Ali Wazir - an independent MNA from South Waziristan who has spent over a year at the Karachi Central Prison on sedition charges - has been handed over to court police to transport him to Islamabad where he will attend the crucial National Assembly session on no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, Aaj News reported on Thursday.
According to the report, the Sindh Home Department had declared a room in the Sindh House Islamabad a sub-jail for the MNA.
Some journalists, citing prison officials, have stated that the MNA has been granted parole, with Wazir transported to the Jinnah International Airport in an armoured vehicle.
Others say that Wazir's custody was handed over due to the production orders, for which the joint opposition had submitted a letter to NA Speaker Asad Qaiser on March 25 to faicilitate Wazir's participation in the NA session to vote on the no-confidence motion against the premier.
National Democratic Movement chief Mohsin Dawar, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, Balochistan National Party chief Akhtar Mengal, JUI-F leader Asad Mehmood and others signed the letter urging the NA speaker to issue Wazir's production orders.
MNA Wazir has been in custody since December 2020 after he was arrested for delivering seditious speeches in Karachi. A similar case was registered against him in Miran Shah, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
After spending more than 11 months in custody, the Supreme Court granted him bail in November 2021. However, his release was stalled after an anti-terrorism court requested additional verification before another arrest order was issued.
The Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement has held a sit-in before the Sindh Assembly demanding Wazir’s release on bail since February 14.