PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has prohibited its officials, employees as well as general public from participating in the three-day Pashtun Qaumi Jirga, organised by the recently-proscribed Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM).

A notification issued by the provincial chief secretary on Tuesday warned attending the event or any material support for it could result in a legal action.

“General public, including all segments of society, are informed, and stand informed, that participation, overt or covert, physically, financially or otherwise in any programme or activity of a proscribed organisation is unlawful and will make them liable to lawful action,” said the notification seen by Dawn.

The directive, in the lead-up to the event scheduled for October 11 in Khyber district, came two days after the federal government imposed a ban on PTM, citing threats to national peace and security.

The party was declared “unlawful” under Section 11B of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) of 1997.

A notification issued by the interior ministry mentioned that the PTM posed a “significant danger” to public order and safety in the country.

Warning for govt officials

The KP chief secretary’s order said PTM had shown its intent to hold an event, adding that neither a “proscribed organisation” holding an event nor participation in it were permissible under the law.

Officials of all government departments, police and autonomous and semi-autonomous public sector institutions have been warned that their “overt or covert” participation, or financial help for the event being organised by a “proscribed organisation” would be “unlawful”.

The notification further claimed that the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan “has also extended its support to the activities of the proscribed PTM and therefore any participation, overt or covert, will make the individual so participating facilitator/supporter of a terrorist organisation working against the state and people of Pakistan and shall be acted against under the law”.

Separately, Khyber Deputy Commissioner retired Captain Sanaullah Khan has imposed Section 144 in the district for 30 days.

The order, seen by Dawn, said there were serious threats which could affect the lives and property of the general public due to the present security situation and threat alerts received from various sources and as discussed during the meeting of the District Intelligence Coordination Committee.

Meanwhile, PTM activists assembled at the venue of their three-day jirga in Jamrud on Sunday evening in clear defiance of the federal government’s order to declare the PTM a proscribed organisation.

They said that they would now “hold their ground” until Oct 11, when the event would begin with thousands of delegates reaching the venue in separate processions from across the province and Balochistan.

Sources in Jamrud had said Khyber police were given instructions about starting a process of profiling PTM workers and sympathisers in the district while also initiating a crackdown on them once their whereabouts were established.

Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2024