ATC approves 14-day judicial remand of Imaan Mazari, Ali Wazir in sedition case

ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) Thursday granted police a 14-day judicial remand of human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and former lawmaker Ali Wazir and sent them to Adiala jail in a sedition case related to the controversial speech against state institutions.

On August 19, two first information reports (FIR) were registered against Imaan and Wazir at the Tarnol police station and Counter-Terrorism Department police station, following a rally of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) in the federal capital.

Both were booked on the charges of sedition, preventing government officials from carrying out their duties and damaging public property.

During today’s proceedings, Imaan and Wazir were produced before ATC Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain after the completion of their three-day physical remand.

“Voice matching and photogrammetry of Imaan Mazari and Ali Wazir have been completed,” said Prosecutor Raja Naveed and sought an extension in their physical remand.

The investigating officer prayed to the court that Imaan was given a piece of paper from which she made the speech. “She needs to be interrogated who gave her that piece of paper.”

ATC Judge Zulqarnain said that the decision would be made based on justice only. Every possible due relief would be given, he added.

Imaan’s counsel Safai Zainab Janjua prayed to the court to hear her client’s bail plea today. To this, the ATC judge remarked that the bail plea could not be heard today; however, he issued a notice of a hearing for the day after tomorrow.

The ATC judge allowed Imaan to meet her mother, former human rights minister Shireen Mazari, in the courtroom and summoned parties on August 26 on Imaan’s bail application.

A district and sessions court in Islamabad on Tuesday granted bail to Imaan and sent Wazir to jail on a 14-day judicial in a different case related to "interference in state affairs" and damaging the public property registered after PTM held its rally in Islamabad.

The FIR

The FIR relating to "interference in state affairs", was filed on the complaint of Tarnol Station House Officer (SHO) Miam Mohammad Imran following the PTM rally, under Sections 148 (rioting armed with a deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 395 (punishment for dacoity), 440 (mischief committed after preparation made for causing death or hurt) and 506ii (criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

Tasked with maintaining law and order situation during a rally of the PTM, the SHO said that he was present with other police officials at Tarnol Phatak Chowk on Friday at 5pm, when the rally — in violation of its NOC — started moving from the place allocated to it.

He maintained that the participants of the rally equipped with batons clashed with the police when law enforcers attempted to stop the rally. The crowd blocked both lanes of GT Road after being stopped by the police, read the FIR.

When the leaders of the PTM and supporters were asked to open the road, they attacked the police and issued threats of dire consequences and damaged vehicles and vandalized nearby shops, said the SHO.