Global Leaders Demand Release of Pashtun Advocate Ali Wazir

Human rights organisations and global leaders call for the urgent release of Pashtun advocate Ali Wazir, amid concerns over his detention by Pakistani authorities. Wazir's arrest, occurring just before the Pashtun National Meeting, raises fears around the suppression of peaceful activism in Pakistan.

A coalition of human rights organizations and international leaders has issued a fervent call for the immediate release of Ali Wazir, a prominent figure in the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM). Wazir was apprehended by Pakistani authorities in August 2024 outside the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad, intensifying concerns over his arrest.

Major human rights entities, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), endorsed the urgent appeal. They urge the global community to act swiftly to secure Wazir's release and shield PTM members from further persecution. The letter beseeches intervention from the United Nations, U.S. Congress, and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The appeal highlights Wazir's detention as a severe infringement of core human rights, impinging on freedom of expression, assembly, and association. This act not only contravenes justice but sets a perilous precedence for the prosecution of non-violent activists. Scheduled before the Pashtun National Meeting on October 11, 2024, Wazir's arrest is perceived as a tactic to intimidate PTM leaders.

Wazir's arrest follows a disturbing pattern of targeted aggression against his family, with reports citing the murder of at least 18 family members due to their vocal opposition to Pakistan's military operations. The incident underscores the ruthless challenges faced by activists championing rights for the Pashtun population. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)