Fair Trial Extended to PTM Leaders, MNA Ali Wazir produced before ATC, shifted to Peshawar Central Jail

BANNU (Tuesday, 04 June 2019) – An anti-terrorism court (ATC) here today sent Member National Assembly (MNA) Mr. Ali Wazir to Peshawar Central Jail on judicial remand rejecting the plea of Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) for further remand under CTD custody.

Earlier on previous date (27, May) in the ATC also the investigating officer (I.O.) of the case had requested the court for 30-day physical remand of the lawmaker but the Special ATC judge Babar Ali Khan, after perusing the record, remanded Wazir to custody for eight days only.

Ali Wazir’s medical check-up was also conducted at the District Headquarters (DHQ) hospital.

Background of the arrest of Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar:

Ali Wazir was arrested following a clash between Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) workers and army troops in the North Waziristan tribal district. On May 30, fellow MNA Mohsin Dawar was also taken into custody by law enforcement personnel from Miranshah in North Waziristan.

Three people were killed and 15 ─ including five soldiers ─ were injured in an exchange of fire in North Waziristan’s Boyya area, when the Kharqamar checkpoint was attacked during a protest on Sunday.

According to a statement by the army’s media wing, MNAs Mohsin Dawar and Ali Wazir were leading the group.

“A group led by Mohsin Javed [Dawar] and Ali Wazir assaulted Kharqamar check post, Boyya, North Waziristan tribal district this morning. They wanted to exert pressure for release of suspected terrorists’ facilitator arrested the other day,” added the statement, without specifying who the suspect was.

“Troops at the check post exercised maximum restraint in the face of provocation and direct firing on the post. Due to firing of the group, five army soldiers got injured. In exchange of fire, three individuals who attacked the post lost their lives and 10 got injured,” it said.

The statement also disclosed that Ali Wazir along with eight other individuals had been arrested while Mohsin Javed [Dawar] was “at large”.

The PTM leaders deny attack on the Army Check Post but the videos shared on social media show large group of PTM workers threatening the Army’s security personnel on the check post who are showing great restraint, later the PTM workers start clashing with them and voices of firing are heard.