Balochistan’s caretaker Minister for Information, Jan Achakzai, announced on Tuesday that the provincial government had safely given custody of Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) leader Manzoor Pashteen to Dera Ismail Khan police.
Pashteen was arrested in Chaman the previous day following reported exchange of fire between his party and local police in the Gudhamo area.
Chaman Deputy Commissioner Raja Athar Abbas the other day stated that the arrest was linked to the reported firing and a ban on Pashteen’s entry into Balochistan.
However, PTM countered the official narrative, alleging that law enforcement agencies had fired upon Pashteen’s vehicle while he was traveling from Chaman to Turbat.
In a released statement, Minister Achakzai refuted the PTM’s claims of gunfire and asserted that Pashteen had been expelled from Balochistan post-arrest, handed over to DI Khan police.
He contended that the PTM leader’s bodyguard had initiated gunfire in front of the Chaman Press Club, resulting in injuries to a woman and a child.
Achakzai revealed that youth and civil society in Balochistan had called for the PTM to be banned, claiming that through social media, people were branding the PTM as a terrorist organization.
He emphasized that the provincial government was closely monitoring the situation and would take strict measures if necessary, even considering a potential ban on PTM in Balochistan.
Highlighting Pashteen’s violation of the ban on his entry into the province, Achakzai noted his participation in protests in Chaman, where he spoke against the alleged extrajudicial killing of Balaach Balaach Mola Bakhsh in Turbat.
