Afghan Diaspora Protests in Vienna, Condemns Killing of Pashtun Activist and Pakistani Oppression

On August 11th, nearly 200 Afghan diaspora members from both sides of the Durand Line staged a protest in front of the Pakistani embassy in Vienna. The demonstrators, who were sympathizers and supporters of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), gathered to condemn the recent killing of PTM leader Gilaman Wazir.

On July 7th, Wazir was injured in an attack in Islamabad and died four days later. The attackers have not been identified. PTM claims that the attack was orchestrated by the Pakistani military.

His death sparked numerous reactions, including from former Afghanistan’s Presidents Hamid Karzai and Ashraf Ghani. The latter, who lives in exile in the United Arab Emirates, expressed his condolences on X (formerly Twitter).

“With deep pain and regret, I offer my condolences to the family and friends of the martyred poet, Gilaman Wazir. Gilaman, as a true patriot, stood firm in his beliefs until the end and dedicated his life to his cause. His patriotism will live on in his poems and continue to inspire future generations.”

The protesters in Vienna specifically criticized Pakistan’s military and intelligence agency (ISI) for their alleged role in the killing, disappearance, and persecution of Pashtuns in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) region. Many held placards accusing the Pakistani military of spreading terrorism in Pashtun areas, with slogans such as “Military is behind terrorism” and “Azm-e-Istehkam operation is Pakistani military terrorism.”

Participants also carried numerous tri-color flags of the former Afghan government in various sizes. Some attendees were not PTM members but joined the protest due to their connection to Afghanistan and its flag, which Wazir had often celebrated in his poetry about Afghan unity on both sides of the Durand Line.

Ghousuddin Mir from AKIS association, one of the key organizers, stated that although he is not a PTM member, he helped organize the protest because the tri-color flag stirred his sense of nationalism. “The flag is a symbol of freedom, and I hope we fight for the freedom and prosperity of Afghanistan,” Mir said. 

Atiqullah Rohani urged Pashtuns to unite in their struggle against the Pakistani establishment, despite their lack of ethnic cohesion. 

Several members of the Afghan diaspora delivered speeches in memory of Gilaman Wazir and other Pashtun leaders in KPK who have been assassinated in recent years. PTM has long accused Pakistan’s powerful military and ISI of orchestrating these killings.

Three PTM coordinators from Pakistan—Noor Badshah from Balochistan, Noorullah Tareen from Sindh, and Khairul Amin from KPK—sent pre-recorded speeches that were played during the demonstration. They all condemned Wazir’s killing, attributing it to the Pakistani government, and noted that his death has further mobilized support for PTM.

The PTM coordinators emphasized that the movement has reignited Afghan nationalism on both sides of the Durand Line. They expressed hope that this growing unity could eventually lead to independence from what they described as an “oppressive Pakistani regime” and the creation of a “Loy Afghanistan” (Greater Afghanistan).

“Lar aw bar, yaw Afghan” (lower and upper are one Afghans), signifying that people on both sides of the Durand Line are one Afghan nation, concluded the demonstration after two hours in Vienna’s sweltering sun.

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