(MENAFN- Khaama Press) Six PTM members, including Noorullah Tareen and Hanif Pashteen, were abducted in Peshawar. Amnesty International urges Pakistan to investigate these enforced disappearances.

Amnesty International has raised urgent concerns over the disappearance of six members of the Pashtun Protection Movement (PTM) and is calling on the Pakistani government to provide clarity on their whereabouts. In a statement issued on Friday, November 21, the organization revealed that the six activists were abducted from the city of Peshawar ten days ago, and to date, their fate remains unknown.

Ten days have passed since six Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) activists; Noorullah Tareen, Hanif Pashteen, Syed Irfanullah, Farman Wazir, Adnan Wazir, and Habib Wazir, were forcibly disappeared from Peshawar.

The human rights group emphasized that this incident is part of a broader, disturbing pattern of enforced disappearances targeting political opposition, particularly in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces.“These enforced disappearances are part of a troubling trend aimed at silencing dissent within Pakistan,” said Amnesty International. The organization called on the Pakistani government to take immediate and concrete action to locate the missing activists and hold those responsible for the abductions accountable.

The Pakistani authorities have yet to provide any information regarding the whereabouts or well-being of the six missing PTM members. Amnesty has demanded an independent, transparent investigation into the disappearances and called for the prosecution of those responsible. The PTM, which advocates for the rights of the Pashtun ethnic group in Pakistan, has faced increasing state repression, including arbitrary arrests, targeted attacks, and shootings of its members.

Members of the PTM have long been subjected to harassment and violence due to their outspoken criticism of military operations in Pakistan's tribal areas. Their calls for justice for Pashtuns, who have faced systemic marginalization and violence, have made them a target for the state. Amnesty's statement underscores the growing concerns about the safety of activists in Pakistan, where dissent is often met with forceful retaliation.

This incident is not isolated. Amnesty International warned that such forced disappearances have become an alarming trend, with political opponents and activists increasingly subjected to abuse by state security forces. These actions are part of a broader crackdown on freedom of expression and human rights in Pakistan.

Amnesty's call for urgent action reflects growing global concerns over Pakistan's human rights record, particularly regarding its treatment of political dissidents. The fate of the six PTM activists remains a critical test for the government's commitment to human rights and its willingness to confront the growing pattern of political repression in the country.

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