Mohsin Dawar
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Mohsin Javed Dawar () is a Pakistani politician who is the chairman of the National Democratic Movement (NDM). He had been a member of the
National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
from August 2018 till August 2023. He is the co-founder of a
human rights movement Human rights movement refers to a nongovernmental social movement engaged in activism related to the issues of human rights. The foundations of the global human rights movement involve resistance to: colonialism, imperialism, slavery, racism, segre ...
,
Pashtun Tahafuz Movement The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM; , ''Paṣtūn Zhghōrənē Ghōrźang''; , ''Pashtūn Tahaffuz Tehreek'' ) is a social movement for Pashtuns, Pashtun human rights based in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces of Pakistan. It was found ...
(PTM). He has formerly served as president of the National Youth Organisation (NYO) and the Pashtun Students Federation (PSF), the allied wings of the
Awami National Party The Awami National Party (ANP; , ; lit. ''People's National Party'') is a Pashtun nationalist, secular and leftist political party in Pakistan. The party was founded by Abdul Wali Khan in 1986 and its current president is Aimal Wali Khan, g ...
(ANP). On 10 February 2024, Dawar was wounded and his three supporters killed in
Miramshah Mīrānshāh ()() is a main town in the region that is the administrative headquarters of North Waziristan District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Miranshah lies on the banks of the Tochi River in a wide valley surrounded by the foo ...
when the police fired shots on them, as they were protesting against the delay in announcement of election results from the
North Waziristan North Waziristan District (, ) is a Districts of Pakistan, district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It is the northern part of Waziristan, a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and covering . The capital ...
constituency in the Pakistani general election. The attack drew widespread condemnation, with calls for accountability for those responsible.


Political beginnings

Mohsin Dawar's great-grandfather was close to the Pashtun leader
Abdul Ghaffar Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (; 6 February 1890 – 20 January 1988), also known as Bacha Khan () or Badshah Khan () was a Pathan activist and formerly an Indian independence activist from the North-West Frontier Province, and founder of the Khudai ...
(Bacha Khan), and had supported his
nonviolent Nonviolence is the personal practice of not causing harm to others under any condition. It may come from the belief that hurting people, animals and/or the environment is unnecessary to achieve an outcome and it may refer to a general philosoph ...
Khudai Khidmatgar Khudai Khidmatgar () was an Indian, predominantly Pashtun, nonviolent resistance movement known for its activism against the British Raj in colonial India; it was based in the country's North-West Frontier Province (present-day Khyber Pakhtun ...
resistance movement A resistance movement is an organized group of people that tries to resist or try to overthrow a government or an occupying power, causing disruption and unrest in civil order and stability. Such a movement may seek to achieve its goals through ei ...
against the
British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...
. While attending the
Gomal University Gomal University (Urdu: جامعہ گومل) is a public research university located in Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Founded and established in 1974, the university is one of the older institutions in the province and occupi ...
, Mohsin Dawar was the president of the Pashtun Students Federation (PSF), an allied student wing of the
Awami National Party The Awami National Party (ANP; , ; lit. ''People's National Party'') is a Pashtun nationalist, secular and leftist political party in Pakistan. The party was founded by Abdul Wali Khan in 1986 and its current president is Aimal Wali Khan, g ...
(ANP). Dawar also co-founded the ANP's youth wing, the National Youth Organisation (NYO). In the wake of
Operation Zarb-e-Azb Operation Zarb-e-Azb (Pashto/ ALA-LC: ; ) was a joint military offensive conducted by the Pakistan Armed Forces against various militant groups, including the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the East Tu ...
by the
Pakistan Armed Forces The Pakistan Armed Forces (; ) are the military forces of Pakistan. It is the world's sixth-largest military measured by active military personnel and consists of three uniformed services—the Army, Navy, and the Air Force, which are backe ...
, during which many inhabitants of
North Waziristan North Waziristan District (, ) is a Districts of Pakistan, district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It is the northern part of Waziristan, a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and covering . The capital ...
were forced to flee their homes in June 2014 to settle at IDP
camps Camps may refer to: People *Ramón Camps (1927–1994), Argentine general *Gabriel Camps (1927–2002), French historian *Luís Espinal Camps (1932–1980), Spanish missionary to Bolivia *Victoria Camps (b. 1941), Spanish philosopher and professor ...
in
Bannu Bannu (, ), also called Bani Gul or Bani (, ) is a city located on the Kurram River in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is the capital of Bannu Division. Bannu's residents are primarily members of the Banuchi tribe and speak Banuch ...
and other districts, Dawar campaigned for the return of the refugees to their homes. He led the ANP's humanitarian efforts for the displaced persons, which included raising funds, distributing rations and establishing a school. He also highlighted a number of other issues faced by the returnees in his speeches and writings, such as the army's demolition of shops in his hometown,
Miramshah Mīrānshāh ()() is a main town in the region that is the administrative headquarters of North Waziristan District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Miranshah lies on the banks of the Tochi River in a wide valley surrounded by the foo ...
. At a press conference in
Peshawar Peshawar is the capital and List of cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by population, largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is the sixth most populous city of Pakistan, with a district p ...
in November 2016, Dawar stated that before the launch of Operation Zarb-e-Azb, the terrorists in North Waziristan had already "shifted to other safer places and no resistance took place," but despite that, "hundreds of houses and around 8,000 shops in Miramshah were razed to the ground" during the operation. He added that expensive household items were also lost, but the government did not keep its commitment to compensate the affectees. In his opinion article for
Al Jazeera Al Jazeera Media Network (AJMN; , ) is a private-media conglomerate headquartered in Wadi Al Sail, Doha, funded in part by the government of Qatar. The network's flagship channels include Al Jazeera Arabic and Al Jazeera English, which pro ...
in March 2021, Dawar reiterated that although "the state of Pakistan claims it has been successful in its military operations, the region remains volatile as groups allied with the
Taliban , leader1_title = Supreme Leader of Afghanistan, Supreme leaders , leader1_name = {{indented plainlist, * Mullah Omar{{Natural Causes{{nbsp(1994–2013) * Akhtar Mansour{{Assassinated (2015–2016) * Hibatullah Akhundzada (2016–present) ...
continue to not only exist and operate in these areas within Pakistan, but also carry out operations like before across the border in Afghanistan." Dawar's open
criticism of the Pakistan Armed Forces In Pakistan, Pakistan Army, Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Navy, and intelligence agencies are considered as part of Pakistani military. Over the years, the military has been criticised for its past and present actions. Most of the criticism is level ...
, however, irritated ANP leaders, especially those who were looking to avoid confrontation with the military establishment. The ANP leaders were also annoyed when Dawar became one of the founding leaders of the
Pashtun Tahafuz Movement The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM; , ''Paṣtūn Zhghōrənē Ghōrźang''; , ''Pashtūn Tahaffuz Tehreek'' ) is a social movement for Pashtuns, Pashtun human rights based in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces of Pakistan. It was found ...
(PTM) in February 2018. In spite of receiving no show-cause notice in advance or an opportunity to defend himself, Dawar's membership was suspended from the ANP on 20 March 2018 by the party's president,
Asfandyar Wali Khan Asfandyar Wali Khan (; ; born 19 February 1949) is a Pakistani politician from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, currently serving as the president of the Awami National Party (ANP). He is the son of Abdul Wali Khan, the party's founding president. Wali Kh ...
.


Political career

Dawar was elected to the
National Assembly of Pakistan The National Assembly of Pakistan, also referred to as ''Aiwān-ē-Zairīñ'', is the lower house of the bicameralism, bicameral Parliament of Pakistan, with the upper house being the Senate of Pakistan, Senate. As of 2023, the National Assem ...
as an independent candidate from NA-48 (Tribal Area-IX) in the 2018 general election. He received 16,526 votes, defeating Mufti Misbahudin of the
Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal The Muttahida Majlis–e–Amal (MMA; Urdu: , ) is a political alliance consisting of conservative, Islamist, Religion in Pakistan, religious, and right-wing parties of Pakistan. Naeem Siddiqui (the founder of Tehreek e Islami) proposed such a ...
(MMA) and Aurangzeb Khan of the
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is a political party in Pakistan established in 1996 by cricketer and politician Imran Khan, who served as the country's prime minister from 2018 to 2022. The party is led by Gohar Ali Khan since late 2023. ...
(PTI). On 1 September 2021, Dawar founded a political party, National Democratic Movement (NDM). Some analysts claimed that the NDM would cause a set back for the PTM, a non-parliamentary political movement, and curtail its influence. However, Dawar insisted that the NDM would support the PTM. "The PTM is a joint movement and we remained part of it. I don’t think that the NDM will weaken the PTM," he said. Several other leaders who joined the NDM, including
Jamila Gilani Jamila Gilani (; ; also spelled Jamila Gallani) is a Pakistani politician who is the spokesperson of the National Democratic Movement (NDM). She served as a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from 2008 to 2013. She is an activist in the ...
,
Bushra Gohar Bushra Gohar (; ) is a Pakistani politician and a senior leader of the National Democratic Movement (NDM). She has served as a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from 2008 to 2013. She is an activist in the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM ...
,
Afrasiab Khattak Afrasiab Khattak (; ) is a Pakistani socialist politician and political analyst who is a senior leader of the National Democratic Movement (NDM). He formerly was a member of the Communist Party of Pakistan (CPP). He has formerly served as the ...
and
Abdullah Nangyal Abdullah Nangyal Bettani (, ) is a Pashtun nationalism, Pashtun nationalist politician, human right activist and a leader of the National Democratic Movement (Pakistan), National Democratic Movement (NDM). He is a founding member of the Pashtun Tah ...
, were also prominent activists in the PTM. From 11 to 14 March 2022, he was part of the
Pashtun National Jirga The Pashtun National Jirga (PNJ; ) or Pashtun National Court (), also known as the Khyber Jirga (), commenced on 11 October 2024 under the leadership of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) in the Khyber District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The ...
, which was held in
Bannu Bannu (, ), also called Bani Gul or Bani (, ) is a city located on the Kurram River in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is the capital of Bannu Division. Bannu's residents are primarily members of the Banuchi tribe and speak Banuch ...
to discuss the critical issues faced by the Pashtuns in Pakistan and Afghanistan.


Detentions

On 30 November 2018, Dawar and Ali Wazir, his fellow parliamentarian and PTM leader, were traveling to
Dubai Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...
,
UAE The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a federal elective monarchy made up of seven emirates, with Abu Dhabi serving as i ...
to attend a Pashtun cultural event, but they were offloaded from their flight at Bacha Khan International Airport,
Peshawar Peshawar is the capital and List of cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by population, largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is the sixth most populous city of Pakistan, with a district p ...
. The
Federal Investigation Agency The Federal Investigation Agency (; reporting name: FIA) is a border control, criminal investigation, counter-intelligence and security agency under the control of the Interior Secretary of Pakistan, tasked with investigative jurisdiction on u ...
kept Dawar and Wazir in custody for three days. Dawar demanded action against the personnel who arrested them without getting prior permission from the Speaker of the National Assembly. On 30 May 2019, Dawar handed himself over to the police in
Bannu Bannu (, ), also called Bani Gul or Bani (, ) is a city located on the Kurram River in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is the capital of Bannu Division. Bannu's residents are primarily members of the Banuchi tribe and speak Banuch ...
after four days of hiding following the Kharqamar incident. Ali Wazir had already been arrested by the military in Kharqamar, North Waziristan, on 26 May. After almost four months in jail, Dawar and Wazir were released on bail on 21 September 2019. On 14 October 2020, the government withdrew the Kharqamar case against PTM, and Dawar and Wazir were acquitted of the charges against them. On 28 January 2020, Dawar and 28 other protesters, including Ismat Shahjahan and Ammar Rashid of the
Awami Workers Party The Awami Workers Party () is a left-wing socialist political party in Pakistan. The party seeks to unify the struggles of workers, peasants, students, women and ethnic and religious minorities in Pakistan under the banner of a democratic and soc ...
(AWP), were arrested by the police outside the
National Press Club A press club is an organization for journalists and others who are professionally engaged in the production and dissemination of news. A press club whose membership is defined by the press of a given country may be known as a National Press Club ...
in
Islamabad Islamabad (; , ; ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's tenth-most populous city with a population of over 1.1 million and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital Territory. Bu ...
, where they had gathered to stage a protest against the arrest of PTM chairman Manzoor Pashteen, who had been arrested in
Peshawar Peshawar is the capital and List of cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by population, largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is the sixth most populous city of Pakistan, with a district p ...
a day earlier on allegations of sedition. Video footage from the protest showed Dawar was dragged by the police and detained in a police vehicle. Dawar and Ismat Shahjahan were released on 29 January but Ammar Rashid and 22 others were sent to jail on sedition charges; all charges were dropped against them on 17 February. Manzoor Pashteen was also released from jail on 25 February. On 4 September 2020, Dawar was taken into custody at Quetta International Airport and barred from participating in political activities in
Quetta Quetta is the capital and largest city of the Pakistani province of Balochistan. It is the ninth largest city in Pakistan, with an estimated population of over 1.6 million in 2024. It is situated in the south-west of the country, lying in a ...
. Dawar said the airport authorities informed him that he and Ali Wazir were banned from entering
Balochistan Balochistan ( ; , ), also spelled as Baluchistan or Baluchestan, is a historical region in West and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. This arid region o ...
for another 90 days. On 24 October 2020, he was again arrested at the airport to stop him from attending a
Pakistan Democratic Movement The Pakistan Democratic Movement (; PDM) was a coalition of List of political parties in Pakistan, political parties in Pakistan. It was founded in September 2020 as a political movement, opposition movement against Imran Khan, accusing his I ...
(PDM) rally in Quetta.
Akhtar Mengal Akhtar Mengal (; born 6 October 1962) is a Pakistani politician from Balochistan who is the chairman of Balochistan National Party (Mengal). He is also serving as a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan since February 2024. He previously s ...
, the president of the
Balochistan National Party (Mengal) The Balochistan National Party or Balochistan National Party (Mengal) (Urdu: بلوچستان نيشنل پارٹی ; ) is a political party in Balochistan (Pakistan), Balochistan, Pakistan. BNP believes in more provincial rights and greater auton ...
, and
Maryam Nawaz Maryam Nawaz Sharif (born 28 October 1973) is a Pakistani politician who has served as the 20th chief minister of Punjab since 26 February 2024. She is the first woman to hold the position of chief minister in Pakistan. Born to former Prime ...
, a leader of the
Pakistan Muslim League (N) The Pakistan Muslim League (N) or (PML(N)) is a Centre-right politics, centre-right, Conservatism in Pakistan, conservative political party in Pakistan. It is currently the third-largest party in the Senate of Pakistan, Senate and the larges ...
, condemned Dawar's arrest. On 28 March 2021, the police arrested Dawar in Karak and Manzoor Pashteen in
Kohat Kohat (; ) is a city that serves as the capital of the Kohat District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is regarded as a centre of the Bangash tribe of Pashtuns, who have lived in the region since the late 15th century. With a population o ...
to prevent both of them from travelling to Bannu to join and lead the Janikhel protest march. The protest was called off on 29 March after an agreement was signed between the protesters and
Mahmood Khan Mahmood Khan (Urdu, Pashto: ; born 30 October 1970) is a Pakistani politician who was the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from August 2018 till January 2023 and a member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). He had been a member of the Pro ...
, the
Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa The chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the head of government of the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The chief minister leads the legislative branch of the provincial government, and is elected by the Provincial Assembly. As lon ...
, following which Dawar and Pashteen were released.


2024 assassination attempt

On February 10, 2024, Dawar and his supporters faced a tragic incident in
Miramshah Mīrānshāh ()() is a main town in the region that is the administrative headquarters of North Waziristan District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Miranshah lies on the banks of the Tochi River in a wide valley surrounded by the foo ...
,
North Waziristan North Waziristan District (, ) is a Districts of Pakistan, district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It is the northern part of Waziristan, a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and covering . The capital ...
, during their protest against the delay in the announcement of election results from the NA-40 North Waziristan constituency in the
2024 Pakistani general election General elections, originally scheduled to be held in 2023, were held in Pakistan on 8 February 2024 to elect the members of the List of members of the 16th National Assembly of Pakistan, 16th National Assembly of Pakistan, National Assembly. The ...
. As they gathered to express their grievances, the police opened fire on them. Dawar survived but sustained injuries, while three protesters were killed and several others were wounded. This event spurred a significant outcry among the local community and Dawar's supporters, leading to a large-scale rally in North Waziristan. The participants, including the NDM party and members of the Darpa Khel clan, strongly condemned the police action and demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident, alongside the arrest and prosecution of those responsible.


See also

* Pashtun nationalism *
Afrasiab Khattak Afrasiab Khattak (; ) is a Pakistani socialist politician and political analyst who is a senior leader of the National Democratic Movement (NDM). He formerly was a member of the Communist Party of Pakistan (CPP). He has formerly served as the ...
*
Bushra Gohar Bushra Gohar (; ) is a Pakistani politician and a senior leader of the National Democratic Movement (NDM). She has served as a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from 2008 to 2013. She is an activist in the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM ...
*
Jamila Gilani Jamila Gilani (; ; also spelled Jamila Gallani) is a Pakistani politician who is the spokesperson of the National Democratic Movement (NDM). She served as a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from 2008 to 2013. She is an activist in the ...
*
Gulalai Ismail Gulalai Ismail (; ; born 30 October 1986) is a Pakistani human rights activist from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. She is the chairperson of Aware Girls, a global ambassador for Humanists International, and a leading member of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movemen ...
*
Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dawar, Mohsin Living people Pashtun politicians People from North Waziristan Politicians from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa National Democratic Movement (Pakistan) politicians Pashtun Tahafuz Movement politicians Awami National Party politicians Pakistani prisoners and detainees Gomal University alumni 1984 births Pakistani MNAs 2018–2023