Geneva [Switzerland], March 18 : The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) in Switzerland organised a large protest in front of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, raising their voices against a series of grave human rights violations and the escalating crisis faced by Pashtuns in Pakistan.
Participants of the protest denounced the illegal crackdown on PTM activists, and the arbitrary detention of prominent figures and highlighted the deteriorating security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
The protest also condemned the rising extrajudicial killings, drone attacks, enforced disappearances, and torture perpetrated by the Pakistan Army against Pashtun communities.
Fazal-ur Rehman Afridi, President of PTM International Advocacy, addressed the crowd, saying "We've come together in front of the United Nations Human Rights Council to send a strong message to the world. There are severe human rights violations committed by the Pakistani military. The extrajudicial killings of our leaders, especially the recent assassination of the esteemed religious and Pashtun nationalist leader, Mufti Munir Shakir, is a testament to this cruelty. We hold General Asim Munir, the Pakistani Army Chief, responsible for this brutal killing and the overall insecurity in our region. The Pakistani state is accountable for the ongoing chaos and violence."
Mustafa Khogyani, Assistant to PTM International Advocacy, further elaborated on the dire situation in Pakistan.
He said, "The situation for us in Pakistan is worsening, with widespread attacks and imprisonments. Our people are being targeted, tortured, and killed, and we urgently call on the international community to speak up and take action. The dangers we face in Pakistan are growing, and the world must not remain silent."
Malik Bazai, Coordinator of PTM Europe, stressed the unity of the oppressed groups and the continuous efforts to secure justice.
He said, "We are protesting against the murders of our comrades Ali Wazir, Malik Nasir Kokikhil, Samad Haji, and the recent martyrdom of Mufti Munir Shakir. We know that the Pakistani Army and the Punjab provincial government are behind these atrocities. This ongoing oppression is a direct result of our efforts to assert our rights, our call for freedom, and our demand for justice. The persecution faced by Pashtuns, Balochs, Sindhis, Saraikis, and Kashmiris is fueled by the Pakistani state's authoritarian agenda. We, the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement, will continue to fight for our rights and stand up against this systematic oppression."
The protest in Geneva was a call for international attention to the escalating violence and human rights abuses in Pakistan, urging the global community to stand in solidarity with the oppressed ethnic groups and demand accountability from the Pakistani government and military.
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