The arrest of the leader of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), Manzoor Pashteen, by Pakistani forces, has sparked anger among Afghan politicians who call it unjust and an act against freedom of speech.
His arrest comes almost two weeks after a large public gathering by the group in the city of Bannu in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, during which movement members said their agenda was to “internationalize” a call for justice.
The first reaction came from President Ashraf Ghani on Monday evening who 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.”
He also said that differences with such peaceful movements must be resolved through dialogue and engagement.
Former president Hamid Karzai said in a tweet on Monday 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.
Former NDS chief and presidential candidate Rahmatullah Nabil called Pashteen’s arrest an “extra-judicial act” by Pakistan’s army and intelligence agency that “will force Pashtun leaders across the Durand Line to unite and establish a new country.”
Presidential candidate and former national security advisor Mohammad Haneef Atmar also criticized the move and said it is an act that contradicts the non-violent campaign by Manzoor Pashteen, his colleagues and thousands of others.
President Ghani’s running mate, Amrullah Saleh, tweeted: “We extend our moral support to the PTM and its non-violent way of struggle and call for his immediate release.”
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement rebuked President Ghani for his comments on Pashteen’s arrest and called them an “interference” in Pakistan’s affairs.
“We have noted with serious concern the recent tweets by President Ashraf Ghani, which are a clear interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs and hence, unwarranted,” the statement said. “We believe that such statements are not helpful to the promotion of good neighborly relations between the two countries.”
The statement said that Pakistan wishes to maintain close and cordial relations with Afghanistan based on the principles of non-intervention and non-interference and urges the Afghan side to work together for the common objective of peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region.
Pakistan’s Dawn.com reported that PTM leaders and members of Pakistan’s national assembly, Mohsin Dawar and Ali Wazir, were also arrested on Tuesday in Islamabad where they gathered to protest the detention of Pastheen by Pakistani police.
Dawn.com quotes Pakistani officials saying that 15 PTM members, including Dawar and Wazir, were arrested in Islamabad.
Meanwhile, some Afghans in different parts of the country, including Kabul city and Jalalabad, held rallies to protest the arrest of Manzoor Pashteen.
In Kabul, the protestors gathered in front of Pakistan’s embassy where they called for the immediate release of the PTM leader.
Members of the rally called on international human rights organizations to put pressure on Pakistan to release the PTM chief.