PTM Calls for UN Intervention to Lift Pakistani Ban

The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) has urged the UN to intervene against an illegal ban imposed by Pakistan. PTM claims it faces violence and misuses of anti-terror laws, stifling their peaceful activism. Concerns rise over PTM leaders' safety and restrictions on freedom of expression.

The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), a non-violent grassroots organization advocating for the Pashtun ethnic minority's rights in Pakistan, has called on the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk for intervention. The PTM seeks the removal of an illegal ban imposed by the Pakistani government on October 6, 2024, where it was declared a "proscribed organization" under Section 11B of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997. The PTM criticized the government for failing to provide evidence of allegations that the organization undermines national peace and security.

The PTM states it has faced enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, torture, and harassment, allegedly by the Pakistan Army and its intelligence services. The dire situation escalated on October 9, 2024, when Pakistani security personnel opened fire on PTM activists in Jamrud, Khyber district, tragically killing four and injuring many others. Such actions, according to PTM representatives, violate both international law and the Pakistani constitution, while the abuse of anti-terrorism laws targets peaceful activists and minority rights advocates.

Amnesty International has denounced the ban on PTM, contending it infringes on freedoms of association and peaceful assembly. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan characterized the decision as lacking transparency and justification. Concerns heightened following assassination attempts on PTM leader Manzoor Ahmad Pashteen, allegedly planned by military intelligence through local proxy groups. Furthermore, several PTM leaders have died under suspicious circumstances, raising alarms over the risks faced by minority groups. PTM's plea to the UN seeks to address these human rights violations and the suppression of political activism and dissent in Pakistan.

(With inputs from agencies.)