From left: Imaan Mazari and Ali Wazir
Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) leader Ali Wazir and human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari-Hazir were on Monday granted bail by an Islamabad Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), a little over a week after they were detained by police over allegedly seditious speeches.
Both Wazir and Mazari were arrested on Aug. 20, a day after cases were registered against them at the Tarnol Police Station and the Counter-Terrorism Department Police Station over speeches at a PTM rally in Islamabad. The FIRs against them accuse them of sedition, preventing government officials from carrying out their duties and damaging public property.
After being arrested, both were sent on 14-day judicial remand in a sedition case related to controversial speeches against state institutions. Last week, Mazari was granted bail in the case related to damaging government property and interfering in the affairs of the state. However, she had remained in police custody over the sedition case. Wazir, meanwhile, was remanded in both cases.
During proceedings on Monday, prosecutor Raja Naveed argued that over 1,000 people were present at the rally when Mazari delivered her controversial speech against state institutions. He argued that she had accused government officials of committing treason in the speech, adding video of the offending speech had not yet been received by investigators.
However, he told Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain, the voice matching and photogrammetry of Imaan Mazari had been completed. The investigating officer, meanwhile, told the court that Mazari had read out her speech from a piece of paper given to her at the venue. “She needs to be interrogated about who gave her that piece of paper,” he said, with the prosecutor seeking an extension to her remand.
Both Wazir and Mazari were subsequently granted bail against bonds of Rs. 30,000 each. Mazari would now be freed after submission of the bonds, but Wazir would remain in prison as he is still under remand for the second case.