PESHAWAR: Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) chief Manzoor Pashteen was on Tuesday released from the central prison of Dera Ismail Khan after he was granted bail in the cases of sedition and other anti-state offences.

On Monday, he was granted bail in last of the eight cases registered against him in Dera Ismail Khan and Tank districts.

After submitting surety bonds to the relevant court on Tuesday, his release orders were issued.

The PTM leader was taken from the prison in a procession and was showered with rose petals at different places. Youngsters continued to dance to the beat of drums in jubilation.

Amidst a rousing welcome given to him by his supporters outside the prison, Mr Pashteen said his struggle for the constitutional rights of people would continue and such imprisonments could not deter him from raising voice for the voiceless people.

The PTM leader was arrested from a residence in Peshawar on Jan 27 and the next day his transit bail petition was rejected by the district and sessions judge. The court had ordered his shifting to Dera Ismail Khan in connection with a case registered at city police station on Jan 21.

According to the FIR of that case, Mr Pashteen while addressing a programme had stated he did not accept the Constitution as it was against fundamental rights.

It was stated in the FIR that through his speech Mr Pashteen tried to create hatred among different nationalities of Pakistan and he used derogatory language against the state.

The FIR was registered under Section 123A (condemnation of creation of Pakistan), 124-A (sedition), 120-A (criminal conspiracy), 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 16 of the Maintenance of Public Order.

Subsequently, when he was granted bail in that case it surfaced that he was also booked in some other cases registered at city and Saddar police stations of Dera Ismail Khan.

Later, he was granted bail in two other cases on Feb 8 followed by acceptance of his bail petitions in the remaining five cases.

Advocates Asad Aziz, Akhter Saeed and Abdul Majeed Mehsud represented Mr Pashteen in these cases and argued that their client was arrested on flimsy grounds and was charged in concocted cases.

They contended that Mr Pashteen was a civil rights activist and had been propagating for the rule of law and supremacy of the Constitution in the country.

Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2020