Pakistan court approves three-day remand of PTI Senator Azam Swati over controversial tweets
Dec 11, 2022
Islamabad [Pakistan], December 12 : A judicial magistrate in Qambar remanded Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senator Azam Swati to police custody for three days over his controversial tweets about senior military officials in two cases, Dawn reported.
Swati was arrested over a "highly obnoxious campaign of intimidating tweets against state institutions" by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on November 27.
Swati has been under detention since November 27 and continues to face legal action. The FIA booked him under Section 20 of the Prevention of Electronic Crime Act 2016 (Peca), which deals with offences against the dignity of a person, according to Dawn.
Multiple first information reports (FIRs) were registered against him for using "derogatory language" and "provoking the people against the army" in Sindh and Balochistan. PTI Senator Swati appeared before the judicial magistrate in Sindh's Qambar city in the two cases registered with Warah and Qambar police, as per the Dawn report.
During the hearing, the judicial magistrate sent him on remand for three days. The development comes two days after the Balochistan High Court (BHC) ordered the quashing of all five FIRs that were initially lodged against him in the province over his controversial tweets.
On the same day, Swati's lawyer Iqbal Shah said that two new criminal complaints were registered against Azam Swati in Bela and Winder areas of Balochistan for the use of "offensive language" against senior military officials.
Swati was taken to Sindhi after his custody was given to Sindh province. Notably, Swati was first arrested by the FIA on charges of writing controversial tweets about the armed forces in October and was later released on bail.
Speaking to Dawn, Qambar Shahdadkot SSP Sadam Hussain Khaskheli said that two cases were registered against Swati at Nasirabad and Warah police stations in the district. The FIR at the Nasirabad police station was registered on a complaint of Zameer Hussain Khoso under Sections 13 and 504 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
Apart from these two cases, similar cases have been registered against Swati at Saddar police station in Jacobabad, Usman Essani police station in Shikarpur and Civil Lines police station in Larkana, as per the news report. After the judicial magistrate's decision, PTI Chief Imran Khan condemned the treatment given to Azam Swati.
Imran Khan tweeted, "If anyone wants to understand why Pakistan's economy is now a disaster, just 2 incidents provide the answer. 75-year-old Senator Azam Swati has been subjected to custodial torture, beaten up in front of his grandchildren, his house vandalised & sealed, he is being dragged out."
In another tweet, Imran Khan said, "Multiple false FIRs against him in total violation of all laws & basic human rights enshrined in our Constitution. In contrast, an absconder responsible for billions in corruption & money laundering, Salman Shahbaz, is drycleaned & returns to Pak."
