Balochistan govt mulls imposing 'ban' on PTM

Info minister Jan Achakzai says party’s chief Manzoor Pashteen has been handed over to DI Khan police

Balochistan Caretaker Information Minister Jan Achakzai on Tuesday said that the provincial government was mulling imposing a ban on Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), whose chief was arrested by the police from Chaman a day earlier.

Chaman Deputy Commissioner Raja Athar Abbas had said that Manzoor Pashteen was apprehended after armed men from his vehicle allegedly opened fire at a police vehicle.

However, the PTM leaders have accused law enforcement officers of initiating the gunfire, saying that Pashteen emerged unharmed from the shooting incident.

Talking to the media in Quetta, Achakzai said that Pashteen has been handed over to the police in Dera Ismail Khan and exiled from the province.

He said that despite being under restriction, Pashteen entered the province and actively participated in ongoing protests in Chaman, addressing the gathering on multiple occasions.

Read more: Pashteen arrested in Chaman

Achakzai alleged that yesterday, when the police attempted to stop Pashteen's vehicle in Chaman, guards accompanying him opened fire, resulting in injuries to a woman and a child.

Achakzai emphasised that the government was contemplating imposing a ban on the PTM, claiming that the youth belonging to the province were demanding imposing restrictions on the party.

Meanwhile, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has said that it was alarmed to learn about Pashteen's arrest.

“Amid conflicting reports about the circumstances of the arrest, in which Mr Pashteen's convoy allegedly clashed with law enforcement officials, it is clear that the PTM's leaders and supporters have been harassed continuously for what the state erroneously deems 'anti-state' activities,” it said in a statement.

HRCP said that PTM has never resorted to violence and has merely exercised its right to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression.

“HRCP demands an impartial inquiry into Mr Pashteen's arrest. The state must also cease its unwarranted antagonism against the movement's leaders. Their legitimate grievances must be heard fairly,” it concluded.