The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to a founding member of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), Alamzeb Mehsud. A three-judge bench headed by Justice Maqbool Baqar, granted bail to Mehsud against a surety bond of Rs 500,000.
Alamzeb Mehsud was arrested by police near the Bilawal House Karachi on January 21. According to the prosecution, he used provocative language against the state institutions, such as army.
During the proceedings, the court inquired from Alamzeb's lawyer whether a forensic audit had been conducted of a video that purportedly shows the PTM leader is delivering an allegedly anti-state and anti-military speech.
The counsel replied that no such video has ever been found. He further said that no date has yet been fixed for a trial. The bench then accepted Mehsud's plea for bail and announced its verdict in his favour.
Mehsud had addressed a rally organized by the PTM in Karachi on January 20. A day later, a case was registered on behalf of the state against 16 PTM leaders and over 200 workers booked for allegedly using provocative language against state institutions.
The police had lodged an FIR against the PTM leaders under Sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups, etc), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 500 (punishment for defamation) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.
The police report named Mehsud and 15 others, including MNA Ali Wazir who was eventually arrested in May following a clash between PTM supporters and army troops in North Waziristan.