In Islamabad, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has granted one-week protective bail to former lawmaker Ali Wazir. Additionally, the court has instructed the secretary interior to conduct an inquiry into the actions of officials and officers involved in consecutive arrests of citizens, which contravene the legal standards established by superior courts.
The court's 9-page order, authored by Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, expressed concern over the disregard for legal principles established by the Lahore High Court in cases related to successive arrests, suggesting that such practices continue unchecked in the federal capital.
The order places an ongoing responsibility on the secretary interior to investigate officials and officers involved in the unlawful practice of successive arrests, as outlined by superior courts. Ali Wazir had been initially arrested on August 20 for alleged interference in state matters following a Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) rally in Islamabad.
Subsequently, he faced sedition charges in a separate FIR. While he was granted bail by a trial court on August 30, he was rearrested under a different FIR on August 26, which led to a series of arrests and releases. When the IHC requested a list of all FIRs against Wazir in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), it was initially provided with four FIRs.
However, on September 18, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) disclosed an additional FIR and arrest, prompting concerns of further arrests upon release. Despite these circumstances, the IHC granted Ali Wazir protective bail, preventing authorities from arresting him once he is released from custody.
This protective bail allows him to appear before trial courts for bail in specific cases, with the restraint in effect until September 26, 2023.