An Islamabad district and sessions court extended the judicial remand of PTI Senator Azam Swati — who has been in detention since Nov 27 over his controversial tweets about senior military officials — for 14 days and directed the investigating officer (IO) to submit a challan at the next hearing.
Swati was initially booked by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in Islamabad over a “highly obnoxious campaign of intimidating tweets […] against state institutions” and subsequently arrested by the agency last month.
Later, multiple first information reports (FIRs) were registered against him in Sindh and Balochistan as well for using “derogatory language” and “provoking the people against the army”.
On Dec 1, an Islamabad court had approved Swati’s 14-day judicial remand in the FIA case, but the senator was handed over to Balochistan police a day later. He remained in Balochistan police’s custody for a week and was then handed over to Sindh police.
Earlier today, the Sindh High Court took up a plea filed by Azam Swati’s son, Usman Swati, challenging the FIRs registered against the senator in Sindh over his tweets. At the hearing, Sindh Prosecutor General Faiz H Shah informed the SHC that Swati had been shifted back to Islamabad.
Subsequently, judicial magistrate Shabbir Bhatti resumed the hearing of the FIA case in Islamabad and enquired whether a challan had been submitted.
At that, Swati’s counsel, Babar Awan, said, “They [the prosecution] kept on saying for three days that they will present arguments, and then they got the judge transferred.”
He further said the SHC and Balochistan High Court had quashed cases registered against Swati and “set a prime example of supremacy of the law”.
He added, “How could tweets pose any danger to anyone?”
When the judge asked whether Swati had been granted bail in the case, Awan denied, saying “They [prosecution] kept playing a game with the judge for two days.”
The court then summoned Swati and suspended the session for a while.
When the session resumed, Swati joined the hearing via a video link.
“How are you Swati sahib?” the judge asked.
“I am fine,” the senator replied, adding that he would continue the struggle for “supremacy of the law” and “judiciary’s independence”.
Subsequently, the IO informed the court that they were awaiting records from Twitter and a technical report to submit the challan.
The court, however, directed him to submit the challan.
“At least submit an interim challan,” the court said, adding that they were issuing a notice for it today.
The court warned IO that he would not be paid his salary if he failed to submit the challan at the next hearing.
The court also allowed Swati’s lawyers to meet him and asked when would they meet the senator.
It adjourned the hearing after extending Swati’s judicial remand for 14 days.
Islamabad court extends Azam Swati’s judicial remand for 14 days
