Manzoor Pashteen along with his colleagues Bilal Pakhtun, Idrees Pashteen, and Zohaib have been arrested by the Kohat police. Manzoor Pashteen was travelling to Waziristan to join Jani Khel sit-in at the time of his arrest.
Mohsin Dahwar, leader of PTM confirmed Manzoor’s arrest in a tweet and said “Utterly shameful how @ManzoorPashteen has been arrested to try and stop him from joining sit in underway in Jani Khel (Bannu). Dissent is not a crime. Demanding rights is not a crime. Demand his immediate release and of all of PTM’s activists.”
According to sources, PTM chief Manzoor Pashteen and other members of the PTM have been arrested by the Kohat police to prevent them from joining the ongoing sit-in in Jani Khel.
Social media activists have condemned the arrest of Manzoor Pashteen and demanded immediate release of the Pashtun rights leader.
Afsariab Khatak a senior Pashtun leader said “Arresting PTM leader Manzoor Pashteen in Kohat and stopping him from proceeding to Waziristan for joining the peaceful sit ins of the locals is part of intensifying repression against PTM because it exposes regrouping of terrorists near Durand Line.”
Baloch student leader Dr Mahrang Baloch condemned Manzoor Pashteen’s arrest in a tweet “Condemn the arrest of @manzoorpashteen. He is just campaigning for peace, he speaks about state brutality and is one of the strong voice for the voiceless people but state doesn’t tolerate him because he exposed war crime and HR violations.”