Gilaman Wazir, a poet and activist of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement, passed away Wednesday night in a hospital in Pakistan.
Wazir was attacked by unknown individuals in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, last Sunday and had been in intensive care at a hospital in Pakistan until last night.
The attack on this member of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement has sparked a wave of reactions both inside and outside of Pakistan.
Manzoor Pashteen, leader of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), confirmed Gilaman Wazir's death, stating that if the Pakistani police do not identify the perpetrators of this attack, it will indicate that the government of Pakistan was involved in the attack.
Manzoor Pashteen added: "It is very difficult for me to say that Gilaman Pashteen is no longer among us."
Gilaman Wazir's real name is Hazrat Naeem. He was originally from the Razmak area in North Waziristan.
Gilaman Wazir was a close friend of Manzoor Pashteen, leader of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement, a central council member of this movement, and one of the Pashto language poets. In his revolutionary poems, he often called for Pashtun unity and narrated the wars and problems of the past.
Gilaman Wazir was a strong critic of the Pakistani government and often appeared in public wearing clothes adorned with the three-colored Afghan flag. He was especially popular among the youth for his activities for Pashtun rights and his patriotic poems.
Reports indicate that he was previously detained by the Pakistani army for eight months and was tortured during this period.
Another member of the Pashtun Movement said about him: "His greatest wish was to see a great Afghanistan that made Pashtuns happy and celebrated their freedom. We will continue his thoughts and struggle."
Gilaman Wazir's death has also been met with widespread reactions inside and outside Afghanistan; former President Hamid Karzai, some political figures from the previous government, members of this movement, and some figures in Pakistan have expressed their sorrow over Gilaman Wazir's death in social media messages.
Shahzada Massoud, a close figure to Hamid Karzai, told TOLOnews: "He was a people's poet and one of the staunchest supporters of national unity, peace, and security, and his martyrdom is a great loss."
Gilaman Wazir was married twice and left behind five children: three daughters and two sons. According to people close to Wazir, his body is to be buried in North Waziristan on Friday.
So far, the government of Pakistan has not said anything about the attack on Gilaman Wazir.
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