Ali Wazir once again arrested by Pakistani forces

KABUL (Pajhwok): Security forces on Monday once again arrested Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) senior leader and lawmaker Ali Wazir in North Waziristan.

According to a BBC report, Idris Pashteen, a friend of PTM leader Manzoor Pashteen, wrote on his Twitter that Ali Wazir was ‘abducted’ from North Waziristan. He added the security forces took Ali Wazir to the Spilga military base.

According to the report, PTM members have been staging a sit-in for almost three weeks against the arrest of Eidul Rahman, Zakim Wazir and Jalal Wazir in Miranshah, North Waziristan. Many leaders are taking part in the protest.

A member of the movement, Muniza Kakar, wrote on her Twitter a few hours before the arrest of Ali Wazir that state agencies were making continuous efforts to arrest Manzoor Pashteen, which she called “a very shameful act.”

Pashteen also wrote on his Twitter on Monday that the Pakistani army has been trying to attack participants of the sit-in and a large number of army and paramilitary forces had surrounded them.

“One thing is very clear that our resistance against the oppression, coercion and terrorist policies of the state and the army and for independence will continue.”

Meanwhile, Lawmaker Mohsin Dawar sought a “comprehensive inquiry” into the “abduction” of fellow MNA Ali Wazir, who he said was arrested by authorities in North Waziristan on Monday and taken to an “undisclosed location”.

Dawar raised these concerns during a National Assembly session chaired by Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf.

“Speaker sahib, early morning today, we received information that our MNA Ali Wazir was arrested near a checkpost in North Waziristan,” he said, claiming that “there is no clue regarding his whereabouts”.

Dawar said Ali’s companions, who were with him at the time of arrest, were also unaware of the latter’s location.

“Apparently, according to what is being run on social media, Wazir was arrested in North Waziristan but a case against him has been registered at the Federal Investigation Agency’s Cybercrime Circle in Peshawar,” he told the speaker, adding the law and Constitution had ceased to exist in the country.

Dawar requested the speaker to initiate a probe into Wazir’s arrest and determine his whereabouts. He highlighted that the NA had recently passed a law which required the speaker’s approval prior to arresting a lawmaker.

“The session is underway but permission was not taken from the speaker … this then means that this is not an arrest, but an abduction,” Dawar added.

Separately, in a tweet, Dawar said that Wazir’s arrest showed there was no rule of law in the country.

“He has been abducted. His whereabouts remain unknown. Speaker NA was not notified of his arrest,” the MNA added.

Wazir was released from Karachi jail earlier in February after being incarcerated for more than two years. He had been under arrest since December 2020 in several sedition cases.

Last week, Dawn reported that the FIA’s cybercrime cell had summoned Wazir over mutiny charges.

The notices said the accused persons were directed to appear in person before the officials concerned to record their statements in their defence on June 23 for a fair trial.

The notices added that in case of non-appearance, it would be assumed that the respondents had nothing to present or state in their defence.

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