Thousands of Afghans in several provinces of the country on Tuesday protested the arrest of Manzoor Pashteen, leader of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), as Pakistani police made new arrests in the county’s capital city Islamabad.
Pakistani police on Monday launched a midnight raid in the northwestern city of Peshawar and apprehended Manzoor Pashteen.
Late on Tuesday, reports emerged that Pakistani police also arrested other PTM members when they were holding protests to call for Pashteen’s immediate release.
Afghan leaders, including incumbent and former President’s, condemned, calling the act unjust and against the freedom of speech.
President Ashraf Ghani on Monday evening said he was “troubled” by the arrest of the PTM chief.
Ghani called for “immediate release” of Pashteen and said that “while our region is suffering from atrocities caused by violent extremism and terrorism, governments in the region must support and encourage peaceful civilian movements for justice and must avoid any means of force and violence against these movements.”
Former president Hamid Karzai said in a tweet on that he is concerned about the arrest and said such acts could deepen the crisis in the region, which, according to him, is suffering from extremism and violence.
He also called for the “immediate” release of the activist.
In the meantime, thousands of Afghans on Tuesday took the streets and called on Pakistani government to immediately Pashteen and other PTM members.
People in Nangarhar, Kunar, Khost, Kandahar, Paktia, Paktika, Kabul and Balkh provinces rampaged through the cities and chanted against Pakistan military and government for their mistreatment of Pashtuns on the other side of Durand line.
Shagofa Noorzai, a Wolesi Jirga member from southern Helmand province who led the protest, told media persons that Pakistani forces arrested PTM leader Manzoor Pashteen without committing any crime. She called for immediate release of Pashteen.
She added Pakistan had always attempted to create problems for the Pashtun elders.
Noorzai said, “We will not go away from the Pakistan embassy until Manzoor Pashteen is released and we want his immediate release.”
Arshad Raghand, another protestor, said they would not stop their demonstration until the release of Pashteen from jail.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan responded to President Ashraf Ghani’s remarks on the arrest of ManzoorPashteen, calling it interference in Islamabad’s enteral affairs.
