08/01/2026
Gaslighting the Gaslighters
An eyewitness account of deception by authorities that misleads both the public and law enforcement.
For days, I debated whether to speak or remain silent. Silence is often safer, but conscience does not allow it. I am an eyewitness to these events; I saw them unfold with my own eyes.
Banda Daud Shah in District Karak is my ancestral tehsil. On 23 December, five police officers were martyred in an attack claimed by the TTP. One of them was Abrar from Gulistan Banda, a village just three kilometers from my own.
On the day of Abrar’s funeral, police announced that eight Militants had been killed in a retaliatory operation. Local residents saw bodies in police vehicles, but those bodies did not belong to the militants shown in official footage. The claim did not match reality. Abrar’s children believed his killers had been brought to justice, yet they remain free. Even the families of fallen officers are being deceived.
On 28 December, an operation was launched under RPO Kohat. During it, the huts of an ordinary man were burned while authorities claimed terrorist hideouts had been destroyed. No such hideouts existed. When questioned, an SHO replied, “It’s better not to talk about this,” reflecting a deeper problem , silence used to protect falsehoods.
Gen Z is often labeled impatient or overly vocal. In reality, they refuse to accept lies as truth. They demand honesty, accountability, and respect for sacrifices like those of Abrar Shaheed.
Silence may protect institutions, but it destroys public trust. Once trust is lost, it is not easily restored.