Pakistan bans prominent Pashtun rights group citing security concerns
Pakistan has banned the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), or Pashtun Protection Movement, a prominent rights group, listing it as a 'proscribed organisation'.
A government notification issued on Sunday stated that the PTM was involved in activities that threatened the peace and security of the country.
The Pashtuns, an ethnic group primarily residing in Pakistan and Afghanistan, speak Pashto and are divided by the Durand Line, a border created during colonial times.
Founded in 2014, the PTM advocates for the rights of Pashtuns affected by Pakistan's operations against the Taliban, including the Pakistani Taliban, also known as TTP.
The PTM has gained recognition for its outspoken criticism of Pakistan’s military, particularly regarding allegations of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings of activists and ethnic leaders.
While not a political party, the PTM has organized large, peaceful rallies calling for greater protection and rights for Pashtuns. The group claims that over 200 of its members have been arrested recently in the lead-up to a planned jirga, or elders' council.
This ban comes amid efforts by the Pakistani government to suppress dissent, including restricting the political influence of jailed opposition leader and former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has also criticized the country’s military and intelligence agencies.
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