PESHAWAR: The political administration of North Waziristan has accused a leader of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) of “acting in a manner prejudicial to public peace and tranquillity” and banished him from the area for three months.

Mohsin Dawar — a key PTM leader who hails from the tribal area’s Darpakhel village but lives in Peshawar, had gone to Mirali to attend a sit-in organised by the Youth of Waziristan against the recent targeted killing of an official of the political administration.

In his order, the political agent said that Dawar had “instigated the people through provocative speeches against the state and state institutions and attacked the state functionaries in the area.... therefore in exercise of powers vested in me under Section 5 of the Maintenance of Public Ordinance 1960 [I] do hereby order expulsion of Mr Mohsin Dawar from limits of North Waziristan with immediate effect”.

Mr Dawar said on Friday the political agent’s order was illegal. He would challenge it in a court of law because it violated his fundamental rights.

He said that in a crackdown the army personnel had arrested some of his supporters. When the next day he went to the political agent’s office to inquire about the arrested people, he too was arrested.

Later on, he was taken in an official vehicle outside the limits of the district, he said.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2018