Activists, politicians condemn arrest of Pashtun leader Ali Wazir

Paris [France] December 18 (ANI): Activists and opposition political parties have condemned the arrest of Pashtun leader Ali Wazir, who is also a Member of National Assembly of Pakistan over charges of passing derogatory remarks against state institutions.
Members of the Pashtun ethnic minority have long blamed that they have been targets of military operations and ethnic stereotyping by the Pakistani state and its security forces.
Police arrested Ali Wazir on Wednesday (December 16) in connection with a case registered against him and several leaders of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement for charges including hatching a criminal conspiracy and passing derogatory remarks against security forces, police, Rangers and other state institutions.
Pashtun Tahafuz Movement, a socio-political group is known for exposing military offences in Pakistan.
Fazal-ur-Rehman Afridi, a Member of Pashtun Tahafuz Movement in France said, "PTM strongly condemns the arrest of Ali Wazir, member of Parliament of Pakistan on concocted charges. This arrest shows the fascist face of the state of Pakistan, depriving its citizens of freedom of expression and the right to assembly".
Massive anti-government protests are ongoing in Pashtun dominated areas in Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan. The protesters demanded an immediate release of Pashtun leader Ali Wazir and blamed the government for targeting the Pashtuns.
Pakistan Peoples' Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Thursday condemned the arrest of Pashtun leader Ali Wazir by stating that "it has been the modus operandi of the fascist governments to implicate elected representatives in false cases to crush the public voice".
Bilawal slammed Prime Minister Imran Khan over the move and said the arrest of Wazir, a Member of National Assembly was "against the democratic traditions".
Members of the Pashtun ethnic minority have long blamed that they have been targets of military operations, ethnic stereotyping, enforced disappearances and fake encounters by Pakistani security forces. (ANI)