Independence movements

Pashtunistan political projects: current status

Where the question stood on 22 September 2026: no Pashtunistan state exists, and the PTM remains banned in Pakistan.

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Status verified as of 22 September 2026. Political positions change; this explainer describes the documented position on that date.

Current position

No independent Pashtunistan state or Pashtun unification across the Durand Line has occurred; Afghanistan continues to reject the line as a valid border. Separately, the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement was designated a proscribed organization by Pakistan in October 2024, a move criticized by human-rights organizations.[1]

Sources for this page

Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.

  1. 1.

    Claim: On 6 October 2024, the Pakistani government designated the PTM a "proscribed organization" under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997, citing activities it characterized as prejudicial to national peace and security, days ahead of a planned PTM gathering; Amnesty International and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan criticized the ban, with the latter stating that the PTM had never resorted to violence and had operated within the constitutional framework.

    • Pakistan bans prominent Pashtun rights group citing security concerns (Al Jazeera) link, Ban and criticism sections. Source record

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