PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court (PHC) has granted bail to Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) leaders and elected members of National Assembly from Waziristan, Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar, on Wednesday.
As per media reports, the bail plea was heard by Justice Nasir Mehmood of PHC Bannu Registry. The MNAs were arrested in two cases – bomb attack on security vehicle and Khar Kamar tragedy. The bail was granted in the Khar Kamar tragedy case in which both the MNAs were accused of leading the mob to attack the security forces.
Senior lawyer Abdul Latif Afridi, Tariq Afghan, Sangin Khan and Hayat Murid appeared before the court on behalf of Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar. After the arguments were completed by the lawyers, the court granted bail to both the leaders and ordered their immediate release after they furnish surety bonds worth Rs1 million each. They will be released after legal formalities are completed by the security forces.
On August 17, An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) has already accepted bail applications in a case pertaining attack on security forces however their bail was rejected in Khar Kamar tragedy.
The security forces have arrested both MNAs after the Khar Kamar tragedy on May 26 when the security forces clashed with protesters of PTM in Khar Kamar area of Tehsil Data Khel in North Waziristan. MNAs are accused of luring the public to attack the check post. The authorities furthered that they have videos evidence available that a security check post was attacked and the two MNAs were present on the occasion.
After their arrests, an application has also been filed in asking the Election Commission of Pakistan to impose a ban on their entry into parliament as well as restrain them from participating in active politics of the country.
Dawar has been elected as MNA from NA-48 while Ali Wazir from NA-50 of North Waziristan as independent candidates during the July 25, 2018, general elections. Since the arrests, speaker of the national assembly has not issued even a single production order for both the MNAs to attend the assembly proceedings despite repeated requests by opposition parties’ leaders.
