Pakistan: Senator Azam Swati receives bail in anti-establishment tweet case

Islamabad [Pakistan], October 22 (ANI): A special court of the Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Friday granted post-arrest bail to Senator Azam Swati, who was arrested in a case registered against him over an anti-establishment tweet.
According to Dawn, special Judge Central Raja Asif Mehmood granted bail to Swati against surety bonds of PKR 1 million. The court, however, directed him to surrender his passport.
On October 13, senator Azam Swati was taken into custody for accusing Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa of legitimising corruption in the high echelon of the country.
Swati was presented, on October 16, before a district and sessions court after the completion of his one-day physical remand. The court had extended Swati’s physical remand for interrogation for a day over FIA officials’ request on Saturday, reported Geo News.
Swati was taken into custody by the FIA’s Cybercrime Wing (CCW) from his home in Islamabad, after which he was presented before senior civil judge Shabbir Bhatti’s court in the federal capital which approved a two-day remand.
The agency’s cybercrime wing registered a case against Swati later over the “controversial” tweets.
Speaking to media persons before the hearing, Swati said that Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and the FIA’s director-general are his complainants. He said that he will bring the DG to the court and file a case against the cybercrime wing and its staff, reported Geo News.
“They registered an FIR against me and then handed me over to the agencies that inflicted violence upon me,” alleged the PTI leader.
He said that he is being questioned why he defended Senator Saifullah Sarwar Khan Nyazee, replying that he is Imran Khan’s right hand and is an innocent man.
“I would still defend Senator Saifullah if he was an ordinary worker,” he added.
Upon being asked if he stands by his tweet, Swati said that he will do anything for the “Haqiqi Azadi” and will sacrifice everything, reported Geo News.
At the outset of the hearing headed by Duty Magistrate Shoaib Akhtar, prosecution counsel read Swati’s controversial tweet.
Meanwhile, the prosecutor requested for a 14-day extension in the arrested PTI leader’s physical remand. He said that Swati is a political figure who has hundreds of thousands of followers on social media accounts. Recovering Swati’s mobile phone is necessary, he asserted.
“Swati tweeted from his verified account and mentioned the army chief in the tweet,” he added while requesting the court to give more time to the investigation officer for interrogation, reported Geo News.
Later, the court reserved the verdict and extended the remand of the PTI leader by a day. (ANI)