PESHAWAR: The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) on Tuesday ordered the release of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) leader and National Assembly member from South Waziristan Ali Wazir on bail.
A three-judge bench headed by Justice Sardar Tariq Masood heard the case on Tuesday and ordered the release of Ali Wazir and directed him to submit bail bond of Rs400, 000. The court remarked that since the co-accused in the case have been released on bail, “there is no justification to keep Ali Wazir in jail.”
Wazir is accused of anti-state speech in a political rally in Karachi, last year. He was arrested on December 16, 2020 from Peshawar after attending a ceremony for the Army Public School victims in Achieve library. A case was registered against Ali Wazir after his speech in PTM rally in Sohrab Goth, accusing him of anti-state remarks. Wazir has rejected all the allegations, saying that he was raising voice for the people of his area.
“Bench comprising Justices Tariq Masood, Jamal Mandokhel and Aminudin Khan of the Supreme Court have granted bail to Ali Wazir,” wrote member national assembly from South Waziristan Mohsin Dawar after the hearing. Posting his photo with Senior Lawyer Abdul Latif Afridi he wrote, “Ali has remained in prison for over 11 months for a speech. It took a long time but glad that Ali will be out on bail.”
The leader of PTM Manzoor Pashteen also wrote that Finally, Ali Wazir granted bail by the Supreme Court. He remained incarcerated for more than a year on “politically motivated charges” in Karachi prison. He expressed the home that other PTM activists – Hanif and Owaisl – will also be released soon. He thanked political parties, Lawyers, journalists and everyone who raised voice for Ali.
The Anti-terrorism Court in Karachi court handed over five accused, including Ali Wazir, to the police on physical remand till December 30. During the hearing, the investigating officer had alleged that accused Ali Wazir and others made provocative speeches at the Sohrab Goth meeting and anti-state slogans were also raised by the accused at the meeting. According to the investigating officer, “insulting words were also used against the state institutions, police and Rangers in the scathing speech by the Ali Wazir and other PTM activists.”