Protesters outside the National Press Club in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. Image by Annam Lodhi. Used with permission. “Naqeeb Teray Khoon Se, Inqilab Aye Ga,” (Naqeeb from your blood we will bring about a revolution) chants a crowd outside the National Press Club in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. Thousands of ethnic Pashtuns from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and elsewhere in Pakistan have staged a sit-in in front of the National Press Club in Islamabad for the past week. The protests were initially sparked by the extra-judicial killing of Pashtun shopkeeper Naqeebullah Mehsud, but have now become a rallying point to speak up about issues affecting the Pashtun community. #PastunLongMarch #Islamabad How many more until we actually see change? pic.twitter.com/2Z63BzPH5R — The Lodhi (@AnnamL0dhi) February 8, 2018 Women from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are on the way to join #PashtunLongMarch We request women from all over Pakistan to join us today at 5 pm Islamabad press club. #JusticeForPashtun pic.twitter.com/qOBemtqoHd — Shawanashah (@ShawanaShah92) February 8, 2018 The Pashtuns (or Pathans) are an ethnic group who mostly live in Pakistan and Afghanistan. They speak the Pashto language and various other dialects; they also have a rich traditional set of ethics and a distinctive culture which guides individual and communal conduct. In Pakistan, there are currently about 30 million Pashtuns (15% of Pakistan's total population) and in Afghanistan, they are the largest ethnic group and make up between 42–60% of the 32.5 million population. Many Pashtuns are disadvantaged in Pakistan. Pashtun refugees that have crossed into Pakistan from Afghanistan mostly live in squalid refugee camps in poverty. Also, many local Pashtuns from the Afghan border area — the federally administered tribal area (FATA)– are internally displaced in their own country due to military operations related to the War in Waziristan and also live in camps. They have endured years of terrorist violence and military operations where hundreds of thousands of families lost their businesses and livelihoods. Protests have been raging on since Naqeebullah Mehsud, a 27-year-old Pashtun shopkeeper from FATA, was killed in an alleged staged extrajudicial killing in January in Karachi. The phenomena of extrajudicial killings and fake encounter killings (when locals are murdered and shown as culprits for the good of the security agencies) are not new to Karachi. In 2017, 65 extrajudicial killings were suspected and 20 were investigated; in six cases, police officers were found to be involved in misusing their powers. End to the regime of enforced disappearances in Pakhtunkhwa, Fata and rest of Pakistan, an end to the land mines, #JusticeForNaqeeb and rehabilitation of the destroyed infrastructure in Fata are the legitimate demands of #PashtunsIsbdDharna. #PashtunLongMarch pic.twitter.com/5hMHSzyImO — Khadim Hussain (@Khadimhussain4) February 2, 2018 What is different about Naqeeb’s staged killing is that it has triggered a movement led by the Pashtun youth who feel that they have long been at the receiving end of punishments and are subjected to ethnic stereotyping and abductions by security forces. The Demands of Pashtun sit-in. Credits: Annam Lodhi The participants of the Pashtun sit-in, which commenced on 1 February, have refused to acquiesce from their position until the government accepts their five demands. The demands include: Global Voices (GV) was present at the protest in Islamabad and talked to some of the protesters. Ali Haider, a student, said: I wish that we achieve what we came here for. We don't have a good education system nor qualified teachers and due to everyday issues, we can't attend schools on time or study On 8 February, Haider and many other students were at the protest for more than a week and said that they are sacrificing their education and earnings in the hope for change. The ongoing sit-in was organized by a social media group of young Pashtuns, with the hashtag #PashtunLongMarch. The demonstration is currently being attended by 50+ women and about 2000 Pashtuns from the tribal areas and other parts of the country every day. The protest was widely ignored by national media until social media and international outlets reported on it. Thousands are participating in the #PashtunLongMarch. Men and women of all ages are present. This is something unprecedented. pic.twitter.com/Fn9wrhvRQG — Dr Nauman (@naumanulhaqkhan) February 5, 2018 The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan called upon the Government of Pakistan to take notice of this protest and to listen to the demands. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi assured the protestors that Naqeebullah Mehsud's killers will be brought to justice.