ISLAMABAD -- Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of Pakistani cities following the deaths of at least three ethnic Pashtun activists in the northwestern tribal region.
Demonstrations were held in Peshawar, Swat, Dera Ismail Khan, Quetta, and other cities and towns in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces since the May 26 violence in North Waziristan district.
Details of the incident remain unclear due to the inaccessibility of the area to reporters and the blocking of telephone networks.
The military said a group led by two co-founders of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) civil rights group attacked a security post, wounding five soldiers.
It said troops responded to "direct firing" and killed three attackers while wounding 10 others.
However, witnesses said the security forces "opened fire" on peaceful protesters seeking to join a demonstration to denounce alleged military abuses. They reported more than 20 people wounded in the shooting.
One of the PTM leaders, Ali Wazir, was among those detained, while the other, Mohsin Dawar, is on the run. The two men are members of parliament.
A curfew has been imposed in the town of Datta Khel where the violence took place.
In a statement, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) called for a parliamentary commission to investigate the matter and "establish the truth."
It also demanded the release of Wazir and "any other activists taken into custody."
Separately, the military said that five more bodies bearing "bullet wounds" were found approximately 1.5 kilometers from the site of the shooting incident.
The bodies were being identified, a statement said.
The PTM, whose support base is mostly among the Pashtun ethnic minority, has organized regular sit-ins and protests across Pakistan since its founding in early 2018 to denounce the army's heavy-handed operations in tribal regions.
The group has called for judicial probes into those killed by the military and campaigned for ending enforced disappearances, extrajudicial executions, and discrimination against Pashtuns.
International rights groups say authorities have banned peaceful rallies organized by the PTM and some of its leading members have been arbitrarily detained and prevented from traveling within the country.
Killing Of Ethnic Pashtun Activists Triggers Protests In Pakistan
Related
Editor's Picks
Subscribe
Afghanistan/Pakistan Trending
1
Afghanistan, The Only Country Where Images Of Living Things Are Banned
2Afghan Women Not Barred From Speaking To Each Other, Says Taliban
3'The Taliban Likes Facebook': Why The 'Photo Ban' In Afghanistan Won't Work
4Turkey Deports 325 Afghan Nationals In 48 Hours
5Afghan Journalists Fear Losing 'Last Remaining' Freedoms
6Taliban To Attend UN Climate Conference For First Time
7Taliban Carries Out Sixth Public Execution Since Returning To Power
8This Afghan Family Is Surviving On Leftovers From Neighbors
9Taliban Searches Houses In Kabul After Rocket Attack Claimed By Freedom Front
10Explosion In Kabul Kills 2, Injures Several Others, Says Taliban Source
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.