Daily Times

A special court in Islamabad issued non-bailable arrest warrants against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Azam Swati on Tuesday over the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) request.

Earlier, the court deferred the indictment of the PTI leader in a case registered against him over a controversial tweet. The special judge central Islamabad presided over the proceedings while Swati failed to appear before the court for his indictment. The investigating officer (IO) told the court that the arrest warrants previously issued by the court had been executed. However, Swati was not present at his residence at the time.

Swati’s lawyer also admitted before the court that he was not in contact with his client while simultaneously informing the court that he had no knowledge of the IO’s visit to Swati’s residence. The court briefly adjourned proceedings and summoned the FIA officer who had executed the arrest warrant. Upon resumption of the hearing later, the FIA official verified the version presented by the prosecution and claimed that nobody opened the door when the team visited Swati’s house.

Special prosecutor Rizwan Abbasi pleaded the court to issue non-bailable arrest warrants for the PTI leader. However, Swati’s counsel opposed the request, arguing that the law for non-bailable arrest warrants “is very different”. “The law is not a joke,” responded the special prosecutor.

“Everyone is being made to hold a press conference,” argued Swati’s lawyer, claiming that “cases are quashed for everyone who holds a press conference. “The court should issue bailable arrest warrants first to complete their execution,” he maintained, stressing that there were high court orders mandating this. The court directed the lawyer to submit the relevant orders.

Meanwhile, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad granted permanent bail to former PTI secretary general Asad Umar. Earlier, PTI Chairman Imran Khan and other leaders as well as activists of the party were booked in a case of terrorism at Islamabad’s Golra Sharif police station for setting government vehicles ablaze, attacking cops and snatching away their official weapons.

On March 18, the PTI chief had reached the G-11 Judicial Complex accompanied by 4,000 activists to appear before a district and sessions court in the Toshakhana case – in which he faced charges of concealing details of the gifts he had acquired from the depository in his asset declarations submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), which had then filed a complaint against him.

However, the police and activists engaged in fierce clashes outside the complex as the latter wanted to escort their chief onto the court premises but the former did not permit them to do so because of security arrangements, compelling the judge to put off the proceedings till March 30 and cancel Imran’s non-bailable arrest warrants after marking his attendance at the gate.

Announcing the previously reserved verdict over Asad Umar’s request for permanent bail, ATC judge Raja Jawad Abbas questioned the need for an arrest over charges of instigation.