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 counterterrorism 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 to largely peaceful rallies demanding protection from the state.
A notification issued by the Ministry of Interior last Sunday (6) said it 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.
Criticism of Pakistan’s military – the most powerful institution in the country which holds significant sway in politics – is seen as a red line.
Pakistani authorities have in recent months attempted to curtail dissent – crushing the street power of jailed opposition leader Imran Khan after he led a wave of criticism against the military and intelligence services.
The government last month also introduced a new protest law that limits gatherings.
At the weekend, the capital was on lockdown with entry and exit points blocked and mobile phone services cut as Khan supporters attempted to protest.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) asked for the withdrawal of the “extreme decision” which was “neither transparent nor warranted”.
In its statement, the HRCP said PTM was “a rights-based movement that has never resorted to violence and always used the framework of the Constitution to advocate its cause”.
PTM has accused the military of enforced disappearances and targeted killings of Pashtun civilians in its sweeping crackdown on militancy.
Pakistan has long grappled with violence in the border areas near Afghanistan. Pashtuns are a distinct ethnic group with their own language, living mostly in Pakistan and Afghanistan but divided by the Durand Line.
Pakistan is just days away from hosting several heads of government for a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting, a bloc established by Russia and China to deepen ties with Central Asia.
Moglai Bap and Mo Chara of Kneecap perform at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
Police may probe anti-Israel comments at Glastonbury
BRITISH police said they were considering whether to launch an investigation after performers at Glastonbury Festival made anti-Israel comments during their shows.
"We are aware of the comments made by acts on the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury Festival this afternoon," Avon and Somerset Police, in western England, said on X late on Saturday (28).
Irish hip-hop group Kneecap and punk duo Bob Vylan made anti-Israeli chants in separate shows on the West Holts stage on Saturday. One of the members of Bob Vylan chanted "Death, death, to the IDF" in a reference to the Israel Defense Forces.
"Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation," the police statement said.
The Israeli Embassy in Britain said it was "deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival".
Prime minister Keir Starmer said earlier this month it was "not appropriate" for Kneecap to appear at Glastonbury.
The band's frontman Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh was charged with a terrorism offence last month for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah at a concert in November. He has denied the charge.
A British government minister said it was appalling that the anti-Israel chants had been made at Glastonbury, and that the festival's organisers and the BBC broadcaster - which is showing the event - had questions to answer.
Health secretary Wes Streeting said he was also appalled by violence committed by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
"I'd also say to the Israeli Embassy, get your own house in order in terms of the conduct of your own citizens and the settlers in the West Bank," Streeting told Sky News.
"I wish they'd take the violence of their own citizens towards Palestinians more seriously," he said.
(Reuters)