London (NVI): The arrest of prominent Pashtun leader Manzoor Pashteen in Pakistan on charges of sedition has evoked severe condemnation, particularly from the global human rights bodies which slammed the Pakistan government.
The leader of the Pashtun Taffhuz Movement was arrested in Lahore yesterday morning, reportedly for a speech he delivered on January 18.
The Human Rights Watch (HRW) slammed the Pakistan government and pressed for immediate release of Pashteen.
Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch said, “Pakistani authorities should stop arresting activists like Manzoor Pashteen who are critical of government actions or policies.”
Pashteen, 27-year-old activist, has been charged with criminal intimidation, promoting enmity between different groups, criminal conspiracy, and sedition. A court has sent him to jail on a 14-day judicial remand.
“Using criminal laws to chill free expression and political opposition has no place in a democracy,” Adams said.
“The authorities should stop using abusive colonial-era laws criminalizing speech to clamp down on critics of the government,” the HRW said.
