 | |
| Abbreviation | PTM[1] |
|---|---|
| Founded | May 2014; 11 years ago (2014-05) |
| Founder | Eight Students |
| Type | Human rights movement |
| Purpose | Protection andrights of Pashtuns
|
| Headquarters | Peshawar |
Chairman | Manzoor Pashteen |
| Website | Pashtun Tahafuz Movement onFacebook |
Formerly called | Mahsud Tahafuz Movement (From May 2014 until January 2018)[1] |
ThePashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM)[a] is asocial movement forPashtunhuman rights based inKhyber Pakhtunkhwa andBalochistan provinces ofPakistan. It was founded in May 2014 by eight students inDera Ismail Khan. On 1 February 2018, the name of the movement was changed from "Mahsud Tahafuz Movement" ('Mahsud Protection Movement') to "Pashtun Tahafuz Movement".
DuringPTM's public demonstrations and sit-ins since February 2018, several demands were presented to the Pakistani government and military, including punishment to the retired police officerRao Anwar, atruth and reconciliation commission onextrajudicial killings in the country,[2] presentingmissing persons before courts,[3] and removal of landmines from the Pashtun tribal areas.[4] The movement is led byManzoor Pashteen, ahuman rights activist fromSouth Waziristan.[5][6] Other prominent activists in it includeAli Wazir,Mohsin Dawar,[7]Ismat Shahjahan,Mir Kalam,Alamzaib Mahsud,Abdullah Nangyal,Fazal Khan,Gulalai Ismail,Sanna Ejaz,Wranga Loni,[8] and the lateArman Loni,Arif Wazir,Usman Kakar,Noor Islam Dawar, andGilaman Wazir. PTM claims to be an unarmed and peaceful resistance movement working within the lawful boundaries of theConstitution of Pakistan.[9] ThePakistan Army and several journalists have claimed that the movement is trying to create discord in the country along ethnic lines, as well as following a foreign agenda.[10] The movement has seen strong support from neighboringAfghanistan, which traditionally has an uneasy relationship with the government of Pakistan.[11][12][13]
Ahead of the PTM-plannedKhyber Jirga in October 2024, the Pakistani government banned the PTM on the grounds that its activities threatened the country's peace and security. The decision drew criticism from human rights organizations includingAmnesty International and theHuman Rights Commission of Pakistan, which called for the ban's reversal, citing PTM's history of peaceful advocacy within constitutional limits.[14][15]
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| Pashtuns |
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Pashtun-inhabited territories have been a war zone since the early 1980s, during the Cold War between theSoviet Union andUnited States and following the conflict between Western and Islamist forces. PTM therefore campaigns against the continuing war, blaming both the Taliban and the Pakistani military for the destruction.[16]
The movement was founded as Mahsud Tahafuz Movement in May 2014 by eight students in Dera Ismail Khan as an initiative for removinglandmines fromWaziristan and other parts of the formerFederally Administered Tribal Areas, affected by thewar in North-West Pakistan.[17][1]
The movement rose to prominence in January 2018 when it began a justice movement forNaqeebullah Mehsud, who wasextrajudicially killed in afake encounter staged by the police officerRao Anwar inKarachi.[18] When the movement gained popularity among the Pashtuns in February 2018, the word "Mahsud" in its name, which referred to theMahsud tribe from Waziristan, was changed into "Pashtun" to refer to all Pashtuns.[citation needed]
The movement, which has inspired global Pashtun solidarity, has been dominated by youth, and thrives on social media while lacking significant coverage in mainstream media. According to Saleem Shah, it has challenged military power where typical Pashtun nationalist parties have not dared. However, the PTM lacks organizational structure and a political manifesto, as of 2018.[16]
In November 2018, PTM launched a justice movement forTahir Dawar, a police officer and Pashto poet who was abducted from the capitalIslamabad and tortured to death, with his corpse found 18 days after disappearance in theDur Baba District ofNangarhar Province, Afghanistan.[19] PTM, as well as Tahir's family, demanded that Tahir's murder must be investigated through an international commission rather than a Pakistani one because the case involved two countries.[20][21] PTM again gained international press coverage in February 2019 when theBalochistan Police allegedly extrajudicially murdered one of the leaders of PTM,Arman Loni, inLoralai. Protests followed which led to the detention of more than 20 PTM activists, includingGulalai Ismail andAbdullah Nangyal.[22][23][24][25] In May 2020, after the assassination of PTM leaderArif Wazir, another wave of widespread protests was held during which several PTM activists, includingGilaman Wazir and Nadeem Askar, were arrested by Pakistani authorities.[26] ThePashteen hat (also known as the Mazari hat) has become the most iconic symbol of PTM, as Manzoor Pashteen regularly wears it at public rallies and events.[27]
On 26 May 2019, there was a clash between the Pakistan Army and PTM activists who were holding a protest gathering near the Kharqamar check post inNorth Waziristan. To stop the demonstration, the security forces killed at least 13 PTM supporters and injured over 25 others. The military said PTM members attacked security forces before any shooting began and injured several soldiers, but the army showed no evidence to contradict the witness accounts and videos, that largely pointed to the contrary.[28][29][30][31] Several PTM activists, including two members of theNational Assembly of Pakistan,Ali Wazir andMohsin Dawar, were arrested by the security forces after the incident and curfew was imposed in the area. A day after this incident, the opposition parties walked out of the National Assembly of Pakistan in protest, and askedAsad Qaiser, who was theSpeaker of the National Assembly and a leader of thePakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), to produce Wazir and Dawar before the parliament so that they could explain their viewpoint about the incident at the parliament sessions, but the speaker refused.[32]
After almost four months in jail, Wazir and Dawar were released on bail on 21 September 2019.[33] On 14 October 2020, the government withdrew the Kharqamar case against PTM, and Wazir and Dawar were acquitted of the charges against them.[34][35]
In October 2024, the Pakistani government banned the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), citing security concerns. A government notification labeled the PTM as a "proscribed organization," accusing it of engaging in activities deemed prejudicial to the peace and stability of the country. The ban comes amid growing tensions and increased dissent, particularly regarding the PTM's vocal criticism of the military's role in alleged human rights violations, including enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Pashtun regions.
The move to outlaw the PTM drew immediate backlash from human rights organizations includingAmnesty International.[15] TheHuman Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) condemned the ban, calling it an "extreme decision" and demanded its reversal. According to the HRCP, PTM has consistently advocated for its cause through non-violent and constitutional means. Despite the ban, PTM has enjoyed widespread support in Pakistan's Pashtun-majority regions and neighboring Afghanistan, where its demand for justice for Pashtuns resonates strongly.The timing of the ban also coincided with the scheduledKhyber Jirga, a traditional Pashtun council, further intensifying tensions between the movement's supporters and the state.[14]
The main demands of PTM presented during the Pashtun Long March's gatherings in 2018 included, among others:
The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement has highly demanded thatlandmines must be removed from the Pashtuntribal areas. The PTM leaders have criticizedPakistan's military establishment for terrorizing lands of Pashtun people several times. They adopted a famous Balochi slogan"ye jo dehshatgardi hai, iske peeche wardi hai" (Those in uniform are behind terrorism).[36] PTM also demanded several times thatRao Anwar and other police officers involved must be punished for the allegedmurder of Naqeebullah Mehsud. PTM also demands atruth and reconciliation commission must be established for all the people who are killedextrajudicially like Naqeebullah Mehsud in allegedfake encounters by thelaw enforcementagencies of Pakistan[2] Themissing persons who are imprisoned at unknown places must be tried in a court of law, andforced disappearances must be stopped.[3]
PTM demands that torture andcollective punishment against entire villages and tribes in the Pashtun tribal areas, especially after a violent incident, must be stopped[37] The humiliation of locals at army checkpoints in the Pashtun areas must be ended.[4]
On 26 January 2018, the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement organized a protest march starting fromDera Ismail Khan. The march had 22 participants initially, but many people joined it along the way, as it passed throughLakki Marwat,Bannu,Domel,Karak,Kohat, andDarra Adam Khel, reachingPeshawar on 28 January.[38][39][40] Then after passing throughCharsadda,Mardan,Swabi, andTarnol, the march reachedIslamabad, where asit-in called "All Pashtun NationalJirga" was organized from 1 February outside theNational Press Club. The jirga condemned the murder of the Pashtun labourer and aspiring model,Naqeebullah Mehsud, who was shot dead by police force inKarachi during an alleged encounter, and the alleged state oppression against the Pashtuns.[41] It asked the government to set up ajudicial inquiry for Naqeebullah Mehsud, as well as for all the other Pashtuns murderedextrajudicially inpolice encounters. The jirga demanded to stopracial profiling of the Pashtuns in Pakistan, and to bring the Pashtunmissing persons before the court of law, so that those who are innocent but held could be freed.[42] The jirga also demandedPakistan Army to guarantee that they will notabduct or open fire on innocents in the tribal areas, or use violence orcollective punishment against entire villages and tribes, and that they will not impose the frequentcurfews on the movement of locals even after minor incidents.[43] Another demand was to remove alllandminess planted in the tribal areas, which have resulted in many civilian casualties. The protesters said that since 2009, more than 35 people including children had been killed due to landmines in South Waziristan alone.[44]
The sit-in in Islamabad ended on 10 February, but the organizers of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement announced that they would reconvene the protest if their demands were not fulfilled by the government.[45] Advisor to Prime Minister on political affairs, Engr.Amir Muqam appeared in front of the protesters with the hand-written agreement from the Prime MinisterShahid Khaqan Abbasi that included three clauses, agreeing to apprehendRao Anwar, speed-up the clearing of Mines inSouth Waziristan, an intermediate college establishment in name of Naqeebullah Mehsud, and promised to addressed "genuine gravencies" raised by Jirga members.[46] Muqam also told the protestors, "the way you held the peaceful protest is really commendable and others should learn a lesson to record their protests this way. I'll stand by you in trying times and you can come to discuss with me all of your legitimate issues anytime."[46]
On 13 May 2018, family members of missing Pakistanis participated in a protest rally by Pashtun Tahafuz Movement in Karachi, Pakistan by holding photos of their relatives.[47]
PTM has held public demonstrations at various places, includingBajaur,Bannu,Chaman,Charsadda,Dera Ismail Khan,Islamabad,Kabul,Karachi,Khyber,Killa Saifullah,Lahore,Loralai,North Waziristan,Peshawar,Quetta,South Waziristan,Swabi,Swat,Battagram,Tank,Zhob, as well as in severalWestern countries includingBelgium,Denmark,France,Germany, theUnited Kingdom, and theUnited States.[48][49]
The powershows and rallys of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement are not shown by mainstream media channels as they are not allowed by theEstablishment,[50] leavingsocial media as the primary channel for communicating with the rest of Pakistan and strengthening the narrative that the PTM is being ignored by the system.[51] In February 2019,Khyber TV, a Pakistani Pashto-language channel, chose not to air an interview with Manzoor Pashteen because of pressure from the military.[52]
On 23 March 2018, the PTM meeting was scheduled to be held inPeshawar University, but Deputy Commissioner Peshawar Islam Zeb, issued an order under section 144 CrPC, imposing ban on political meetings in University and stated any violation against the order shall be preceded against u/s 188 PPC and order will be exercised "for 30 days unless modified or withdrawn."[53] Later the meeting was held in Baghi-e-Naran,Hayatabad with 200 person attending the gathering.[53]
The movement's anthem is "Da Sanga Azadi Da?", which means "What kind of freedom is this?". Many Pashtun's have discovered their voice with this anthem and it encloses the various grievances they have from being caught between the militants and the military.[54][55]
On 26 April 2019,Mohsin Dawar tweeted that he and his fellow National Assembly memberAli Wazir were barred from holding a press conference atNational Press Club (NPC) despite having prior bookings.[56] Many prominent politicians includingPakistan Peoples Party's ChairmanBilawal Bhutto Zardari,Farhatullah Babar andBushra Gohar condemned NPC for their move. The next day, NPC issued statement claiming that the lawmakers had not made any prior bookings.[57][58] The Pakistan Army spokesman Major GeneralAsif Ghafoor told the journalistHamid Mir not to invite PTM members on media in response to a question by the journalist as to whether the media houses should invite PTM leaders on TV channels.[59] On 29 April 2019, Asif Ghafoor said PTM would no longer be tolerated. "Their time is up,"[60] he said of PTM at the press conference.[61][62]
PTM is critical of thePakistan Army and accuses the state of violating the basic human rights of the Pashtuns,[63] but the Pakistan Army has claimed that PTM is backed by foreign powers and their gatherings are engineered.[64][65] PTM claims that as a result, news organizations in Pakistan have been pressured to ignore PTM, and university professors have been forced to identify the students attending PTM's protest gatherings.[64] Some Pakistani politicians and journalists also view PTM as working on a foreign orPashtun nationalist agenda. However, PTM's leadership has claimed that they are protesting through peaceful means within theConstitution of Pakistan.[9]
PTM also says that Pakistan Army has sheltered militants, especially from Haqqani Network.[66]
Gulalai Ismail, a leading PTM member, received death threats by Pakistan'sInter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for speakingenforced disappearancess allegedly carried out by the Pakistani military.[67] Due to the allegations of treason against Gulalai Ismail by the Pakistan police, she went into hiding and eventually took refuge in the United States.[67]
PTM leaderAli Wazir is also known for his vocal criticism of Pakistan'smilitary establishment.[68] He blames the Pakistan Armed Forces for human rights violations during its large-scale military operations, includingOperation Rah-e-Nijat in South Waziristan in 2009, during which time he was forced to stay in Dera Ismail Khan due to the insecurity in Waziristan.[69] On 16 December 2020, Wazir was arrested on allegations of treason by theSindh Police inPeshawar, where he was present to commemorate the2014 Peshawar school massacre.[70]Qamar Javed Bajwa, thePakistan Army Chief, stated on 1 July 2021 that Wazir would have to apologize for criticizing the Pakistan Army and then he could be released, but Wazir refused to apologize.[71][72][73] On 14 March 2022, thePashtun National Jirga inBannu demanded that Wazir be immediately released along with all otherpolitical prisoners.[74]
A military spokesman said that its members attacked and wounded security forces before any shooting started — though the army has shown no evidence to counter witness accounts and videos largely pointing to the contrary.
Mainstream television channels and media outlets are not reporting and covering the activities of the group. Their only medium to interact with the rest of Pakistan and to keep them updated is through social media. This further strengthens their narrative of being sidelined and ignored by the system.