New Delhi (NVI): The trending hashtag #StateKilledArifWazir on Twitter says it all. It talks about the assassination of Arif Wazir, a prominent leader of Pashtun community, by “unidentified gunmen” in Waziristan region of Pakistan and the needle of suspicion clearly points towards Pakistan’s notorious state agencies.
Wazir, who had been raising voice against human rights violations by the state forces against Pashtuns in Waziristan and the ‘enforced disappearances’, was shot at on May 1 when he was travelling by car in Wanna town. The leader of Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) succumbed to his injuries a day later.
Interestingly, less than a fortnight before his killing, the Pakistani police had arrested him on April 17 on the pretext of delivering “anti-Pakistan” speech during a recent visit to Afghanistan. In a speech in Afghanistan, Wazir had pitched for unity among Pashtuns living in Pakistan and Afghanistan while talking about the impact of war on their lives.
Significantly, he was released on bail just four days before being attacked by the gunmen.
Wazir was detained by the Pakistani forces six times and altogether spent more than 13 months in detention.
It is well known that Pakistani intelligence agencies and forces use the pretext of ‘anti-Pakistan’ activities to target those raising voice against human rights abuses and ‘enforced disappearances’, which is a major menace in that country.
According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), the authorities have made allegations of anti-state activities “an expedient label for human rights defenders, particularly those associated with the PTM.”
Thousands of Wazir’s supporters and PTM activists have held demonstrations at various places in Waziristan against the killing, which they are convinced was carried out by the state agencies.
“A peaceful protest recorded by PTM supporters at #LandiKotal against the brutal killing of #ArifWazir by state sponsored terrorists,” tweeted one Ijaz Pashteen, along with pictures of a demonstration.
“Reasons may be best known to our Czars for condoning the murder of #ArifWazir, official silence on the incident not only raised questions, but doubts. Incidentally, the tragedy also triggered debate on the details of criminal apathy towards Waziristan,” tweeted Sangeen Khan, a Pashtun leader and advocate.
“Candles lit in memory of Arif Wazir Shaheed in Khost ! Those who fight for rights of voiceless people, Pakistan puts them in jails and brutally kills them,” wrote Nida Qureshi.
Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (meaning Movement for Protection of Pashtun) was formed in January 2018 and ever since has been campaigning for civil rights of Pashtuns living in Waziristan, where the Pakistani military has been committing all kinds of atrocities under the pretext of fighting Taliban.
The Pakistan government is so unnerved by PTM that it does not allow its peaceful rallies and arbitrarily imprisons its leaders and cadres by even slapping sedition charges. Some just go missing and are never found again, suspect for which are the Pakistani intelligence agencies.
According to estimates, thousands of Pashtuns have been killed or have disappeared and lakhs have moved out, abandoning everything.
One of the main demands of the PTM has been removal of Pakistani military checkpoints in tribal areas and an end to “enforced disappearances,” in which suspects are detained by security forces without due process.
The Pakistani forces have been regularly targeting PTM leaders and have filed cases against them, including on charges of committing sedition. The cases are filed besides the illegal means of harassment and killings.
Last year, Ibrahim Arman Loni, a core committee member of PTM, was killed in Balochistan Province in a manner similar to that of Wazir.
The arbitrary detentions include those of women’s rights defenders like Gulalai Ismail. Even her family has been harassed by the Pakistani forces.
Mohsin Dawar has faced arrests and legal harassment at the behest of the Pakistani establishment.
In January this year, the Pakistani authorities also arrested PTM leader Manzoor Pashteen along with 23 other human rights defenders. They were released on February 15.
