Ali Wazir

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For other people named Muhammad Ali, see Muhammad Ali (disambiguation).
Ali Wazir
علي وزیر
Muhammad Ali Wazir.jpg
Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan
Assumed office
13 August 2018
ConstituencyNA-50 (Tribal Area-XI)
Personal details
BornGhawa Khwa, Wanna, South Waziristan, Pakistan[1]
NationalityPakistani
Parents
  • Malik Mirzalam Wazir[2] (father)
  • Khwazhamina[2] (mother)
RelativesArif Wazir[3] (cousin)
Farooq Wazir[4] (brother)
Alamgir Wazir[5] (nephew)
Alma materGomal University[6]

Muhammad Ali Wazir (Pashto/Urdu: محمد علي وزیر) is a Pakistani politician who has been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan since August 2018. He is a leader of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement.

On 3 June 2018, he survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban in Wanna who opened fire on him, killing three supporters of the PTM and injuring dozens others, including Ali Wazir's cousin Arif Wazir.[7] On 16 December 2020, Ali Wazir was arrested by the Sindh Police in Peshawar, where he was present to commemorate the 2014 Peshawar school massacre.[8]

Personal life and family[]

Ali Wazir belongs to the Ahmadzai Wazir tribe of the Pashtuns. His father, Malik Mirzalam Wazir, was the chief of the Ahmadzai Wazir tribe.[9] Ali Wazir received his early education in Wanna, South Waziristan. While studying law at Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, he was influenced by the International Marxist Tendency group and became a political activist.[6] In 2003, Ali Wazir's elder brother Farooq Wazir, who was a tribal leader and activist critical of the Taliban's presence in Waziristan, was assassinated by the Taliban militants. It marked the start of a long campaign during which the Taliban killed thousands of local activists, politicians, and clerics in the Pashtun tribal areas who had opposed the Taliban.[4][6] In June 2004, Ali Wazir's father, Malik Mirzalam, was picked up by the authorities under the collective responsibility clause of the Frontier Crimes Regulations.[10] In July 2005, while Ali Wazir was in prison under the same law, the Taliban killed his father, brother, two uncles, and two cousins in a single ambush near their home. When Ali Wazir was briefly released by the authorities, the funerals had already ended.[4][2] Remembering the day in July 2005, Ali's mother, Khwazhamina, said: "Our whole front yard was red with the blood oozing from our martyrs. Our house was eerily silent and empty after their remains were taken to the graveyard for burial. Only the cries of our small children echoed in the blank courtyard.” Her family said that she lived in a doorless room afterwards, because of her fear of being awaken to a tragic news by a knock at her door.[2] In May 2020, Ali's first cousin Arif Wazir was assassinated.[11] Between 2003 and 2020, 18 male members of Ali Wazir's extended family were killed by the militants.[12]

The militants also ruined the businesses owned by his family. Their gas stations were demolished, their tube wells were filled with dirt, and their apple and peach orchards were sprayed with poisonous chemicals.[13] In 2016, their market in Wanna was demolished with dynamite under the Frontier Crimes Regulations, which authorized collective punishment, after a bomb killed an army officer.[4] Authorities subsequently prevented the locals of Wanna from collecting donations to help Ali Wazir's family. “They were told it would set an unacceptable precedent because the government cannot let anyone help those it punishes”, Ali Wazir wrote in an opinion article for The Diplomat.[9]

2018 assassination attempt[]

On June 3, 2018, during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, gunmen affiliated with the Taliban attacked Ali Wazir and other supporters of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) in Wanna, South Waziristan. Ali Wazir survived but three supporters of PTM were killed in the attack while dozens of others, including Ali Wazir's cousin Arif Wazir and local journalist Noor Ali Wazir, were injured.[7][4][14][2] Many of the injured were taken to hospitals in Dera Ismail Khan.[15]

A local senior journalist, on condition of anonymity, told that his sources confirmed that the attack was carried out by the Nazir Group, a faction of Taliban militants which operated in South Waziristan.[3] The dispute between the two parties in Wanna had started on June 2 when a pro-government militant leader, Ainullah Wazir, took away Pashteen hats from PTM activists by force and set the hats on fire. To condemn the act of the militant leader, Ali Wazir announced that a protest sit-in was to be held by PTM in Wanna from June 4. In response, the militants with guns went to Ali Wazir's home and asked him to either leave the area or leave PTM. When Ali Wazir refused to comply with their demand, they attacked Wanna's Mirzalam Market and a nearby petrol pump owned by Ali Wazir. However, a large number of unarmed PTM supporters gathered at the market to support Ali Wazir and resisted the militants, after which the militants indiscriminately opened fire on the PTM supporters. The PTM leader Mohsin Dawar alleged that when the militants fled after the attack was repulsed, security forces which reached the area also opened fire on the unarmed PTM supporters, injuring many of them. Mohsin Dawar added: “Even though the military imposed a curfew in the area, but it has not discouraged the people from coming out and expressing their support for the PTM.”[16] PTM leader Manzoor Pashteen also claimed that the attackers were backed by the Pakistan Army and intelligence agencies. Following a protest call by Pashteen, PTM held protest rallies in several cities including Peshawar, Quetta, and Islamabad to condemn the attack on Ali Wazir.[17][15]

On June 4, Pakistan Army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor claimed at a press conference that a firefight had taken place between PTM supporters and a government sponsored peace committee, members of which were reported to be former members of the Taliban.[18]

Political career[]

Ali Wazir ran for the seat of the National Assembly of Pakistan as an independent candidate from Constituency NA-41 (Tribal Area-VI) in 2008 Pakistani general election but was unsuccessful. He received 3,294 votes and lost the seat to Abdul Maalik Wazir.[19]

He ran for the seat of the National Assembly as an independent candidate from Constituency NA-41 (Tribal Area-VI) in 2013 Pakistani general election but was unsuccessful. He received 7,641 votes and lost the seat to Ghalib Khan.[20] Reportedly, the Taliban intimidated and tortured his voters and supporters which resulted in his defeat by 300 votes.[4]

In 2018, he became one of the leaders of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) which emerged after the extrajudicial killing of Naqeebullah Mehsud.[21]

He was offered a nomination on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ticket by Imran Khan to contest 2018 general election from his Constituency NA-50 (Tribal Area-XI), which he declined, following which Imran Khan decided not to field candidate against him in the constituency.[22][4]

He was elected to the National Assembly as an independent candidate from Constituency NA-50 (Tribal Area-XI) in the 2018 general election.[23] He received 23,530 votes and defeated an independent candidate, Syed Tariq Gailani.[24]

Views and controversies[]

Wazir is known for his vocal criticism of the Taliban and Pakistan's security establishment.[13] Ali Wazir was booked for charges of hate speech and desecration of the Pakistani flag in 2020 after he delivered a speech in Charsadda calling for the US to destroy state institutions in Islamabad, in the manner that it had attacked Afghanistan and Pashtuns. Information Minister of KPK Shaukat Ali Yousafzai demanded he be removed from National Assembly proceedings.[25][26] Ali Wazir in April 2020 claimed that shifting of COVID-19 affected individuals to Dera Ismail Khan and Chaman was a ‘conspiracy against Pashtuns’, further stating that Pakistan Army wanted to earn money from Covid 19 outbreak [27]

References[]

  1. ^ "Ali Wazir". National Assembly of Pakistan. Archived from the original on 27 April 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e "The Pashtuns' Year of Living Dangerously". The American Interest. March 8, 2019. Archived from the original on April 1, 2019. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Three PTM supporters dead, 20 injured in 'Taliban' attack". Daily Times. June 4, 2018. Archived from the original on June 25, 2018. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Pakistan's Ali Wazir: The lone Marxist to win despite Taliban killing 16 of his family". The Print. 28 July 2018. Archived from the original on 28 July 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  5. ^ "Activist Alamgir Wazir Arrested After Students Solidarity March Released On Bail". Naya Daur. April 10, 2020. Archived from the original on April 11, 2020. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  6. ^ a b c "Anatomy of a political moment". Himal Southasian. 15 June 2018. Archived from the original on 25 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  7. ^ a b "Pro-government militant faction targets Pashtun gathering in Pakistan, three killed". Hindustan Times. June 4, 2018. Archived from the original on January 15, 2019. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  8. ^ "PTM MNA Ali Wazir arrested from Peshawar". Archived from the original on 2021-09-01. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  9. ^ a b Ali Wazir (April 27, 2018). "What Does the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement Want?". The Diplomat. Archived from the original on January 16, 2019. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  10. ^ "Suspected Uzbek militant killed". DAWN.COM. 2004-06-04. Archived from the original on 2020-02-28. Retrieved 2020-01-04.
  11. ^ "PTM's Arif Wazir dies in Islamabad hospital after gun attack in Wana". Dawn. May 2, 2020. Archived from the original on May 2, 2020. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  12. ^ "Pashtun Rights Activist Killed In Waziristan Gun Attack". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. May 2, 2020. Archived from the original on May 3, 2020. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  13. ^ a b "From Gutters and War Zones". Newsweek Pakistan. 23 July 2018. Archived from the original on 25 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  14. ^ "10 Pashtun protesters killed in Pakistan, activists blame military". The Times of India. June 5, 2018. Archived from the original on April 26, 2019. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  15. ^ a b "Pakistan: Attack on Ali Wazir". Asian Marxist Review. June 4, 2018. Archived from the original on January 15, 2019. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  16. ^ "Three PTM members reported dead as Ali Wazir comes under attack in S Waziristan". Pakistan Today. June 3, 2018. Archived from the original on January 15, 2019. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  17. ^ ""د وزیرستان واڼه کې لا هم حالات ترینګلي دي او علي وزیر ته ګواښ شته"". BBC Pashto (in Pashto). June 6, 2018. Archived from the original on January 15, 2019. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  18. ^ "Pakistani Pashtun rights activists wounded in gun attack". Al Jazeera. June 4, 2018. Archived from the original on December 15, 2018. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  19. ^ "2008 election results" (PDF). ECP. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 January 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  20. ^ "2013 election results" (PDF). ECP. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 February 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  21. ^ "Two PTM leaders make it to NA". The News. 29 July 2018. Archived from the original on 5 April 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  22. ^ "PTI's decision of not fielding candidate against Ali Wazir hints at one-sided electoral battle". www.pakistantoday.com.pk. 27 June 2018. Archived from the original on 31 July 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  23. ^ "Imran Khan's PTI on top as election results come in". Archived from the original on 26 July 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  24. ^ "NA-50 Result - Election Results 2018 - South Waziristan Agency 2 Tribal Area 11 - NA-50 Candidates - NA-50 Constituency Details". www.thenews.com.pk. The News. Archived from the original on 28 July 2018. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
  25. ^ Hussnain, Fida (2020-03-03). "PTM Leader Ali Wazir Booked Over Anti-Pakistani Speech". Pakistan Point News. Retrieved 2021-10-31.
  26. ^ "Case registered against MNA Ali Wazir over hate speech, flag desecration". 3 March 2020. Archived from the original on 15 June 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  27. ^ "War on coronavirus and PTM's anti-Pakistan agenda". 6 April 2020. Archived from the original on 16 June 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
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