KARACHI: An antiterrorism court on Saturday directed the jail authorities to provide medical treatment facilities to detained parliamentarian from South Waziristan, Ali Wazir, who complained that he was not being treated for various diseases.

Police arrested and booked the outlawed Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement chief Manzoor Pashteen with leaders Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar for allegedly inciting the public against the state and using derogatory language against the security forces at Sohrab Goth on Dec 6, 2020.

On Saturday, the defence counsel moved an application before the ATC-XII judge seeking a direction for the prison authorities to provide medical treatment to Ali Wazir.

The judge directed the superintendent of Central Jail Karachi to attend to the medical needs of the undertrial prisoner, who is suffering from hypertension, uric acid problem and backache. The prison chief was told to submit a report on June 14.

The court also allowed the investigation officer of the case to record voice samples of Ali Wazir to send them to an Islamabad laboratory for their forensic examination and cross-matching with his alleged controversial Dec 6, 2020 speech.

The court further directed the IO to issue advertisements against PTM chief Manzoor Pashteen and another parliamentarian from North Waziristan, Mohsin Dawar, to seek help from the public for their arrest.

According to the prosecution, the PTM leaders addressed a public gathering of around 2,000 participants at Sohrab Goth on Dec 6, 2020 in which they incited the public against the state and used derogatory language against the security forces.

Police had arrested Ali Wazir in Peshawar in connection with the case at the request of the Sindh police and flew him to Karachi. He is in custody now while 10 of his alleged accomplices are on bail.

Published in Dawn, June 6th, 2021