Islamabad, May 28: Amnesty International, the international human rights organization, has expressed deep concern over the rising incidents of enforced disappearances of Pashtun human rights activists in Pakistan. The organization has labeled this as part of a broader campaign of repression by state authorities.
According to Amnesty International, Faridullah Afridi, a member of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), was allegedly abducted on the evening of May 18 from Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The human rights organization condemned this incident, stating that despite family complaints, the police neither registered a First Information Report (FIR) nor initiated any investigation into the case.
Amnesty International noted, “Faridullah Afridi is not the first PTM activist to have disappeared without a trace. This case reflects a troubling pattern of enforced disappearances of PTM activists and the actions of state authorities.”
The organization has called on Pakistani officials to conduct an immediate, independent, and transparent investigation into Afridi’s alleged abduction.
Amnesty International emphasized that if Faridullah Afridi is in government custody, his whereabouts should be disclosed, he should be released immediately, and those responsible should be held accountable under international human rights standards.
Last month, Amnesty International also wrote to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, expressing serious concern over the disappearances of PTM activists Hanif Pashtin and Noorullah Tareen. Both activists were taken into police custody on November 12, 2025, as they exited the provincial assembly in Peshawar.
The human rights organization warned that the secret detention of both activists increases the risk of torture, mistreatment, and other serious human rights violations.
Amnesty International has alleged that arbitrary arrests, harassment, threats, and enforced disappearances of PTM and its members are ongoing issues in Pakistan.
The organization stated that this is not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of repression against PTM activists.
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