Wranga Loni

Wranga Loni (Pashto: وړانګه لوڼۍ‎, Urdu: وڑانگہ لونی‎; also spelled Wrranga Lunri or Wrranga Luni) is a human rights activist and writer from Sanjawi in northern Balochistan, Pakistan. She is one of the leaders of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM),[4] and is also a founding member of the Waak Movement, which aims to bring political awareness among Pashtun women.[5]

Wranga Loni
وړانګه لوڼۍ
Occupationhuman rights activist, poet[1]
MovementPashtun Tahafuz Movement
Parent(s)
  • Mohammad Ismail Loni[2] (father)
RelativesArman Loni[3] (brother)

Social activism

Wranga joined the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement in February 2018 along with her elder brother, Arman Loni. Both of them actively took part in organizing the PTM public gatherings, usually traveling to the gathering site a week earlier to help run awareness campaigns among the locals. Wranga recalled, “[Arman] said women’s awareness was important for our future survival in peace and with human dignity.”[6] At the gatherings, Wranga would mostly give speeches from the stage but Arman would usually prefer to be behind the scenes.[1] The activities of Arman and Wranga irked the local tribal chiefs, because of which Arman's family was forced to move from their native Sanjawi to Killa Saifullah, the hometown of Nawab Ayaz Jogezai, the Pashtun tribal chief who offered them refuge.[7][8] On 2 February 2019, after Wranga and Arman participated at a protest sit-in outside Loralai Press Club in Loralai, her brother was allegedly killed during a crackdown by the police.[3] The police, however, refused to lodge an FIR, which was criticized by Shireen Mazari, the Human Rights Minister of Pakistan.[9][10]

On 9 February 2020, just before PTM's public gathering in Loralai to mark the first death anniversary of Arman Loni, security forces arrested Wranga Loni, Arfa Siddiq, Sanna Ejaz, and other female PTM activists as they were on their way to the gathering site. The security forces released them, however, when political activists gathered outside the police station to protest for them.[11][12].

See also

References
  1. "The murder of Arman Loni". Daily Times. February 7, 2019. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  2. "ابراہیم ارمان لونی۔ پی ٹی ایم کا پہلا شہید". HumSub (in Urdu). February 6, 2019. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  3. Anwar, Madeeha (February 7, 2019). "Alleged Killing by Police Angers Pashtuns in Pakistan". Voice of America. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  4. "Why female Pashtun activists matter for PTM". Asia Times. 24 January 2019. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  5. "Pakhtun women pledge to struggle for their rights". Dawn. 1 January 2020. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  6. Jalalzai, Freshta (29 March 2019). "Female Activists Chart New Course In Pakistan's Conservative Pashtun Belt". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  7. "Wrunga Loni's Great Hope". Samaa TV. February 4, 2019. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  8. "وڑانگہ لونی کا ارمان" (in Urdu). Samaa TV. February 4, 2019. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  9. "Panel discusses deaths of Ibrahim Loni, Babu Karim Jan". Business Recorder. March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  10. "سینیٹ کمیٹی کی ابراہیم ارمان لونی کی ہلاکت کا مقدمہ درج کرنے کی ہدایت". Express News (in Urdu). March 5, 2019. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  11. "PTM Leaders Arrested In Loralai, Balochistan Ahead Of Public Meeting". Naya Daur. 2020-02-09. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  12. "پی ٹی ایم کے خواتین کارکنان زیرحراست رہنے کے بعد رہا". Daily Shahbaz (in Urdu). 2020-02-09. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
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