MNA Ali Wazir produced before ATC, remanded in CTD custody for 8 days

MNA Ali Wazir, a day after his arrest during a clash between Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) workers and Army troops in North Waziristan tribal district, was produced before an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Bannu on Monday.

Special ATC judge Babar Ali Khan remanded Wazir in the custody of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) for eight days.

According to the court order, the investigation officer of the case had requested the court for a 30-day physical remand of the lawmaker. However, the judge after perusing the record remanded Wazir in police custody for eight days.

Police have been directed to re-produce Wazir before the court on June 4.

Following the hearing, the MNA was shifted to Peshawar for interrogation as a first information report (FIR) — a copy of which is available with Dawn.com — had already been lodged against the PTM leader. MNA Mohsin Dawar and seven other individuals are also nominated in the FIR.

The charges in the FIR have been framed under 7ATA (Section 7 of the Anti Terrorism Act, 1997), Pakistan Penal Code 302 (murder), 324 (attempt to murder), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 120b (criminal conspiracy), and 109 (abetment to an offence).

Earlier on Monday, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan and Governor Shah Farman visited North Waziristan to hold a meeting with tribal elders as well as civil and military officials.

The PTM, meanwhile, has called a protest in North Waziristan against yesterday’s incident.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) in a statement had called for the release of MNA Wazir and other “activists” that were taken into custody. The group had also asked that a parliamentary commission be “set up immediately” to inquire into the matter and “establish the truth”.

Clash 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, in which PTM members were also participating.

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”.

Dawar, while speaking to VOA Deewa, had denied that the group opened fire and accused the Army of initiating violence.