KARACHI: Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) leader Manzoor Pashteen on Sunday said that bringing Rao Anwar, a police officer charged with killing Naqeebullah Mehsud in a fake encounter, to justice was the first goal of his movement.

“In the next phase, Taliban leader Ehsanullah Ehsan and military dictator Pervez Musharraf will be taken on,” he said at a rally.

The participants were predominantly Pashtuns. However, people belonging to other communities also attended the public meeting as did relatives of missing persons.

The meeting was flooded with white flags symbolising the PTM’s assertion that their movement was non-violent.

Mr Pashteen said his peaceful movement to bring peace to their tribal lands and reunion of missing persons with their families would continue till they achieved their objectives. The journey to justice was arduous and long, yet they would continue it until achieving their destination, he added.

“Our first target is Rao Anwar. After we get him punished for killing Naqeebullah Mehsud, we’ll struggle peacefully for the same goal to get Ehsanullah Ehsan and Pervez Musharraf punished,” he said.

“We’ll do this all by adhering to the Constitution and law of the land,” he said.

Earlier, speakers claimed that a number of their supporters had been picked up in the city over the past few days. Besides, they added, several others were not allowed to attend the meeting.

The security cordon was tangible around the meeting place with police and Rangers personnel deputed to ensure it concluded peacefully.

As speeches by other leaders dried up with everyone waiting for Mr Pashteen, the organisers kept playing PTM’s theme song.

Mr Pashteen reached the place late in the night after he was reportedly denied air ticket by a number of airlines and was, as his colleagues claimed, obstructed several times during his journey by car to Karachi.

Earlier, in a charged atmosphere at the rally, the PTM leaders and supporters asserted that they would not disperse until Mr Pashteen joined them.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2018