Pashteen arrested, stopped from joining Bannu sit-in

PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) chief Manzoor Ahmad Pashteen was arrested in Pakistan’s northwestern garrison city of Kohat on Friday.

Pashteen was detained along with several activists on their way to Janikhel area in the morning, the rights-based alliance confirmed in a statement on social media.

In a video message, PTM central committee member Zubair Shah Agha warned of a storm of nationwide protests if Pashteen and his supporters were not released forthwith.

A lawmaker from South Waziristan also confirmed Pashteen’s arrest by Kphat police. Mohsin Dawar said the PTM head was going to attend a protest in Bannu district.

PTM activists Bilal Pakhtun, Idrees Pashteen and Zohaib were also taken into custody. But police are yet to commented on the arrests.

Dawar tweeted: “Utterly shameful how Pashteen has been arrested to stop him from joining the sit-in in Bannu. Dissent is not a crime. Demanding rights is not a crime.”

Former senator Afrasiab Khattak hit out the government for arresting the PTM chief and stopping him from proceeding to Waziristan.

The outspoken Pakhtun nationalist called the arrest part of intensifying repression of the PTM that exposed regrouping of terrorists near the Durand Line.”

Meanwhile, civil society activist Ammar Ali Jan also condemned Pashteen’s arrest and asked the government to free him and respect citizens’ right to dissent.

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