Activists and supporters of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) on Sunday demanded the release of the group's chief Manzoor Pashteen — who was arrested last month — during a rally in Karachi.

The demonstrators, who had gathered to commemorate the death anniversary of PTM's senior member Arman Loni, were also joined by Ghinwa Bhutto, the chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party-Shaheed Bhutto party.

Loni was allegedly killed during a sit-in in Loralai, Balochistan on Feb 3, 2019. Following his death, Loni's family and members of PTM had maintained that he was killed in a police crackdown and demanded that the Balochistan government take notice of his death. However, a later report did not find any marks of violence or injuries on the deceased's body.

Prior permission

PTM had obtained permission to hold the public meeting, which is being held at an enclosed place, with a crowd of 300-350 people, Deputy Inspector General (East) Amir Farooqi told Dawn.

He added that the demonstrators had assured authorities that they will abide by the law.

PTM chief Pashteen was arrested on January 27 from Peshawar's Shaheen Town on sedition charges. He was held in Peshawar's central jail and was later shifted to Dera Ismail Khan, where a first information report was lodged against him.

According to police, a case was registered against the PTM chief at the City Police Station in DI Khan on January 18 under sections 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups), 120-B (punishment of criminal conspiracy), 124 (sedition), and 123-A (condemning the creation of the country and advocating the abolishment of its sovereignty) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Yesterday, Pashteen was granted bail in two of four sedition cases against him by a DI Khan court. His bail applications in two other cases — also pertaining to sedition — are pending before the court.

Another rally by PTM activists is being held in Loralai to commemorate Loni's death anniversary. The group alleges that Loni was murdered by police, but a medical board that held a post-mortem examination said there were no torture marks on his body.

PTM movement

PTM is a rights-based alliance that, besides calling for the de-mining of the former tribal areas and greater freedom of movement in the latter, has insisted on an end to the practices of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and unlawful detentions, and for their practitioners to be held to account within a truth and reconciliation framework.

The party has been critical of the state's policies in the country's tribal belt, where a massive operation against terrorists was conducted in recent times leading to large-scale displacement and enforced disappearances.

PTM's leaders, in particular its elected members to the National Assembly, have come under fire for pursuing the release of individuals detained by authorities without due process. The army alleges the party of running an anti-national agenda and for playing into the hands of the state's enemies.

Last year, two of PTM's MNAs — Mohsin Dawar and Ali Wazir — were arrested by police after a protest gathering in Kharqamar for allegedly using violence and clashing with army personnel. The party while rejecting these allegations, insisted that theirs is a peaceful struggle for the rights of people from the country's tribal belt.