Members of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) staged a protest in London in front of the United Nations office, calling for an end to the oppression of Pashtuns in Pakistani-controlled regions.
Protesters played a recorded message from PTM leader Manzoor Ahmad Pashtun, highlighting ongoing abuses against Pashtuns in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other areas by the Pakistani military regime. In the message, Pashtun urged the UN to pressure Islamabad to halt the harassment, arrests, and killings of Pashtun civilians.
He stated: “The situation of Pashtuns in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Bajaur, Lakki Marwat, North Waziristan, and many other areas is alarming. In 2025 alone, 329 civilians were killed along the Durand Line by Pakistani military forces.”
Pashtun also noted that the Pakistani military targets and imprisons Pashtun leaders who oppose its policies. He further raised concerns about attacks on civilians in Afghanistan by the Pakistani military and asked the UN to assist in stopping such actions.
He criticized the UN for failing to act, despite having raised the issue fifteen times.
A day before the UN protest, PTM members gathered outside the British Prime Minister’s office, submitting a letter urging the U.K. government to pressure Pakistan to end the oppression of Pashtuns.
Pashtun also criticized political parties in Pakistan that, according to him, fail to secure peace and justice for their communities. He stated that over 5,000 people have been forcibly disappeared by the Pakistani military, including activists like Mahran Baloch, who fight for peace, justice, and Baloch rights. He emphasized that Pakistan pursues a militarized approach instead of fostering good relations.
PTM leaders continue to raise awareness about abuses in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other Pashtun areas, appealing to the international community, the UN, and global organizations to take action and prevent further violence.
Khayrullah Amin, a central committee member of PTM, said: “Pashtuns face widespread oppression in all areas. At the very least, human rights organizations should come here to witness how the Pakistani military violates fundamental rights.”
Previously, PTM members also held a demonstration in , calling on European countries to intervene and stop the targeting of civilians in Pashtun regions of Pakistan and in Afghanistan.
