Peshawar High Court Dismisses Petitions Challenging PTM Ban

The Peshawar High Court has dismissed petitions contesting the federal government's ban on the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), ruling them as non-maintainable. The detailed 62-page judgement was released on Thursday by a bench comprising Justice Sahibzada Asadullah and Justice Dr Khurshid Iqbal.

The bench stated that the petitioners have the option to approach the federal government's review committee if they seek the de-proscription of the organisation. The court clarified that it is not the appropriate forum to address the matter at this stage.

The petitions in question were filed after the government proscribed PTM and its leaders in 2024. One of the petitions was jointly submitted by Manzoor Pashteen and nine other PTM leaders, who requested the court to declare the ban on PTM illegal under Section 11B of the Anti-Terrorism Act, and to address the proscription of the petitioners under Section 11-EE.

The bench had previously reserved its order on January 21, following the completion of arguments from both the petitioners' and the government's legal representatives. In its judgement, the court reiterated that the petitioners could seek redress by applying to the federal review committee as provided under the law.

The petitioners had also sought court orders for the federal government regarding the ban. However, the court maintained its position that the petitions were not maintainable in the current judicial forum, directing the petitioners towards the designated review mechanism.