In late May 2019, Pakistan’s security forces fired at a procession of activists in Khar Qamar area of North Waziristan, which killed several protestors. The procession was part of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (or the Movement for the Protection of Pashtuns). Also known as the PTM, the movement has been seeking accountability for extrajudicial killings and disappearances during the ‘war on terror’ in Pakistan, and also demanded the removal of land mines.

What are the roots of the PTM and why is the Pakistani state suppressing a non-violent movement for human rights? In this week’s Himal Interviews, we talk to Sarah Eleazar and Sher Ali Khan, who did a longform reportage on the PTM movement, titled ‘Anatomy of a political moment’, for us last year. (The story has been nominated for True Story Award 2019.) In this conversation with our Editor Aunohita Mojumdar, they update us on the government’s recent crackdown on the movement, the impact of the global ‘war on terror’ on the Pashtun community, and the censorship and misinformation about PTM in Pakistan’s media.

Go to www.himalmag.com for more on politics and culture in Southasia.

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Intro and outro music derived from 'Ways of Rahjan' by Ask Again from Free Music Archive.