ISLAMABAD: Ahead of a grand Pashtun jirga, and less than a week after the “missing” Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur held a meeting with Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) chief Manzoor Pashteen, the Federal Government, Sunday, banned the PTM, accusing it of “certain activities which are prejudicial to the peace and security of the country.”
In a notification issued Sunday, the Interior Ministry stated that the Federal Government had reasons to believe that PTM was engaged in certain activities which are prejudicial to the peace and security of the country.
In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 11 B of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 –the Federal Government is pleased to list the PTM in the First Schedule as a proscribed organisation , read the notification issued by Interior Ministry’s Section Officer (Security-II) Umar Hayat Chattha.
The Section 11 B of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 reads, the Federal Government may, by order published in the official Gazette, list an organisation as a proscribed organisation in the First Schedule on an ex Parte basis, if there are reasonable grounds to believe that it is— (a) concerned in terrorism; or (b) owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by any individual or organisation proscribed under this act; or (c) acting on behalf of, or at the direction of, any individual or organisation proscribed under this Act. Last Monday, the CM KP held a meeting with the PTM chief in which Pashteen invited Gandapur to attend the upcoming Pashtun Gaumi Jirga, a grand meeting of Pashtun tribes, scheduled 11 October.
Reports said Gandapur assured Pashteen that the provincial government would have representation in the jirga being held to forge consensus for the protection of the rights of Pashtuns. Reports said Pashteen quoted the CM KP as expressing his support for the Pashtun cause.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024