Manzoor Ahmed Pashteen’s entry banned from AJK

MUZAFFARABAD: Pashtoon Tahafuz Movement (PTM) leader Manzoor Ahmed Pashteen banned from entering into Azad Jammu and kashmir (AJK).

The AJK government’s move drew instant criticism from a former information minister belonging to opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

According to a notification issued by the AJK home department, the ban was imposed on Mr Pashteen with immediate effect under section 5 of the Maintenance of Public Order Act, 1985, for three months.

Mr Pashteen was invited by a faction of National Students Federation, a pro-independence organisation, to address its convention in Kotli on Dec 25 as the chief guest.

Earlier in the day, at a press conference in Kotli, some activists of an obscure organisation by the name of Tehreek-i-Jawanan-Kashmir called upon the AJK government to ban the entry of Mr Pashteen “to arrest propagation of India-sponsored narratives in the territory”.

However, on social media many activists criticised the government’s embargo on freedom of speech and expression.

“We condemn the PTI government in strong words for banning Manzoor Pashteen’s entry and speech in Azad Kashmir. Imposing restrictions on freedom of expression and speech is a fascist practice. Manzoor Pashteen! We are ashamed,” tweeted Mushtaq Minhas, the former AJK information minister and member of the PML-N organising committee.