Parents of activist who fled to US cleared of terrorism charges

ISLAMABAD: The parents of Gulalai Ismail, a social activist who fled to the United States in 2019, have been acquitted of charges of sedition and terrorism financing and facilitation by an anti-terrorism court in Peshawar, her family and lawyers said. The verdict was delivered by judge Fazal Sattar, who ruled the charges against Professor Muhammad Ismail and Uzlifat Ismail could not be substantiated. Muhammad was arrested from Peshawar in 2019 after being charged with uploading material to his Facebook page “prejudicial to the interests of the state institutions”, but freed on bail a month later.

Anti Terrorism Court 1 Peshawar, acquitted me and my spouse in the case of Sedition, Conspiracy against State, Terrorism and Terror Financing.

— Prof.M.Ismail (@ProfMIsmail) February 15, 2023

According to Mohammad, the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had retained the services of a senior lawyer to pursue the case, and he and his spouse had made 167 appearances in the court since January 2021. Gulalai, who previously campaigned for Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), expressed her gratitude to those who supported her family during their arduous ordeal, which lasted more than three years and included numerous court appearances.

Today Peshawar anti-terrorism court acquitted my parents in the fake & malafide case of sedition,terrosim & conspiracy against the state after more than 3 years of harassment and innumerable court appearances. I am thankful to those who stood with us during this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/p2yr3YTvPI

— Gulalai Ismail ګلالۍاسماعیل (@Gulalai_Ismail) February 15, 2023

Gulalai now lives in self-exile in the United States, claiming she fears for her life after speaking out against violence and disappearances allegedly carried out by the military in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The military has vehemently denied the charges, and so far, she has not presented any evidence to substantiate her allegations. Mohsin Dawar, PTM MP from North Waziristan, said the husband-wife duo had been “harassed and persecuted” for far too long. “Their resolve remains unshaken,” he said, congratulating the activist.

Congratulations to @ProfMIsmail and his wife, parents of @NDM_Official leader @Gulalai_Ismail, who have been acquitted by the ATC in Peshawar in the fake case filed against them. They have been harassed and persecuted for far too long. Their resolve remains unshaken. pic.twitter.com/8VxaE3vI0E

— Mohsin Dawar (@mjdawar) February 15, 2023

The acquittal is a significant victory for the Ismail family and, their lawyers said, highlights the importance of due process and the rule of law in the fight against the menace of terrorism.