Order, Order

Pakistani authorities intensified their crackdown on dissent this week by banning a prominent Pashtun rights group and violently dispersing protests by the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, part of government efforts to contain a surge in militant violence, the Guardian reported.

The government announced the ban on the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), which advocates for the Pashtun ethnic community, over the weekend, accusing the group of engaging in activities “prejudicial to the peace and security of the country.”

Founded in 2014, the movement has long criticized the military for alleged abuses in Pashtun-majority areas. It has organized large, peaceful demonstrations calling for better protection of the ethnic community and accountability from the army.

The ban follows a move by the PTM to hold a national protest in the northwest province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to address worsening security conditions, but authorities responded with force, arresting hundreds of the group’s members.

The independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan condemned the ban, saying the decision “was neither transparent nor warranted,” Al Jazeera wrote.

While the PTM crackdown unfolded, Pakistani police used tear gas and batons to disperse protests by PTI supporters in Islamabad and Lahore over the weekend. The opposition party and its supporters were protesting the arrest of PTI leader and former Prime Minister Imran Khan, calling for his release.

Khan has been in jail since last year on more than 100 charges, including corruption and terrorism, which he says are politically motivated.

The crackdown comes amid increasing militant violence, mainly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, where nearly 1,000 people have died in militant attacks over the past three months.

Meanwhile, Pakistan is preparing to host leaders for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, a bloc led by Russia and China, to deepen ties with Central Asian states.

In a separate incident, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for a bombing on Sunday that targeted a convoy of Chinese nationals outside Karachi’s airport, killing two workers and injuring eight, the Associated Press added.

Observers noted that the attack raises concerns about security ahead of the SCO summit, as the BLA has a history of targeting Chinese workers involved in Beijing’s multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative.