PTM activist expelled from North Waziristan

Directives from political administration bar him from returning for 90 days

PESHAWAR: A day before the system was revamped, the political administration of North Waziristan Agency (NWA) barred the entry of one of its residents for three months for allegedly instigating people through provocative speeches.

Mohsin Dawar, a social activist and an active member of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), was noted as a threat to the peace in the agency, suggested an official statement issued by the political administration. The statement accused Dawar of speaking against the state and state institutions.



“It has been reported that Mohsin Dawar Darpakhail in NWA is acting in a manner prejudicial to the public peace and tranquility in NWA,” read an official statement issued by the NWA administration, adding, ‘he is instigating people with provocative speeches against the state and the state institutions and attacked the state functionaries in the area.’

The statement further added that Dawar’s actions were likely to create disturbance in the agency and harm public order, thereby creating a law and order situation for the political administration. Hence, it said, it was necessary to prevent Dawar from acting in a manner prejudicial to the public peace and tranquillity.

“In exercise of the power vested in me under section 5 of the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance 1960 (MPO) do hereby order the expulsion of Mohsin Dawar Darpakhail from limits of NWA with immediate effect,” the statement read adding “he [Dawar] shall not enter NWA limits.”



On Thursday, Dawar had claimed that he had been arrested by the authorities in Miranshah and escorted out of the agency. He added that his identity card was in the custody of authorities, and he would be mounting a legal challenge to recover it.

This is not the first time Dawar has been barred from something. Earlier in April, the PTM activist was expelled from the Awami National Party’s (ANP) youth wing National Youth Organisation (NYO) over his support for PTM. A single notification, without having been served a show cause notice in advance to explain or be given an opportunity to defend himself, removed him from his post.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 9^th, 2018.