Peshawar [Pakistan], July 14 : Thousands of people gathered to see the funeral procession of slain Pashtun activist Gilaman Wazir as his casket passed through towns and cities from Islamabad to his native village in Waziristan bordering Afghanistan, Voice of America reported.
However, the procession was not covered by the mainstream media in Pakistan. During the procession, a top leader of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) seconded the demand for a protest for the rights of the Pashtun community, the VOA report claimed.
Wazir was attacked in Islamabad on July 7 and four days later, he died of severe injuries.
Activism-related views by the leader while working in Bahrain had turned the Pakistani administration's anger towards Wazir. He was then arrested in Bahrain at Pakistan's request in 2020 and later deported to Pakistan, VOA reported.
"He was doing labour work in Bahrain. He was deported through Interpol and put in jail. He was then kept in an internment center. He was bitten by dogs and was given electric shocks," PTM leader Manzoor Pashteen said in his address at a public gathering.
However, the Pakistani administration has still not answered these claims, according to VOA.
PTM said that he was on the Exit Control List till his death. Anyone on the list is subject to restrictions on their movements outside the country, VOA reported.
The former head of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said that a ban has been imposed on covering the activities of PTM in Pakistan, and the ban was imposed in 2019.
Manzoor Pashteen, at the funeral of Gilaman Wazir, said, "I say to the authorities in Pakistan, it is clear that things are no longer possible between us and you. The situation you have created shows that the Pashtuns are no longer with you. Do not lose your courage. We may lose a hundred thousand lives, but we will not give up this land," TOLO News reported.
The leader of the PTM held the Pakistani government responsible for all the atrocities on the Pashtun community and the attack on Gilaman Wazir.
Mohammad Aslam Danishmal, a political analyst, said, "Distrust has arisen between the Pakistani government and the tribes, and this distrust has directly impacted the political and social situation. These people have endured much oppression and coercion, and their patience has run out."
Another political analyst, Khair Mohammad Sultani called the death of Ghillaman Wazir a "significant loss for both sides", adding, "The enemy should know that a nation that stands up with his death and raises its voice will not be silenced," reported TOLO News.
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