Pakistan: minority rights leader arrested again

Event
Country
  • Pakistan
Initial Date
Nov 14, 2023
Event Description

Former MNA and Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement leader Ali Wazir was arrested in Dera Ismail Khan, sources said here on Tuesday.

He was picked when he was coming to Dera from Quetta in a private car.

According to the sources, PTM leader Ali Wazir was arrested near the Darazinda tribal subdivision. He was arrested by the Daraban police.

When contacted, Daraban SHO denied having arrested Mr Wazir.

However, the sources said the former MNA was currently in the custody of Daraban police.

It should be noted that several cases have been registered against Mr Wazir in different police stations, pertaining to making speeches against state institutions and incendiary statements.

Meanwhile, responding to the arrest, PTM chairman Maznoor Ahmad Pashteen said Mr Wazir was in the custody by DI Khan police, but they were denying his arrest.

“There is no FIR registered against Ali Wazir in Dera, and he has also obtained protective bail from the Peshawar High Court in rest of the FIRs registered against him,” he added.

Impact of Event
1
Gender of HRD
  • Man
Violation
  • (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention
  • Judicial Harassment
Rights Concerned
  • Freedom of expression
    • Offline
  • Right to liberty and security
HRD
  • Minority rights defender
Perpetrator-State
  • Police
Source

Dawn

Monitoring Status
Pending
Event Location

Latitude: 31.835422979252375

Longitude: 70.9064846965878

Event Location
Summary for Publications

On 14 November 2023, Ali Wazir, Pashtun minority rights defender and leader of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement, was arrested by the police in a string of episodes of harassment in response to his advocacy for Pashtun minority in Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan.

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