ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Azam Swati filed a post-arrest bail application in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday in the controversial tweets case filed against him.
Trial court judge Azam Khan rejected the PTI leader’s bail plea on December 21, saying that Swati had committed the same crime twice.
On behalf of Azam Swati, PTI leader and lawyer Babar Awan filed a bail application in the Islamabad High Court.
In the application, Azam Swati said that he did not post insulting remarks against any institution. He added that despite the investigation, the prosecution has no evidence against him.
The petition stated that the senator is 75 years old and is a heart patient. Jailing him would be punishment without any crime because all the evidence against him is documented.
Trial court rejected Azam Swati’s bail application.
On December 21, Islamabad Special Judge Central Azam Khan rejected Azam Swati’s bail plea saying that he had committed the same crime twice.
During the hearing, Prosecutor Rizwan Abbasi explained to the court the process of verifying the Twitter account. He added that Swati’s Twitter account has a “blue tick” and celebrities follow her.
“Famous journalists and political figures follow Azam Swati,” the lawyer said. He added that the senator never removed himself from the account.
Abbasi said that there is no doubt that the Twitter account does not belong to Azam Swati.
Concluding their arguments, the prosecutor and public advocate requested the court not to grant bail to the senator in the case.
On the other hand, PTI Senator’s lawyer Sohail Khan took the stand that FIA cannot register a cyber crime case on screenshots.
Controversial tweets cases
Several cases have been registered against Swati across the country for posting controversial tweets against senior army officers.
Initially, the senator was arrested by the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) on October 14 after posting highly hateful and threatening messages against the army chief, judiciary and other state institutions on his official Twitter account.
The senator got bail in this case. But on November 27, the FIA arrested Swati again for using abusive language against senior army officers, including the former army chief.
The senator was booked in several cases across the country related to these tweets.
On December 2, Balochistan Police arrested Swati in Quetta in connection with a similar case.
At the time of his arrest, he was already on judicial remand in Adiala Jail and was transferred to Quetta under transit remand obtained by Balochistan Police.
Later, the Balochistan High Court (BHC) ordered to drop all the cases against the senator in the province.
Once the BHC issued the order, the Sindh Police took the senator into custody over the controversial tweets.
After that, the senator approached the Sindh High Court. The court also directed to drop all cases against the senator.
Following the orders, the Islamabad police took the senator into custody and brought him to the federal capital.
