Afghan government express concerns about violence against protesters in Balochistan and KPK

BW News Web Desk: The Afghan president Ashraf Ghani on Thursday tweeted that the Afghan government has serious concerns about violence perpetrated against peaceful protestors and civil activities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

The foreign minister of Pakistan Shah Mahmood Qureshi, however, termed Mr Ghani’s tweet as ‘irresponsible and gross interference’.  The Pakistani minister also advised Mr Ghani to ‘focus on long-standing grievances of the Afghan people.’

President Ashraf Ghani in his second tweet wrote: “We believe it is the moral responsibility of every government to support civil activities that take a stand against the terrorism and extremism that plagues and threatens our region. Otherwise, there could be long-standing negative consequences.”

The exchange of heated tweets between Afghan and Pakistani officials took place at a time when Pakistani police and other forces have used excessive force against Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) activists and arrested several supporters of them on 5 February.

The PTM activists took to streets after the murder of a Core Committee Member of the organisation, Professor Armaan Luni, at the hand of Police in Loralai, Balochistan.  The PTM leadership have alleged that Mr Luni died because of police torture.

Islamabad Police have transferred the arrested PTM activists who are currently held at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi Punjab.

Meanwhile, one of the leaders of PTM and Member of National Assembly (MNA) from North Waziristan has thanked the president of Afghanistan for his words and added, “I wish, at the very least, our state had realised its crimes of martyring Arman Loni, but instead it launched a crackdown on our grief. And now it is condemning those who offer sympathy to us? By what standard of humanity is this OK?’

The ex-interior minister and ex-head of NDS Mr Amrullah Saleh also endorsed the ‘serious concern’ of his country’s president.

He also called upon the Afghan civil society to show solid solidarity with the peaceful civil activists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan adding that, “We are connected by bonds of history, geography & culture & also suffer from the same circle of perpetrators.”

It is pertinent to mention that on February 6, the Amnesty International has also called for the release of PTM activists and urged Pakistan to ‘End crackdown on PTM and release protestors.’