Ali Wazir

Ali Wazir
علي وزیر
Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan
In office
13 August 2018 – 10 August 2023
ConstituencyNA-50 (Tribal Area-XI)
Personal details
Born (1976-10-21) October 21, 1976 (age 48)
Ghawa Khwa, Wanna, South Waziristan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Pakistan[1]
SpouseSaira Wazir[2]
Children6[2]
Parents
  • Malik Mirzalam Wazir[4] (father)
  • Khwazhamina Wazir[3] (mother)
RelativesArif Wazir[5] (cousin)
Saadullah Jan Wazir[5] (uncle)
Farooq Wazir[6] (brother)
Alma materGomal University[7]

Muhammad Ali Wazir (Pashto: محمد علي وزیر) is a Pakistani politician who is the co-founder of a human rights movement, Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM).[8] He had been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from August 2018 till August 2023. During his student life, he was active in the Pashtun Students Federation (PSF), an allied wing of the Awami National Party (ANP).[5]

Wazir's family was long active in the Pashtun nationalist movement and opposed to the Talibanization of the former tribal areas, earning them the militants' enmity. His father (Malik Mirzalam), two brothers (Farooq and Tariq), two uncles (Saadullah Jan and Feroz Khan), and three cousins (Ibrahim, Ishaq and Arif Wazir) were all murdered in targeted killings.[5] On 3 June 2018, Ali Wazir himself survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban in Wanna, South Waziristan, who opened fire on him, killing four supporters of PTM and injuring dozens others, including Arif Wazir.[4][9]

On 16 December 2020, Wazir was arrested on allegations of treason in Peshawar, where he was present to commemorate the 2014 Peshawar school massacre. He was handed over to the Sindh Police and shifted to Karachi.[10] Qamar Javed Bajwa, the Pakistan Army Chief, stated on 1 July 2021 that Wazir would have to apologize for criticizing the Pakistan Army and then he could be released, but Wazir refused to apologize.[11][12][13] On 14 March 2022, the Pashtun National Jirga in Bannu demanded that Wazir be immediately released along with all other political prisoners.[14] After more than two years in jail, Wazir was released on 14 February 2023.[15]

  1. ^ "Ali Wazir". National Assembly of Pakistan. Archived from the original on 27 April 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Wife Of Detained Pakistani Lawmaker Opens Up On 'Utterly Cruel' Ordeal". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. November 25, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference fp1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference ai was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference tn1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference theprint/28july2018 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Himalmag/15june2018 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ "Pakistan lawmakers critical of army barred from leaving the country, briefly detained". Reuters. 1 December 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2022. Wazir is the co-founder of the Pashtun ethnic rights movement, the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference a123 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ "PTM MNA Ali Wazir arrested from Peshawar". Archived from the original on 2021-09-01. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  11. ^ "Here's what Pakistan Army chief commented about Nawaz Sharif, Ali Wazir in closed-door meeting". Daily Pakistan Global. July 2, 2021.
  12. ^ "Those maligning country, institutions cannot be easily forgiven: military leadership". Dunya News. 14 February 2008.
  13. ^ "Pashtuns organise rally against Pakistan in New York". Asian News International.
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference g1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ "MNA Ali Wazir released from prison". The News International. 2023-02-15.