By: Fatima Boganee

Summary

On November 12, 2025, several young Pashtun activists attended a grand peace jirga (also referred to as the “aman jirga,” which is a traditional Pashtun assembly that brings elders and leaders together to engage in dialogue and non-violent negotiation, aiming to resolve disputes, promote unity, and secure rights and peace for the community.) convened by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi at the Provincial Assembly in Peshawar, aimed at fostering dialogue on regional security and peace amid tensions with Afghanistan (Dawn News, 2025a). These individuals participated in good faith, yet were forcibly disappeared shortly after the event by unidentified persons believed to be linked to state security agencies (Amnesty International, as cited in Khaama Press, 2025). The missing include Mohammad Adnan Wazir, Noorullah Tareen (also Noor Ullah Tareen), Haneefullah (also Hanif Pashteen), Farmanullah (also Farman Wazir), Syed Irfanullah (also Irfan Wazir), Gohar Zaman (also Gohar Pashteen), and Habib Wazir (also Khubaib Wazir) (Dawn News, 2025b; Khaama Press, 2025). As of January 2026, they remain unaccounted for, with no formal charges, court appearances, or access to legal counsel, heightening fears of torture or worse (Human Rights Commission of Pakistan [HRCP], 2025).

This case exemplifies Pakistan's persistent pattern of enforced disappearances, disproportionately affecting ethnic Pashtun human rights defenders and activists associated with or perceived to be linked to the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) (Amnesty International, as cited in Khaama Press, 2025). The Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances (COIED) has recorded over 10,000 cases since 2011, with thousands in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, though independent estimates suggest higher figures due to underreporting from fear of reprisals (Anand, 2025). This report demands the immediate release of the detainees or their production before a court with full due process rights, including access to lawyers and family. It further puts Pakistani authorities on notice that any harm will invite intensified international advocacy and accountability measures.

Background on Enforced Disappearances and the PTM

Enforced disappearances remain a systemic tool of repression in Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, targeting critics of state policies (Amnesty International, as cited in Khaama Press, 2025). The PTM, a non-violent grassroots movement advocating for Pashtun rights—including an end to extrajudicial killings, landmine clearance, and accountability for missing persons—has faced severe crackdowns, including arrests, torture allegations, and disappearances of its members (Khaama Press, 2025). Despite operating constitutionally, PTM has been banned as a "proscribed organization" under anti-terrorism laws, further enabling state harassment (Dawn News, 2025c).

The November 12, 2025, jirga was presented as a traditional Pashtun peace initiative involving tribal elders, clerics, politicians, and civil society to address militancy and cross-border issues (Dawn News, 2025a). Ironically, attendees trusting this government-hosted dialogue were abducted afterward—some reportedly near Peshawar landmarks or en route to university hostels—turning a call for peace into an act of betrayal (Voicepk.net, 2025; Anand, 2025). Reports indicate transfers to undisclosed locations without judicial oversight (Dawn News, 2025b).

Research Findings: Corroborating Evidence

Multiple independent sources confirm the disappearances:

Initial reports emerged days after the jirga, with PTM activists claiming abductions of Noorullah Tareen and Hanif Pashteen immediately post-event, condemned by Chief Minister Afridi as violating Pashtun hospitality norms (Dawn News, 2025c). By late November 2025, Amnesty International highlighted six PTM-linked activists—Noorullah Tareen, Hanif Pashteen, Syed Irfanullah, Farman Wazir, Adnan Wazir, and Habib Wazir—forcibly disappeared from Peshawar (Khaama Press, 2025).

In December 2025, the Peshawar High Court ordered a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) into seven cases: Noorullah, Haneefullah, Mohammad Adnan Wazir, Gohar Zaman, Habib Wazir, Syed Irfanullah, and Farmanullah, all vanished after the "aman jirga" (Dawn News, 2025b; The Express Tribune, 2025). Separate accounts focused on University of Peshawar students Khubaib (Habib) Wazir and Adnan Wazir, abducted while returning from the jirga; protests by the Waziristan Students’ Society denied PTM links, emphasizing their student activism (Dawn News, 2025d; ANI, 2025).

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) in December 2025 raised alarms over these abductions alongside broader arbitrary detentions, noting families threatened into silence (HRCP, 2025).

No credible evidence suggests voluntary absence or lawful arrests; all reports attribute responsibility to state agents, with denials from police and no transparency (Dawn News, 2025b; Khaama Press, 2025). This aligns with historical PTM targeting, including prior detentions and extrajudicial actions (Amnesty International, as cited in Khaama Press, 2025).

Calls to Action

  1. Immediate Action on Detainees: Authorities must unconditionally release the individuals or charge them transparently in court, granting immediate access to independent lawyers, family, and medical care to prevent torture (United Nations, 1992).
  2. Independent Probes: Call on the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, Amnesty International, HRCP, and Human Rights Watch to investigate these cases and Pakistan's overall record (Amnesty International, as cited in Khaama Press, 2025).
  3. Accountability and Prevention: Pakistani intelligence and law enforcement agencies, alongside the provincial and federal governments, are notified that continued impunity will escalate global campaigns, potential sanctions, and legal pursuits under international obligations like the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (United Nations, 1966).
  4. Safeguards and Awareness: Coordinate via secure channels; amplify through human rights networks, diaspora, and media to protect sources and pressure for justice.
  5. Sign or Share a Petition: Visit Amnesty International's urgent actions page and search for “Pakistan enforced disappearances” or “PTM” to find or join ongoing campaigns calling for investigations and releases. If no exact match appears for these names, sign related ones on disappearances in Pakistan—they often cover similar PTM-linked cases. You can also start or share a petition on Change.org (e.g., search for “PTM disappearances Peshawar” and amplify existing ones, or create a new one titled “Demand Release of Disappeared Pashtun Activists from November 2025 Jirga”).
  6. Raise Awareness on Social Media: Post about the case using hashtags like #EndEnforcedDisappearances, #FreePTMActivists, #JusticeForPeshawarDisappeared, or #PashtunLivesMatter. Share this report (or key facts) with a link to Amnesty’s Pakistan page or HRCP statements—tagging @Amnesty, @hrw, or @UNHumanRights helps reach decision-makers.
  7. Support Broader Efforts: Donate or volunteer time (even remotely) with groups like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, or local diaspora networks working on South Asian human rights. Amnesty often has easy online actions like emailing officials or sharing stories.

Bibliography

Anand, A. (2025, December 24). In Pakistan, seeking peace and accountability ends in disappearance. BLiTZ. https://weeklyblitz.net/2025/12/24/in-pakistan-seeking-peace-and-accountability-ends-in-disappearance/

ANI. (2025, December 18). Peshawar University protests over disappearances enter third day. https://aninews.in/news/world/asia/peshawar-university-protests-over-disappearances-enter-third-day20251218135035/

Dawn News. (2025a, November 12). KP peace jirga demands centre prioritise talks with Kabul. https://www.dawn.com/news/1954653

Dawn News. (2025b, December 7). KP IGP directed to form JIT to recover Pashtun Tahafuz Movement members. https://www.dawn.com/news/1959768

Dawn News. (2025c, November 14). CM condemns ‘disappearance’ of banned PTM workers. https://www.dawn.com/news/1955026

Dawn News. (2025d, December 17). University of Peshawar students boycott classes against ‘disappearance’ of colleagues. https://www.dawn.com/news/1961707

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. (2025, December 30). [Statement on arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances]. As cited in The Tribune India. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/arbitrary-arrests/hrcp-raises-alarm-over-arbitrary-arrests-enforced-disappearances-in-pakistan

Khaama Press. (2025, November 21). Six PTM Members Abducted in Peshawar, Amnesty Urges Pakistan to Investigate Disappearances. https://www.khaama.com/six-ptm-members-abducted-in-peshawar-amnesty-urges-pakistan-to-investigate-disappearances/

The Express Tribune. (2025, December 7). PHC orders JIT in disappearance of 7 men. https://tribune.com.pk/story/2580941/phc-orders-jit-in-disappearance-of-7-men

United Nations. (1966). International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/international-covenant-civil-and-political-rights

United Nations. (1992). Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/declaration-protection-all-persons-enforced-disappearance

Voicepk.net. (2025, November 14). KP CM condemns ‘abduction’ of PTM delegates after PTI jirgah. https://voicepk.net/2025/11/kp-cm-condemns-abduction-of-ptm-delegates-after-pti-jirgah-calls-act-a-violation-of-pashtun-tradition/

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