federally administered tribal areas or FATA after the killing of a tribal youth Naqeeb Mehsud in Karachi.

The Pashtuns held an unprecedented long march in Islamabad and in some other parts of the country but after 11 days they called off their protests when the Pakistani government gave them a letter assuring the arrest of the senior police officer, Rao Anwar, who killed the youth.

Other demands of the protestors included an end to the persecution Pashtuns in Waziristan and no interference in Afghanistan domestic issues.

But after some time the protesters again took to the streets. However, the Pakistani government is yet to meet their demands.

In their support, a number of Afghan civil society activists erected a protest tent in Chaman Hozori neighborhood of Kabul.

The activists had asked the international community and particularly the United States (US) enlist Pakistan in UN blacklist.

During Sunday’s session, the Meshrano Jirga or upper house members discussed the issue.

Senator Mohammad Hassan Hotak supported the ongoing demonstrations in support of the Pakistani Pashtuns on both sides of the Durand Line.

He said over the past several decades, the Pashtun nation had been victimized by deferent names, an issue still ongoing.

He called Pakistan a huge supporter of terrorist groups and urged the US to push for sanctions on Pakistan.

Senate chairman Fazal Hadi Muslimyar said: “The upper house would support all demands that seek human freedom”.

He said Pakistan-based Pashtuns endured 70 years of oppression at the hands of the Pakistani military and were still victimized, something not tolerable for the Afghan nation.

pk/ma