The police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa uprooted a camp set up by the banned Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) to facilitate holding of a three-day Pashtoon Qaumi Jirga in Rigi area of Khyber District late Tuesday night, police sources said. The sources further divulged that the internet service in areas around the Pashtoon Qaumi Jirga venue was also suspended. The district administration said the camp was dismantled and all the equipment of the banned PTI was seized. The police also made several arrests. Khyber Deputy Commissioner Captain (retd) Sanaullah Khan issued an order imposing Section 144 in the district for 30 days The Khyber deputy commissioner has also imposed section 144 throughout the district. After the Interior Ministry’s declaration to ban the PTM, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief secretary had issued a notification on Tuesday barring provincial government officials and employees from engaging with the PTIM’s Pashtoon Qaumi Jirga and issued a public warning against any association.

On Sunday, the federal government had slapped a ban on the PTM, citing threats to national peace and security. The party was declared “unlawful” under Section 11B of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) of 1997. A notification issued by the interior ministry mentioned that the PTM posed a “significant danger” to public order and safety in the country. The move comes in the lead-up to the Pashtoon Qaumi Jirga, scheduled for October 11 in Khyber district. The notification issued by the office of the KP chief secretary also said the PTM had shown its intent to hold an event, adding neither a “proscribed organisation” holding an event nor participation in it were permissible under the law. It ordered that the following instructions be implemented: “Employees of all government departments/attached departments/police/autonomous and semi-autonomous public sector institutions and their employees are informed, and stand informed, that participation, overt or covert, physically, financially or otherwise in any programme or activity of a proscribed organisation is unlawful and shall be acted against under the law.

“The heads shall ensure that this fact/legal position is communicated to all employees under their respective commands.” It continued: “General public, including all segments of society are informed, and stand informed, that participation, overt or covert, physically, financially or otherwise in any programme or activity of a proscribed organisation is unlawful and will make them liable to lawful action.” The notification further said that the following “fact” should also be known, adding that the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) “has also extended its support to the activities of the proscribed PTM and therefore any participation, overt or covert, will make the individual so participating facilitator/supporter of a terrorist organisation working against the state and people of Pakistan and shall be acted against under the law”. The notification ordered that the information department should ensure that “this fact/legal position is made known to public at large, including all segments of society through announcement on media, including print, electronic, and social.

“Students are vulnerable to propaganda on account of their tender age and need to be educated on the consequences of participation, overt or covert, physically, financially or otherwise in any programme or activity of a proscribed organisation by the vice chancellors of public and private sector universities, the principals of public and private sector college on immediate basis. Higher Education Department shall ensure that this fact and legal position is made known to the students by their respective vice chancellors/principals /heads of educational institutions. “All administrative and police officers shall take appropriate measures in accordance with law to ensure that directions contained herein are implemented in letter and spirit.”

Credit: Independent News Pakistan