ISLAMABAD, Oct 7: Pakistan's government has banned an ethnic Pashtun rights movement that has accused the military of a heavy-handed crackdown on civilians in the border regions with Afghanistan.
The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), or Pashtun Protection Movement, opposes alleged military abuses during counter-terrorism operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a majority Pashtun region.
The group, which is not a political party, has at its peak pulled tens of thousands of people to largely peaceful rallies demanding better protection from the state.
A notification issued by Pakistan's Ministry of Interior on Sunday said the group has been listed as a "proscribed organisation" for being "prejudicial to the peace and security of the country".
PTM said that more than 200 activists have been arrested in recent days ahead of a jirga, or a council of elders, planned for later this week. —AFP
