Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) held protest demanding the release of its activists and workers, illegally abducted and detained by Paki establishment, in Miran Shah, North Waziristan.
On October 12, PTM leader Manzoor Pashteen announced a protest demonstration in front of Press Club in Miran Shah, North Waziristan against the Pakistani establishment’s impunity and extrajudicial detainment policy and the subsequent detention of the PTM activists. Since past few months, Pakistan Army has launched a crackdown on PTM, because of which, various activists including Eid-ur-Rehman Wazir, Zakim Wazir, Gilaman Wazir and Noorullah Tareen have been detained by Pakistan and are still not presented in front of court.
With an announcement of protest, nervous Pakistan took extrajudicial measures to thwart the organisation of protest. The local police raided the house of PTM chief Manzoor Pashteen on the eve of protest. Paki establishment also imposed Section 144 in the area.
Additionally, to make the protest worthless, Paki establishment blocked the ways to North Waziristan’s Miran Shah and deployed heavy forces across the region. However, defying the dictator establishments order, thousands of Pashtuns accumulated in front of the press club and voiced for the release of their fellow civilians. PTM’s protest turned out to be highly successful which saw participants from all the regions. On the other hand, Pakistan has yet again failed to thwart the protest of Pashtuns like they failed during PTM Islamabad jalsa. This shows that the concerns of Pashtuns in the region are driving them to be more ferocious in their demand, while Pakistani establishment is only trying to curb these demands and suppress the voice of peaceful Pashtuns