Pakistani police clash with protesters after officials ban a leading Pashtun rights group

Associated Press

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Police have clashed with supporters of a banned organization advocating for the rights of the Pashtun ethnic group in northwest Pakistan. They deployed tear gas and batons in a bid to disperse hundreds of protesters. The clashes followed an announcement from Pakistani authorities this week that they were banning the Pashtun Protection Movement after concluding that it supports the Pakistani Taliban. Authorities barred the group from holding a rally in the restive northwest on charges of working against the interests of Pakistan. The group denies the charges. The ban angered the supporters of the group, who clashed with police in Jamrud, a town near the city of Peshawar. Health officials said several injured demonstrators were taken to the hospital.