'Blacklisted' PTM leaders stopped from leaving country

ISLAMABAD: Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has stopped ‘blacklisted’ Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) leaders Mohsin Dawar and Ali Wazir to leave for Kabul, ARY News reported on Sunday.

The action was taken by FIA officials at Islamabad International Airlines where the PTM leaders, Mohsin Dawar and Ali Wazir, were ready to depart for Afghanistan’s capital Kabul through a foreign airline flight, RQ-928.

Dawar and Wazir have been offloaded from the flight due to the inclusion of their names in the blacklist and exit control list (ECL). Sources said that the leaders engaged in a verbal fight with the FIA staff members at the airport.

Read: Three PTM leaders arrested over gun attack on police officials

Later, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Accountability Shahzad Akbar said in his Twitter message that PM Imran Khan has granted permission to the PTM leaders for travelling to Afghanistan.

The tweet said that the premier permitted Dawar and Wazir to depart for Afghanistan to attend oath-taking ceremony of newly-elected president Ashraf Ghani. Following the orders of PM Khan, Interior Ministry allowed the legislators for one-time to travel abroad.

As per instructions of PM ⁦@ImranKhanPTI⁩ ⁦@MOIofficialPk⁩ on behalf of Federal Govt has granted one time permission as per rules to ⁦@mjdawar⁩ & Ali Wazir MNAs to travel to Kabul to attend oath taking of newly elect ⁦@ashrafghani⁩ ⁦@PTIofficial⁩ pic.twitter.com/vq0fUN6cVI

— Mirza Shahzad Akbar (@ShazadAkbar) March 8, 2020

It is pertinent to mention here that the PTM leader and a Member of National Assembly (MNA) Ali Wazir had been accused of delivering hate speech and desecration of Pakistani flag in a case registered by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) police on March 3.

The case has been registered on the complaint of Charsadda SHO.

MNA Ali Wazir involved in the desecration of Pakistani flag, hate speech and provoked people against the national institutions in his speech at a public gathering, the First Information Report (FIR) reads.

Read: Law ministry suggests not to issue production orders for Ali Wazir, Dawar

Section 120, 121 and 153 of the constitution has been included in FIR registered by SHO Charsadda police.

It may be noted that Ali along with nine others had earlier booked in an attack on an army check post in North Waziristan last month. The group of attackers was led by PTM leaders and MNAs Mohsin Dawar and Ali. A video of Ali Wazir provoking protesters to attack the check post also emerged.