LAHORE: A judicial magistrate on Monday denied physical remand of Alamgir Wazir, nephew of MNA and Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement leader Ali Wazir, to police and sent him to jail on judicial remand in a sedition case lodged against the organisers and participants in last week’s Student Solidarity March.

Civil Lines police had registered the FIR on behalf of the state against six nominated and 250-300 unidentified participants in the march. The FIR carried sections 124-A (sedition), 290 (public nuisance) and 291 (continuance of nuisance after injunction to discontinue) of Pakistan Penal Code, and offences under Punjab Sound System (Regulations) Act 2015 and Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance 1960.

The police presented Wazir, also a former student of Punjab University, before Judicial Magistrate Nasim Akhtar Naz and sought his 10-day physical remand. The investigating officer stated before the court that the suspect delivered a hate speech at the march and tried to incite people against the state institutions.

He said custody of the suspect was required for further investigation.

However, a counsel appearing on behalf of Wazir opposed the remand and argued that video record of the alleged hate speech was already available with the police. He said the police had no reason to seek further remand.

The magistrate agreed to the defence counsel and turned down the request of the IO.

The magistrate sent Wazir to jail on judicial remand and directed the IO to submit challan of the case on Dec 16.

BAIL: A sessions court on Monday allowed pre-arrest bail to Farooq Tariq, convener of Lahore Left Front, Ammar Ali Jan and Kamil Khan, leading organisers of the Students Solidarity March who were nominated in the sedition FIR.

Advocate Rabbiya Bajwa and other lawyers represented the petitioners saying the case lodged by the police was politically motivated and contrary to the facts. The counsel said there was apprehension that the police might also arrest the petitioners like Alamgir Wazir.

Additional District & Sessions Judge Saifullah Sohail allowed the petitions and granted pre-arrest bail to the petitioners till Dec 12.

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2019