Tarz Press: Amnesty International has called for the immediate lifting of the ban imposed on the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) and urged Pakistan to stop criminalizing peaceful protest activities.
In a statement released on Tuesday, October 8, Amnesty International condemned Pakistan’s decision to add PTM to its list of banned organizations, calling it an insult to freedom of expression and peaceful civil society. The organization described the PTM, led by Manzoor Pashteen, as a grassroots movement advocating peacefully for the rights of Pashtuns, a group that has long been “oppressed by Pakistani authorities.”
Amnesty International further stated that designating PTM as a “banned organization” is part of Pakistan’s systematic repression of popular movements. The statement said that for years, Pakistan has forcefully and unlawfully suppressed such movements that emerge from marginalized regions.
Amnesty also criticized the ban as arbitrary, arguing that Islamabad has provided no concrete evidence to justify the prohibition of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement.
