Arif Wazir facts for kids

Arif Wazir (Pashto: محمد عارف افغان وزیر; 2 May 1982 – 2 May 2020) was a Pakistani politician and activist. He was a key leader in the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM). This movement works for the rights of the Pashtun people. He was also a member of the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party. He led its branch in South Waziristan.

Arif Wazir's family had a long history of working for Pashtun rights. They stood against groups that caused trouble in their area. Because of this, his family faced many dangers. His father, two brothers, two uncles, and two cousins were all killed. Arif himself survived attacks on his life. He spent a lot of time in jail, especially after joining the PTM in 2018.

On May 1, 2020, Arif Wazir was driving home in Wanna. He was shot and badly hurt near his house. He passed away the next day in Islamabad. He was the 18th male in his family to be killed by militants since 2003.

After his death, Amnesty International asked Pakistan to investigate the attack. A police official said Arif Wazir was killed because of an interview he gave in Kabul, Afghanistan. However, the Governor of Punjab blamed intelligence agencies from India and Afghanistan. PTM leaders said that "state-supported militants" were responsible. Many PTM supporters protested, and some were arrested. Arif Wazir left behind his wife and five children.

Arif Wazir's Family and Early Life

Arif Wazir belonged to the Ahmadzai Wazir tribe. This is a Pashtun tribe. His family was known for supporting Pashtun nationalism. This meant they wanted to protect the rights and culture of Pashtun people. They were against militant groups, which made them targets.

In July 2005, several of Arif's family members were killed. This included his father, Saadullah Jan, and his uncle, Malik Mirzalam. They were attacked near their home in Wanna. Other family members were also killed in separate attacks. The government did not investigate these killings or arrest anyone. Because of these losses, Arif had to stop his studies. He became the head of his household at a young age.

Militants also harmed his family's businesses. Their gas stations were destroyed. Their farms were damaged. In 2016, the government also destroyed his family's market in Wanna. This happened after a bomb killed an army officer. The government used a law that allowed for "collective punishment." This meant an entire family or community could be punished for one person's actions. Arif's cousin, Ali Wazir, said officials knew his family was not to blame. But they still destroyed their businesses. People were also stopped from collecting donations to help Arif's family.

Arif Wazir's Political Work

Arif Wazir was an independent candidate in the 2019 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial election. He ran for a seat in South Waziristan. Before the election, he was arrested along with other candidates. The Election Commission of Pakistan said these arrests were unfair. They called it "pre-election rigging" and ordered his release.

Even after being arrested, Arif Wazir received many votes. He got 10,272 votes. He lost by a small number of votes to another candidate. His supporters believed the election results were not fair.

Activism and Times in Jail

Arif Wazir was a strong activist. In April 2017, he was arrested for protesting. He was upset because there was no internet or phone service in Wanna.

In March 2018, he fully supported Manzoor Pashteen and the PTM. He spoke at a rally in Wanna. He said that Pashtun people had left their homes to help the army fight terrorists. But now, they were treated like strangers at army checkpoints. They were not even allowed to own homes. After the rally, he was arrested for organizing it. Many PTM supporters protested his arrest across Pakistan.

Arif Wazir was arrested several times. In June 2019, he was arrested again before an election. The Election Commission ordered his release. In July 2019, a court said his detention was illegal. But he was arrested again during a protest. He spent more than 13 months in jail during the last two years of his life. He was often accused of anti-state activities. Human rights groups said this was a common way to target activists.

Attack in 2018

In June 2018, during the holy month of Ramadan, Arif Wazir and other PTM supporters were attacked. This happened in Wanna. Arif was injured, and four PTM supporters were killed. A local journalist was also hurt.

Sources said the attack was carried out by a militant group. The conflict started when a pro-government militant leader took away PTM hats. PTM supporters had planned a protest. Militants then attacked a market and a petrol pump owned by Arif's family. Many unarmed PTM supporters gathered to help. The militants then opened fire on them. PTM leaders claimed that security forces also fired on their supporters. They said the attackers were supported by the Pakistan Army. PTM held protests in many cities to condemn the attack.

Arif Wazir's Death

On May 1, 2020, Arif Wazir was driving home. He had just been released from jail four days earlier. Another car followed him. As he slowed down, gunmen in the other car shot him. He was hit in his arm, neck, and head. This happened just before sunset, when he was going home for his fast-breaking meal (called iftar).

He was rushed to a local hospital. Then he was taken to a bigger hospital in Dera Ismail Khan. Doctors tried to help him. He was then moved to a hospital in Islamabad for emergency surgery. But he died the next morning, on May 2. It was his 38th birthday. His body was taken to his village in Wanna. He was buried on May 3. Tens of thousands of people attended his funeral, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Who Was Responsible?

The Pakistani government did not comment on Arif Wazir's death. The police started a case against unknown attackers. No government official offered condolences to his family.

PTM activists said that "state-supported militants" were behind the killing. Mohsin Dawar, a PTM leader, said these militants were known. He claimed they had offices and were allowed to operate by the state. He also said the government protected them.

The Governor of Punjab, Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar, blamed Indian and Afghan intelligence agencies. He posted this on his verified Twitter account.

The police chief of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police said Arif Wazir was killed because of an interview. He had given this interview to an Afghan TV channel in Kabul. In March 2020, Arif and other PTM leaders had visited Kabul. They were invited to the Afghan President's oath-taking ceremony.

See Also

• Mohsin Dawar
• Mir Kalam
• Alamzaib Mahsud
• Abdullah Nangyal