North Waziristan check-post attack: PTM MNAs acquitted

ABBOTTABAD: The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Wednesday discharged the check-post attack case against Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) leaders Mohsin Javed Dawar and Muhammad Ali Wazir after the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government withdrew the case.

A First Information Report (FIR) was registered at the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Police Station, Bannu Range, against numerous PTM workers. Besides others, MNA Mohsin Javed Dawar from North Waziristan and MNA Muhammad Ali Wazir from South Waziristan were accused of leading a protest rally which allegedly attacked a checkpost in Kharkamar in North Waziristan on February 20, 2019.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had nominated MNA Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar in the first information report of the incident. Different sections of the Pakistan Penal Code, Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act were invoked against them.

On March 16, this year, the KP Law Department had filed an application at the ATC of Bannu, stating that the government did not want to pursue the case in the larger interest of the nation. The application was filed through the Bannu district public prosecutor and ATC Bannu’s senior public prosecutor.

On Wednesday, the ATC Bannu Special Judge Baber Ali Khan heard the case in Abbottabad due to security reasons. He accepted the government’s application. The ATC acquitted Mohsin Dawar and Ali Wazir while accused Khan Wali, Noor Rehman, Gul Alam, Iftikhar, Rahimullah, Imran and Ihsanullah were declared absconders in the same case.

Babar Ali Khan, Special Judge, Anti-Terrorism Court, stated in the judgment: “I have heard the arguments of learned prosecutors on the withdrawal petition in the presence of both the accused named above and have gone through the record available on file carefully.

“In the vague of circumstances and conditions as referred to above coupled with the provision of law which have been explained in detail, this court accepts the withdrawal petition filed by the prosecution u/s 949(a) r/w 7(C) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Prosecution Act 2005.”

“Accused Muhammad Ali Wazir alias Ali Wazir and Mohsin Javed Dawar are on bail who are discharged from the case in hand, their bail bonds stand cancelled and sureties are discharged from their liabilities,” the verdict said.

“Accused Khan Wali, Noor Rehman, Gul Alam, Iftikhar, Rahimullah, Imran and Ihsanullah are still absconders. Therefore their names be entered in the relevant register maintained for such purpose by the competent forum. However, perpetual warrants of arrest be issued against the absconding accused,” the judge added.