LAHORE: Judicial Magistrate Naseem Akhtar Naz on Friday dismissed post-arrest bail petition of Alamgir Wazir, nephew of MNA and Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement leader Ali Wazir, for lacking jurisdiction to hear bail in a sedition case.

The first class magistrate observed that an additional district and sessions judge or a judicial magistrate with special authorisation had the jurisdiction to decide bails in sedition cases.

Wazir’s senior counsel Abid Saqi told Dawn that now they will approach the sessions court for the grant of bail.

Civil Lines police had lodged a case against Wazir and other prominent participants of Student Solidarity March under Section 124-A of Pakistan Penal Code, which deals the offence of sedition. The case also carried sections 290 (public nuisance) and 291 (continuance of nuisance after injunction to discontinue) in addition to offences under Punjab Sound System (Regulations) Act 2015 and Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance 1960.

The petition stated that the petitioner was absolutely innocent and had no nexus with the allegations mentioned in the first information report. It argued that the story of the prosecution was false and aimed at maligning character and reputation of the petitioner.

It also said the case lodged against the petitioner required further probe and inquiry entitling the petitioner grant of bail.

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2019