Event Summary
On 12 November 2025, two representatives of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) disappeared shortly after participating in a peace jirgah held inside the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Provincial Assembly. The jirgah made a rare attempt to bring together political leaders, tribal elders, government officials, and PTM members to discuss longstanding grievances, including enforced disappearances and rising militancy, and the need to rebuild trust between the state and Pashtun communities. Despite PTM being banned, delegates attended as a rare opportunity for institutional dialogue.
According to eyewitnesses and local reporting, the two delegates were intercepted by unidentified men in plain clothes as they exited the Assembly. Their phones were immediately switched off. In the days that followed, four additional PTM activists were reported missing, bringing the total number of disappearances to six, as confirmed by Amnesty International. The Chief Minister of KP publicly condemned the abductions, warning that such actions undermine the credibility of peace efforts.
Civil society organisations view this as a significant deterioration in the enabling environment for civil society, as the disappearances occurred directly after a government-supported dialogue inside a constitutional institution. The incident fits a broader pattern of enforced disappearances and coercive tactics targeting Pashtun activists and raises concerns that engaging in formal political processes may expose human-rights defenders to greater risk.