Daily Times

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Azam Swati appeared before the Supreme Court’s human rights cell on Thursday, and stated his honour had been ripped apart and he was living like a “breathing corpse” after his “custodial torture”.

Talking to media outside the apex court, Azam Swati said, “I live and die everyday. Arshad Sharif has been martyred, why was I left alive?”

The senator got emotionally overwhelmed during the talk, stating that he has been unable to sleep. “Every time I fall asleep, I wake up 15 minutes later,” the PTI senator said, adding that he will not give up until those who did wrong to him are brought to justice. “My honour was shattered in a blow. I ask, is a tweet my only crime?” he said.

Azam Swati submitted a written reply in the apex court including medical reports as well as other documents and also met the director general of the human rights cell. In his written reply, the PTI leader stated that three masked men took him from his home to an unknown location, stripped him naked and made videos of him. “When I regained consciousness, one person was asking the other to tell the sector commander and General Faisal that Swati is half dead,” the senator further wrote.

The PTI leader further mentioned that he offered the concerned judge to show the torture marks on his sensitive parts, but the honourable judge did not mention the marks anywhere in his judgment. The senator pleaded that the medical board before which he was presented gave a misleading report. He also maintained that the silence regarding his physical condition in the report is a question mark.

Azam Swati, in his written reply, has also demanded strict action against violators of fundamental rights.

Azam Swati was taken into custody by the Federal Investigation Authority’s (FIA) cybercrime unit on October 13 for allegedly making ‘controversial claims’ against state institutions, including the army chief.

Almost 10 days later, a district and sessions court in Islamabad granted Swati post-arrest bail against surety bond worth Rs1 million.

On November 1, the PTI senator detailed the “torture” he was allegedly subjected to in the custody of the FIA and called on Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial to investigate the incident. Meanwhile, the FIA rejected the allegations on October 18 that said that the PTI senator was subjected to torture and humiliation in custody, saying the “dignity of the lawmaker was ensured during the entire legal process”.