HYDERABAD: The Sindh High Court on Thursday issued notices to senior police officers of Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur and Dadu on a petition challenging the detention of former MNA Ali Wazir of the outlawed Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM).

The division bench comprising Justice Adnan Iqbal Chaudhry and Justice Riazat Ali Sahar also issued notices to the additional advocate general and additional prosecutor general for April 22.

In the petition filed through Advocate Imdad Hyder Solangi, Mr Wazir challenged his detention in a sedition case registered at the B-Section police station, Latifabad.

The petitioner’s counsel submitted that on March 16, SHO of the A-Section police station of Dadu had registered an FIR under Sections 123-A (condemnation of the creation of the State, and advocacy of abolition of its sovereignty) and 124 (sedition) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) read with Sections 6/7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997.

SHC issues notices to police officials for 22nd

The counsel questioned this FIR before the SHC’s Sukkur bench. He stated that the respondent SHO then registered another FIR (No. 40/26) under Sections 324 (attempted murder), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 109 (abetment) and other sections of the PPC at the B-section police station of Dadu.

He said that he had been confined in the Sukkur Central Prison in connection with cases registered at the police stations of Rohri, Naushahro Feroze and Nawabshah.

He stated that the Anti-Terrorism Court-I, Sukkur had acquitted him in the one of the cases on Aug 23, 2025 and another case was returned by the ATC Naushahro Feroze on April 15, 2025 with the observation that it did not constitute the offence of terrorism as mentioned in FIR.

The IO of the case was directed to produce a final report before the court of civil judge. The concerned court of Naushahro Feroze cancelled the FIR, the petitioner’s counsel added.

He said that a final report the case registered in Nawabshah was submitted before the Benazirabad ATC judge, who directed the police to file the case before the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), Hyderabad.

He said that eventually the SHC’s Hyderabad circuit bench ordered his client’s release on March 10 upon submission of Rs50,000 bond. He said Mr Wazir was released on March 16 from the Sukkur prison.

The counsel stated that the same day, while Mr Wazir was present with his relatives serving in law enforcement agencies, some policemen emerged there and took him into custody, along with others.

He stated that Mr Wazir’s relatives filed an application under Section 491 of the criminal procedure code before the district and sessions judge of Sukkur and also a petition before the SHC.

The counsel submitted that he was falsely implicated in a case and produced before the Naushahro Feroze ATC on March 19 vide an FIR registered at the A-Section police station of Dadu after he filed a habeas corpus application on March 18.

He stated that Mr Wazir had continuously been facing harassment and that his freedom was curbed.

He asked the court to quash the FIR No. 40/26 of the B-Section police station of Dadu and restrain the investigating officer of the case from submitting a charge sheet in the said FIR.

The bench issued notices to the DIGs of Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur; SSPs of Dadu and Sukkur and some other policemen for April 22.

Published in Dawn, April 3rd, 2026