Pakistani Civil Rights Activist Detained In Peshawar

The founder of a Pakistani civil rights group has been detained and accused of inciting violence against the state. Manzoor Pashteen, leader of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), was arrested in the early hours of January 27 and ordered to be held in police custody for 14 days by a court in Peshawar. He was accused of sedition, hate speech, incitement against the state, and criminal conspiracy after a rally organized by the PTM attracted thousands of people in the city of Bannu on January 12. He has not been formally charged yet. Pashteen's PTM emerged two years ago with protests demanding the return of missing persons who were allegedly abducted by intelligence agents. The PTM has also led demonstrations calling for compensation for damages suffered by residents of the tribal areas where the government conducted anti-Taliban operations, along with other grievances.