Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief and former cricketer Imran Khan has said that demanding restoration of peace in the country is not treachery but a constitutional right.
Khan made the statement in response to the recent criticism of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) by the government and its allies.
He said that while the PTM has to remain within the ambit of the law and the Constitution, the government should resolve its grievances.
The PTM is a civil rights movement that has been campaigning for the rights of the Pashtun people in Pakistan since 2018. It is led by Pashtun human rights activist Manzoor Pashteen and has been calling for an end to military operations in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
Khan added that the government should respect the right to peaceful protest and freedom of expression as enshrined in the Constitution. He said that the authorities should not use force or coercion to suppress the people’s voice.
The PTM has been facing a backlash from the government and its allies in recent months. The military has accused the movement of having links to hostile foreign forces.
