Don't criminalise ethnicity lest...

Something potentially divisive and intrinsically evil is - yet again - creeping into the already bruised soul of Pakistan: i.e. racial profiling and ethnicisation of political opponents.

Through a concerted conscious campaign, Pashtoons and the word 'Tehreek' are being demonised for political capital by the incumbent government. It is not just the political opponents of the PTI, but an entire brigade of party propagandists, disguised media-persons, commercial advertisers and intellectuals are consciously peddling the theme that is singling out PTI as an 'organisation linked to terrorist groups'.

An interview, tweeted by Maryam Nawaz, by two purported residents of Zaman Park, was one of the so many disturbing examples of this narrative. The two ladies - which social media handles later claimed belonged to Dharampura, sounded contemptuous when asked about the identity of people forced out of the Zaman Park in the March 18 operation. 'They spoke Pashto, were Pathans, looked like (members of) Taliban, sent by Ghundapur (Ali Ameen Gandapur of PTI).'

Another young boy from Batagram caught in Islamabad the same day near the Judicial Complex underwent similar disparaging treatment by a policeman, himself a...