PTM to hold rally in Peshawar on April 8

PESHAWAR: The Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) announced on Wednesday that it would hold a grand public rally in the provincial capital on April 8 and sought the support of the people for making the event successful.

Speaking at a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club, PTM leader Mohsin Dawar said the rally was aimed at bringing all the political parties, civil society organisations and people representing different segments of society on a single platform to raise voice for rights of Pashtuns.

Mohsin Dawar said a coordination committee had been constituted to hold meetings with leaders of political parties, doctors, members of legal fraternity, transporters, social activists, heads of youth and student organisations, journalists and others.

Regarding the security arrangements, the PTM leader said the commissioner, deputy commissioner, and capital city police officer had assured them of foolproof security arrangements for the rally.

He said that security clearance had been issued for holding the public gathering on the Ring Road in Peshawar. The PTM leader said the Pashtun movement's prime objectives included the fair and transparent trial of former SSP Rao Anwar and other accused in the Naqeebullah Mahsud murder, struggle for early release of missing persons, removal of landmines from various agencies of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).

Accompanied by PTM leaders, Adnan Shalzai, Shahab Khattak, Zareef Khan, Dr Mushtaq, Gulbaddin Khan and others, Mohsin Dawar demanded that the cases of missing persons should be heard as per the law of the land and the Constitution."They should be released if they are not guilty," he demanded. He refuted the allegations being made against members of PTM, saying that it was completely unjust to call them 'anti-state' actors.

He added there was no truth to accusations being spread through the social media against the Pashtun movement. He clarified that the PTM had no secret or hidden agenda but it was launched for protection life and property people of Pakhtuns.

It is pertinent mention here that the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement is a social movement for Pashtun human rights, based in Fata, KP and Balochistan. The movement is being spearheaded by Manzoor Pashteen, a human rights activist, hailing from South Waziristan Agency.