PESHAWAR: A Pakistani court Saturday ordered the release of a Pashtun rights leader critical of the military, his lawyer said, weeks after he was arrested on sedition charges.
Manzoor Pashteen, chief of the Pashtun Protection Movement (PTM), was arrested last month on charges of sedition, hate speech, incitement against the state, and criminal conspiracy.
His lawyer Saeed Akhtar told AFP that he had already been bailed on three of five complaints against him.
"Today the court has granted him bail in the remaining two, against surety bonds of one hundred thousand rupees ($650) each," Akhtar said.
He added that he hoped Pashteen would be released from jail later Saturday. A government prosecutor also confirmed the bail to AFP.
Pashteen, a former veterinary student, and the PTM have rattled Pakistan's military since 2018 with calls to end alleged abuses by security forces targeting ethnic Pashtuns in the restive tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan.
Once plagued by militancy and unrest, the region is where Washington believes Pakistan provides safe haven to militant groups including the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani Network.
The army has carried out many operations in the region, and security across Pakistan has dramatically improved in recent years.
But the PTM claim the operations came at a heavy price because of alleged abuses -- including enforced disappearances and targeted killings.
The movement remains peaceful, but has been notable for its direct verbal attacks on the armed forces in a country where such criticism is largely seen as a red line.
Islamabad and the military have repeatedly denied the claims and arrested PTM activists.
A far-reaching media blackout has kept news and images of peaceful PTM rallies off TV screens and front pages nationwide.
An opinion piece written by Pashteen in the New York Times in 2019 was censored in Pakistan.
Pashtuns are a fiercely independent ethnic group that straddles both sides of the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
They account for roughly 15 percent of Pakistan's population, with a majority of the 30 million-strong group living in the northwest.
Pakistan court orders release of Pashtun rights leader
https://arab.news/yp2e7
Pakistan court orders release of Pashtun rights leader
- Chief of Pashtun Protection Movement was arrested last month on charges of sedition, hate speech and conspiracy
- The movement has been notable for its criticism of Pakistan’s armed forces
Pakistan PM invites UAE investment across tech and resource sectors at National Day event
- Shehbaz Sharif says the UAE remains a key economic partner and continues to lend ‘critical support’ to Pakistan
- UAE envoy says both nations have potential for cooperation in renewable energy, AI and economic diversification
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is ready to welcome investment from the United Arab Emirates across emerging technologies and resource sectors, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday, as both countries marked the 54th National Day of the Gulf country in Islamabad.
Speaking at the ceremony attended by senior ministers, diplomats and business leaders, Sharif said the UAE remained a key economic partner for Pakistan and continued to lend “critical support” to the country’s stabilizing economy.
“Pakistan takes great pride in its strategic partnership with the UAE, which continues to deepen across every domain of life,” he said. “With Pakistan’s economy stabilizing, we stand ready to welcome Emirati investment in renewable energy, AI, fintech, agriculture and minerals.”
Sharif praised the UAE’s leadership and recalled his earliest memories of the Gulf nation as “a land that believed in possibilities long before they became realities,” saying the country’s progress under President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan commanded “profound admiration.”
UAE Ambassador Salem Al Bawab Al Zaabi said the Emirates was committed to strengthening ties with Pakistan in areas including the economy, energy and artificial intelligence.
He said the two countries shared a “deep-rooted friendship built on mutual respect, shared values and a common vision for regional peace and development.”
“We see tremendous potential for collaboration in renewable energy, artificial intelligence, sustainability and economic diversification,” the ambassador said, adding that the UAE aimed to broaden the scope of its economic relations with Pakistan.
The UAE hosts around 1.8 million Pakistani expatriates, one of the country’s largest overseas communities, who Sharif said contributed “tirelessly” to the Gulf state’s development.
Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar also joined the UAE ambassador in a cake-cutting ceremony to mark the occasion.
