Afghan Leader Roils Pakistan With Pashtun Comments

[TomSea]

Afghan Leader Roils Pakistan With Pashtun Comments
South & Central Asia
Afghan Leader Roils Pakistan With Pashtun Comments
February 07, 2019 1:31 PM
 Ayaz Gul

ISLAMABAD —

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s denouncement Thursday of the arrest of a group of ethnic Pashtun activists in neighboring Pakistan has triggered a harsh response from Islamabad, reigniting bilateral political tensions.

The unusual reaction by Ghani came two days after authorities in the Pakistani capital arrested about two dozen members of a non-violent group, known as the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) or Pashtun Protection Movement. The detainees were protesting against the death of one of their leaders in an alleged police crackdown.

“The Afghan government has serious concerns about the violence perpetrated against peaceful protesters and civil activists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan,” Ghani said in a series of tweets. Ghani named the two Pakistani border provinces with predominantly Pashtun populations and where the PTM has its support base.

Read more at: https://www.voanews.com/a/afghan-leader-roils-pakistan-with-pashtun-comments/4777081.html