KARACHI: An antiterrorism court on Saturday adjourned till Dec 11 the hearing of a sedition case against MNA Ali Wazir and 10 other activists of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) due to the absence of three accused.

Police had booked PTM`s chief Manzoor Pashteen along with its leaders MNA Wazir and MNA Mohsin Dawar, Muhammad Shafi and Hidayatullah Pashteen for allegedly committing sedition by inciting the public to wage a war against the state by delivering provocative speeches against security forces at a rally held in Sohrab Goth on Dec 6, 2020.

On Saturday, the matter came up before the ATC-XII judge, who was set to record testimonies of prosecution witnesses. The interned MNA was produced from prison while otheraccused appeared on bail except three of them, who failed to ensure their appearance, judicial of ficials and lawyers said.

The special public prosecutor produced 15 witnesses to record their testimonies in the case.

However, the witnesses could not be deposed due to the absence of the three accused.

The judge directed all the accused and their counsel to ensure their presence in court on the next date of hearing.

According to the prosecution, SHO Riaz Ahmed Bhutto had received information that PTM leaders along with 1,800-2,000 Pakhtuns, members and supporters of PTM in a playground opposite Al-Asif Square were preparing for a gathering without getting requisite permission from the department concerned.

It further stated that MNA Ali Wazir along with 10 other leaders as well as three proclaimed offenders, including Manzoor Pashteen, delivered hate speech by using sound system in Urdu and Pashto languages.

`Such speeches were recorded and got translated, which revealed that those hate speeches were against armed forces, civil armed forces, institution of Pakistan and State of Pakistan and a community,` it said.

On Nov 3, the court had indicted Ali Wazir and10 othersforsedidon.On Oct 13, the court had declared PTM chief Manzoor Pashteen, MNA Dawar, Shafi and Hidayatullah, as proclaimed of fenders af ter the investigating officer and revenue officials submitted their reports regarding completion of the process of their proclamation and attachment of properties. In his report, the IO had submitted that there was no likelihood of arrest of the PTM`s chief and three other leaders in the near future.

Police had arrested Wazir on Dec 16, 2020 in Peshawar in connection with the case on a request of the Sindh police and flown to Karachi.

In a charge sheet filed earlier, the IO had informed the court that the accused were found involved in committing offences punishable under Sections 120-B (punishment of criminal conspiracy), 121 (waging or attempting to wage war or abetting waging of war against Pakistan), 121-A (conspiracy to commit of fences punishable under Section 121), 124-A (sedition), 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups, etc), 505 (statements conducing to public mischief), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.