March 17, 2026
By Rehan Piracha
LAHORE
The whereabouts of former parliamentarian and Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) leader Ali Wazir remained unknown on Tuesday, March 17, after he was arrested once again, late Monday night by Sukkur police from the residence of his friend Naeem Khan Suleman in Sukkur. His counsel, Imdad Solangi, confirmed the development to Voicepk.
Wazir had been released from Sukkur Central Prison on Monday, March 16, 2026, following a landmark ruling by the Sindh High Court (SHC) that declared his prolonged detention “illegal, unlawful, and unconstitutional.” Within hours of walking free, however, he was taken away by plainclothed officials and Sindh police personnel, who were seen in a video circulating on social media bundling him into a Vigo pickup truck. Wazir had gone to the residence to attend an iftar party following his release.
Solangi said Wazir was taken to an undisclosed location. PTM activists and supporters have since been searching for him across police stations in the district, but his whereabouts remain unconfirmed. Neither the Sindh government nor Sukkur police have offered any explanation for the re-arrest.
A bail cancellation bid
In a parallel legal development, Moniza Kakar, Wazir’s lawyer in a Karachi case, told Voicepk that the prosecution has filed an application for cancellation of bail in a case registered with the Boat Basin Police Station, in which Wazir stands accused of making statements against state institutions. An anti-terrorism court had originally granted him bail in that case on September 13, 2022.
At a hearing on March 17, the prosecution argued that Wazir had failed to appear before the court following his release from Sukkur Jail. Kakar described the bail cancellation bid as a deliberate attempt to have him re-arrested in the Karachi case, adding that his arrest reflected “continued misuse of legal process and disregard for court orders.”
Condemnation across political lines
The re-arrest drew swift and widespread condemnation from political leaders and civil society.
PTI MNA Junaid Akbar called the sequence of events — Wazir’s release after 21 months of detention followed by his arrest just hours later — “extremely regrettable.” Writing on X, he urged the PPP-led Sindh government to respect court orders and democratic norms. “This uprooting of law and institutions should be stopped, and the ongoing oppression against Ali Wazir should be stopped immediately,” he wrote.
Former senator Mushtaq Yousafzai also demanded Wazir’s immediate release, describing the re-arrest as “the worst fascism, a murder of human rights and a funeral of the justice system.” Invoking the PPP’s stated commitment to democracy and human rights, he wrote: “Where have the claims of democracy and human rights of the PPP, Bilawal and Zardari gone?”
Digital rights activist Usama Khilji, sharing the hashtag #ReleaseAliWazir, called the repeated arrests “lawfare to the max” and an affront to constitutional rights. Journalist and Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) co-chair Munizae Jahangir also slammed the arrest and called on courts to take notice, writing: “This is gross injustice — courts must take notice.”
A prolonged legal ordeal
Wazir’s release on March 16 had marked what many hoped would be the end of a prolonged and turbulent legal saga. His most recent period of incarceration began in August 2024. Despite being granted bail in his final active case — a cybercrime matter — on March 10, bureaucratic delays and administrative red tape kept him behind bars for an additional week.
On the morning of March 16, Wazir’s legal team — led by senior counsel Imdad Hyder Solangi, along with Azhar Hussain Laghari and Badshah Pashteen — arrived at the SHC Circuit Court in Hyderabad to complete the remaining release formalities. The Additional Registrar issued the release writ for Muhammad Ali, alias Ali Wazir. A brief final delay occurred when officials at Sukkur Central Prison sought formal verification of the writ from the High Court, but once that was received, Wazir was discharged and walked free.
His legal representatives had described his journey through the justice system as a “relentless cycle” of arrests. Since 2024, Wazir has faced multiple charges and at least three Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) detention orders spanning Punjab, Sindh, Islamabad, and Balochistan. “Each time a court granted him bail or struck down a detention order, a new order would be issued by a different district administration to keep him in custody,” his legal team noted.
The constitutional bench — headed by Justice Arbab Ali Hakro and Justice Riazat Ali Sehar — ultimately ruled that holding Wazir without a pending trial or investigation violated Article 9 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to personal liberty.
Health concerns
Supporters and family members have also raised alarm over Wazir’s health. The PTM leader reportedly suffers from diabetes, hypertension, and a heart condition. His aides have alleged that he was denied regular medical check-ups during his nearly two-year incarceration — concerns that now take on added urgency given that his current location remains unknown.