Washington, Sep 23
A recent demonstration held at the Broken Chair Square in front of the United Nations in Geneva has highlighted once again the grave human rights violations being committed against the Pashtun people by the Pakistani government and forces. The protest was held to commemorate those who have suffered and endured trauma from systematic human rights violations in Pakistan and highlighted the targetted killings of people now also being done through drone attacks, a report mentioned.
The protest organised by Afghanischer Kulturverein Larawbar EV Germany and the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) brought together human rights activists, community leaders and members of the Pashtun diaspora, according to a report in PJ Media. Attendees expressed hope that the protest would raise international awareness about the ongoing repression and human rights violations impacting the Pashtun community in Pakistan.
The Pashtun ethnic community in Pakistan faces brutal and systematic campaign of human rights abuses. Pakistan’s ongoing repression against Pashtun community includes widespread enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.
"Thousands of Pashtuns have vanished without a trace after being abducted by security forces, while many others have become victims of extrajudicial killings. Recently, the security forces have begun targetting civilians using drones in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region," the report mentioned.
"Across Pakistan’s Pashtun belt (the merged tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and its adjoining areas), violence and emergency-style policing have hardened into a pattern of control that views entire communities as suspect. Rights groups, UN mechanisms, and international media have documented practices of enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, excessive force during security operations, as well as the criminalization of peaceful activism," it stated.
As per the report, Amnesty International’s South Asia portal has recorded that at least 10,078 cases registered with Pakistan’s Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances since 2011, including 3,485 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 2,752 from Balochistan, the two provinces with large Pashtun populations. Amnesty stated that many cases go unreported and that temporary abductions followed by release or fabricated prosecutions are used to silence critics.
The report stated, "In April–May 2025, the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances took the unusual step of issuing a general allegation to Pakistan at its 136th session, underscoring rising concerns about impunity. Meanwhile, crackdowns on Pashtun civic mobilization have further intensified. In October 2024, authorities banned the Pashtun Tahaffuz (Protection) Movement (PTM) under anti-terrorism laws, casting a largely peaceful civil-rights platform as a security threat. Amnesty International called this an affront to freedom of association and urged its revocation."
Security operations have continued to intensify in Pakistan's Pashtun regions under the banner of reinvigorated counterinsurgency. In 2024, Pakistan launched 'Azm-e-Istehkam' amid an increase in militant attacks.
"Independent reporting questioned whether fresh sweeps would repeat earlier patterns that punished communities without solving the insurgency. By mid-2025, UNICEF’s humanitarian updates described intelligence-based operations in Kurram district (KP), short-term displacement of residents, and returns marked by lingering distrust," the PJ Media report highlighted.
— IANS
Reader Comments
While the situation is concerning, I hope the reporting maintains balance. Sometimes these reports can be one-sided. Still, 10,000+ disappearances is a staggering number that demands investigation.
The Pashtun community has suffered for too long. India should raise this issue in international forums. Human rights violations anywhere are unacceptable. ðŸ™
As someone living in Delhi, I've met Pashtun traders who shared their concerns. The banning of PTM is particularly worrying for democratic rights. Hope Geneva protests bring real change.
The numbers speak for themselves - over 10,000 cases registered since 2011. This isn't just occasional excess but systematic oppression. UN needs to intervene more strongly.
Working in humanitarian sector, I've seen how such conflicts affect ordinary people. The displacement mentioned in Kurram district shows how counterinsurgency affects civilians most. Hope for peaceful resolution.
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