Ali Wazir, a member of the National Assembly in prison since December 2020, was released from the Karachi Central Jail on Tuesday. He received a rousing welcome from his supporters, who were waiting for his arrival.

“I am directed to enclose herewith a copy of letter dated February 8, 2023, received from [the] Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [KP], Home and Tribal Affairs Department, Peshawar along with release order/bail bonds [in original] in the following cases in respect of accused Muhammad Ali @ MNA Ali Wazir confined in Central Prison and CF Karachi,” said the release orders issued on Monday.

MNA Wazir was arrested on the charges of making insulting and incendiary speeches against state institutions at a Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) protest rally in Karachi on December 6, 2020. A first information report (FIR) was lodged against him the following day at Karachi’s Sohrab Goth police station.

The South Waziristan lawmaker was jailed in Karachi Central Prison since December 31, 2020. He was arrested in Peshawar but later shifted to the Sindh capital after the registration of cases. The KP police had requested the Sindh government to hand over the suspect after he was granted bail in cases registered in Karachi. But, an anti-terrorism court in Karachi via an order stopped shifting of custody until the proceedings of the pending cases in the court were not complete.

The release, after more than two years, came after the lower house lawmaker got bail in 18 out of nineteen cases. He was freed in one case. Almost all the cases registered against Wazir were leveled with the same type of charges with different provisions.

The cases were lodged under Sections 124-A (sedition), 125 (waging war against any power in alliance with Pakistan), 147 (punishment for rioting), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot, if rioting be committed; if not committed), 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups etc), 500 (punishment for defamation), 505 (statement conducing to public mischief) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code, read with Section 7 (punishment for acts of terrorism) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 on behalf of the state.

Four cases in Karachi and 15 cases in KP – out of the total 19 – were registered against him.

Politicians, journalists, and experts reacted on social media after the MNA was released.

“Ali Wazir am so happy for you,” said Awami National Party (ANP)’s Aimal Wali Khan.

Mohsin Dawar, who belonged to North Waziristan, claimed that every attempt was made to break Ali’s “spirit and to keep him in jail” but he prevailed.

“Justice cannot be denied forever,” he added.

Journalist Mubashir Zaidi said that Qadir Khan, the lawyer of Ali Wazir, deserved congratulations for the “patience and persistence” with which he worked for his release.

Activist Jamaima Afridi described it as “wonderful news” on Valentine’s Day.

Broadcast journalist Syed Muzammil Shah shared Wazir’s quote and hailed his release.

“They said that I should apologise but let me tell them that my body and flesh will melt and my bones will be buried but I will never apologise,” he quoted Wazir’s words outside Parliament last year in his tweet.

“He kept his word. He won. Ego lost. Here’s to freedom!” Shah added.

The National Commission for Human Rights was heartened to hear that Wazir was released from jail.

Ali Wazir was elected as an MNA from the independent seat in the erstwhile tribal areas in KP. He belongs to the Ahmed Zai Wazir tribe. He completed his education at Gomal University in Dera Ismail Khan.